Travel + Leisure Magazine and Yahoo!® Travel have just named U.S.1, the highway leading to and from the Florida Keys, as one of America’s Most Scenic Roads. Plan a vacation at one of the many budget-friendly timeshare rentals in the Keys, and check out this amazing stretch of scenic beauty.
The Florida Keys are actually a coral archipelago that starts just 15 miles south of Miami, with the southernmost tip only 90 miles from Cuba. Defining the Florida Straits, the Keys divide the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico.
Being in the subtropics, the climate of the Keys is closer to that of the Caribbean than mainland U.S. So instead of traveling all the way to the Caribbean, or even Hawaii, for lush tropical landscaping, turquoise waters, and stunning sunsets, you can take an easy – and spectacularly scenic – drive from Miami.
Known as The Overseas Highway, U.S. 1 is 127.5-miles long from start to finish, and is the only main highway through the Florida Keys. Although it opened in 1938, basically the entire roadway was rebuilt in the 1980s, employing advanced safety features of roadwork and bridge construction. The “18-Mile Stretch” is the segment from Florida City to Key Largo.
Except for part of the original Seven Mile Bridge (its access to Pigeon Key), the three original bridges (Seven Mile, Bahia Honda, and Long Key) are no longer open for vehicular traffic. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places they now serve as fishing piers.
The current Seven Mile Bridge (see photo), one of the most famous bridges in the world, finished construction in 1982. It connects Knight’s Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys, and is actually just shy of 7 miles at 6.79 miles long. On a Saturday in April the annual Seven Mile Bridge Run, with over 1500 participants, closes the bridge for 2 ½ hours. This “fun run” is held in commemoration of the rebuilding of the bridge. The photo shows the full span of the Seven Mile Bridge as seen from the east shore of Ohio Key. The arc over Moser Channel can be seen to the right and Knight’s Key can be seen to the extreme right.
Whether you stay in a Miami timeshare rental and take a day trip to the Florida Keys, or enjoy one of the many beautiful timeshare rentals available throughout the Keys, the drive up and down the Keys on U.S.1 will be one of the most amazing scenic excursions you and your family will ever experience.
(Photo Credit and explanation: wikepedia.com)