Cudjoe Key, Florida (high 79, low 67)
Notice our predicted temperatures for today and tonight? It’s about 10 degrees cooler than it was yesterday.
We had another cold front move through late yesterday afternoon bringing some gusty winds and a fair amount or rain. As soon as it arrived, the temperature started dropping and it feels wonderful this morning to have the windows open and a nice cool breeze.
Yesterday, before the storm, it was hot, muggy and miserable. It was making me start to think longingly of the cooler temps in the Georgia mountains.
Our mission yesterday was to get Al a bike. Since we’re not going to be here too much longer, we want one ASAP. Tim may have one in a week or so, but we’re not sure, so we continued to look on Craig's List.
We found one that was located in Key West, so we were back in Key West for the second day in a row.
We love Key West, but it can be exhausting getting around. Parking is difficult, navigating the narrow one way streets in the downtown area with all the pedestrians, bikers and scooters is very stressful. We will NEVER ride our bikes there, although many do.
The main road around KW is Roosevelt. They have been widening the road on North Roosevelt for well over a year. It’s finally getting better and I think it will be a pretty drive once they complete the construction.
Whenever you go to Key West, you are sure to see strange things.
This is just one of the unusual sights we saw yesterday. I don’t know what the sign means. There are a lot of chickens running around KW. They are described as:
“The feral fowl that frequent the streets and alleys of Key West seem like the perfect metaphor for Key West -– historic, colorful, sort of wild, a little noisy and occasionally annoying.”
People either love them or hate them. We like them.
They can be trapped, and relocated to organic farms in central Florida where they are prized for their eggs and ability to eat bugs.
Maybe the guy in this car was a trapper?
We really wanted to find a Trek bike for Al. My bike is so nice, we would love to find something similar.
We went to a few bike rental shops but none had any used bikes for sale.
We ended up buying Al the cheap Huffy bike we found on Craig's List. It’s actually a woman's bike, but the owner decided to get a scooter instead and was selling it after only 2 weeks. We priced the same bike at K-mart for $99, but we got a deal for only $40. We decided to buy it so that Al will have something to ride for now, and then we’ll sell it if and when we find something better.
Here is Al’s new girly bike. My bike is much nicer, but this will work for now.
We rode around KW for a while and saw a few more interesting things.
In KW, everyone brags that they are the “southernmost” something. Hotel, bar, bike shop, whatever.
I thought this one was kind of unusual.
Since getting around in KW is so difficult, many people ride bikes, scooters or golf carts.
Check out these cute golf carts.
Like I said, you always find interesting things to see there. We decided since it’s going to be very windy today, that it might be a good day to go explore KW a little more. There is so much to see and we’ve only made a small dent in the things we want to see. It should be nice and cool, so that’s the plan for today.
We’re going to go for a bike ride now.
The bike that Al bought may not be as laidback relaxing as your Key Wester but it is set up ergonomically to do some moderate off-roading. The bikes for off-roading all use the lower upper bar for the protection of the rider. All he needs to do is change the front fork and he'll be scrambling everywhere even in Georgia.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the cooler temps as we're running the heaters right now.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Now you are set to be real "bikers" enjoy the rest of your time there.
ReplyDeleteis there ever a "good" time of year to see Key West? or is it always high traffic? I really want to see it. . .but wow!
ReplyDeleteWe like the cooler winter days, for exploring, but it will be crowded. For the sunset celebrations, we like it balmy and warm. You just plan accordingly. Once you get parked, it's fine and the crazy people add to the charm. Don't be afraid. Its always fun. We now have the luxury to pick the best days.
ReplyDelete$40 is a great price. You will be able to get that back easily, or if you don't it won't mater. Have fun.
ReplyDelete$40 is a great buy even if you only use it this season. Enjoy your pedaling.
ReplyDeleteI"d say you've scored twice now. Your bike is a real beauty and Al's was a real deal.
ReplyDeleteRiding that bike helps Al get in touch with his feminine side, right? :cD
ReplyDelete$20 for a bike is a great deal indeed - especially if you can ride it around a beautiful place like Key West.
ReplyDeleteGlad Al got some wheels.
ReplyDeleteHey, a good price for that bike, even if it is on the feminine side :) Sounds like riding bikes in KW would be a lot easier even if a bit dicey.
ReplyDelete