So today was riding away from the Keys up Gator Alley on the US41, the Old Dixie Highway. What a road.

It leaves Florida City and travels through lush fields of nurseries and fruit farms selling all manner of fresh grown fruit, before turning slightly to head due West right through the Everglades.

This area is beautiful. To our left were long views of the Everglades grasslands, hues of green and brown and tonnes of wildlife- birds galore including Ibis, herons, big birds of prey and loads of others I’ve no name for.

To our right we followed a tract of water. At times this felt like a canal, broad and edges well defined (not flooded tho!) at other times a small creek. Alongside the banks were trees dripping with Spanish moss. All different variances of green interspersed with air plants clung to the branches displaying tiny flowers in blood orange red.

All told a fab ride in searing heat today. Oh and a few gators along the way.

Now it’s Naples and a stint at the Village Pub. Hmm.

We survived Gator Alley, a fantastic 90 mile stretch of road that is a dream to ride on. Mrs Fogg could see the Gators basking in the small stream at the side of the road and as you can see from the pics, they ain’t toddlers and you don’t want to hang around.

Having a breather on the US 41 North

Did you eat my cousin?

25 foot long and just watching you

There’s nothing like being spontaneous. Today we decided to keep going a little more and headed to Florida City. So here we are, a day ahead of ourselves having a nice rest in a near empty pool.

Tomorrow is Gator Alley…..apparently tonnes of gators on either side of the road PLUS lots of Mosquitos.

My brave Mr Fogg , clearly having seen too many Bear Grillis documentaries is proposing to purchase duct tape so he could spring on top of an advancing gator, grab it’s mouth and tape it before it can eat me. I love this romantic gesture……or is he thinking to protect our nice shiny bike???

That’s how many miles we have driven since picking up the bike 7 days ago and considering we have only spent £33 on gas it’s not a bad way to travel.

A much shorter trip today from Key West to Marathon sat between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic,, with an equal length journey tomorrow before we embark on the trip across alligator alley (are we looking forward to that or not).

So a nice dip in the hotel pool and before that a chance to see some performing mammals.

Oh yes and there is also the two of us enjoying a heatwave at 27 degrees in thick Kevlar jeans with armour and full armour bike jackets, whilst everyone else rides in flip flops, shorts and t-shirts. Plus a final view of the original 7 mile bridge which was only 8 foot wide.

It’s been a nice visit over the last two nights but it’s our favourite part- moving on.

Was Key West worth the drive? Yes and no. On the one hand this is just another seaside resort full of tatty gift shops and plenty of bars, and patrons sampling them until the early hours. It’s a party town full of party people enjoying the usual Happy Hours. If you only see Duval Street and Mallory Square along with many others then I think you’ve missed the heart of Key West.

Wandering further afield into and around the old town opens up a charming southern town, much akin to Savannah or St Augustine further north. A delightful mix of wooden clapperboard houses with sheltered verandas squished together really show what this island once must have looked like. Apparently it was far smaller once so they built houses so close together that there was no room for front yards or back yards, just tiny little tree lined alleys between properties so that your neighbour could get to their front door too.

The island was enlarged a long time ago and more houses built. Hemingway lived here, his house is behind Duval Street. They did not get mains water until 1948 and only then because the US Army moved onto the island to stare at Cuba more, so they laid a pipe. Before that, the residents used to collect water on the roof during rainy season and store it, making it last until the following year.

So I think I’d come back some time…