Day three of this maiden adventure for Loki had us driving from Homestead to Bahia Honda State Park. This day would provide our best surprise yet, as we made the very slow trek over Seven Mile Bridge and beyond.

The day started from the parking lot of the Miccosukee Casino located in Homestead, just west of Miami. We had stayed here for the night, as the spot was $25 (plus tax/fees) and had excellent security all night. There are no hook ups here, but it is a centrally located stop that puts you directly onto US Highway 1, the road leading all the way to Key West.

Before heading south to the beach, we decided to decorate Loki for the season. Deborah’s mother gave us a single string of chili pepper lights one Christmas many years ago and when the lights stopped working, the chili peppers were taken off and the light strand was disposed of. Skip forward to now and the peppers have been placed on a new strand and now accompany us during this Christmas season and perhaps beyond. Thanks Mom!

Homestead to Seven Mile Bridge

The northernmost portion of the Florida Keys is really not much to write about. It’s a long non-stop highway, fenced on both sides. Once you get off the main speed zone it is so overgrown with tourist traps and lots of local businesses. The North Keys has its charms with Key Largo, Islamorada, and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, but we are always too excited to see more open waters down south to stop much before Marathon Key.

After breaking free of the Everglades marsh in the middle-keys, you come upon the famous Seven Mile Bridge that connects Marathon (Middle Keys) to Little Duck Key (Lower Keys). This bridge has always held a special place in our hearts and was made most famous by the movie True Lies, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is an oldie now, but still a goodie!

This day we were surprised to see a handful of cyclists braving the bridge. One can argue for days about whether this is a brave or stupid thing to do, but nonetheless, they were there tempting fate for the beautiful reward of a view like no other.

As you can see in the photo below, Scott was a very happy camper once the ocean and the gulf appeared before us. The weather was perfect and the water was so spectacular, as always. Back at the farm they were braving 40°-50° degree temps, while we were basking in 70°+ temps. Ahhh, paradise!!

Lunch Break and Fishing Piers

Roadside fishing piers (old bridges) are plentiful along the drive through the Keys. Most of them are the result of the foresight of planners who, when constructing new bridges, left long sections of the old bridges intact that can be accessed via parking areas on either end. On almost all of them the center of the bridges have been removed to prevent driving across the ancient structures.

The parking lots for these fishing piers make great stop off spots for lunch, a quick photo op, or just a chance to get out of other drivers way (there are lots of typical impatient drivers down here, as there are everywhere).

We took one such opportunity to stop just before crossing Seven Mile Bridge. Lunch was great. The view was stellar!

A Spectacular Surprise

Further down the road, we were about 30 miles out from Duval Street in Key West when we decided to take a longer break and walk on the beach for a while. We entered Bahia Honda State Park and purchased a day use pass. Scott walked the incredibly beautiful beach and I enjoyed the therapeutic warmth of the 78° day with the blessedly and welcomed humidity.

Our original (loose) plan for the day was to make it to Duval Street to see where they had moved the Buoy, normally located at the real Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S., and then to return to the casino parking lot for another night before heading back north. Loose plans are the best plans! Florida state park campgrounds, especially those on the beaches, are completely booked up to a year in advance. Scott has looked many times for a way to make a reservation for a spot with no joy.

However, since we were already in the park on a day use pass, I called the ranger’s office to see if there had been any cancellations. We could not believe our luck! The ranger told me that he could give us a spot if we could be there in the next couple of hours. I said “we will be there in 5 minutes!”

We drove back up to the ranger station and got all checked in and headed to our home for the evening. Wow what a spot! Ocean view, showers, hook-ups, and beach access all for $59. We even had a welcoming party of two beautiful iguanas to greet us at our site when we arrived.

This is why we overland at free, or nearly free, places on our trips. Because when this type of opportunity arises, we can take it. So blessed!!

Beautiful Views

The following photos were taken this night and show the absolute beauty of this part of our world. The peace of being down here in this environment, especially in December, is almost indescribable. Enjoy! We did!!

One of the most amazing aspects about this beach in particular is the limited capacity, making it a surreal, quiet, and peaceful place to be, if only for a short period of time. Yes, it is hard to get a reservation, but it’s worth every minute to have this view, shared with just a few others.

Birds Flying the Thermals

If you missed the first three days of the trip they are below for you, thanks for stopping by!

A Week Around Florida

• A Week Around Florida Auburn to Tampa Day 1
• A Week Around Florida Tampa to Tamiami Day 2
• A Week Around Florida Tamiami to Bahia Honda Day 3
• A Week Around Florida Key West to Homestead Day 4
• A Week Around Florida: Homestead to Okeechobee Day 5
• A Week Around Florida: Istokpoga to St. Augustine Day 6
• A Week Around Florida: St. Augustine to Valdosta Day 7
• A Week Around Florida: Valdosta to Eufaula Day 8