And as seen from the Seven Mile Bridge. The shoulder is probably four feet wide, and one needs to be cognizant of the usual bad elements one finds in shoulder areas.
You read a lot about Seven Mile Bridge, particularly about how long it took to build. But to me, the bigger marvel is the adjacent rail/highway bridge built well before we had the sophisticated modeling software and modern construction techniques of today. That the bridge is still standing after all these years (and storms) is a real credit to the engineers who designed and built it.
But that crossing went relatively quickly and without incident, although I inadvertently hit a large metal object that caused a ruckus with my tires. No flats though (not yet!).
So from there on, it is one key after another. I'm not complaining, mind you, but the lower half is very different than the upper half. You see a lot more water and have many more crossings. And someday, I will need to explore more. Maybe take two weeks through the Keys instead of five days! So here are my pics (and sometimes commentary) at each crossing. And as before (see my east coast trip through these parts), my only complaint is the poor signage and lack of continuity for the average cyclist!
Missouri Little Duck Key Channel. For some reason, the bridge for the bike trail was gated shut, just like last year. Not sure what the problem is, but it's somewhat infuriating.
Bahia Honda Channel, the second largest crossing today after Seven Mile Bridge. In the distance you can see the original Bahia Honda Bridge, obviously now abandoned.
Spanish Harbor Channel and adjacent trail bridge . . . except it doesn't go through, as a span is missing. You would never know due to the poor signage! You would then have to backtrack off the bridge and around the parking lot (or lift your bike over the guardrail) in order to recover the bike lane/shoulder. I had already decided to stick to the shoulder!
North Pine Channel looking back (east). At the end of this crossing, the bike trail jumps to the south side of US 1, but you would only know by observing it on the far side of the oncoming lane. And there is no connection to the northbound shoulder, just a grass strip.
Lower Sugarloaf Channel. At this point, I had decided to jump over US 1 and use the trail on the northbound side, but to take this picture, I had to pass through a half-closed gate. And I couldn't see the far side well enough to see if it was open, so I jumped back on the southbound bike lane/shoulder. The inconsistency in operations for the trail can be frustrating.
Between the early start and strong tailwind, I averaged 14 mph today. Not bad for a rewired guy. I arrived at Boyd's Campground at 12:30! Wow! I set up camp, got some local food at El Mocho Restaurant (great Cuban food), and then chilled poolside the rest of the afternoon.
