Dayglo Vision

The day started a bit drab.

Oh there was pedaling to be sure, but first resupply and post office chores …

… and cortadito & croqueta imbibements at Latin American,

and then onto the home field turf, of sorts—the Underline where I pedal dozens of time each year when visiting my mother in Miami. 

Then I sliced thru Brickell and onto downtown Miami. Where the venerated “Freedom Tower” is now dwarfed by 21st century behemoths. In this building thousands of Cuban immigrants were processed into the United States in the early 1960’s, including my entire family. A tiny Ellis Island near and dear to the Cuban community.

Also familiar was the route out to Miami Beach—the route of myriad training rides for me. The view downtown on a clear day, the colors may seem electric.

But I trained thru South Beach via Ocean Drive and up Collins Avenue, into Miami Beach proper, and I was expecting spring break madness. But my Adventure Cycling Association and Ride with GPS map routed me, mercifully, thru quiet Miami Beach neighborhoods like this one in Pine Tree Drive. Welcome respite from the din of traffic.

Even Collins Ave. approaching Bal Harbour was unusually quiet on this late Monday morning.

See, that’s me, your host scouting a shady picnic table at Haulover Park. 

And finding a spot with a friend attached to it:

An American White Ibis, or more familiarly known in the land of the U (the University of Miami): Sebastian the Ibis. This friendly ibis was looking for easy food pickings.

Further down the road the ocean looked like a demented crayola experiment gone silly. Incredible colors via the ideal atmospheric phenomena. Whatever, I’ll take it.

And I’ll take the third county in three days. Goodbye Dade County.

Gee, they sorta’ like their dayglo hues out here.

Hollywood Beach was “real beach riding” terrain, as the East Coast Greenway is routed right on their version of a boardwalk for a couple of miles.

After the light industrial feel of the approach between Fort Lauderdale Airport and the cruise ship terminals tonight’s endpoint is sighted. A relatively short day’s ride.

And a room with a view (of downtown FtL) with room for the bike.

Another slab of protein and veggies inhaled, only burned 1,559 calories on today’s ride, but it’s more than capacious for this meal, and then some.

Day 5

Start: Miami, FL
End: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Miles: 36.55

Soon I’ll be casting a long shadow.

Tomorrow: West Palm Beach.

What I’m Reading:

“White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them,” I said. “The only ones who suffer when they are made to feel inferior is us. Perhaps I should say ‘when they don’t feel superior…

— Percival Everett / James