Issue:
July/August 2004

Text:
Paul Harris

Photography:
Paul Harris

Geographic Region:
FL, USA

Pages:
66 - 73

Visit the gallery for more pictures

 

I had never ridden a Harley-Davidson before and was curious to see how such a big hunk of metal handles. The gang at American Road Collection kindly provided a 2003 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic and I eagerly came to grips with it for a run to the Florida Keys.

Florida has plenty of fast roads to take you to the heart of the action, but battling trucks anytime or anywhere is not on my agenda. Not a problem in this case – Fort Lauderdale is barely 25 miles from Miami, so there's no rush. I'm taking A1A along the Intracoastal Waterway all the way to the barrier island that is Miami Beach. With I-95 handling the majority of vehicles nearby, there is little traffic.

Much more than a rejuvenated 1930s beach resort, Miami Beach is still most famous for its matchless beach and fanciful architecture. The city's prime examples of the prevailing Art Deco style – hotels, stores, nightspots and restaurants all swathed in bright sea-inspired pastels – beckon from Washington and Collins Avenues, and along Ocean Drive from Fifth to 23rd Street. It's a very pleasant circuit on this sunny afternoon, although at times it does feel as though I have ridden into "Grand Theft Auto 3."

With a few hours of daylight to play with, I head into the hub of Crocket and Tubbs' "Miami Vice" beat. Downtown is a surprisingly small area and the high-rises here have little in common with the austere blocks soaring in New York or Chicago. Heading down the tree-lined lane of Brickell Avenue, I pass the Atlantic Building, famed for an eye-catching design element: a huge square hole that cuts through floors 14 to 16. It's beautiful in a way that the monoliths on Fifth Avenue can never be.

Brickell takes me onto the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne. I blast away from the toll booth and over the causeway with the feeling growing that riding this Harley is going to be fun. A wide strip of golden sand and swaying palm trees wait in Crandon Park. Best of all it's deserted. Sitting on the beach, I can see the skyscrapers of Miami and beyond those, Miami Beach peeps over the horizon. There is nothing like getting away from it all and still have what you are getting away from become part of a beautiful view.

Key Biscayne also lays claim to one of Miami's best attractions – the Seaquarium. I hop out of the saddle and rush into one of the arenas as the show begins. Lolita, a 10,000-lb orca (killer whale), hangs in the air.

After a night on the town in Miami Beach I get an early start, pass through downtown Miami and head for the affluent suburb of Coral Gables on Coral Way/SW22nd Street. Roaming immaculate boulevards in the shade of arching trees past old Spanish colonial homes and the gardens that exude a warm perfume, I discover a small treasure nearby on Granada. Circling the ornate fountain at the center of a roundabout, I exit for the Coral Gables Venetian Pool, a stunning spot constructed for public use from a coral quarry in 1923. And what a pool it is – an 820,000-gallon expanse of fresh spring-fed water that features grottoes, caves and two waterfalls. The limestone gives the water a magical turquoise hue that blends inimitably with its palm-fringed island and the subtle Venetian styling of the pool's loggias, porticos and cobble-stoned bridge.

Leaving Miami, I stick to the wooded back roads rather than taking US 1, and join the ugly main road just before Homestead, the gateway to the Everglades. Just after Homestead and Florida City, Card Sound Road provides the less-traveled route to Key Largo. The landscape changes to mile upon mile of wetland as I approach the end of the USA. At first this is new and intriguing, but it lasts for miles. I accelerate to 90 mph, enjoying the howl of air buffeting the windshield, and with one-third of a ton of metal between my legs I feel as safe as one can on a bike.

Alabama Jack's restaurant – a popular weekend destination for local motorcyclists – sits at the water's edge just before the bridge to Key Largo. And, having reached the threshold of the Keys, I decide to eat nothing but fish from here on and start in at Jack's with a generous order of delicious conch fritters.

The Keys are a chain of coral islands extending for over 100 miles from the tip of Florida. Riding through them is like passing through a vivid palette of Caribbean hues – the many variegations of turquoise from the Florida Bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, the greens in the thick strands of growth that cover the islands, the yellows in the narrow fringes of sand that cling to them, and the infinite blue above.

The road leaps from one Key to the next in a series of 42 bridges and causeways. Some of these arch up in ballistic, Evel Knieval gradients so that boats can pass, and when cresting the rise of one of these, I stand on the pegs to snatch a look at the pretty panorama of Florida Bay.

Florida is hot. And riding a Harley in the sun is like driving an oven around an oven. I take it up to 80mph and cool my legs and divert air up to my body simply by opening my knees, a wonderfully effective cooling method.

Ahead, I see the famous Seven-Mile Bridge rising from the water, doglegging to the left, and the horizon. A bridge to nowhere it seems, seven miles of concrete and steel that connects the middle and lower Keys groups alongside Henry Flagler's derelict railroad bridge. I rise up, leaving Knight's Key behind. The sky meets the sea and becomes a disorientating single color as the horizon disappears. Everything is blue except for the white concrete running under my tire. All that's missing is a death metal soundtrack.

Most visitors to the Keys drive as fast as they can to the main resorts, but I stop on Bahia Honda Key where the Seven-Mile Bridge ends. It is a heavenly desert island, a state park offering one of the best beaches in America and secluded seafront camping. The ocean is so enticing and I am sweating so much that I change as fast as I can, grab my snorkel gear and wade into the water. Mask on, fins affixed, snorkel in, head down, I almost choke with excitement over a young barracuda that hangs motionless and staring a few feet away.

Key West is a party town and I've booked a room in The Angelina Guesthouse, a pretty place just a few blocks from all the action on Duval Street. They have a pool in the yard, roomy tree-strung hammocks, and serve delicious homemade Danish pastries for breakfast.

Virtually every water activity known to man is available in Key West, including cruises on a catamaran, a schooner, even a WWII torpedo boat. Or you can parasail, Jet Ski, fish, snorkel and swim. Fishing, after tourism, is the main activity, which means there are always plenty of choices featured as the catch of the day.

The town is easily covered on foot and, with parking scarce, visitors usually abandon their cars, leaving the roads relatively free for motorbikes. You can ride without the skull bowl too. I cruise the old town enjoying the liberating feeling of air flowing through my hair and pass many other motorcyclists doing the same, although I do grow weary of dodging the feral chickens that roam the island.

Key West's history is tied to the sea: from salvaging wrecked ships to its value as a strategic naval outpost dating back to the Civil War. The southernmost point in the continental USA is marked with a buoy you can ride right up to. Cuba, it notes, is much closer than Miami and only 90 miles due south.

The main attraction for me is the former home, turned museum, of Ernest Hemingway, who lived on the island in the 1930s. The largest house on the island, it also has a beautiful garden, and the tour of the grounds is informative but uninspiring until the guide leads us to the converted coach house where Papa had his study. I climb the staircase and look into the light, spacious room. For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Dangerous Summer were written here, and a frisson of excitement zaps me as I step into the space where Hemingway pursued his craft so passionately. Now this is history!

Hemingway as drinker is a connection shamelessly exploited by Sloppy Joe's, a Key West bar he frequented. Legend has it Hemingway stopped by when the owner was crating stuff to move Sloppy Joe's to its current location and told him that, seeing as how so much of his money had flowed down the old urinal there, he ought at least to have it as a present. Prominently displayed, that porcelain symbol of the writer's profligacy has remained in Hemingway's garden ever since.

The bars on Duvall Street stay open till 4 a.m. and there is live music everywhere. In the Green Parrot, near the Hemingway House, I am served the largest shot of bourbon I have ever tilted. Hemingway lived next door to the lighthouse, and if my shot is typical of his servings, it's no wonder he needed the glare of such a beacon to find his way home. Thankfully, I have two nights in Key West, plenty of time to shake the wobble from my legs.

Watching the sun set from Mallory Square amid street entertainers hustling for dollars, I reflect on a wonderful few days of riding. Southern Florida may not be the most adventurous motor biking locale per se, but it is a beautiful, fun place to check out on two wheels especially since you don't have to kill yourself with long distances. Doubling back upon myself is usually a no-no, but riding through the Keys again will be fantastic.

In General
It's best to travel Florida in the winter when temperature and humidity drop from the summer 90s into the 80s. Depending on traffic, the trip from Miami to Key West is only three or four hours.

Routes
US1 runs from Fort Lauderdale to Key West. A quieter route is US1 south to I-595 west, to I-75N (which continues west), to SR27 south, to 997 Chrome Avenue to Florida City; then rejoin US1. Alternatively, from Florida City take Old Dixie Highway, then Card Sound Road to Alabama Jack's. Cross onto Key Largo and rejoin US1.

From Fort Lauderdale, ride A1A to Miami Beach. Take the Macarthur Causeway into downtown Miami and turn left onto Brickell Avenue. Continue onto South Bayshore Drive. Take SW23rd Street to Coral Gables, then Le Jeune Road or Douglas Road south back to South Bayshore. This leads to Old Cutler Road that eventually joins with US1.

How to Get There
Miami International Airport has regular flights from all over the world. Fort Lauderdale International has flights to many US destinations.

Food & Lodging
Miami and the Keys are tourist destinations with ample accommodations. A Miami Beach room is at least $80 in the Art Deco district (up to 23rd St), and less when staying farther north (around 80th St). Hotels and B&Bs in the Keys start from $90 in season, but fall to $50 off-season. Camping in the Keys starts at $25.

Roads & Biking
The riding is easy on good roads. Hazards include sudden rainstorms, deer and errant chickens. Harleys can be rented at many places in southern Florida. American Road Collection has locations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.

Shopping & Sightseeing
Beaches and sea-based activities top the agenda. Snorkeling is a 'must do' as the water is warm and clear. The Keys have the only reef system in the continental USA. Check out Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park or Looe Key Marine Sanctuary. There is plenty of partying in Miami Beach, Key West and the other Keys, so plan on spending a couple of nights in one place to take advantage.

Addresses & Phone Numbers

• American Road Collection
  (888) 736-8433
  www.motorcyclerentals.cc

• Florida tourist information
  www.flausa.com

• Key West tourist information
  www.keywestfloridaonline.com

• Florida State Parks
  (305) 872-2353
  www.floridastateparks.org/bahiahonda

• John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park
  www.pennekamppark.com

• Angelina Guesthouse
  (888) 303-4480
  www.angelinaguesthouse.com

Books & Maps

• Hidden Florida Keys and Everglades
  7th ed, by Ann Boese & Candace
  Leslie, Ulysses Press
  ISBN 1569752680, $13.95

• Fodor's South Florida
  4th ed, by Shannon Kelly & Melissa
  Klurman, ISBN 1400010527
  $15.95

• Insight Guide Florida
  11th ed, by Emily Hatchwell
  ISBN 9814120480, $22.95

• USA on the Road Insight Guide
  ISBN 9812340688, $22.95

• Rand McNally Florida:
  Area & City Maps,
  National Parks etc,
  ISBN 3828302505, $9.95