As Far South as We can Go in the USA

Question: What is the southernmost point in the USA? (It's a trick question, just like asking about the easternmost point, which we discovered earlier in our journey was West Quoddy)

Answer: Key West.

We were so hot and tired yesterday that we didn't take a look at Miami Beach, even though we were quite close. This morning we headed back north.to correct that The waterfront is an iconic area with a strip of art deco buildings that make it very photogenic, and it was on our list of "must see" places.

We parked our bike and wandered down onto the beach. The sand was a slightly grey colour, mainly made up of shell grit that felt like course sand.

The water was beautifully clear. Wanda couldn't resist taking a paddle and would have loved to go in fully clothed.

The whole area is very clean. "They" look after it well. There were people exercising, swimming and running events. It is definitely an area to visit but avoid holiday week-ends as it is packed with people.

It was already stinking hot and humid by the time we rode off down US 1 towards the Florida Keys. Miami is a gigantic, sprawling, overcrowded city and served to remind us why we are avoiding most major cities. It took ages to clear the urban sprawl even though it was Sunday and traffic was minimal. It was impressive to see a monorail  parallel US 1 for many miles south.

We stopped for drinks on the way halfway to Key Largo, the first of the islands in the Florida Keys where we filled up with petrol. We rode on in the heat. Although the traffic moved quickly most of the time it felt intense because there were few opportunities to pass. US 1 is only a single lane in each direction for much of the way. On the way there were many opportunities for people to swim, fish, picnic on small sandy patches. There were boats fishing, water skiing racing etc. on the beautiful blue-green water.  There were holiday homes, strip malls, motels and eateries. An ideal holiday summer vacation area.

By the time we reached Islamorada we were ready for lunch. We stopped at the Ocean View Inn and Sports Pub, a place with a notorious past, being the first licenced pub in the Keys. It was thankfully very quiet today.

It was a long and tiring ride in the heat. We continued on US 1 across the 7 Mile Bridge which was the scene of a spectacular car chase in the film True Lies.

We found it necessary to take another drink and rest break 20 miles before Key West, the last road-accessible island in the chain. In Key West we stopped at an Information Centre where the staff helped us find a B&B that had a room for two nights. All the way out we had been wondering if we would be able to find accommodation on the holiday weekend. If not we would have to ride back to wherever a room was available. As it turned out, finding accomodation was not a problem.

We settled into our room at a B&B and cooled off for a while before setting off on foot to Duval Street, the epicentre of Key West with its bars, restaurants and toiurist shops.

Picking a bar at random, we stopped for a beer, served in a huge plastic container that could serve well as a small bucket. The live guitar music added atmosphere.

From there we followed the rest of the tourists to Mallory Square, where we found a market place selling souvenirs and street artists performing acrobatic feats, juggling and busking.

Overhead a dare-devil pilot performed acrobatic manouvres while we waited the last few minutes for the sun to set. The horizon was blanketed in cloud and as the sun sank into them we were treated to an underwhelming spectacle of nature.
Numerous sailing boats, surf skis and powerful motor boats passed in front of us giving some unusual photographic opportunities.

A bi-plane also performed some spectacular acrobatics and dives.

We purchased a bottle of wine on our way back to our B&B where we had dinner. Here we met Sandy and Warren, a lovely couple from Pompano Beach (north of Miami beach) who were in Key West for the holiday weekend. Sandy, who has an (American) Indian background, discussed the use of a plant called 'Bloodroot' as a cure for some skin cancers. This was a remedy her ancestors had used for many years. We also met a couple from eastern europe, now living in New Jersey.

The last thing we did was to have a dip in the tiny pool. It was incredibly refreshing.