Encore Fiesta Key RV Park was well worth the visit. The park is clean, has easy access, friendly staff, and you could literally spend a week there without needing to leave if you stocked up on groceries. They offer kayak rentals, a pool, a tiki bar, a restaurant, and a marina with plenty of charter opportunities or options if you have your own boat.

The Bike Ride To Key West

Excitedly, we started the 70-mile ride down relatively early. We wanted to stop at the Florida Key Aquarium Encounters on the way down, as well as find a “cool” place to eat lunch to break up the ride a little, so we didn’t waste any time pulling out.

I’ll sum up the entire route here in terms of the path, trails, roads, etc. There were some tight areas along the highway, but there was normally plenty of room on the bridges themselves if not a dedicated path. At times, the sidewalks ended, or the walking path was closed, forcing you into traffic at narrow choke points. This could be a little frustrating, but just stopping and waiting for an opening would allow you to get repositioned and go again safely.

Do watch out, as some of the walking paths, like the one at the 7-mile bridge.  They seem like a great option only to end after 2 miles, forcing you to backtrack. This isn’t a big deal unless you’ve already ridden a good number of miles.

The Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters was fine. It would have been much more entertaining for children, but it provided the respite we were looking for, as well as some cool picture opportunities.

For lunch, we ate at La Isla Taco Grill. It’s off the main highway a few hundred yards. They cook in a food trailer but have a nice tiki bar where you can sit and eat. The food had good flavor, but there are much better atmospheres and views if that’s what you’re looking for.

In total, the trip took about 9 hours. We stopped a lot for photos, water, and to stay fueled with nutrition as we knew we had a long way back the next day and wanted to ward off any potential issues from overdoing it.

The Cabana Inn

The Cabana Inn in Key West is where we choose to make our reservations. It’s an adults-only hotel and I’m not sure what goes on at other times, but there was nothing concerning about our stay. The place was gorgeous. Happy Hour had complementary wine, and the pool and hot tub were open late. The room we had was huge.

The Cabana Inn appeared to be crafted from 3 or 4 houses on a corner block. The yard shared between the houses is the common area where the bar, pools, etc., are located. The entire thing is blocked by a fence, so you are not bothered by the noise, but you’re downtown. Literally, anything you want is within walking distance of the place.

For dinner, we went to Blue Haven. It was okay, but I had better grouper in Darien, GA. The atmosphere was cool with outdoor seating.

Unexpected Costs

The next morning, we had a complimentary breakfast with their local chicken friends. It may not be the most sanitary thing in the world, but chickens run around like pigeons do in other places. They are numerous in Key West and have a bit of a history to them. Friendly enough, maybe a little too much at times, they stroll through any open-air areas like they own the place. We felt right at home!

Here is where the entire trip goes haywire, though. After breakfast, we set off to ride back. Remember those choke points I mentioned earlier? As we crossed a bridge and left the highway to get back onto the sidewalk at one of these points, I caught a piece of cable in my chain, and it broke the derailleur on my bike. I ended up needing a new derailleur, chain, and cables, so it was obvious to both of us that we were stuck about 60 miles from the RV. This was something we hadn’t planned on.

I use Uber when I travel; it’s convenient, and I can see the driver’s information and location. So, I opened the app, and to my surprise, there was a driver just 2 minutes away from us. Fortunately for us, he had an SUV and was happy to allow us to load our bikes since the alternative would have been for one of us to stay while the other went to get the RV.

That unexpected turn of events cost us a couple of hundred dollars, but it was not the thing responsible for blowing the budget.

Renting A Jeep

Our plans had excluded the need for a vehicle as we would use the bikes to get around. The problem with that was we hadn’t planned on one of them getting damaged to the point where we couldn’t ride it. Thinking we would rent a small car like a fully electric one to try out, we looked online. Tracye found a place that rented Jeeps, and they had one with the top and doors removed, which she wanted to try.

Key West Adventures was the place. Nice people, reasonable prices, and they came to pick us up, so we saved a bit of money on another Uber ride (actually, Tracye was even considering riding her bike the 30 miles or so to pick it up if needed). It still didn’t completely break the budget, as the entire trip was still less expensive than the cruise we had originally planned.

The Trip Home

The next day or so we spent cruising up and down the Keys in the Jeep. We visited the Turtle Hospital (a must-go if you’re into marine life, especially turtles), went on a sunset cruise with Key West Sunset Cruises (great time, live music, drinks, and an awesome view), and dined at Alonzo’s Oyster Bar (the food was good, the atmosphere was okay as it is along the very busy marina walk, and the price point wasn’t too high either). We stopped at many of the state parks to check them out (if you do this, be ready to pay an entry fee at each park) and spent some time on a couple of beaches.

I should have known something was up when we started home when Tracye asked if I would drive the first leg of the trip back. “You realize I’ll be driving through Miami, right?” She usually wants to drive in more congested areas as it is more comfortable for her to be in the driver’s seat rather than trying to navigate from the passenger side.

As I am driving, she is surfing on her phone for a few hours. At some point, she makes a call and says she is calling about a Jeep they have on the lot and wants to see it tomorrow. She hangs up and says, “I found one just like it, and I have an appointment tomorrow at 10:00 am to check it out.”

That’s what blew the budget. We ended up paying for the repairs to the bike, and she bought a Jeep. So much for saving a few bucks and controlling impulses, but we accomplished several new experiences in the “50 over 50” challenge!

Completed:

Visit Keys

Ride over 75 miles in one day

Eat breakfast with chickens

Pay Uber over $300 for one ride

Survive Miami traffic driving an RV

Own a Jeep Wrangler

And that concludes our eventful trip to the Florida Keys for my 50th birthday celebration. Despite the unexpected twists and turns, we had an incredible time exploring the beautiful Keys, enjoying delicious food, encountering marine life, and creating lasting memories. It was an adventure that reminded us to embrace spontaneity and savor every moment.

Learn more about Key West Bight Marina at marinafacts.com