The day started with some cloud cover. I drove with nothing on my mind but reaching the third corner, the southern most point in the continental U.S., on the island of Key West. From Clewiston I cut through part of the Everglades, which was a little disappointing. I don't know what I was expecting, but I saw lots of sawgrass and dead trees that reminded me of skeletons, because they were similar in color. Skeleton tree scarecrows. I stopped for lunch in Homestead, the last city before I'd be on US 1 south, driving through the Florida Keys on the overseas highway. As I excitedly got on US 1 south, I got hit with a small sprinkling of rain, but not enough to make me stop and put my rain gear on. It's quite a stunning drive, with the clear blue water just feet from you on either side in certain spots. The drive down can be a bit frustrating, as it is a one lane road for a lot of the drive, and if you get stuck behind a slow driver, well, you drive slow. As I crossed the Seven Mile Bridge, the scene from True Lies played in my head. To the right of is the old bridge that was used in the movie, and there are a couple of holes in the old bridge that were blown up.
Fortunately, the weather held out, and I was feeling pure joy ridin' the Keys! I could picture a map and all the roads I'd driven, and the conditions I'd endured along those roads. The distance from Seattle to Key West alone would have been a long drive! I was glad I'd toughed it out through all the rough weather that now felt like an eternity ago. Everything was worth it in this moment. I got to my hotel, where my exhaustion got the better of my excitement and took a nap. Around 7, as the sun was beginning to call it a day, I hopped on my bike and finished off the drive to the southern most point in the continental US. It's a landmark I'd seen on TV and in pictures, and dreamed of seeing in the "flesh". I rode here. On my motorcycle, with mountains, desert, swamp, canyons, valleys, cities, rain, hail, wind, heat, and cold behind me. The landmark says that it's 150 miles from Miami, and 90 miles from Cuba. I'd ridden over 10,000 miles to get here. Three out of four corners complete! With a beaming smile, I took cruise down Duval Street, and around the island, as the sun set on the day I reached the third corner. I got back to my room and truly felt a sense of accomplishment.
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