Biking the Keys

Ok, okay!  I got grief for not keeping up my blog.  I'm sorry.  I couldn't tell if anyone was reading it or not.  I couldn't write it from my iPhone.  I couldn't find computers.  I got tired of telling my tales.  And on, and on, she moaned.

So where did I leave off?  So I see that I really didn't write much about my experience of biking through the keys, did I.  From Florida City, I took the Card Sound road out to Key Largo.  The traffic was light and the shoulder skimpy, but by this time I was used to biking with little or no shoulder.  I would make the cars go around me, by biking out into the lane.  Whenever I stayed close to the white line, they seemed to think that we could go 3 abreast when there was an oncoming car...and it got really tight.  When I stayed out in the lane, they had to wait until the oncoming car passed by before trying to get around me.  It pissed off a lot of drivers, but made it safer for me.

I had heard about this restaurant that was right before the bridge to Key Largo, Alabama Jack's, I think.  A funky outdoor bar/restaurant.  But I hit there late morning, too early for lunch, so I just got some ice water and a bit of a rest.  There were people there drinking and eating already.  Their biggest frustration there was people feeding the birds, or worst yet, the birds just helping themselves.  Yup, diving in and grabbing food right off the plates or out of peoples hands.  I didn't get to view this particular acrobatic event, but there were a lot of signs up warning people not to feed the birds.

After a brief respite, I hopped back on to attack one of the Florida hills: a bridge!  Where Card Sound road enters Key Largo is into a wildlife preserve so the roads were quiet and there was little traffic.   The ocean was a beautiful sight and I pulled over just to enjoy the view.  I have found biking is even too fast a way to travel.  I have to watch the road for obstacles (nails, glass, truck tires, gravel, etc.), watch the road cars approaching from both directions, there's not much time for sightseeing.  So whenever I really wanted to look at something, I stopped.  I had to.

Card Sound Rd. hooked up with Route 1, the main highway down the keys, but the quiet continued for many more miles before I really hit the heavy traffic and the fun biking was over.

Now it turned in to your typical beach strip of malls and shops, and cars coming at me from all directions.  I spotted a sign that said "Gyros" and decided to stop for lunch.  Mmmm, pretty good gyro too.  Or maybe I was just hungry.  I asked a guy about the bike path I'd heard about and he

 said it was that sidewalk on the other side of the road.  Turned out there is quite a good bike path down through much of the keys. Problem is that it starts and stops and shifts from one side of the road to the other. I would often find myself biking along and look over to see that there was a bike path, but with no way to get over to it until the next intersection.  How long has that been there and I didn't see it?  And just when I managed to get over and get on it, it ended!  And crossing Rte 1 was not an easy proposition with a loaded bike after I was stopped.  

As I continued on that first day, I wondered what I was going to find for sleeping accommodations as the day wore on into evening.  I found a place that had a large meadow-like space with a long driveway back to a couple of houses and boat launching area.  I wandered back there, scoping out several places to camp near trees in this meadow-like space.  The main house had no one home.  I thought the smaller one probably was a rental unit so I did not approach them.  I went back up the drive and stopped where I thought would be a good spot, and waited to see if anyone arrived before it got dark.  Once it got dark, I was going to go ahead and  set up my tent.  A car came up the driveway.  I chased the guy down and he said I should ask his in-laws that own the place and live in the smaller house. So I did.  And they said, "Our neighbors will complain or we'd let you.  We tried having camping here and they got all upset."  So I had to move on.  Oh, well.  So much for asking permission.  They never would have seen me after dark.

The next spot I found was in a wildlife preserve off the edge of the road, tucked back in the brambles.  All the plants in Florida want to scratch and bite you.  It's not a very friendly environment.  Also, guess what, the keys are made of coral.  You can't stake a tent on any of them.  I didn't know that.  My tent won't stand without staking.  Good thing I had a little hammock with me.  Not a hammock tent, no just an open hammock.  Not too good for keeping the mosquitoes and no-see-ums off me, but at least it let me get horizontal for a few hours.  Rough night, but I did manage to get some sleep.  

That night was so cool, too, because my nephew, Skye, had a project for school he had to do where he had to interview someone about their life and he wanted to interview me.  So we set 

up a time for that evening when I'd be sure to be able to spend time answering his questions.  So here I was sitting on a coral bank to some sort of water source (lake, pond, canal - I don't know), telling my life story.  How cool is that?  Too bad his presentation was going to be before I returned home so I wasn't going to be able to attend.  Boo hoo.

Up at sunrise, and off for day 2 on the keys.  And now I'm going to have to scratch my memory to figure out what I did on this day.  Old age is hell, and the mind is the first thing to go.  Same old, same old.  Old business, small roads leading left and right to beach houses, mostly small and dusty and dated.  Fabulous views of the water on both sides, usually when I crossed the bridges. And the color of the water was almost unnatural.  So aqua that I thought it had to be dyed.  I do recall...ah, yes now I know what I did this day.  I sat on the beach.  Anne's beach.  On Islamorado Key.  One thing I learned that I didn't know before (I used to ask my kids this question at the dinner table at night) was that there are few beaches on the Keys.  Coral not sand.  But someone had mentioned Anne's beach, so I stopped there.  It was sandy with mounds of seaweed washed up and left at high tide.  There was a boardwalk with platforms for shade and picnic tables.  I plunked myself down near one of the platforms and the Cuban family there celebrating someone's birthday plied me with food and drink!  Language was a barrier so I didn't learn much about them but it was fun watching them play and listening to them party and sing.  I was working on my tan. 

 I wanted to find moments when I could put on a suit and get color on greater areas, eliminating the "farmer" tan I feared I was getting while biking.  In fact to minimize the funny biker tan, I bought a string bikini top that I wore when I road.  It also kept me the coolest while on the bike.  I also pulled my bike shorts up from the bottom and down from the top to reduce the area unexposed and also create a greater cooling effect.  "Biking hot pants!" I think I've got my million dollar idea.

While laying on the beach, I put together a plan for the evening.  There was a state park, Long Key State Park, just 10 miles down the road and a quick call to them let me know I had a place to stay.  I called them back and found out there was a restaurant just a half mile before there.  This restaurant was one that I had read about it someone else's journal about biking the Keys and they loved the place, so I was psyched!  I arrived when they were just opening for dinner and I had the place to myself.  Find the outlet and sit down to charge my i's (iPod, iPhone).  I should have just stuck with the salad bar, but I let the guy talk me in to pasta and I was not pleased with the sauce.  The German Chocolate Cake was old, but the coffee tasted good.  Oh, well, not everyone likes the same restaurants. 

But what a treat Long Key State Park turned out to be.  Primitive camping was on platforms on the beach.  Much nicer than where the other campers were along side Rte 1.  I was able to get my tent staked using sticks of wood jammed between the platform slats.

  There was a roof over the platform and picnic tables on each one.  And they were all connected by a boardwalk.  We even could use the hot showers in the general camping area...and all for $7/night!  Best deal on all of the Keys.  I'd go back there in a NY minute.   When I checked in, the ranger said there was another woman biker camping there.  Marie was from Montreal and this was her 4th loaded tour.  She'd biked across Canada, down the West coast, and done a loop tour through western states.  

This trip she started in NJ on the same day I left home driving south.  We may try to hook up to do a bike trip in Europe some day.  She had been to Key West and was headed back to Miami to fly north.  I gave her the tip of the Everglades Hostel. 

 

In the morning, after packing my bike to take off, I said to myself "Why?"  You're in no rush.  This place is beautiful like your own deserted island.  And you have it all to yourself.  So I stayed.  I rested, sunned, hiked the nature trail, biked to the store, and just enjoyed my island.  Loved it.

 

 This place and the Everglades Hostel in Florida City were my 2 favorite sites on the whole trip.

Ok, enough rest, keep biking to Key West.  At this point I was about 65 miles away still.  Two days.  Remember, I was on vacation.  No need to rush.  Stop and smell the roses along the way.

Now let's see if I can remember anything significant about this day.  Oh, yes... 7 Mile Bridge!  This one had me a bit worried.  My original plan was to bike up to the bridge and sleep at a nearby campground so that I could bike over the bridge first thing in the morning when it was cool and maybe the traffic was lighter.  Well you know about best laid plans.  I got there at about 3 pm in the heat of the day.  Someone had mentioned to me that I should bike out on the old bridge to Pigeon Key and take a boat back.  I wasn't sure what he meant.  But I did see a sign about Pigeon Key, so I stopped in this train engine office/gift shop.  The gig is they have a motor boat that will take you out to Pigeon Key and leave you to tour around, look at the museum, talk to the tour guide, and then bring you back.  Last tour of the day was just leaving.  Sure, what the heck.  So for $11 I took this side trip.

  Anything to avoid the 7 Mile Bridge.  Larry and Susan run the shuttle service to Pigeon Key.  They shuttle employees and guests back and forth to the island.  This key is 2 miles out directly under the old bridge.  The old bridge is under disrepair and has sections missing.  

Many a biker bikes out thinking they can bike all the way on this old thing and get to Pigeon Key only to learn they have to turn around and bike back in to the wind and take the new bridge.  There should be a sign.  Pigeon Key is a very small speck of land where the workers lived while they were building the original bridge which carried the railroad to Key West.  Built between 1909 and 1912. 

Okay, no more dawdling...get biking over that bridge.  Wow!  what a view!  Nice wide shoulders.

  Not a bad ride at all.  Let's see what we can find for a place to sleep tonight.  Always a worry.  Always a concern.  I'd read about Big Pine Fishing Lodge and since Bahia Honda State Park was full (always full), I decided to try for the Lodge.  I pulled in there about 6:30 pm.  $41 to tent!  What!  Are you kidding me?  Let me see the sites.  Solid coral.  I can't put a tent up here.  No place to even swing the hammock.  Nope.  Not gonna stay.  I'll bike on.  In the back of my mind I'm thinking:  to where?  But gutsy girl, off I go.  I even ponder the thought of biking all the way to Key West this night.  About 30 more miles.  Would be dark when I got in, but I know the hostel has room.  Let's go for it.  And then I bike through a village of Big Pine.  Could I find a place here to camp?  Behind some professional building?  Nope, opens up to street behind. 

 No stealth place here.  What about up this residential roads?  Nothing there.  Gotta be some place I can tuck in where my tent would go up (lawns are good for that) and no one would see me.  Just as I decide to leave town and near the bridge to the next key, I see a brushy area off to the left with a gate across the road saying "No motorized vehicles".  I'm not motorized.  Let's see what's back there.  Could I put my tent up in that sand?  What about hang the hammock from those tall bushes?  I'm out of  view.  Well, except for that guy in the boat who's watching me.  I'm gonna stay here.  I'm too tired to keep biking and this is as good as I'm gonna find tonight.  Now where's my bug spray?  These no-see-ums have painful bites.  Did I leave it at last night's site?  I can't find it.  Oh my gosh!  These bugs are going to eat me alive.  Get my windshirt on.  (It's nylon and quite sweaty, but they can't seem to bite through it.)  Get the hammock up.  Get in it.  Oh their biting my legs.  Get in the sleeping bag.  There.  Hot, sweaty, melting, but no bites.  Now sleep, girl!  Toss, turn, sleep, wake.  Long night.  Is that someone on a bicycle passing by?  Who cares?  Wish they'd turn off that bright light on that house over there.  It's shining in my eyes.  So close them.  Ah, morning, finally.  Get up, get dressed, slap the no-see-um's, get packed, get going.  Oh, they're eating me alive.  I can't pack fast enough.  Get out of here!  

Down to the gas station.  Get some coffee.  If you had a chair and some reading material, we could call this Starbucks.  Oh, you do... that white plastic chair is for me?  And a book about Jimmy Buffet.  This will do.  Do you mind if I sit here and enjoy my coffee?  Thanks.

Key West here I come!  The views!  The water's so blue, the houses so colorful and bright, the flowers so full.  I feel good!!!  I arrived in Key West when this bike tour arrived.  Stopped and chatted with them. They biked from Key Largo with support and staying at inns along the way.  One night in Key West and they'll bike back to Key Largo.  Poor guys.  Into that wind won't be any fun.  I like knowing that I'll be leaving Key West on the ferry in a couple of days and not have to bike back up the Keys into the wind.

First I need to find some sunglasses to replace the pair  I lost at Big Pine Fishing Lodge.  Then I need to find a bike store to replace the bike lock I left behind this morning packing up too fast and not checking the site well.  Then, find the hostel.  That's astro turf for grass under those tables in the hostel courtyard.  How clever.  Doesn't get worn down, I guess.  The bunk rooms were rather prison like, but there's an outdoor kitchen and washer/dryer.  But one bathroom to share amongst 5-6 women.  This should be fun.  Do laundry.  Unload bike.  Go for a ride around town.  No helmet.  Flip flops.  Skirt and top.  This is biking as it should be.  What a cute town when I get on the back streets.  A little lost at first, but eventually I figure things out.  Southernmost monument.  Mile zero.  Duval Street.  Mallory Square.  (Have to come back here for sunset.)  What's that cute eatery.  Organic?  Healthy?  Outdoor seating.  I like it.  Liked it so much I ate all but one meal here over the 2 days.  "Help Yourself"  on the corner of Fleming and Margaret Sts.  Mmmm good.

Must do Mallory Square at sunset.  

There was this acrobat that could do 25 handstand pushups!  Have to show that one to my guys at CrossFit!  Lots of flame jugglers.  And art vendors.  But the sunset stole the show!  Since I'm not a bar girl, it was home early to bed.  

Next day I took in the Hemmingway house (and all the cats), the Mel Fisher Museum, and some shopping...not that I bought anything.  But reading a local paper, I read that there was going to be a play opening at the Waterfront Theater that evening, so I decided to get tickets.  "The Musical of Musicals, the Musical"  was a very funny musical production spoofing the various musical directors of Broadway.  And I finally met some people from Key West, which always the highlight of visiting any new place.  In fact, the stage manager, Trish Manly, and I hit it off.  She told me that she lived on a boat docked in the harbor, so I asked if I could come visit her the next day.  Better than sightseeing to me.  She said she wants to hike the Appalachian Trail some day and I told her I'd help in anyway I could.  

So Thursday, my last day in Key West, I pedaled on over to Cow Key where Trish lived.  Big sailboat.  Glad we didn't take it out.  No there's a pared down life style.  10 months in Key West, 2 months in MN.  Hopefully we'll be able to put trip plans together for something.  Kindred spirit she was.  Now, a little beach time at Higgs Beach, visit Nancy's garden (a small spot of wildlife in the middle of Key West), pick up dinner at Help Yourself cafe, and get over to the ferry early.

What do you mean you want me take all my bags off my bike here?  And haul them where?  Can't I leave them on the bike to get them over there?  It would make much more sense.  Security scan at the ferry.  Finally someone who's thinking intelligently.  Thanks for helping guys.  Not a fan of boats.  Get seasick.  Should I take something?  Two tablets?  No, I think I'll just take one.  Don't want to be too sleepy.  Just want to take the edge off.  Hi Paul and Michelle.  On your honeymoon, huh?  You have a truck parked at Ft. Myer's Beach and could take me home to Sarasota tonight?  Let me think about that.  Hmmmm??????  Nope, not done with this bike trip.  Really want to bike all the way back.  But thanks anyways.  Appreciate the offer.

Where do I go now that we've docked?  Get my lights on:  blinking red on the back, headlamp on my helmet.  Pedal on back to Ft. Myers Beach.  Take Martin LeBlanc up on his offer of staying at his homeowners association's gazebo on the beach.  Only 4 miles away.  Hot night.  Don't think I'll put up my tent.  Just lay out my pad and bag and settle in for a good night's sleep.  Ahhh...what's that?  Bright light.  In my eyes.  Sit up.  Shake my head.  What's going on?  This is private property.  I have the permission of one of the homeowners, Martin LeBlanc.  I don't know that name.  He doesn't live on our street.  I just got off the ferry at 10 pm and needed a place to sleep til dawn and he said I could sleep here.  I'll be gone at day break.  Back to sleep.  He goes and walks on the beach with his girlfriend.  Walks back through gazebo.  Shines light on my bike.  Back to sleep...well, trying anyways.  Sensitive to lights.  More lights up by street.  Sit up.  Guys coming up sidewalk.  911 got a call that someone needed medical attention.  No, I'm fine.  A bit sleepy is all.  Told my story.  Said it was probably that guy who wasn't happy I was here.  Ok, if you don't need medical attention we'll be on our way.  So will I, 'cause I can't get any sleep here.

And that's how my longest mile day ever began.  Start pedaling.  How far back to Sarasota?  80 miles?  Can I make it in one day?  That's a long ways.  Might as well try.  Into afternoon.  So hot when I stop biking.  Smothered by the heat.  Can't bike in sun for more than a couple of miles.  Need shade.  Cold drink.  Rest.  Cool down.  Go for another couple of miles and rest again.  On and off the bike  all afternoon.  So tired.  Just rest here by this tree.  Sleep against my bike.  Ma'am.  You okay?  Will people never stop waking me up?  Thank you officer.  Appreciate the concern.  Just resting.  Getting enough liquids?  Yup, plenty.  (Found a good trick.  I would stop at restaurants and have them pack my water bottles with ice and top them off with water.  One bottle is a liter hiking bottle and I kept it stowed in my pannier where it would stay icy and chilled for hours.)  Is that an ice cream place?  If I get a break in traffic, I'm stopping.  Otherwise, it's not meant to be.  There's a break.  Go for it.  Root beer float.  Taste so good.  That will give me energy to finish this ride.  On and on.  Mile after mile.  5:30 pm.  Call girlfriend.  I don't know if I can make it.  I'm so tired.  My butt is numb.  My crotch is raw.  My legs are beat.  A hot shower?  A real bed?  Sure beats camping in the bush another night.  If you don't hear from me, I'm still pedaling.  On to the Legacy Trail (rail to trail between Venice and Sarasota).  I know I can make it now.  Getting dark.  I can bike in the dark.  Put the lights on the bike.  Keep pedaling.  Streets of Sarasota.  Can I remember how to get to Kim's house?  Think I know.  What's the odometer say? 99.26.  I want to break 100 before I stop today.  Take a bit longer loop as I get close to the house.  There it is!  CONGRATULATIONS banner across the driveway!  100.02 on the odometer.  I did it!  Over 100 miles, one day, 95* heat and humidity, loaded bike!  One tough girl!

Sitting at outdoor organic cafe in Key West...made it! Hate doing blog from iPhone.

Key Largo here I come!

Well, after 2 full days of doing nothing, and I mean NOTHING, I'm forced to remount my bike and continue on. Guess I can't live here. Well, I probably could. Seems like many do. Volunteers staff the hostel doing many of the manual chores here and are given a bed to sleep in and often an evening meal. It's a good life for a while. I may consider it next winter.

But I hear the Keys calling my name. And I've been hearing stories of others adventures down there. A guy, Coconut Kevin, an artist from CT, lives in KW in the winter. He was passing through yesterday and stopped with a Tshirt for the Om, the owner. He gave me a lot of people to look up when I get there and many suggestions of cheap places to eat. I think I'll stay in the hostel there. It's not cheap, but it is centrally located...and has showers! We'll see.

I'm actually planning a leisurely pedal down through the Keys. Short biking days. Lots of beach time. Maybe some snorkeling. No hurry.

Yesterday I did sample a milkshake at the infamous Robert is Here fruit stand near here. It was the thickest shake I've ever had and too much for one person. My flavor? Strawberry Key Lime, mmmmm!

I also found out that I won the lottery! The RAGBRAI lottery, that is. I have a wristband number to ride across Iowa this summer. RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) is the oldest cross state ride at 37 years. 8500 cyclists will be there! Doesn't that sound like fun? A traveling city. We're biking from Council Bluffs to Burlington July 18 - 25. I've heard so much about this ride over the years. Now it's my time to experience it. Barenaked Ladies are playing at the kickoff event! It's gonna be a blast. Think of all the new friends I'll be making!!!! Now the question is: do I bike to Iowa?


Catch y'all later.

Made it through the Everglades!

OMG! Biking the Everglades was something else! The first night I slept behind a deserted building and across the street was a closed restaurant with an ICE MACHINE at my disposal. Does it get any better?

Monday morning I got an early start trying to beat the heat. On the road (with my water bottles all iced up!) at 6:45 a.m. Holy smokes! Headwinds!!!!! Pedaling at 5-8 miles an hour for hours and hours under blistering sun on a road that has all the Interstate 75's traffic rerouted onto it because 75 was closed due to smoke and fires. Think LA freeway in rush hour but there's only 2 lanes and impatient people. Finally I came upon the Loop Road, a gravel road "through" the Everglades. Highway 41 goes east and drops south before going east again. The Loop Road goes south, then east, and meets back up with Hwy 41. It was a treat to get out of the wind, the sun, the traffic, and the noise....back into the woods, so to speak. But the road was like a washboard in spots, had loose sand and holes, so I had to bike slowly and watch out, but....in life take the Loop Roads whenever you can. You'll not be disappointed. I saw large birds, white and black, otters playing in a mud hole, and tons and tons of alligators just off the side of the road. I also saw flowering air plants or orchids...not sure which. It was a beautiful ride. The map showed an Education Center about 2/3 down it and I was hoping to get more water there. (Have to always be aware of my water supply.) When I got there it was closed. I also found out that the mileage of the Loop Rd from where I started only counted to the Ed Center. I had another 8 miles to go before getting back to Hwy 41. So what do I do? Stop the next car I see and "yogi" for water. They didn't have water, but the mother offered her ice tea to me. (How sweet of her!) And the dad filled my water bottles with ice from their cooler! Better yet...colder! After sharing my story and the dad saying he hoped that his daughter and granddaughters were inspired by my tales, I biked on.

My plan for the day was to get all the way across the Everglades, but I hadn't counted on the wind. Pump, pump, pump, pump....and on and on into the wind, careful of the cars and trucks.
A stop at an Indian gift store led to my meeting 2 interesting people from Ohio who drove to FL, rented a Harley, and are on their way to Key West. Diana and Joe. We shared stories for a half hour or so, resting from the sun. I love the people!!!!!!!

From there I went down the road just a bit to the Indian tribe's restaurant where I got dinner, charged my batteries, shared stories with the waitress and talked with friends on the phone. At this point I still had about 20 miles to go and did not know where I would find to pitch my tent.

Let me describe the road at this point. On the north was a wide canal. To the south was a bit of mowed grass and dense (very dense) Florida brush. When there was a gap, they only went back in a short ways and the grass was always coarse, bushy, and not tent friendly. Harsh conditions!

So after filling up my bottles with ice and water, off I went about 6 p.m. From the night before, I knew I needed to be off the road by about 7:30 or I needed to put on my lights. (I have a blinking red light for the stern and my headlamp on my helmet for the bow.) Pump, pump, pump, down the road I go. Every pump painful for the crotch chafing that has made my life pretty miserable. I found this road the went south to the power lines and there was an old paved pathway with grass growing through it. Could I bike on this for a while and avoid the winds and traffic? Let's give it a try. So down it I go. There is FL weeds and brush on both sides as well as growing up through the pavement. I'm pedaling along with my iPod on when I see and alligator! OMG! I forgot to watch out for them! What was I thinking to even go down this road? Ahhh! It's dead...and there's another dead one on the other side. Oh boy, I'd better turn off the iPod and listen up! Pump, pump, pump, oh my god, a black snake in my path. I can't stop. I'm going to hit it. It's scrambling, I'm scrambling, chaos, my legs in the air, a sharp pain in my right thigh. I think it leaped up and bit me!

It doesn't seem to hurt enough to be a snake bit, but it sure look like it leaped at me. Did I scrape a bush? I don't know. If I die back here, no one will ever find me. Better make a video telling everyone what happened in case they do find me...dead. Bike on, for a mile and a half....and....dead end. Darn it. Gotta go back. Time wasted on this attempt. Back to the road. Pedal on.

It's getting dark. Put your lights on. There's a restaurant, closed, perhaps I can find a place to camp there. Nope. Fenced, gated, people across the road fishing in the canal. Just now as I write this, I guess I could have pedaled on for a ways, then when it was dark, come back and set up hoping no one would notice me. Not ideal, but an option.

But on I pedaled. Come up with a Plan B. What are you going to do, girl, if you don't find any place and it gets really dark? You can't bike out here. Too dangerous. I decided that when it got really dark, I would turn off my lights, get off my bike, and walk as far to the right as I could. I'd have been about 10' - 15' from the road. And I walk all night if I had to. What else could I do? This was my only fear coming true. Have faith. Something will show up. At least I had a plan.

Then about 8:15 I spotted an RV park. Yippee! I'm sure I can find a place in here to set up! And I did. I met George, a commercial airfreight loader, who was living out there now (since his company cut their budget and no longer put them up in hotels). He offered me his lawn to sleep on, his shower, food, plied me with liquor, offered me the couch to sleep on if I wanted it, and cooked me breakfast this morning. Just when you think things are at their worst, trail angels appear! He was a delight and cute besides. I love the people!!!!!

So this morning after eggs and pancakes, I started on down the road with only 5 miles left to get out of the Everglades. I stopped at a rustic rural store for ice water and info on a possible trail beside a canal that Google Maps was sending me down. I got both. I was also told the Krome Rd, my only other choice, had no shoulder. Ouch!

I got to the canal path and tried it, but the gravel was too rough and loose. Couldn't pedal on that for 20 miles. No way. So Krome Rd it is. God I hope it has a shoulder. Well, it did have a shoulder, but it also had narrow lanes and lots of traffic too. OMG! Tractor trailer trucks went by 3-4 feet off my elbow. Don't waiver. Your job is to keep straight and as far right as you can. Wished I paid more attention to the truck that said "Wide Load".... you know, the lead truck. The wide load almost took me out. I paid closer attention after that.

Bike for a few miles then find some shade. Cool down, get water, rest. Start again. I found that my large water bottle stored down in my black pannier actually stayed coldest the longest. Most of the day. Ice water never tasted so good. One stop was at a fruit and veggie stand. Madeleine picked me out a nice ripe mango and chatted me up. Then when 2 people ordered strawberry shakes, she gave me the leftovers that didn't fit in their glasses. Mmmmm good! Made with strawberries (fresh), milk, sugar, and ice. The real thing.

So on I trucked in to Homestead, FL. I never felt so relieved to be back in civilization in my life. The road got wider. The trucks disappeared. I could breathe easy again.

And then I got to my hostel for the night. Everglades International Hostel in Florida City is just the cutest, funkiest place on this earth! The internal court yard has outdoor rooms, an outdoor shower, outdoor kitchen, a gazebo, and a newly installed rock pool with a waterfall to stroll through. (I saved that for tomorrow. The shower came first.) This place is so cool, I'm afraid it may have Key West beat. I have decided to stay an extra night so that I can zero here tomorrow and enjoy the people and ambiance.

Life is good. I feel like I have new friends everywhere! This bike touring is more fun than I even imagined. And I don't think I'd want to do it any way but alone. I can do anything I want, when I want. And I meet more people alone.

I think I've found the life. Just no more Highway 41's, please.

Loving the life, Bag Lady/Kathryn

Chillin' with a Key Limeade on Chokoloskee Island

Yesterday I made it 50 miles to Collier Seminole State Park. The ranger, Michelle, was a sweetheart and took great care me finding me ice... love ice! But as far as I'm concerned that was a $20 shower and the worst camping spot I've been in in years! Bugs, worn, dirty sand, and late night partying when I needed to get up early. But the partiers were wonderful neighbors that offered me dinner, drinks, and companionship. It's just that when I need to get some sleep, they didn't. Oh well. I did enjoy sharing my story with them and one of the guys, Tom, is planning to hike the AT with a buddy next year.

Got off early today for a fun day of pedaling on 41 across the Everglades: strong headwinds, lots of cars, rumble strips and raised reflectors on the wonderfully wide shoulder (so I can't use it). Met a fascinating birdman at the Big Cypress Boardwalk and he had a big lens to get up close photos of red breasted hawk nesting, ospry nesting, and alligators. Allen was a treat to meet and walk and talk with. I learned lots, and saw more than I would have alone, that's for sure!

Made the wise decision to go the extra miles out to Everglade City and Chokoloskee Island. The town is small and quaint...just my kind of place. Martin LeBlanc (remember him?) told me about the Triad restaurant and I'm going back there for a late lunch/early dinner. ( I try to eat only twice a day - one in a restaurant or grocery store). While biking through EC, I saw this tall isolated grove of trees popping and burning. Some guy went running into a nearby house and got a fire extinguisher (like that was going to do any good!). I called 911. The fire trucks were there quickly getting it extinguished. There were pickup trucks parked right next to it (fisherman leaving their cars there for the day and couldn't be moved) and houses nearby.

On to Chokoloshee Island to tour around before going back the Triad. While pedaling out here, a woman pulled along side to tell me: 1) I'm getting a bad burn on my lower back, and 2) there's a great place to get key limeade off the main drag, JT's Island Cafe and Gallery. And that's where I am right now. And they have free internet! How grand is that. Feel like I'm on the AT again, trying to get all my internet stuff done. Love that feeling of being on the AT.

This guy just sat down to talk with me about my ride. He's a biker and has gone cross country and all around Europe. So nice to talk to others who have done what I'm doing and get it. He's a kayak guide down here now. What a life! Dean, I still think you should hike the AT. It's your kind of life and people!

It's hot out there, cool (but not air conditioned) in here...so where should I be? The key limeade is delicious, cold, and refreshing. I just checked the menu...there's Greek salad. I may have to have that! I'll get a fish appetizer later at the Triad before heading back to 41 and moving on into that headwind again...to find a place to sleep tonight. My plan is to bike til dark (or nearly so) because the mosquitos and deer flies will eat me alive if I'm just hanging around camp. I'm going to try for a very very very early start tomorrow....like on the road at 5...Thumper would be proud of me! I hate to get up early as he knows. (For those who don't know it, Thumper's a guy I hiked for 4 months on the AT and I credit him with "dragging my ass to Maine".)

Pedaling on, Bag Lady

Day 5 - Hoofing it to the Everglades

I'm finally in a library with some internet access to update my blog. I love and hate my new iPhone. There's so much to learn and I get all tangled up but it's not easy to get untangled and I don't want to waste time trying to figure things out. Oh well!

I am having the time of my life. You should see me sailing along on my bike in my bathing suit top (string back to eliminate dorky tan lines) and bike shorts hitched up (for same reason) with rainbow banner waving off the back iPod in my ears, singing away! Every one I talk to cannot believe my age or that I'm doing this alone. Get over it people!

For the last 2 nights I slept on Ft. Myers Beach. It's allowed. The cop and beach patrol said so. Met some interesting people. Walking on the beach, I met Martin LeBlanc about whom the movie Gross Pointe Blank was filmed. He said it was a Hollywood exaggeration of his life. Now I have to see the movie. I met 10 woman "my age" (so said the resort manager) in their 40's, visiting from Kansas. They fed me a steak dinner the first night. Last night I met a woman at the same resort (think quaint, cozy, 50's, 5 unit resort with murals) and she shared her margaritas and cheese crunchies with me while we shared the stories of our lives and loves. I just love the people I meet. That's no different than the Appalachian Trail.


This morning I had an expensive breakfast and a cafe (I didn't think it would cost that much!) and the Mexican waiter ws so cute and interested in my ride and bike. Language was a barrier and gave me the feeling of what riding through Mexico would be like. I need to learn some Spanish! I understand more than I can say. (good project for next winter....or just go to Mexico next winter and learn it...better yet!)

I haven't had to worry about rain, but I forgot about sprinklers! I woke up during the night to the strangest noise hitting my tent and then stopping and then hitting it again. Sounds like rain. Nope, not raining! What's going on? Finally I figured out: sprinklers on! But I forgot to think about my bike. Everything on it got wet. Oh well, we dried out on the lawn of the Holiday Inn around noon time.

Homeless and happy!

The Bag Lady, Kathryn

station outside Punta Gorda tonight. Gonna have lunch with Diamond from AT tomorrow...yippee!

Day two: 27 miles yesterday, 33 miles today - my butt is sore, my arms are sore & burned,but I'm a happy bag lady! Camped behind a high voltage

Can't update blog except for title with iPhone...won't provide keyboard when I touch where text body goes. Anybody able to help me?

Visiting Nutella and Moonpie and then back to Sarasota

I love having trail friends all over the place. Nutella is a young woman I met in Millinocket at the end of the trail. She "yogi'd" a ride from us back to her hometown in Camden Maine, but we got the best tour of the coast - what a wealth of information she has. Her family is living in Florida now. So when I knew I was passing through, I made a call to her and asked to crash on her couch or floor. Her place in Winter Park is adorable. I small but efficient one bedroom - and so well decorated. I pulled my air mattress, my silk liner, my pillow from the car and made a great bed on her living room floor. I love being able to sleep anywhere. Flexible, I am. We had a great dinner at my favorite chain, Chipotle, and then she drove me out to Big Tree Park where there are two ancient palmetto trees, one 2000 years old and the other 3500 years old. They were massive! Biggest trees I've ever seen next to the California redwoods. Then we toured downtown Orlando. When I think of Orlando, I think of Disney. But, guess what! There's more to Orlando than Disney! There were funky restaurants and art galleries. There were quaint homes on cobblestoned streets. Beautiful place. I could live there! The next day we hooked up with Moonpie for breakfast. He's a young man that I hiked with through New Hampshire and Maine. He saved the day for me at Zealand Hut in the Whites when, after my noticing that I had lost a croc and was moping around thinking how difficult life was going to be without it, he comes tromping it waving a croc about asking if anyone had lost it. Trail magic! I told him I loved him from that moment on!!! Moonpie used to sell cars in Raleigh NC before hiking the trail. After the trail he said he couldn't go back to that job and heard that Disney was hiring. He got a job down here managing their food and beverage carts. I may have to stop back and see him on my way out of Florida because he can get me in to the park for free. I'd love to see Universal studios! We'll have to see... Using my new toy, my iPhone, I found a favorite, funky breakfast spot in Orlando that neither Nutella nor Moonpie knew about: All American Cafe on Ferncreek Ave. Yummeeee! They have a breakfast buffet on Sundays that is to die for! A very rustic but real spot. Check it out if you're ever in Orlando - downtown.

Next stop after hugging my buds goodbye, for now, was to stop and see an ex-Xerox colleague who's moved to Palmetto FL. Laura Meyers is a changed woman. She's lost 50 lbs, hired a personal trainer, met a wonderful man, and is getting married May 2. I wouldn't have recognized her on the street - she looked fabulous!!! She's my mentor now. These extra few pounds have got to go. I want to be a lean, mean, sexy machine when I get back to Fairport. I really only have to work on the lean part, I think...and maybe some sexy lingerie would help. After a short, but sweet visit to Laura and Frank's new home, catching up on the news, sharing photos of the trail, and getting to know Frank a bit (loves the outdoors...my kind of guy!), I moved on down the road back to Kim's house in Sarasota. Here I'll pack my bike, store my SUV and canoe, get my new credit card (yup, right in the middle of this trip Citicards decides it needs to reissue my card to protect me...they did this while I was on the trail, too...thanks Citibank for making my life so easy), get my new battery-driven charger for my iPhone and iPod, and off I'll go, tomorrow. I'm chomping at the bit to get this show on the road. I'm ready for sun, sand, pedals, tents, and freedom - all by myself. I may get to Key West and not leave. Stranger things have happened!