#10 - Florida
Everglades to Key West
Most of this country's universally favored motorcycle roads have corners, don't they? Even slow movers, like the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pacific Coast Highway, satiate one's sense of physical perspective as they drown the senses with scenery. Not so the Keys. There are no corners on Florida's Overseas Highway. No elevation change either. Picture one of those horizontal escalators at the airport...running on for about, oh, 120 miles.
The lack of challenge is actually a good thing because the route has such depth to its 360-degree majesty you might fall off your bike trying to swivel your head mid-corner. Expect low speed limits and nary a passing opportunity, too. It's key to sink into the situation and not feel rushed.
The first island you hit once you leave the continent is the one made famous in the John Huston gangster film, Key Largo, starring Humphrey Bogart as a down-on-his-luck veteran looking for purpose. These days Key Largo is burdened with the trappings of convenience, and unless you're a diver or a sport fisherman you might want to search for your fortune down the road instead, where you'll have full access to the warm emerald and azure waters and sugarlike sand, not to mention lots of Key lime pie and mouth-watering seafood.
From Key Largo you enter Islamorada, a hamlet that incorporates the islands of Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key. Many tour books say this is the best spot to hire a charter for sportfishing or reef exploration. The marine environment here is profound--the island chain is home to the only living coral in North America--and worth taking the time to investigate, even if it's simply a stop at Windley Key's Theater of the Sea.
Just southwest of Islamorada in Long Key State Park you'll find nature trails and a host of camping opportunities. By the time you reach Marathon and the famous Seven Mile Bridge--the longest segmented bridge in the world--you're in the Middle Keys and starting to feel a real tropical vibe.
This quieter section of the Keys, with its mom-and-pop restaurants, retro lodging and camping retreats, will suit some more than what's to come in Key West. On the other hand, what's not to love about a 24/7 festival of art and food and spirit? Key West is lovable in a New Orleans way--charming, crazy and cosmopolitan all at once. I don't think a journey here is complete without a night spent on the tip of the island chain, with its daily Sunset Festival on Mallory dock, where local characters vie for attention and tourist tips by doing the most outlandish things. You might see dancing dogs, fire jugglers, and guys shot from cannons, all in the cool shadows of the gargantuan cruise ships docked for the night.
Be prepared to party by night, but don't forget to explore Key West's riveting history by day. Did you know that at the turn of the last century, this spot on the map was the wealthiest city in America? It's absolutely true. The riches were accumulated by the legal business of "wrecking," which seems not much different than the less accepted business of pirating, which the islands were also once famous for. Assets were harvested from the ships that, rather continuously, foundered on the treacherous coral reefs offshore. Of course the "wreckers" saved the people on board, making the practice seem almost heroic at the time. It's long been speculated, however, that the salvage teams may have more than once lured ships onto the dangerous shoals. Grandsons of pirates, they were.
It will take you three hours to get from the mainland to Key West, longer if it's either side of a weekend, and forever if it's a holiday. Think of the highway as a 120-mile-long diving board. There are plenty of places to eat and stay, but lodging can be pretty pricey all year, and reservations are recommended. There is no real "season," though I'd recommend winter, when the rest of the world is wearing wool. For better or worse, the road is absolutely straight and flat (the highest elevation on the islands is a whopping 18 feet). Still, it's the most unusual stretch of road you'll find in America.
Don't Miss:
Key lime pie; seafood chowder at Bagatelli's is a must!
Season:
Year-round. Most lovely in winter when the north is frozen.
Road Notes:
The speed limits are low and there's no passing allowed on U.S. Highway 1 from Key Largo to Key West. Grin and bear it.
More Info:
The Keys have a wonderful Web site at www.fla-keys.com and www.floridakeys.com.
If you'd like to share your favorite ride, e-mail jamie.elvidge@primedia.com. If you keep it under 500 words we'll try to post it on motorcycleescape.com's library of rides.