Day Off Bike Ride

Remember how I said I was going to update the blog on my day off on Saturday, well, I went for a LONG ride, probably around 40 miles, and when I get home, I was done. I laid on the couch and didn't move a muscle until the next morning.

The thing is, it wasn't supposed to be a long ride. I just felt like going for a spin, getting some Cuban coffee along the way, and enjoying the nice weather. However, I got into South Miami and the Coral Gables neighborhood, and the beauty of the neighborhood took over and I just kept riding. Every single time I turned a corner, I was greeted by another gorgeous boulevard, house, park, etc.

Unfortunately, I didn't follow my first rule of traveling...always carry your camera. After my year in Argentina, I learned that it's always wise to have a camera present, because you never know what daily occurrence might be photo worthy.

Fortunately, I had my Palm Centro cellphone, which has a camera. It's not the best, but I took as many pictures as I could, and I hope you can somewhat get a jist of just how beautiful this last ride was.

Chris, my roommate Julie's boyfriend, and I are going to go for a ride in another scenery-laden neighborhood today or tomorrow. It's down South, of course, and this time I'll remember my camera.

Coral Gables Street

 I have a strong fascination with houses covered in foliage

My bike path 

 Along with my "houses in foliage" fascination, I also LOVE Mangrove trees

 I stopped at a Home Depot. Only in "Northern Cuba" would they sell domino tables at HD :)

 Classic 1970s concrete public housing project. Neighborhood didn't seem to sketchy though

13th St SW, called Coral Way

Concrete Barrier Wall protecting a neighborhood. Don't know too much about these yet 

House, foliage, need I say more? 

 Lots of gorgeous canopy-covered streets in Coral Gables

The Historic Biltmore Hotel from afar 

At the front door 

Those same barrier walls from before

Mangrove trees...again. I never get sick of seeing them.

This picture doesn't nearly do this house justice. Just amazing up close

Pictures: Flowers, Trees, Houses, Water

I've made it a habit to always carry my camera with my in my biking bag, because I always seem to come upon something deserving of a picture during my daily rides.

The other day I took a spin up to the northern suburbs, and, following my usual MO of getting happily lost in the neighborhood.

As I was biking around, I started snapping pictures of all the eye-catching sights and properties, and believe me, in Miami, there are many.

Spanish home

Palm tree/bush is someone's front yard

Every so often I come upon a house that reminds me of an old plantation mansion. You can always tell the ones that have been around forever, because they have HUGE lots, fenced in yards, and are surrounded by much smaller houses.

No lacking of bright colors in Miami, be it houses or flowers. Beats the beige, taupe and off-white of the Midwest.

I just loved this tree. It dwarfed the very large home next to it.

A little water inlet view

That same old big tree. Lookin' good

Cycling to Key Biscayne

Yesterday was a gorgeous day, perfect for a ride. Like I said in my previous post, I came here largely for the year-round riding conditions. Where else can you take a 26-mile ride in the middle of February? Below are a few of the pictures I snapped along the way.

The road sign leading to Key Biscayne. You can see the classic Miami colors of orange and seafoam green everywhere you look. I actually saw an art exhibit which was just a collage of pictures of signs featuring these two colors.

Crossing the Rickenbacker Causeway's longest spain is an experience. It's somewhere around a mile long. The first half is a disgusting, leg burning climb, but once you're a the top, it's a pretty intense coast to the bottom.

This is a good view looking back at the longest span of the Causeway. It's around 10 stories at the highest point. Must be so high for the big masts of sailboats, because cruise liners and container ships enter the Atlantic a different way.

This is just one of the many beaches that are along the Causeway. I happened to see a photo shoot while I was biking by this one. Can you ask for more?

Just your average Peacock hanging out at the beach. No zoom on the camera here. I was really as close as it appears.

Here's the story. This is Stiltsville. I thought they were oil dikes at first, but a fisherman on the pier filled me in on their story. Basically, they are stilted-houses, exactly one-mile from shore that were used to gambling back in the 1930s, when it was legal to gamble...one mile from shore. More houses were built and it became an area for socialites and the wealthy to hang out, have parties, etc. A good quote from Argosy magazine about the Bikini Club stilthouse, "Off Key Biscayne is a renegade village on stilts where weekend residents live by their own laws. Their town hall is a floating Bikini Club that swings both day and night."

It should be noted that they're currently owned by the state and are part of the Cape Florida State Park.

A lighthouse built in 1847 on the very tip of Key Biscayne. Lots of history here regarding the underground railroad and the early explorers. Many escaped slaves came to the tip of Florida and paid to sail on merchant sloops to the freedom in the Bahamas.

Can't ask for a better way to finish a day-long bike ride. The couple had no idea I was taking the picture. Could be a postcard.

Biking Excursion

One of the main reasons I moved here was for the year-round biking weather.

Why don't we compare my past Winter-riding scenery with my current riding scenery.

Past Minneapolis Winter scenery:

Current Miami Winter scenery:

This is where I'm about to bike to, Key Biscayne. It looks to be a good 10-15 mile ride, but well worth it. On a sidenote, my real roadbike comes tomorrow. I'm giddy with anticipation.

Patrick

The First Week

Sorry for the delay in posting. No worries though, I've got quite a few posts in the queue.

First, to give you a little rundown about my first week in Miami. It's been great!

Imagine leaving a city of dirty snow, cold weather, and an unrelenting wind, and arriving in a city with palm trees, a salty ocean breeze and temperatures around 75* every day. Yeah, it's great. I've spent my last few days biking around on my roommate's bike, going to the beach and tanning, eating Cuban sandwiches, and all around enjoying myself. Every day has been filled with new discoveries, be it fun little cafes, gorgeous neighborhoods, mildly scary neighborhoods, and everything in between.

I ordered a new road bike last week and it's supposed to arrive Wednesday. I'm stoked. Having a true road bike will make my urban exploration journeys even more fruitful. Speaking of fruit in a different sense, I'm excited to start nabbing fresh morsels during my bike rides. Today I saw what appeared to be a guava plant, and I'm sure there are plenty of vitamin C-rich oranges in the southern 'burbs of Miami, ripe for the picking. What better way to replenish myself on a long ride than eating as I go?!?

A Place to Call Home

It's official; I've found a place to live in Miami!

I just got word back from my future roommate, J, and she says we're good to go. I'll be living in Midtown Miami near 33rd and Biscayne Boulevard, two miles away from downtown and only a few more miles from South Beach. I guess the building has quite a few younger tenants, some of which are into biking, so maybe I'll find a road biking crew.

More details to come!

What's That In Your Hand?...A One-Way Ticket

Just purchased my ticket, one-way, from Chicago O'Hare to Fort Lauderdale, which is only a $20 cab from the warm sand and palm-lined streets of Miami. I'm glad to see that everything is falling into place. Working the last few days of my internship until Thursday, finishing up some projects and writing an "Intern's Guide" for the future interns to use. Then, Mom is coming to get me this Sunday and it's back to Chilton for a week to pack and clean out my old room. Come Super Bowl Sunday, I'll be hitching a ride to Chicago with Lindsay and Adrian and flying out February 7.

I'm crossing my fingers on a cool apartment I've found in Miami. It's located in a pretty nice neighborhood, the price is right, and my future roommate seems very legit. If/when it's official, I'll write you.

Patrick

ps- I've been scoping new road bikes and I've got my eye set on a beauty. Should I buy said bicycle, you better believe it will get a whole post devoted to its beauty.