7 Mile Bridge



This was an unexpected very special bike ride.

You have to stop occasionally and just enjoy the view.



The old railroad rails were used for the railing.



You can only go two miles, I was hoping it was extended all the way to the channel where we passed leaving Florida Bay to the Atlantic.



This is the cut, Moser Channel,  through the old bridge.



A old wooden bridge leads down from the Old Seven Mile bridge to Pigeon Key that served as a camp for the men building the old bridge.



I love all the varieties of Palms.



They had a huge solar Array, and I was interested since we are in the process of adding solar panels to the boat.



Put a few of these on board and light it up!



Not enough space on the Aft Deck ;)

Yeah, Two miles of it!

Just as we started back after leaving the bridge we spotted lots of BIG Iguanas, this guy is at least 5' long.



We saw three of these with the same color markings, not sure why some are Green, some black and some this color?

Great views from Lazy Days restaurant and Bar, this is the biggest throw net I have seen yet!

Superb Happy Hour Menu at Lazy Days

This is the first 65' Macgregor I have seen in person, I think this one "Ace" won a Trans-Pacific  Race to Hawaii, very narrow beamed vessels, sorta strange looking.  



Beautiful but no green flash today...I think the weather systems that develop off Cuba must bring in these evening clouds?

The Old Seven Mile Bridge

We have ridden across the New 7 Mile Bridge several times on the bus to Key West and Big Pine Key and noticed all the walkers, fisherman, and bikers on the old closed 7 mile bridge. We had also heard from other cruisers that the bike ride down the bridge was really special. So on New Years day after the Polar Bear Splash we headed towards the bridge not knowing what we would find. It is about 2 miles to the bridge so we made a stop at West Marine along the way and took our time getting there. The Old railroad bridge was converted to two way car traffic in the 30's and now is supported by a non-profit "Friends of the 7 Mile Bridge to keep it open for foot and bicycle traffic. We understand why. There was a gentle 10 mph breeze at our backs as we pedaled along this awesome stretch. The Peds had the best view as they could just stop and peer over the railings to see the sea-life passing underneath, so we stopped several times along the way check it out. The navigable bridge ends at the 2 mile mark, I was hoping that we could have made it another mile where Moser Channel passes through but later was happy that we did not make it any further. At the end is a old wooden bridge that takes you down to Pigeon Key that at one time was a camp for those constructing the 7 mile railway bridge. There are a few old buildings, a Goose that comes out and greets you, and a really cool Solar Array that I guess powers everything on the small Key. I was interested in checking out the solar power since we are in the process of adding solar to Wand'rin Star.
The trip back was a bit different, that 10 mile gentle breeze turned into a bit of a challenge as we headed right into it. I thought the Admiral might stop along the way to rest but I think she didn't want to loose the momentum she had built up so we peddled on! At the exit of the bridge was a table set up to buy Old 7 mile t shirts  stickers etc to support the non-profit keeping the bridge open, so we are now sporting the sticker on the Little Truck that Can.
Just as we were leaving the bridge we spotted several large Iguanas in the Mangroves along the waters edge. I am piling up the Iguana stories and they are funny but I will leave them for another post. They are curious reptiles and now that I have heard the stories of the locals domesticating these creatures I find them even more interesting. The Admiral deserved a nice meal out for markings this trip and I deserved a great beer with a nice view so we biked the short distance to Marathon Marina where the Lazy Days Restaurant and bar is located http://lazydayssouth.com/restaurantinfo.htm .Another fine spot re-create. the best Happy Hour Menu Yet! and The best View of all the Marathon Spots IMHO.
After our Happy hour we walked the Marathon Marina docks and with slip rates at $1000+ per month for a 40' vessel, you find some very well kept craft here. (But it beats the $3000 per month in Key West). We walked out to the end where I could try for another Green Flash Photo and there was a Macgregor 65' named "Ace". Not sure if this is the same boat but I think there was a Macgregor 65 with the same name that won a TransPacific Race a few years back turning some heads. Seems that it is an awesome downwind boat I guess?