Monday Feb 5, 2024 - It's 100 miles from Long Pine Key in the Everglades to our next camping reservation at Bahia Honda State Park. We'll take our time getting there. We need to stop at Walmart, since we won't have one for the next month we're in the Keys. We stopped in Islamorada at the Morada Way Arts District for a break, and we couldn't pass the Blonde Giraffe without a slice of key lime pie.
We also stopped again at Robert Was Here in Homestead (someone needed a chocolate milkshake at 9:30 in the morning, just because)
I would love to try an emu egg (it was huge) but $45 seems a bit pricey.
The Morada Way Arts District in Islamorada was a nice spot to walk around, with galleries to wander through. Kev can't pass up a lending library without looking for a Lee Child book to read.
The bench is nice, but the painting behind it is amazing
I always love the ride down the Overseas Highway. You spend a lot of the drive with pretty ocean/gulf views!
Fred the tree, on Old 7 Mile Bridge has grown a lot since we last saw him two years ago
Site 23, our home for the next 2 weeks
I'm going to really enjoy this view
A little rain came through with some really amazing water and sky colors
the view looks different every time I look out the window
Salad with a view
We walked to the tent campsites at sunset. They are located on the gulf side of Bahia Honda, about a half mile walk. The roadway goes under the Overseas Highway
The view of the old Overseas Highway bridge through the new bridges
another pretty sunset
Tuesday Feb 6, 2024 - Today we're going to do some exploring around Bahia Honda. It's a half mile walk to the Old Overseas Highway bridge from our campsite, and I have a feeling we're going to do this walk a lot. The Overseas Railroad was built 1905 - 1912 by Henry Flagler for $50 million dollars. After the railroad was completed they wanted to do the same with a highway. It was done in bits and pieces with ferries filling in where the highway was incomplete. In some places they added a road on top of the trestles of the railway.
Morning view of the bridges
The trail to the old bridge overlook
The flags for loggerhead beach say its a medium wind day
First we did the loop under the bridge. This is the portion of the bridge that we can see from our campsite. After the railroad was no longer used, a lot of the bridges went into disrepair and some were dismantled. In 1979 the Bahia Honda Bridge was listed on the National Historic Registry, preventing it from demolition. In 1984 two of the truss spans were removed, one at each end, to keep people off the bridge. This opening also helped with boat traffic. The Bahia Honda SP then restored the segment of the overland bridge and 2 sections over the water. This made for a great park walkway that provides a beautiful view of this deep harbor (which is what Bahia Honda means in Spanish).
Sea grape, first time we've seen one with grapes
view of the Bahia Honda marina and the overseas highway bridge
The nature center wasn't open, but who can pass up a nice bench?
In 1935 Chevrolet came up with a car with "knee action" that they said could be driven on railroad tracks. This way you could drive on the Overseas railroad tracks without having to use the ferries. You just had to be sure you got the timing right, in between the trains!
We made it to the top of the bridge
Views to the right of the Atlantic
Another day, another sunset
An egret and a pelican sharing some space watching for breakfast
Another walk up the bridge
bike ride to the beach
bike parking
pretty empty beach and wider than most beaches in the Keys
crossword puzzle on the beach
sitting in the sun at our campsite
you can never have too many sunset pics, right?
Thursday Feb 8, 2024 - Today we're driving 30 miles to Key West for the day. We'll take our bikes and park next to Bayview Park on Virginia Ave. We parked here when we were here two years ago and it worked well. It's free parking and a quiet part of town. We'll ride our bikes the one mile to Duvall St and explore by foot after that. This gives us the option to hop on our bikes if we want to ride.
Morning views of the bridge through our site
There's a big catamaran moored at the State Park
gotta walk to the top of the bridge before we start our day
view of the catamaran from the other side, and from up high
it's going to be a sunny day
Today we walked along Calusa Beach. All the wind we've had over the last few days brought a lot of sea grass up onto the beach, see the pile at the edge of the sand?
We made it to Key West, and sponge man was the first thing we saw, yikes.
lunch at Half Shell Raw Bar, conch chowder and a burger
Kev's favorite bar...Hog's Breath Saloon for our first beer
Duval St
more Duval St
The Whistle Bar with a nice view looking down on Duval Street
and another beer at the Southernmost Brewpub (and a game of Backgammon)
early happy hour dinner at Alonzo's Oyster House (oysters, clams and loaded fries)
Harpoon Harry's for a slice of keylime pie, that wasn't that great
we didn't stay for the sunset at Mallory Square, but the drive home was pretty
there was a little sunset left when we got back to Bahia Honda
Friday Feb 9, 2024 - Today we're headed north to the Marathon Community Park for some pickleball. We played here when we stayed at Curry Hammock two years ago. It's a nice group of people and isn't too cut throat. After pickleball we packed a picnic lunch and rode to Old 7 Mile bridge that goes out to Pigeon Key. It was 2.5 miles from pickleball and then another 2 miles out to the end at Pigeon Key. It was windy on the way back! When we got back to Bahia Honda we rode out to Sandspur beach, our favorite!
5 courts playing and enough for 6 more games waiting!
biking to the bridge
Kev's kickstand has needed tightening, and this bike repair station had the allen wrench we needed
i love riding on this bridge!
we made it to Pigeon Key, but didn't stick around for a tour
Sandspur Beach
another crossword on the beach
looks a bit like rain, but it missed us
the sunset is extra pretty with the sailboat
