Days 20, 21, and 22: Insane rain in the Keys and driving the never ending state of Florida



One of the many bridges along
Highway 1

 On Monday I left Port Saint Lucie and drove through the sunny 80 degree weather to the Florida Keys.  I arrived in the middle Keys just before dusk so I got to see nice views of the water and some of the many islands that make up this archipelago in addition to checking out one of the state parks where I was thinking about camping.  Th e fee was an outrageous $41 and the sites, although being right on the water, were also about 20 meters from the road too.  Thanks, but no thanks.  I used the rest of the daylight to cruise Highway 1 in search of some free overnight parking and a supermarket.

Highway 1 is an amazingly convenient road that opened up a beautiful area of the world while simultaneously choking it's very beauty.  It connects tons of small islands all the way down to Key West (the southern most point on the continental US) and even has a 7 mile bridge.  While the natural beauty indeed resembles paradise, the monotonous and antiquated tourist industry has brought down some of its appeal to me. 

I finally found a parking spot on the end of Grassy Island and I wasn't parked much further away from the road than the state park's camp sites.  Of  course, like nearly everywhere on the small key islands, I was right near the water.  Sometime in the middle of the night the rain started.



One of the uninhabited tropical islands



Seven Mile bridge when I could see.

The next day was raining in the morning, but it let up a bit after I had finished breakfast so I decided to keep heading down the keys until I reached Bihai Honda State Park.  I was really hoping to do some snorkeling in the keys but I could tell that wouldn't be possible with the choppy water and low light.  Sure enough they had cancelled all tours when I arrived at the park but I paid my $4.50 and went in anyway, mainly to use their facilities.  I went for a short bike ride around the park, and found a beach at the other end so I rode back, got changed and returned for a swim.  The water was warm, just like Taiwan and as I was just getting out, the rain came back with a furry.  It was so much fun riding through the park soaking wet in the warm tropic rain and it really reminded me of being caught in the rain in Taipei.  After showering and drying, I decided it was time to leave the Keys since the worst rain predicted was still yet to come. 

I guess the road wasn't the first thing
to start choking the Keys' beauty.
This abandoned railroad line has been
an amazing eyesore since the 1930s.

Driving back over the Seven Mile bridge, I encountered some of the heaviest rain ever.  Visibility was down to about 30 or 40 feet with the occasional nearby lightning strike.  Apparently, a hurricane in the southern Caribbean was lashing the keys with its rain drenched arms.  My only plan was to get as far north as I could until the weather got better and sleep in my car again.  I ended out making to just past Daytona Beach, and slept in at a rest area. 



A great temperature is
maintained under the
forest canopy of
Spanish Moss



Well rested from a long day's driving, day 22 started like it had ended, Interstate 95.  After I passed Jacksonville I was really hating the endless I-95 and felt like I'd never be out of Florida.  At the same time I felt like I'd been driving all over Florida and for what?  On a whim, I exited at the Jacksonville zoo and headed toward the Timucuan national preserve and Fort Caroline.  I had no idea what I was in for but this was possibly my last chance to see some natural beauty in Florida.  Turned out that there were some excellent trails winding through high canopy forests which hang with Spanish Moss.  I rode for about 1.5 hours, having to walk my bike some on the hilly sandy parts (still had the city slicks on and they did surprisingly well) and somewhere about half way went up to an observation deck overlooking a salt marsh.  Although I didn't see much wild life (I really wanted to see some gators and crocs) I was a great forest environment and made me leave Florida with more appreciation for its less developed areas. 



Florida has tons of marshes and
wetlands.  This is just one of one
kinds; a salt marsh.



The cotton fields of
Georgia bring to
mind more history of
the south than anything
else I encountered so far.

As I was nearing Brian's and Kaitlin's place in Asheville, North Carolina, I took a detour so that I could see some of these southern country roads you always hear about in songs.  It was interesting to say the least.  The 30 mile stretch of highway drove right through the heart of what once were cotton plantations.  Only difference now is that the plantations are gone.  The area seemed predominantly black and there sure were a bunch of cotton fields.  I stopped at some to get my hands on this historical cash crop of the south.  I also drove down a couple of side roads, which in off an old country road, are actually just dirt roads. 

Finally I arrived at Brian and Kaitlin's place.  It's really out there and the silhouette of the hills at dusk made me anxious to see it in the morning light.