It was still cold but we "felt" warner as the sun rose as we were crossing Alligator Alley. Our first leg was complete upon our arrival at the departue point in Florida City. There were twenty plus bikes ready for lunch in Key West and at 8:30am our small group of four headed south.
The Overseas Highway (US 1) is primarily a two lane road that connects mainland Florida to Key West. Traffic is typically heavy and the speeds slow. Today would be no exception. Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon were some of the major locales on our route.
Three hours after our departure, we arrived at the Half Shell Raw Bar. We chose to sit inside due to the cool temps. 60 degrees is as warm as it got in Key West and that is COLD for the lower keys.
After lunch, we headed over to the Southernmost Point for the obligatory picture and then rode the south shore until we again came upon Route 1 and headed north. It was another three hour trip before we arrived back in Florida City.
A few of us decided to stay overnight at the Everglades Hostel. While I had read about hostels and had a good idea of what to expect, it was still a shock. Nothing like the Hilton! After dinner and a movie (about the 2007 Iron Butt Rally), it was off to bed. The 2:00am wake up call was catching up to me.
I got an early start on the return and had made the decision to ride US 41 back to Naples. This route is rarely used now that Alligator Alley is available. No services, little traffic, smack dab in the middle of the Everglades and the Miccosukee Tribe of the Seminole Indians reservation. Many small Indian villages dot the landscape.
After a short break in Naples, I continued north to Riverview. It was a fun trip and I look forward to heading back to the Keys again.
