- gfeldstein
Day 56 Miami, FL to Key Largo 62 miles 856 feet
It was a balmy morning when I rolled out of our hotel. The weatherman was predicting a light drizzle in spots but barely measurable accumulation. I decided not to pack a raincoat as I would probably overheat if I wore it. The first 20 miles were on a series of bike paths under the MetroRail or along the Busway. There was minimal construction on today’s section but it still felt like an obstacle course dodging students at the University of Miami as well as commuters trying to get to work, all competing for the limited space on the path. One thing I did not notice was much homelessness. In California the homeless appear to be everywhere but tend to congregate around and under elevated trains and roadways. They frequently establish encampments housing hundreds in a single location. Thinking back on my journey, I only recall seeing significant homeless populations in Manhattan and Washington, DC.
Around 10:30, just as I approached our van, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour. I considered grabbing my raincoat from the van but as long as I kept moving I was warm and I was pretty convinced it wouldn’t last much longer. It took about 20 minutes for the rain to finally stop and the downpour yielded way more than the projected 1/100’th inch of rain. We crossed over US1 and would ride for about 25 miles on deserted backroads through swaps before reconnecting with US1.
Just before that juncture, I stopped at the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Botanical Garden. There really wasn’t much to see there, possibly I came at the wrong time of year as nothing was in bloom. It seemed like a nice place to take your dog for a walk, but not much more than that.
I was planning to stop at the Hobo’s Cafe for lunch but they were apparently on vacation. I made a last minute decision to try the Lazy Lobster Seafood Restaurant, 102770 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo. The lobster roll was ok, just nothing special.
On the short ride to our hotel I happened across some whimsical garden art.
Our hotel, like many in the Keys, is located directly on a waterway.
Dinner was at Sharkey’s, a so so seafood restaurant, there is not much to chose from in Key Largo
Fourteen states down, 1 more to go.
The Cumulative Totals
Miles 2,987
Feet Climbed 89,387
States Visited Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
For more details on my route, see my Strava Link