"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in
its net of wonder forever."—Jacques Cousteau

Jan. 19 - Marathon, FL

Sombrero Resort and Marina

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." —Mother Teresa

We woke up to a beautiful clear cool morning...63º the coolest morning we've had since we arrived in Marathon. I like it best when we can have the windows and doors open with the breeze coming through the boat. We decided today would be a good day to ride our bikes over part of the old Seven Mile Bridge to Pigeon Key.

Pigeon Key is a small island off of Marathon that was used to house 400 workers while the Overseas Railroad from Miami to Key West was being built in the early 1900s. It was used again to house workers in the mid 1930s when the Overseas Highway was constructed (for a complete history of Pigeon Key click here). When the road was completed the island became a popular rest stop on the way through the Keys. When the new bridge was completed in 1982 this beautiful little island was abandoned until the Pigeon Key Foundation took it over. It's now a museum and the bridge makes a great place for people to walk or ride their bikes. Unfortunately the only way to get to the island itself and visit the museum is through a tour that leaves from Marathon. They no longer let people use the old off ramp; you have to come over on a ferry. We opted to ride our bike over the bridge and enjoy the view of the beautiful water. Who knows, maybe later in the trip we'll take the tour. We still have plenty of time left in Marathon.

The round trip to Pigeon Key and back, with a few detours, was over 12 miles. Not our longest bike trip we've done, but still a pretty good workout for the day. We treated ourselves to a beer at Dockside as a reward.

Looking towards Pigeon Key from the park in Marathon
Looking at Pigeon Key from the bridge
The old off ramp to the island
More views of the island 
Looking towards Marathon...the new bridge is on the right
Coming back into Marathon. The water really rushes through here. This is where we came under the bridge when we arrived a few weeks ago.
Aerial view of Pigeon Key and Seven Mile Bridge (photo from the Internet)

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