August 1 - Southernmost Corner of the US

Woohoo! Third corner down! Today I road to the Southernmost Corner of the US and also to the end of highway 1. Ever since I started riding, I longed to take a bike out on the keys. Today I got to experience riding through the air on all of those bridges with the bright blue water below me.

Yesterday after my book signing, I drove to Marathon, Florida via the Florida Turnpike South. Marathon is a city in the Florida Keys made up of 13 Islands and known for its beaches and barrier reef. I wanted to be close to the Southernmost point in the US by late last night so that I could reach that “corner” relatively early in the morning today before the heat became oppressive.

This morning as I headed west on highway 1 towards Key West, I felt like I was on a grand adventure, riding high in the sky out over the water and headed towards such a significant landmark. I was captivated by the sparkling light green and turquoise blue water, white sandy beaches, beautiful palm trees, and boats out on the water. It almost seemed like I was on a Caribbean vacation.

I turned left off highway 1 onto Whitehead Street and at the end of the street where it intersected South Street there was a large painted buoy with the words “Southernmost Point Continental US.” After taking my picture next to the buoy I decided to follow up on a tip from another biker, turn the bike around, and head back down Whitehead Street a few more blocks to the end of highway 1. After having ridden highway 1 as far north as Maine earlier this summer it seemed significant to me to reach the other end of it in Florida. What an adventure!