Key West and the Everglades Trip

One of Florida's most enjoyable motorcycle rides.

One of the most popular routes we find people taking is the one to Key West. This is a several day excursion. It's good to take your time on this one. Because it is such a long we've broken it up into 4 nice rides.

Blue Leg, Day 1 Starting from Orlando take the Bee Line Expressway, Hwy 528 east to Cocoa Beach. There are a number of good restaurants in the Cocoa Beach area where you might want to stop for lunch or continue a little further south to The Shack on A1A in Palm Bay, just south of Malabar Road. While you're in the area you might want to spend a couple of hours and check out the Kennedy Space Center. There are 2 options for the rest of the journey south to the Miami area. You can take Interstate 95 or you can stay on Hwy 1. Hwy 1 is more scenic, but you'll also find yourself encountering more traffic, stoplights and delays. It can easily add as much as 2 hours to your ride.

For a nice run down the barrier island we like the section from Pineda (make a left on Hwy 510, then a right on A1A) south to Wabasso Beach, right on Wabasso Beach Road, back across the intercoastal to Hwy 1, left and continue on south. Most of the rest of the barrier island is too busy and developed to be an enjoyable ride.

We usually hole up for the evening around Fort Lauderdale or West Palm and catch the sunrise in the morning over the Atlantic. It's a great way to start another day on the road! Total Road Time: About 5-6 hours

Red Leg - Day 2 The Outdoor Writer’s Association of America voted this leg of the ride (Miami to Key West) "the most scenic route in the eastern United States" some time back. From whereever you've stayed head on back west to Interstate 95 and head south. The traffic from Ft. Lauderdale through Miami makes any other route very unpleasant. Miami's beaches might warrant a stop in some people's book, but we usually bypass it and head for the laid back attitude of the Keys. When you arrive in Florida City, take Hwy 1 south for your island hopping adventure. You'll travel over a series of bridges through Key Largo, Plantation and Islamorada.

Spend at least a couple of days in The Keys. Take your time - There's no need to be in a hurry here, and no one is. We usually settle in somewhere in the middle of the chain, around Marathon where you can cruise to any other island in less than an hour. You've got to check out the Sunset Celebration on Mallory Dock and toss back a few drinks in one of Ernest Hemingway's old haunts. During the day, lay around one of the beaches and soak up some sun and water, do some snorkeling or diving, or check out one of the many historical or natural attractions. Total Road Time: About 5-6 hours (from West Palm) Total Loafing Time: Unlimited

Green Leg - Day 3 After a few days in the sea and sand we pack up our suntan lotion and shells and head back north on Hwy 1. When you get to Florida City take Hwy 997 north to Hwy 41 where you'll take a left and set out across the Everglades via one of Florida's two Scenic National Byways, the Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway. Visitor centers and rest stops are available along the highway. Make sure you fuel up before taking off down Hwy 41 as portions of the trail are fairly isolated. Along the way you can stop by and visit Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, or Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge amongst a host of other attractions. We end the day with a stop at Marco Island for our last beachside sunset. You'll find a lot to do on Marco and the surrounding parks and attractions. We almost always end up spending an extra day. Total Road Time: About 5-6 hours

Purple Leg - Day 4 On the last day of our road trip we travel from Marco Island back to Orlando. Mostly a run along the west coast, you can use Hwy 41 or for a quicker, less picturesque trip I-75. There are many fine restaurants along the way and a ton of quiet beaches. You'll find Florida's Gulf Coast much more laid back than the Atlantic for the most part. Some of our favorite stops along the way are Sanibel Island and Captiva, Longboat Key, Treasure Island and a half dozen other beachside communities. Ybor City is not to be missed. As one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida, it's a great place to explore, stop for dinner and join the nightlife. From the Saint Petersburgh/Ybor/Tampa area, catch I-4 east back to Orlando (about 1½ hours ride). Total Road Time: About 5-6 hours

So there you have it! The Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Keys in a week. A little sun, sand, water, and a lot of riding some of Florida's greatest motorcycle routes.

Alternate Routes:

Notes and recommendations:

• We don't recommend taking these trips at night. In addition to missing the scenery, the forests are full of alligators, deer, bears and other animals who like to stroll across the highways at night. Additionally, you don't want to break down in the middle of nowhere when noone is around.
• On many coastal highways the State of Florida has incorporated oyster shell into the pavement. For the first 15 minutes after it starts raining oil seeps from the roads and makes it like driving on ice. Be careful out there.
• Watch the bridges in the Keys. Some of them have expansion joints in them. Slippery when wet!!
• The towns get a little sparse, particullarly on the ride across the Everglades The gators haven't opened many gas stations and humans can't. Make sure you keep good track of your fuel levels.
• Please make sure you plan your trips in advance, making reservations and planned stops to stretch your legs and check out some of that scenery that is zipping by.
• We recommend stretching this one out over at least 5 days. You'll want to spend at least a day puttering around the Keys. We almost always take a week or more.
• When you're in the coastal cities watch for loose sand on the roads and in the parking lots.
• As with all road trips, take regular breaks, make sure you take along a good sunscreen, water, etc.