 |
| glimpse of Miami skyline from Key Biscayne causeway |
To people who live on the Gulf Coast of Florida, the east coast of the state is emotionally as far away as Kansas. It's as if there is a mountain range dividing the state. But really there is just I-4 mid-state or Alligator Alley (I-75) in the south that crosses the great divide. Our good friend Dave was racing in the Miami Half Triathlon, so we went down to join friends to cheer him on. A great excuse for a road trip....across the state!
We stayed in a 1960's rambling beach side motel on Key Biscayne, the last of its kind in the area and probably not lasting too much longer with the surge in development. I had daily sunrise beach yoga, followed by laps in the very quiet pool. The island is a charming community with parks at each end, town and school in the middle. The whole area is very bike friendly, even into Miami and its other communities.
 |
| Sunrise |
 |
| view from Key Biscayne beach at hotel - looking toward Miami Beach |
 |
| bike path marking on street - shows either Chinese hat or bike helmet. Not sure which. |
We got our bike tire tubes replaced at Key Cycles and found interesting restaurants in the same shopping complex. We biked the island and decided to check out the Peruvian Ceviche restaurant. Food was good and apparently the Peruvians eat their raw fish in bigger chunks than Americans. Next door was a wine shop with alot of activity, so that was next. We sat outside to watch the goings on, while sipping delicious Chilean wine. A young woman kept walking into the wine store with arms full of white bread bags. People were calling to her and getting a bag - so we had to find out what was going on. She is Venezuelan and baked this special bread called ham bread,
Pan de Jamon. It is typically eaten around the Christmas holidays, but she starts baking early due to its popularity. Because of our interest, she offered us a slice which we gladly took. It was DELICIOUS and tasted like nothing I've tried before. The bread was even still warm.
When we werent visiting with friends, we were hanging out at the beach. The Turk caught 2 fish in an hour or so despite the winds. Since we didnt have a kitchen, he threw them back - much to his disappointment. The waters were busy with sail boats, wind surfers and kite boarders. One kit boarder crashed and the winds ended up ripping his kite. He made it to shore and then carried his torn kite back up the beach, like a wounded butterfly.
 |
| torn kite |
 |
| fishing with lots going on in and around the water |
 |
| success! |
The day of the race, Sunday, we headed to South Beach for brunch and then wandered around to see the changes since we were last there. Meanwhile, Dave was busting his butt swimming, biking and running all morning and afternoon!
 |
| We saw many restorations in process |
 |
| Walgreens! |
The day after the race, the Turk and I headed south to the Keys. We stayed between Key Largo and Islamorada, the latter is our current favorite area.
There arent enough names for the colors of blue you see in the keys! The Turk got to fish while I kayaked and biked.
 |
| Egret watching the Turk in case a fish escapes |
 |
| water is sooo clear! |
 |
| Kayaking at Long Key, in the mangrove lagoon |
 |
| sunset at Marker 88, Islamorada |
 |
| appetizer - lobster, basil pizza..with a bit too much mozzarella |
 |
| sunset with boats and torches |
 |
| cheers! |
 |
| hidden beach near where we stayed. very few sandy beaches in the keys |
 |
| original highway, now a biking trail. this was originally for 2 way traffic - note the widest view of the road |
 |
| a friend showed up near me while I watched the Turk fish. He was about 3 1/2 ft long |
 |
| the giant lobster near Islamorada visitor center |
 |
| quiet sunset from Lor e Lei's, our new favorite sunset bar |
 |
| hamburger at MEAT, restaurant in Islamorada, mm88. |
