December 30, 2015
Rewiring in Key West: Ferry to Fort Myers Beach
Awake early again. Had a nice chat with a neighbor who wanted to know about biking in the Keys. So I gave her the full lowdown, pros and cons. She had done some reading and knew the main issues (prevailing wind direction, discontinuous trail issues, etc.).
She had just moved to Jupiter, Florida from California and wanted to get her young son (looked to be 10-11) into cycle touring with her. I encouraged that, of course! So I recommended starting out with short two-, maybe three-day trips and just work on the distance. And, most important, get the right gearing! Everyone thinks the more gears you have, the better off you are. True to a point, but more important is the gear range. You may need those low gears for strong headwinds and big climbs!
After showering, I headed back to the El Mocha Restaurant for breakfast. It was "OK," and I can't recommend it per se despite the coffee being excellent, although lunch was much better.
I was supposed to break camp and check out by 11:00 AM and that was accomplished easily enough. I then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon in the camp's common area reading and getting my devices fully charged. My plan was to spend the afternoon in Key West, grabbing a late lunch at El Siboney Restaurant (where we enjoyed dinner last year) and then heading for the ferry around 4:30 to check my bike in and hopefully negotiate a good space for it. Last time it was exposed to salt spray which we were able to hose off after arriving; my preference, of course, is to not repeat that experience. We will see.
So I fooled around Key West till about 2:30, taking some quick pics of places I had been before:
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I then made my way to El Siboney. The daily special was chicken fricassee (as it is every Wednesday), and it was out of this world good. And amazingly cheap, only $8.75 for half a chicken, a huge helping of yellow rice and black beans, plantains (so yummy), and a chunk of potato. I sat at the back counter, where you are always able to strike up a conversation and make friends for the moment, in this case, a couple from Jacksonville who have been coming to Key West for New Year's Eve for at least five years.
Afterward, more tooling around Key West, pointing the nose of my bike down streets I don't recall having visited before, and making one last ride down Duval Street to check out the decorations:
By the time 4:00 o'clock rolled around, I was headed for the ferry terminal and the Key West Express. They were waiting for me and asked if I was Flournoy or Smith, so apparently there will be a second cyclist on board today. I was checked in and in line by 4:15! A very efficient operation!
OK, I was not successful in negotiating better storage for my bike. I also did not know they would be as accessible as they were, right off the back deck! Now I see the problem. There really is no "interior" storage, although passengers are able to check their luggage (for free, mind you) into some sort of closet area. I didn't check to see if there was room for the bikes . . . c'est la vie. I had a scheme in mind.
Today's ride: 12 miles (19 km)
Total: 227 miles (365 km)
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