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March 2010 Schedule

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:19:49 +0100

The Islamorada Street Fair was a great success for the Bike tour this weekend. We had Florida Travel and Leisure Magazine along for the ride and will do a piece on the bike tour in June. These photos were taken from the Pinder Grave Yard located on the Cheeca Lodge Property. Cheeca Lodge Beach was at one time the heart of Islamorada dating back to the mid 1800's. This graveyard is what has survived since the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. I am going to try to do something new in March and see if this takes off. On top of the bike tours at 10 AM on Saturday and Sunday's I am going to add a walking tour at 1:30 PM on Saturday and Sundays. The walking tour will be shorter, but I will add stops that I do not include in the bike tours. This is because I know some people who are not comfortable with riding or getting a bike is more of a responsibility than they care for. Also, I am going to do the Bike and Kayak Tour in April again. Please call me if you are interested and then I will coordinate a date that works best for everybody. Here is March schedule:

March 6th & 7th- Bike Tour Sat and Sun 10 AM at Hurricane Monument- Walking Tour 1:30 both days.
March 13th & 14th- Bike Tour Sat and Sun 10 AM- Walking Tour 1:30 both days.
March 21st- Bike Tour Sunday only 10 AM-Walking Tour Sunday 1:30 PM
March 27th- Bike tour Sun 10 AM- Walking Tour 1:30 both Sun.

The Islamorada Street Fair

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:18:01 +0100

On February 27th the Red Cross is sponsoring the Islamorada Street Fair featuring the Red Cross homes built during the aftermath of the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. I will run two bike tours on this day, one at 10 AM and the other at 1 PM. We will cover the construction of the homes during the tour. Bring a bike or call Backcountry Cowboy to rent one. Call Mark at 305-879-0390 to hold a spot. The tour is completely on the bike path and not on the highway.

Upper Keys and Middle Keys Tour continued.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:21:27 +0100

We left off in Tavernier around the 90 mile marker going from Tavernier Creek Bridge to the Old Road. The Old Road is on the ocean side of US !. It is the old Overseas Hwy before the expanded one was built along side of it. The Old Road has a nice bike path on it all the way through Islamorada. This is where the scenery begins. The path is shaded with nice high trees on both sides. The area is residential with some pretty high end homes along the ocean. However, due to the tree line, you will not be able to see this. This part of the path is active with bicyclists, joggers, walkers and people taking their dogs for walks. You might on occasion see "Jimmy Johnson". You can tell what mile marker you are at by looking at the mailboxes, the first two numbers match up with the mile marker. Around the 88 mile marker, a lumber company called Forest Tek has a water cooler on the path for bike path patrons. There is also a place called City Hall Cafe by there if you want a great sandwich and rest stop. As you continue south, you will hit the end of the tree line and will see the new Overseas Hwy running alongside the Old Road. Just south of there, on the bay side, you will see Founders Park. By far, one of the best public parks in Florida.It is Islamorada's public park. They have an Olympic size swimming pool there open to the public. On occasion, you might see an Olympic Swimmer there training, since this has become the winter haven training location for Colleges and US athletes. Great little beach, clean rest rooms, large fields, and even a dog park. If you have a kayak, not a bad place to put it in the water a check out the bay and mangroves. As you continue south, the old road ends around the 86.5 mile marker and you have to pick up the bike path that runs on the side of Overseas Hwy. You have a choice, The Path is marked on both sides of the highway. If you are of the mindset you must go alongside with traffic, you will have to cross here at the stop-sign to the bayside. Since the path is it's own entity, you can choose to remain on the oceanside and stay on this path, but you will be going against traffic. As you go south, you will pass the weigh station and up to Snake Creek Bridge. This is the Keys last working drawbridge. If you are lucky, you will get stuck and hang out on the path on the bridge that gives you a dynamic view of the water. You might be able to see some large tarpon, boats go underneath and the Coast Guard Station with all their toys in the water. Once you get south of Snake Creek Bridge, you land back again at the Old Road by Island Grill and Hog Heaven. More to follow......

The old road goes for less than a mile and runs right into Holiday Isle. From there, you will cross over Whale Harbor Bridge. Off to the left you will see a sand bar that is very popular with the locals to hang out and get there by boat or kayak. You will also see Kite Boarders in and around the channel because it is an excellent spot to launch from. Once you get to the south side of Whale Harbor bridge, the Old Road resumes and goes all the way to the 80 mm before it picks up the bike path again along the highway. This portion of the Old Road is full of history and points of interest. For example, there is a very famous water cistern nearby popular with the pirates and salvagers and Indians from the 1500's into the 1900 century. A house where the largest drug bust occurred in Florida's history. The boat where Harry Truman vacationed on wash ashore during the 1935 hurricane. The location where the old train stop from the early 19th century was located. The national Hurricane Monument, 17 Red Cross/conch homes are located. This is where my bike tour occurs. It's two hours long and about 4 miles in distance. It is the most scenic location for bicycling in the Keys.

You will go by the Hurricane Monument on this portion of the Old Road. You will also go by Back Country Cowboy, a neat place to buy clothes, rent/buy kayaks and bikes. They offer some great kayak tours in the local waters. You will pass a cool coffee shop on the old road called Midway Cafe. Great selection of coffees, pastries and food. The old road ends just south of Midway Cafe and merges into the bike path. You will go south to Bud and Mary's Marina just north of the Indian Key fill. Here you will need to cross the road over to the Bayside. There will be two small bridges and a very scenic key along this path. Off to the left, or ocean side, you will see Indian Key. This is a place you can launch your kayak and go check out. It is an 11 acre island that dates back to the 1600's in our local history. It was once the county seat of Dade county and 2nd largest city in South Florida at one time. Off to the right you will see Lignumvitae Key. The path will land you in front of Robbie's Marina. The bike path will continue south until the 72 mile marker. This is a very nice part of the bike path with beautiful homes and small hotels. The path ends right before Anne's Beach on the ocean side. They have nice facilites and neat little beach and boardwalk to check out. This part of the road, the path ends and you have to ride on the side of the road.

Just south of Anne's beach on the bay side, there is a bridge that is being outfitted for the bike path. It is currently under construction and should be completed this spring. The bridge is designed to allow bicyclists to ride down the middle and fishermen off to the side in little coves. Once you get south of the bridge, the path will resume. This path is also under construction and the foundation is being laid as we speak. Again, I believe it will be ready by March or April at the rate they are going. It is something worth noting that these bridges are very scenic and allows you to ride over the waterway with the rail feet from your path. Some of the bridge fishermen are very creative. They have wagons or carts that they have built with rod holders, beds to carry coolers and camping equipment and look like mobile fishing centers. On occasion, you might have to ring the bike bell to let them know you are coming up on them. Most are very courteous and sharing the path is not a problem. By the way, this bike bridge is the old Channel #2 bridge running alongside the new bridge.

Now you will approach the Channel #5 Bridge. You will have to ride on the side of the road and on the shoulder of the bridge here with about 6 feet of shoulder. This will be like this until you get to Layton around the 69 mile marker. The bike path then resumes on the Ocean side. There is a quaint place to eat in Layton called "Little Italy" on the bayside. There is also a mom and pop convenient food store in Layton. The Key Lime Resort is there as well. Just to the south is Long Key State Park. Nice little beach, some trails and decent kayaking back in there. There is camping as well. Once you past Long Key State Park, you will approach Long Key Bridge. This is a newly finished bike bridge and looks over the ocean with a spectacular view. This is a great spot to park your car on the south side of the bridge and take your bike for a ride north up to Layton and back. This would be about a 10 mile round trip ride. The bridge has parking on both sides. I like to bring a lunch, ride north up to the state park, pay the $2 bike fee, hang out then ride back. This is the end up the Upper Keys Series of the ride. I will start the Middle Keys series next.........

Just south of Long Key Bridge you have to get back on the road again all the way down to Duck Key. If you would like a diversion, you can turn into Duck Key where Hawks' Cay is. There is some really nice homes and hump bridges and quaint streets back there for riding. As you continue south, you will approach Tom's Harbor Cut Bridge. As we speak, they are working on the bike path over the bridge. The path picks up south of Tom's Harbor down to Grassy Key on the bay side. The path blends into the road around the Dolphin Research Center around the 59 mile marker. This is in my opinion the scariest part of biking in the Keys. The good news is they should have the path completed in a matter of months. The path picks up at the 58 mile marker at a street called Guava. The path becomes very serene at this point. There is a lot of tree's and native landscaping in this area. This path goes right past Curry Hammock State Park. This is the Keys best kept secret as far as State Park's go. The kayaking there is wonderful. You can go through a mangrove river that takes you under a bridge into a bird sanctuary. You will see hawks and all kinds of tropical birds. Once you get out to the ocean, there is a sand bar off shore that many locals on the weekend go to. I've seen kayaks there with lunches and lawn chairs. The park rents kayaks at the front gate if you bike into the area.

Once you past Curry Hammock State Park, the path continues until you hit the stop light at Coco Plum Blvd which is around the 55 mile marker. So you get a heads up, the path is pretty bland for most of the ride through Marathon. However, there is a bike path all the way through. Before you get to the 7 mile bridge, I recommend a detour at Sombrero Beach blvd around the 53 mile marker. There is a bike path that goes for 2 miles towards Sombrero Beach, You will pass Marathon high school. This beach is the second best beach in my opinion in the Keys. There are public facilities there, a nice sandy beach and great native landscaping. I go there during lunch for a swim and shower before going back to work. Across the channel at the end of the beach is Boot Key. This is the best kayaking you will experience in the Florida Keys. There is numerous tributaries that are canopy covered that could take you up to four hours to discover. You can launch your kayak at the beach and cross the channel over to Boot Key. Many of people described the paddle to being in the jungles because of the canopy cover. If you were to google Boot Key for a satellite image, the tributaries would not even show. More to follow........

Touring the Keys Series- Upper Keys

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:56:40 +0100

First, let's cover some Keys terminology. Everything goes by mile markers in terms of locations. The county line starts at the 113 mile marker and ends in Key West at 0 mm. The bayside is on the west side and the oceanside is on the east. The 18 mile stretch is the road portion of US 1 that starts in Florida City and ends in Key Largo. There is two ways to get into the Keys, one is the Overseas Hwy or US 1, the other is Card Sound Road. It's an alternative route into the keys and about an extra 11 miles. I suggest you start in Key Largo, but if you insist starting up in Dade County, you have two choices. A lot of cyclists choose Card Sound because of it's scenery of the water and mangroves. I must warn you, the shoulder of the road is narrow, so use caution. The reward however is going over Card Sound Bridge right after the toll booth. There is a place called "Alabama Jacks" you can stop at on the way for food and music. It sits on a dock next to a canal that leads into Card Sound Waterway. A scene from the James Bond movie " License to Kill" was shot there.

You will end up at a three way stop once you go over Card Sound Bridge. You will take the right hand turn and ride in a very scenic wooded roadway. The bike path will not start until you get to Key Largo. You will know you are in Key Largo when you come to a stop sign and see the Shell gas station. This is the 106 mile marker and where the path begins.

First, I want to say, do not be discouraged when you first get to Key Largo regarding the scenery. Key Largo is not very scenic from the highway. They are known for their diving and off shore waters. I promise it will get better as you go south. The bike path is on the oceanside of the highway and remains so for 6 miles until you get to the 100 mile marker. Along the way, you will pass John Pennekampe State Park which is at the 103 mm on the oceanside. As you continue south, you will mostly see businesses and roadside residences. Be mindful of cars pulling in and out. You will arrive to the 100 mile marker where there is a traffic light. The highway splits at this point with a wooded medium for about 4 miles (commonly known as the "split"). You will have to cross over from the oceanside to the bayside at this point to remain on the bike path. If you have questions, you can always google map this and get a satellite photo. A great place to eat nearby here is Mrs. Mac's Kitchen, around the 99 mile marker accross the street from the bike path and a Wyland Wall. Very keysy roadside place to eat. Most people from up north don't understand how people in the Keys will leave their bikes unlocked outside when they go to eat. You can do that with the exception of Key West.

As you continue south, you will get to the end of the split at the 96 mile marker. The bike path then jumps back over to the oceanside where you will have to cross the road again. The path remains on the oceanside until the 92 mile marker which is Tavernier. This segment is all residential until you get to Tavernier. There is a place called "Sunshine Market" at the 92 mile marker. It has Cuban coffee and cuisine there. My favorite place to get a Cafe Con Leche (a strong version of a latte). Can't be shy when you go to the coffee window, elbow your way in with a bill in your hand and act like you own the place.

The bike path turns into a sidewalk at this point. Stay on the oceanside and you will approach Tavernier Creek Bridge. The path resumes here and takes you over Tavernier Creek where you will get your first glimpse of the ocean on this bike ride. The nice part is once you get on the south side of Tavernier Creek you will l on what is referred to as the "Old Road". This is where I will stop and resume later. Call Mark at 305-879-0390 in the meantime if you have questions.

Cheeca Lodge

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:32:28 +0100

Today was the first ride I had with guests from Cheeca Lodge. The group was out of the Chicago area and lots of fun. Cheeca loaned them bikes for the tour. The picture above is taken in 1906 when it was on Upper Matacumbe. It was moved by boat to the beach where Cheeca Lodge is now. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed the Church. The new church is on the Old Road in front of Cheeca Lodge with the original bell inside the tower.

On Cheeca's property, the Pinder family has a family graveyard that is still there today. This portrait was painted by artist Millard Wells. It is called the Pinder Angel. The graveyard is associated with the Church.

Red Cross

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:45:05 +0100

Part of our bike tours include the homes the Red Cross built right after the 1935 Hurricane. These homes are still in existence and they are shown as part of the bike tour. They were constructed to be hurricane proof and they are still holding up today. Starting later next month, I will add Saturday's to the bike tour. This will be a great event, come out and bring your bike.

From Key Largo to Key West on the Bike Path

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:35:41 +0100

I occasionaly get a phone call asking me about cycling the whole Keys. I have done it several times myself. However, I prefer to take my bike and kayak to different parts of the Keys and experience some of the State Parks, bridges and local islands. With the bike path construction underway throughout the Keys, one day soon, the bike path with the exception of a few bridges will connect the whole length of the Keys.

I will do three write ups going into detail riding the bike path from Key Largo to Key West over the next couple of weeks. I will break up the ride into the Upper Keys, Middle Keys and Lower Keys. If you have some information you would like to add or photos you would like for me to post, e-mail me at Islamoradasports@aol.com. Most of what I will write is from my personal experience, places I like to stop at to kayak, rest, to eat and to play.

What we are about!

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:40:39 +0100

I want to thank my riders on how they support my wrestling program by going on this bike tour. I have 22 great boys who I take on wrestling competitions all over the State. Some of these kids are struggling in life. So it's nice to help them by buying their USA Wrestling card which covers their insurance on the mat, or getting them a pair of wrestling shoes or even covering a meal for them on a trip. Our program is a tough one, not everyone gets a medal for participating. We teach fundamentals, discipline and responsibility. When I started it 3 years ago, I had 5 kids and depleted resources. Now we are growing and making a difference in these kids life. Just wanted to let you know how you made the difference.

February Schedule 2010

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:45:09 +0100

Please call to confirm if you will be taking the tour at 305-879-0390.

February 7th-10 AM at Hurricane Monument.
February 14th-10 AM at Hurricane Monument.
February 27th and 28th- 10 AM at Hurricane Monument.

Full Moon Bike ride 8 PM at Hurricane Monument by appointment last week of February.

T Shirts for Sale

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:26:02 +0100

The proceeds from the t shirt sales go towards the Islamorada Wrestling Club.