Destination: Key West, Florida
Route: Highway 41 through the Indian Reservation and the Everglades, 997 south to Highway 1
Miles Ridden: 306 Total Miles: 4,581
Points of Interest:
- Everglades
- Big Cypress Reserve
- The Keys
The ride through the everglades is something you would always remember. There are routes a rider can take from the west. You can take "Alligator Alley," Highway 75, which is a major highway, or Highway 41. 41 is a two lane road, about 125 miles in length, which runs south of Highway 75. Like all back roads, the road is slower, but the views are outstanding and there were very few trucks or other vehicles. As we passed through the glades, we began to see alligators in their natural habitat to our left. The alligators are rather shy, and once they see you they often partially submerge under the water. They are beautiful creatures, and seeing them in the wild is a great experience.
After leaving the everglades, we began the best (and worst) part of the trip. A ride through the keys is incredible. The keys are connected with a series of bridges that run over 100 miles. The bridges are beautiful, and the clear, pale blue water is unmatched anywhere in the continental United States. It's also the worst trip, since the trip takes about 4 hours, with stop and go traffic broken up with occasional spurts of speed. On balance, the pain of the road, with the heat and humidity, is outweighed by the views and the destination. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, we anticipated huge crowds. We booked rooms at the Southernmost Hotel, which has the distinction of being the "southernmost hotel" in the United States. It turned out to be a great hotel, with a very nice pool, beach, bar and restaurant. Johnny B. took very good care of us.
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