Florida Keys Scenic Drive
From the tip of Florida, the Overseas Highway runs along a chain of subtropical isles where the Atlantic meets the Gulf of Mexico, connected by over 40 bridges. It runs for 126 miles (203 km) through a brilliant tropical landscape of blue sea, reefs and lush vegetation. Mile Marker 126 is just below Florida City on the mainland, stating the countdown to Key West.
The highway crosses the southern edge of the famous Everglades to bustling Key Largo, the largest and northernmost key. It continues through Plantation Key before sweeping across Snake Creed and on to where a memorial at Mile 82 commemorates victims of a 1935 hurricane that was one of the most powerful ever recorded in the US.
For the final section, the road crosses a succession of small keys that almost seem to merge, before arriving at the end of the line – Key West, a quirky place that seems to owe more to Caribbean culture than American. It is truly eccentric and unlike anywhere else in the US, and this is one drive where both journey and destination more than come up to expectations. It is possible to do the return trip in a day, but with plenty of attractions to explore along the way most visitors prefer a leisurely drive that includes an overnight stop.
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