We are sitting in Miami waiting for our flight home at the end of the first leg of our journey… and what a lot we have seen!

So, our last week has been entirely in Florida.  We crossed from Georgia about ten days ago, and have driven the A1A coastal highway all the way down until Miami, which we reached on Saturday afternoon.

Florida has been full of contrasts.  To start with we were at North Beach and had three days in a larger, more commercial site which had two restaurants within walking distance.  Matt spoke about this last week – but St Augustine was lovely which was nearby and we started to get some nice sunny days. 

As you go south in the state the weather changes – Miami is really tropical and the affluence of the state is in marked contrast to other places we have been.  You really sense the Spanish influence and Miami in particular is completely cosmopolitan.  You do not even hear English on the streets – so like a hot and sweaty London!

We cycled to a nature reserve on Sunday which loved a warning notice… watch out for ticks, alligators, etc.  We saw an armadillo in the woods – and decided that a future trip or idea for anyone that likes sailing might be to do the intra-coastal inlet – this is the water that runs between the mainland of Florida and a lot of the inhabited islands where the A1A generally runs.  The road crosses water the whole time and is very beautiful.  Reg also went on his second ferry of the trip.

In North Beach there was lots of damage caused by Hurricane Matthew which was a theme that followed us down the coast.  Piers and walkways have been swept away and all the private boat houses seem to have been decimated.

After leaving North Beach we went to the state park at Blue Springs.  All the sites on the coast near to Orlando were fully booked so we had to detour inland for about an hour.  At this time of year, the ‘snowbirds’ – i.e. people from more northern states are holidaying in the south.  We have seen New Jersey, Ohio, New York plates and of course our Michigan one fits in well.

Blue Springs was quite a wildlife place. Originally a blue pool and river inlet, it had been operated as a tourist attraction by the original family for decades, but Florida took it over in 1972 and opened it to the public.  As a result it benefited from boardwalks and boat trips.  The big attraction on this waterway were manatees. These river dolphins breed in this area and it was rather lovely to see them early in the morning and at twilight.  We also saw some amazing birds. 

This was a great base from which we went to the Kennedy Space Centre last Monday.  We had to get up extra early so that Matt could have maximum time there.  It was rather like me at the Abba Museum in Stockholm.  I swear we bought up half the shop and read every plaque.  He may tell you more, but to be honest it was absolutely fascinating. 

A guide called Jeff started us off in the rocket garden where we were introduced to space travel courtesy of the ballistic missile programme pioneered by the military at Cape Canaveral – way before NASA was even created.  The rockets there were genuine spares and even one of them had been damaged by the hurricane – a bit had blown off and they don’t know where it has gone!

After that we went to see the shuttle Atlantis which is in an enormous hanger, although it is not a big as you would imagine. Very worn and close up it looks very homespun. Do you remember those pesky tiles that used to come off at the point of atmospheric re-entry.  Well the Atlantis was covered with fireproof blankets to keep the tiles on.  The surface was worn and burnt from all the times it went back and forth.  There was a moving section on Columbia and Challenger and you appreciated all over again what a success the shuttle programme was.  It took over twenty years to perfect and there were 135 missions.  There would be no space station or Hubble without it.

After that we then went to the best bit I think – which was the bus tour of the launch sites and to see the Apollo museum which has the vast Saturn V rocket on display.  This was  a spare that was never used – lying on its side. Huge!  The vehicle assembly building at the site, where the rockets and craft were prepared is the tallest one storey building in the world and the Stars and Stripes on the side alone is 21 stories long – each stripe being 8ft wide.

The Apollo museum was really good and all the presentations at Kennedy were accompanied with great films and interactive activities. 

There was not nearly enough time to do it all – so do go if you ever get the chance.  It was a weird cross between Disney and the Smithsonian.  There were some tacky rides and simulations, but in terms of making you appreciate the genius of mankind and the courage of everyone involved in space exploration – it more than achieved its purpose.  We were really tired but inspired.  Weird then that John Glenn then died 48 hours later.

Next day we had a hike through the Blue Springs park and had the most terrible thunderstorm.  This as it turns out was the beginning of some iffy weather – but we drove down the coast to our next stop which was the Sebastian Inlet park.

We had planned to be there for a couple of lazy days – right by the beach.  However, we arrived in the storm.  Pelicans galore, we walked that first night at dusk and saw some dolphins eating and also more osprey.  Very dramatic scenery and colours especially with the lightening, but a side effect was the worst bugs ever!  The Americans call them ‘no see ums’.  They are tinier than the screens in Reg so we ended up being holed up with the AC on that night. Quite simply I think if we have not contracted Zika – I will be amazed!  We have been bitten by everything, everywhere! 

Next day we tried again and decided that we would be hardy and just do a cycle trail no matter what.  In fact we both ended up with punctures from fishing hooks as I have never seen so many anglers in one place in all my life.  Either side of the inlet were piers and they were crowded morning noon and night – a bit like that bridge in Istanbul where everyone fishes from.

Walking our bikes back to the site was hot, sweaty work – but we manged to have a beer at a café and some shrimps just to make it all seem a bit better!

After Sebastian Inlet, we drove further south again to Del Ray beach.  We found a site that Reg could stay at for a month, so we got parked up and started to organise what we needed to do to get back home.

We hired a car on Friday and drove back to Palm Beach which is the most exclusive part of the Florida coast (I think so far).  This is where Trump has his resort which the A1A drives right past.  The money was oozing out of the place. We have seen more Jaguars, Bentleys and Rolls Royces in this last few days than even maybe Park Lane on a Saturday night.  The property, golf courses and hotels are stunning.  Some of the houses can be glimpsed through huge hedges with their own beach frontage and then access to the waterway at the back where they have their boats moored.

Driving was weird – so quiet, so fast, so easy!  We went to the Flagler museum in Palm Beach.  Henry Flagler was the partner of Rockefeller and founded Standard Oil with him.  He devoted his life to developing Florida – building hotels all down the coast and most crucially the rail road which eventually went all the way to the Florida Keys until it was swept away by a hurricane… but more of that when we get there.

Old Flagler was obviously quite a cool guy – and his own home – Whitehall in Palm Beach is now a museum.  We spent a  couple of hours there and it has been described as the Hurst Castle of the East Coast.  It was really interesting.

After that we went to Breakers – one of his hotels.  Completely and utterly luxurious.  We had a bite to eat and a drink, felt like paupers and realised that this is a very different America to what we have seen in Mississippi and Alabama!  It was St Tropez, Paris, London, New York all rolled into one. Great people watching – but we needed to get back to Reg.

This weekend we packed Reg up on Saturday. Matt washed him, despite it raining. Luckily after our three thousand miles he is in good shape. Matt thank goodness did not slip off the roof – or we would have Matt’s Mishaps part two.  We had to put the bikes inside, but packed our cases and set off in the car to Miami.

We arrived here to a beautiful hotel called One at South Beach and have had a wonderful time despite the most terrible weather. It has rained, blown a gale and been dark and stormy for 48 hours.  However, the sun came out today and we finally got to sit by the pool and walk by the beach. 

South Beach is great – so much Art Deco – we are looking forward to having a bit more time here when we come back in January.  We did some Christmas shopping in between the showers, but have loved the shower and the huge bed after Reg. 

So what a great couple of months it has been.   We keep asking each other about highlights and what we have learnt.  The natural beauty of the place is amazing – as is the hospitality and friendliness of the people.  We have loved the history and how well they present it. 

We have been very content with life on the road and Reg has been a dream and very comfortable.  We are quite chuffed that so far, we have got ourselves from A to B without killing each other.  Roll on 2017 and Merry Christmas.

A&M xx