The Lower Florida Keys are that handful of islands that stretch south from the Seven Mile Bridge to Key West. The number of city residents who don't know the Lower Keys at all amazes me, and then I discover there are thousands of repeat visitors who never venture out of the City of Key West on their vacations and deprive themselves of the pleasure of enjoying tremendous ocean views alongside the Overseas Highway.
Call me lucky, or call me smart but I choose to ride a motorcycle to and from work which makes the commute highly enjoyable.
And even though these pictures were taken between Big Pine Key and the Seven Mile Bridge aforementioned and are thus not part of my route, I get to see stuff very much like this every evening on my way in to work, on my green Triumph Bonneville.
Even though gas prices are still around $4 a gallon (one US dollar per liter) and I only get around 43 miles per (US) gallon, or 16 kilometers per liter, the pleasure of the ride makes the commute well worth burning dead dinosaurs. As I pointed out previously gas needs to get more expensive (!) to make the bus worthwhile...
One of my friends complains the summers are too hot to ride. I'm lucky because I work nights and commute in the evening with the sun low on the horizon, so even though it can still be ninety degrees (32C) it never feels too hot to me. Over most of my life I've been too cold far too often and those occasions stick in my memory. The Keys are humid but temperatures rarely hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38C). And there's always lots of gorgeous blue water to flop into all up and down the Fabulous Florida Keys, if you are a over heated visitor driving down for some end-of-the-road fun. One of the great things about Highway One in Monroe County is that you can pretty much park alongside the Highway wherever you feel like and there are trash cans all along the way. Bring a picnic! Go for a swim! Visitors find it warm enough to swim in winter, imagine what an al fresco bathtub it is in August:
And of course there are the people who derive their living from the sea, like these:
Me? I'd rather ride to work and use my boat to play.
Call me lucky, or call me smart but I choose to ride a motorcycle to and from work which makes the commute highly enjoyable. And even though these pictures were taken between Big Pine Key and the Seven Mile Bridge aforementioned and are thus not part of my route, I get to see stuff very much like this every evening on my way in to work, on my green Triumph Bonneville.Even though gas prices are still around $4 a gallon (one US dollar per liter) and I only get around 43 miles per (US) gallon, or 16 kilometers per liter, the pleasure of the ride makes the commute well worth burning dead dinosaurs. As I pointed out previously gas needs to get more expensive (!) to make the bus worthwhile...One of my friends complains the summers are too hot to ride. I'm lucky because I work nights and commute in the evening with the sun low on the horizon, so even though it can still be ninety degrees (32C) it never feels too hot to me. Over most of my life I've been too cold far too often and those occasions stick in my memory. The Keys are humid but temperatures rarely hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38C). And there's always lots of gorgeous blue water to flop into all up and down the Fabulous Florida Keys, if you are a over heated visitor driving down for some end-of-the-road fun. One of the great things about Highway One in Monroe County is that you can pretty much park alongside the Highway wherever you feel like and there are trash cans all along the way. Bring a picnic! Go for a swim! Visitors find it warm enough to swim in winter, imagine what an al fresco bathtub it is in August:And of course there are the people who derive their living from the sea, like these:Me? I'd rather ride to work and use my boat to play.
2 comments:
For me KW is akin to Manhattan. As an exiled New Yorker living in Maine (for 20 years)who misses her city, but probably will never live there again (too expensive, lost the chops for urban survival), KW has the same feel. Something interesting always happens when I visit. The mix of people (visitors and locals)is magical. I realize living there, one has a completely different experience, but when I drive down, it is like a magnet that pulls me to the big little city at the end of the road. I live in rural laid back place year round, when I travel I seek out the urban. Make any sense?
After 14 years of marriage my wife is still waiting for her relaxing beach vacation. I am an inveterate explorer when I travel and it is inconceivable to me that visitors (never mind residents!) would never get off the rock and see what is around. Well, if i didn't have the curiosity this blog would be impossible after all.
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