Another long overdue update on our trip. Finally, we are enjoying the sun-soaked rides we sought rather than the just soaked rides. We moved up our rest day from day 10 to day 9 in Palm Beach, which made it easy to attend a conference I had been invited to. This was a good day to dry out before the final leg south and west. Here is a summary update with links to the rest.
Doing Business. We fought our way through the pouring rain and the roadblocks on A1A to a conference. The sun hadn’t begun yet…
Miami. Our first truly sunny day of riding! Down along the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami to the illustrious Fountainbleau. Not the usual destination of cyclists, but they agreed to take us in.
Income Distribution. Homestead is different than Palm Beach and Miami Beach. A city at the sound end of Miami-Dade county, much of it is lower income. It is trying to cash in on the tourist waves as the gateway to the Everglades, the path to the Florida Keys, and as a rival to Daytona Beach with its own speedway: the Miami-Homestead International Speedway.
Key Largo. Our first stay on a key. Our first dip in the ocean. Finally.
Duck Key. Even real estate developers sometimes have a hard time (who knew?!). Hawk Key Resorts is in ersatz resort experience. Neither posh like Miami Beach nor gritty-charming like the smaller keys, its genuinely friendly staff must work with an austerely hygienic property of no character.
Little Torch Key. The real deal. Welcoming, basic, friendly, unassuming. Amazing local restaurant—very dog friendly.
Key West. In all its tacky, boozy, rowdy glory?
There is more coming, but at Key West we completed our last ride. Logistics got in the way of riding across the Everglades—but that’s a story, too.