The Keys

We'd seen the Overseas Highway and the Keys in so many movies that it was a must to go there. From South Beach we took the A1 road, in the hope of seeing most of Miami. However, the traffic was so slow that we decided to take the Florida Turnpike instead. A good decision. We reached the Keys quickly and from then on there was only one road, US1. All along the road you can see small green signs, called mile markers, which tell you the distance from Key West. The Keys begin at MM 113, and MM O is in Key West.

What we wanted to see was the Seven Mile Bridge in the Lower Keys, less than 40 miles from Key West. It wasn't a very busy Monday morning, but still, it took us a long time to reach it. There are two bridges in this location. The older bridge was built in 1912 as part of the Overseas Railroad (once called the Eighth Wonder of the World), but it was badly damaged by a hurricane in 1935. The spectacular Seven Mile Bridge was built in 1982. It can be seen in lots of movies, such as True Lies, Licence to Kill, Up Close & Personal, etc.

Beach lovers as we are, we wanted to find a beach to spend the afternoon on. And before long, there it was, Bahia Honda State Park - voted the best beach in Florida, and the second best in the US. Crystal clear water, white sand, palms, pelicans, herons, you name it. And best of all, not crowded.

We didn't make it to Key West. We'll do it next time. A reason good enough to come back.