50 States, Day 278

  Miami to Key West to Marathon, 212 miles

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift; that's why they call it the present."                                                                                                                                                              

~Eleanor Roosevelt



The clouds looked more ominous than the weather report indicated. Should we stand down for a day? Are we being super wieners? The answers were no and yes, so we set out, hoping to dodge what looked like some nasty weather ahead. 

Good move. We rode through a few light showers and emerged into clouds and light wind, but good enough. And only a hundred miles from Miami, we found ourselves in paradise, the keys. 

Somebody had the foresight to make a roadway all the way to Key West. It must have cost a fortune, with causeways and bridges multiple miles long linking the islands. But the payoff was refined beauty. Each key was different from the others, yet similar. Plenty of water and palm trees everywhere. 



We stopped in Marathon after the Visitor Center hooked us up in a motel ($89 per night, compared to KOA campground at $91, go figure) and checked in early. QG elected to sit tight for the day (not wild about those bridges), so I braved the elements and rode to Key West. QG worked on taxes. I know, somebody has to have all the fun, but I tried to have a good time at Key West anyway. 

Because of it's reputation and great location, I thought KW would be snotty and artificial, like Durango Colorado, but not the case. People dressed down, rode average bicycles and scooters and the shops were real, not Hollywood movie sets. I'm sure there is the yacht crowd and the cashmere sweater with the arms tied around the neck bunch, but normal folk abounded. What was missing was people on the beaches. The shores lay empty, sand and sea under a grey sky, and that was the reason why. Not a sunscreen and beach towel day. 



The shops at downtown however, rocked. If you can't find your beach, find your store, I guess. I rode through, awash in relief and guilt over not shopping. 



And now, happy and rested from a day of spreadsheets and tax preparation, Quilter Girl!

This hotel room is awesome.  It has a huge window the width of the wall with louvers that open at each end there is lots of room even with a king sized, very comfortable, bed.  The gardens here are full to bursting with big, leafy green plants.  It is really a tropical paradise even with a stiff breeze and cool temps.

We had a very expensive dinner at a restaurant next door.  It was good and we will have enough for tomorrow, but I don't want to get used to paying $60 for a dinner.  
QG

Tomorrow we'll (that is, I'll) visit the keys once again. And today marks a month in Florida. After watching tornadoes on the weather website, we're not highly motivated to move North! 

Thanks for following. 

P.S.: We met Lee yesterday, and he took some fine photos of Libby, who happened to have just had a bath. And the helmets covered her fender damage too, very nice. Thanks, Lee and great job!




2 comments:

Mel said...

Nice of you to 'take one for the team' and ride to Key West by yourself while QG works on taxes... what a guy!
And now you're planning the same thing for tomorrow? Keep this up and soon you'll be talking like you own them. You know... "Honey, have you seen my Keys?"

Unknown said...

Looks like the Key to a good marriage to me.
KP