16 March 2023, Florida Keys, USA

Our goal for today was to drive to the end of US 1, which runs from Nova Scotia in Canada, to Key West at the very bottom of Florida.  Of course we were skipping most of it, and starting about 130 miles from the end.

The Florida Keys always look intriguing on a map – a chain of tiny islands, or cays, stretching for miles, and connected by a series of bridges.  Of course we knew Key Largo from the Beach Boys song “Kokomo”, and we knew Key West was right at the far end – in fact it is the southernmost point of mainland USA – but we didn’t know much else.  We envisaged gently swaying palm trees and pristine white sand beaches.

The reality was rather different.  I wouldn’t describe it as pretty, or scenic.  There are more concrete power poles than palm trees – these monsters are power poles on steroids, built to withstand hurricanes.  And there isn’t an awful lot of sand, or beachfront.  Although there are some small state parks, the Keys are not a pristine nature reserve.  They are one big holiday resort, with endless apartments, motels and RV parks, cafes and restaurants, retail outlets and services.  And traffic.  We spent quite a lot of time either stationary, or crawling slowly along; at least that gave Ian a chance to have a look around while driving.  There are places where you can get off the highway and explore down numerous side roads, but it’s a long drive and we didn’t have time for detours.  The water is a lovely emerald green in places and there is some interesting architecture, but there is also a lot of construction and roadwork.

The bridges are interesting; most notable is Seven Mile Bridge.  You can see the former bridge, now derelict, beside it.  There is also an abandoned railway bridge, a remnant of the days when trains ran this route. 

We finally reached the sprawling town of Key West.  We wanted to see the “Mile 0” marker, so we inched our way ever closer towards the point where US 1 South becomes US 1 North.  In doing so, we found ourselves in the historic downtown district, around Duval Street, with its painted wooden plantation style houses, and colourful street life.  We saw the Mile 1 marker, but somehow missed the one for Mile 0, whilst trying to cope with the traffic and the narrow streets full of pedestrians.

The return drive was quicker and smoother; even so, it took us a full 8 hours to travel to “the end and back”.  Florida is a big place.  Tomorrow we fly somewhere even bigger – Texas.