We left before first light this morning, so we didn't see much scenery until we turned east on the I-75, which is known as Alligator Alley. It is an expressway that cuts straight across Florida through the Everglades. The first stretch was what we had expected: dense pine and mangrove forest growing out of swampland. Towards Fort Lauderdale, the forest gave way to grassy marshlands.
The drive across the Keys was interesting and scenic. The keys are narrow, flat islands. They range in width from about 200' to a mile. The Atlantic Ocean is on one side, the Gulf of Mexico is on the other. The keys were accessible only by boat until 1912, when Henry Flagler constructed a railway to connect the keys to the mainland. The railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935, but the remaining structures were used to build the highway.
Bahia Honda State Park occupies the entire little island. The beaches here are the nicest on the keys. The water is shallow, warm and an incredible green.
The weather continues to be hot (high 80's F) and very humid. By the time we had our camp set up we were ready to head to the beach. The off shore breezes are a relief, and we managed to cool our core temperatures down in the water.
This evening we walked out to the end of the old railway bridge (Flagler's Folly) to watch the sunset. It was a spectacular view.
There is some interesting "wildlife" here on the keys. We saw a big iguana on the grass. There are also raccoons. We are wondering how they would make their way from the mainland as in some places the bridges span the water for several miles.
Trip Mileage: 6306 miles
The drive across the Keys was interesting and scenic. The keys are narrow, flat islands. They range in width from about 200' to a mile. The Atlantic Ocean is on one side, the Gulf of Mexico is on the other. The keys were accessible only by boat until 1912, when Henry Flagler constructed a railway to connect the keys to the mainland. The railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935, but the remaining structures were used to build the highway.
Bahia Honda State Park occupies the entire little island. The beaches here are the nicest on the keys. The water is shallow, warm and an incredible green.
The weather continues to be hot (high 80's F) and very humid. By the time we had our camp set up we were ready to head to the beach. The off shore breezes are a relief, and we managed to cool our core temperatures down in the water.
This evening we walked out to the end of the old railway bridge (Flagler's Folly) to watch the sunset. It was a spectacular view.
There is some interesting "wildlife" here on the keys. We saw a big iguana on the grass. There are also raccoons. We are wondering how they would make their way from the mainland as in some places the bridges span the water for several miles.
Trip Mileage: 6306 miles
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