Homestead - Long Key State Park (via Card Sound Road)

Sunday February 8, 2015, 77 miles (124 km) - Total so far: 500 miles (805 km)

One of my longest riding days. My tires were again soft this a.m. and this worried me. I pumped them both up to capacity before taking off for Card Sound Road. The ACA maps have riders taking Hwy 1. Card Sound probably has less traffic, less Winnebagos blowing down your neck. I thought it was fine, desolate even. Eventually after getting to the Keys it meets 1.
I had to pump up my rear tire again and again. I knew I'd better change it out, but hated the idea of doing it by the road by myself--so I kept pumping it. A bit south of Key Largo I stopped at Adventure Travel Bicycles and a guy helped change out the inner tube. He found the tiniest metal sliver. He only charged me $5, using my own inner tube.

In Islamorada I took a short break and decided to call Long Key and they had 1 available primitive camping site. I jumped on my bike and got there by 4 p.m. along the way I had to skirt iguanas on the path. Truly pre-historic looking creatures.

Primitive only cost me $8.16 and it was like having my own tiki. It was built on stilts up on a mangrove swamp. Downside: lots of little no-see um bugs. I put the rain fly on for privacy, but I didn't need to, the shelter protected me from rain.

Only 67 miles to go to Key West.