Driving South to Stock Island in the Florida Keys

If anyone has checked a map, the question is: Why Stock Island and not Key West?  Stock Island is just north of the southern most Florida Key.  This is like driving to Alaska and not visiting Denali National Park. What's up with that???  You'll find out soon enough....

Eric & I leave Highlands
Hammock State 
Campground at 8:30 am.






Today's drive is 5.5 hours long, without any stops.

Our drive starts out on

US Route 27 South.

131 miles to Miami

A Fire Tower looks out

across Florida's prairie.

Gatorama isn't open yet.

Railroad tracks cross

the road in Clewiston.

Eric & I watch a fire burn
& we hope it's a controlled
situation.

A truck loaded with sod

passes our motorhome.

Eric fuels up at the
Pilot Travel Plaza
in Medley.











He's wearing the baseball cap we bought in Skagway, Alaska.

Southern Florida is where

ornamental plants & trees

are grown.

The Homestead-Miami
Speedway Water
Tower

Our drive continues south

on US Route 1.

Eric & I get our first glimpse
of the Atlantic Ocean, just
north of Florida's Keys.

Welcome to Key Largo.

Eric & I are now driving south on the roadway that links 43 of the 1,700 limestone islands that make up the Keys.  Many of the islands that make up this archipelago are too small for habitation.

Tavernier Creek Marina
is just one of the numerous
marinas we pass as we
drive south on the Keys.

Access to a fishing pier

just off of US Route 1.

One of the longer bridges
Eric & I drive across.

We are currently 12 feet

above Sea Level.

***Fun Fact:  The highest point on the Florida Keys is Windley Key at 18 feet above Sea Level.

The Turtle Hospital in

Marathon

The view of old Seven Mile

 Bridge from the current

bridge.

A section has been taken

out keep people off the 

northern end of the bridge.

This section of bridge reminds

 me of the one I love to take

photos in Harrisburg, PA.

Larger keys are more

heavily developed.

New construction on

Big Coppitt Key

Visit the Dry Tortugas
National Park is one of
the few billboards on
US Route 1 South in
the Keys.

Eric & I arrive at Boyd's 

Campground on Stock

 Island at 3:40 pm.

Boyd's is the closest non-military campground to Key West.  US Navy active duty service members and veterans can camp in a designated area at Key West Naval Station on southernmost Key.

It's time to settle in and enjoy Margaritas after our 6 plus hour drive day.