I feel sadness and satisfaction, driving out of the Keys.  Certainly sadness that it’s time to leave and that we just couldn’t do everything there is to do here.  But plenty of satisfaction that we made it all the way here on schedule and we enjoyed a full day of fantastic sightseeing.

Today, the water is much more turquoise than it was on the way down.  It’s a spectacular splash of greens and blues.  And now without the high anticipation I felt Saturday of getting all the way south, it’s much easier to take in all the scenery on my ride north.   Right at Torch Key Channel, Terron and I both spotted a dolphin jumping in the water!

There’s a seaplane sightseeing overhead and though I noticed the birds on the way down, I seem to see more of them today.  They are so entertaining, the way they stick their necks out or stand so statuesque.  At one point, seeing roosters here, I am taken back to Kauai!

Out of the Keys, we’re back on the turnpike!  At our first gas stop, a woman in the ladies’ room asks me if I was down in Key West.  When I say yes, she let me know that they’ve been following us all the way up.

At our next gas stop a man walks up to us and eagerly asks, “Are you riding cross country?”  Yes, we explain our trip and he’s so excited, he starts asking all kinds of questions.  He let us know that he really, really, really wants to ride cross country.  He repeats that several times, but then says, “The wife just wouldn’t go for it!”  He said his wife can only tolerate about 90 minutes at a time, on the back of his bike.  I told him she needs her own bike!  Then she might like it.  Trust me, it’s not fun staring at the back of your husband’s helmet!  It’s why I ride my own bike now!

The sun is now setting on our ride for the day.  And what a beautiful sunset it is on this first day of summer!  The entire sky is a deep crimson, almost as if it’s on fire, back-lighting the trees.   Just then I smell rain!  I mean, it smells really good, so fresh.  I look around and don’t see any rain clouds at all.  But then about 2 minutes down the road, I feel a few drops.  Literally, just a few drops. A great ending to another full day of riding.