Back from a great trip to the Keys =
from St.
Pete.
Glad to say =
that my 87
Westie (138000 odometer) ran flawlessly for the 820mile round =
trip, and
burned about 1/4 qt of oil. Calculated mileage 18gph.
We took the scenic route from St. Pete, and =
minimized our time
on the Interstate.
-I75 south out of St. Pete, over the Skyway
Bridge
-Jumped off of the Interstate just north of Ft. =
Myers and
headed east on Rt. 82 into
Immokalee. South on Rt. 29, through the heart =
of the
Everglades, passing back over I75 and continuing south =
to
the old Tamiami Trail (Rt.. 41) just north of =
Everglades
City. This old road used to be the only way across the Glades, and =
there
is much more to look at and do along this road. =
-My traveling friend had never been down there =
before, so we
stopped at an Indian reservation and took a quick airboat
tour.
Touristy, yes....but a great way to see the glades =
for the
first time.
-Westward on 41 to Krome Ave, just before =
running into
Miami (still in the glades)
-South on Krome through Homestead and Florida City =
(gateway to
the Keys). Going through Homestead, the effects of Hurricane =
Andrew
are still noticeable.
-Camped at the Southern Comfort Campsite in Florida =
City
(25.00 and so-so quality). It was getting dark and a drive down the Keys =
at
night is a waste.
-Fired back up at dawn and headed south on US1 down =
the
end of the road. Travelling the Keys has improved greatly since =
the
completion of many new bridges in the early 80's.
-Made it to Stock Island (just before Key West) in =
3.5 hours
and hopped on a 38ft trawler and headed out back for 3 wonderfully =
secluded days
in paradise.
-The trip home was equally uneventful....nothing
broke!
-should have photos up on my website in a couple of
weeks
Regards to all
Dane Tessler
87 =
Westfalia