Miami Beach or Bust!

My goal for the day was simple. Miami Beach or bust. And I really had no intention or interest in busting. Much like the past few days, the distance was modest – about 65 km (40 miles). Unlike the past few days, the route would be on paths and side roads that would keep me far from the reaches of any crazy Miami drivers, of which I’ve heard so much about.

Today began windy, warm, and dry and pretty much stayed like that all day. Very favourable conditions and I was packed up and on the road by 9:00. Given the short distance, I really didn’t need to be on the road that early but I was up, the weather was nice (including a tailwind) and the temperature was only going to rise during the day (it was was 25C/77F when I woke up), so leaving early seemed to make sense. My accommodations for the night would be with a friend, Robin, that I met on my first trip to Quest Air back in March. She wasn’t going to be home until around 3:00 so I was definitely going to be able to make today a very leisurely ride. That wasn’t a problem.

Most of my ride was spent on a path that ran alongside a busway. This made for ridiculously easy riding – well, except for the occasional sections of tree roots that had worked their way onto the trail. The wind at my back was also a pleasant surprise. And by 10:00 it was about 28C/84F. Yes, I was beginning to like Miami already!

I made a couple of stops along the way – Subway, Wendy’s. The former for breakfast, the latter for my daily Frosty. With time on my side, these were very leisurely rest stops.

Much like my arrival at Gros Morne National Park and St. John’s, Newfoundland, the closer I got to Miami, the more I found myself with a big smile on my face. It was starting to set in that I was getting very close to another successful phase of my journey.

I arrived at the Venetian Causeway around 2:00 and by 2:30, after a not-so-brief photo stop, I was gazing out at Miami Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It was a bit hard to believe. There was even an impromptu welcoming committee when I arrived. I was looking out at Miami Beach as three people came walking towards me. Noticing the bike, they asked where I was going and where I was from. When I told them that this was pretty much my destination and that I had just arrived they proceeded to congratulate me, shake my hand, and welcome me to Miami Beach. It was a brief, but fun encounter.

It had been nearly five months and over 9,000 km (5,600 miles) since I left Toronto and now I found myself in that similar position of having to figure out what to do next. Well, maybe not right away. I was still about five minutes away from Robin’s place so I figured I’d just focus on the moment.

I arrived at Robin’s without incident and, after a quick shower and change of clothes, we headed out for a walk along Miami Beach. Yes, I could get used to this. Actually, I think I already had! We stopped for a drink at a beach bar before continuing on to another restaurant for dinner. This worked out really well. The sun had just set and we were able to get seating at an outdoor table overlooking the channel where the cruise ships come and go. It was a beautiful place for a great dinner. I probably should’ve taken a photo.

After dinner we wandered around the area, stopped for drinks at a couple of other bars, and pretty much covered every topic of conversation you can think of. It was a great night and a fun end to my first day in Miami Beach.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 65.21 km
Time on bike: 3:30:06
Maximum speed: 31.65 km/h
Average speed: 18.62 km/h