Today, we rode with our new riding buddy, Dean Fesette. He lives in Boynton Beach and we stayed at his house last night. We left Dean's house around 8:00AM and then rode to breakfast.
We had a very good breakfast at a diner close to Rte A1A. There corn beef hash is the best! After breakfast, we rode on up to Rte A1A and headed south. We started to pass all of the famous beaches that we have all heard about all of our lives! It was bright and sunny with a nice breeze behind us so we were making very good time with little effort. In quick order, we passed Delray beach and then Boca Roton. We stopped for coffee at a little coffee shop right on the beach. For some reason, all of the high school kids were out of school and hanging out at the beach. Pretty nice way for kids to grow up..
We continued to ride south and eventually got to the Fort Lauderdale area. We had to leave Ocean Blvd (Rte A1A) and circle around the airport, we passed a Starbucks and Bob insisted that we go in for a Frappachino. Of course, he got no argument from me. We sat around for a little while and then proceeded to head towards the airport. Somehow we took a wrong turn and wound up going into the Port Everglades Terminal. The guard wouldn't let us go in so we turned around but then we went through the shipping container x-ray machine. All of sudden the gates dropped and a armed to the teeth guard stepped out of the office and stopped us. He said we should have not gone through the x-ray machine but he was smiling when he said it and gave us directions to get us back on route.
We made it around the airport and headed back out to Route A1A. As we crossed the inland waterway, we spotted a nice outdoor bar and restaurant right on the waterway so we stopped for lunch. Again, it was too nice to leave so it was around 2:30 when we left with 30 miles to go. We again headed south down Rte A1A through more legendary Florida beach towns. We passed Hollywood, Golden Beach, Surfside and Miami Beach. We turned west and headed across the causeway into Miami. We got to Miami around 5:00PM. Dean called the hotel Coral Gables to get directions. He said the desk clerk, Dave, said it was about 8 miles. When he found out we were on bikes, he didn't think we could make it. Dean told him we had already ridden 70 miles today and another 8 would not be a problem. He also told him that I had ridden down from Bar Harbor Maine and Bob from Richmond so 8 miles were of no consequence. We made it to the hotel around 6:00PM mainly because the heavy traffic held us up but it was a very easy 79 miles today. The hotel was built in the 1920's and is very quaint! It has an old fashioned lobby with a hand operated elevator. The rooms have been updated but they still have old feel to them. There are antiques in the room and around the hallways and lobby.
We had a very good breakfast at a diner close to Rte A1A. There corn beef hash is the best! After breakfast, we rode on up to Rte A1A and headed south. We started to pass all of the famous beaches that we have all heard about all of our lives! It was bright and sunny with a nice breeze behind us so we were making very good time with little effort. In quick order, we passed Delray beach and then Boca Roton. We stopped for coffee at a little coffee shop right on the beach. For some reason, all of the high school kids were out of school and hanging out at the beach. Pretty nice way for kids to grow up..
We continued to ride south and eventually got to the Fort Lauderdale area. We had to leave Ocean Blvd (Rte A1A) and circle around the airport, we passed a Starbucks and Bob insisted that we go in for a Frappachino. Of course, he got no argument from me. We sat around for a little while and then proceeded to head towards the airport. Somehow we took a wrong turn and wound up going into the Port Everglades Terminal. The guard wouldn't let us go in so we turned around but then we went through the shipping container x-ray machine. All of sudden the gates dropped and a armed to the teeth guard stepped out of the office and stopped us. He said we should have not gone through the x-ray machine but he was smiling when he said it and gave us directions to get us back on route.
We made it around the airport and headed back out to Route A1A. As we crossed the inland waterway, we spotted a nice outdoor bar and restaurant right on the waterway so we stopped for lunch. Again, it was too nice to leave so it was around 2:30 when we left with 30 miles to go. We again headed south down Rte A1A through more legendary Florida beach towns. We passed Hollywood, Golden Beach, Surfside and Miami Beach. We turned west and headed across the causeway into Miami. We got to Miami around 5:00PM. Dean called the hotel Coral Gables to get directions. He said the desk clerk, Dave, said it was about 8 miles. When he found out we were on bikes, he didn't think we could make it. Dean told him we had already ridden 70 miles today and another 8 would not be a problem. He also told him that I had ridden down from Bar Harbor Maine and Bob from Richmond so 8 miles were of no consequence. We made it to the hotel around 6:00PM mainly because the heavy traffic held us up but it was a very easy 79 miles today. The hotel was built in the 1920's and is very quaint! It has an old fashioned lobby with a hand operated elevator. The rooms have been updated but they still have old feel to them. There are antiques in the room and around the hallways and lobby.
Tomorrow we will be in Key Largo! Only three more days to go for this journey
NORBERT ! What have you done to my father ??? he drinks Frappucinno's now ?
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