2013 Florida Coast Tour

A 600+ mile tour on the Atlantic coast of Florida from its very tip at the Georgia border to its very tip in Key West.   See our planning map, which we followed almost exactly.

We took 12 days to complete this ride at a fairly leisurely pace.  Executing the ride in September has pros and cons.  On the pro side:  Traffic is light.  There are more vacancies than usual and hotel rates are reduced.  Linda and I especially like this time of year because great golf deals can be found. On the con side:  It’s hot.  And humid.  Neither of those factors bother Jack or me very much, but it can get to you after a while.

We averaged almost 60 miles per day for the first 9 riding days, then backed off to about 40 miles per day for the final 2 riding days, savouring our time on the keys. On the main Florida peninsula we generally had E or NE breezes that increased as the day progressed. These either weren’t a factor or helped. Once down in the keys, the winds changed to headwinds from the W, although I do not know if that is usual.  Rains a couple of days, once severely while riding – no surprise there.  Warm rain at least.

We camped 4 times, twice in the middle parts of the coast and twice on the keys. It is practically impossible to camp anywhere near the Miami area.  I was a little worried that my tent stakes (which are required for my tent model) would be an issue in packed sand, but that was unfounded all the places we stayed.  Camping gets a little pricy in the keys (~$40 per site per night) but that price is totally worth it in my book.

September 14, 2013 76.7 miles Fernandina Beach FL to Crescent Beach FL
September 15, 2013 51.7 miles Crescent Beach FL to Daytona Beach Shores FL
September 16, 2013 51.8 miles Daytona Beach Shores FL to Titusville FL
September 17, 2013 58.3 miles Titusville FL to Sebastian Inlet State Park FL
September 18, 2013 50.7 miles Sebastian Inlet State Park FL to Jensen Beach FL
September 19, 2013 0 miles Rest Day in Jensen Beach FL
September 20, 2013 58 miles Jensen Beach FL to Palm Beach FL
September 21, 2013 52.1 miles Palm Beach FL to Hollywood FL
September 22, 2013 61.2 miles Hollywood FL to Florida City FL
September 23, 2013 64.1 miles Florida City FL to Long Key State Park FL
September 24, 2013 37.7 miles Long Key State Park FL to Bahia Honda State Park FL
September 25, 2013 40.2 miles Bahia Honda State Park FL to Key West FL