2024 Tour Schedule (Archive)

* Male roommate wanted *

WHAT A CLASSIC RIDE!

From Key Largo to Key West – come experience the islands!

The Keys have a uniquely relaxed culture and mindset. Leave behind your ordinary life for a few days and come unwind in the sunshine and salty sea breeze. Our introduction to the Florida Keys is a glass bottom boat ride to America's only living coral reef at John Pennekamp State Park. We will bike right from their parking lot to start our tour of the Keys. On our 100-mile ride we will cross 42 bridges including the 7 mile bridge.

We will have the opportunity to feed the pelicans at the Wild Bird center, see Humphrey Bogart’s boat the “African Queen”, visit the Hurricane memorial erected in memory of the 1935 hurricane that destroyed Mr. Flagler’s railroad, visit the Dolphin Research center, picnic in Bahia Honda St. Park, visit the Turtle Hospital and even stop in at the No Name Pub for a cold beer on its own No Name Key.

Then we arrive in the unique city of Key West. Here we spend two days and you are on your own with the opportunity to visit the “Little White House”, Truman’s vacation home, the Hemingway House, sunset at Mallory Square (a must), or maybe a half day fishing or a snorkel trip or a day trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park. Whatever you do it will be a memorable time in the sun. Switch off your cell phone and don’t check your email; this change in latitude should definitely cause a change in attitude. This is 60% bike path and 40% road riding.

Tour Leaders: Jack Pettry & Maer Seibert

Included

• 6 overnight stays,
• 4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
• Area-knowledgeable and cycling expert tour guides
• Gratuities for included meals and accommodations
• In-ride drinks and snacks
• Van support
• Detailed maps and itineraries
• Admission to the John Pennekamp State Park (Key Largo)
• Tickets for the John Pennekamp Glassbottom boat tour 
• Admission to the Bahia Honda State park
• Admission to The Turtle Hospital tour (Marathon Key). 

Difficulty Level - Advanced

The riding on this tour is mostly level, with approximately 60% bike path and 40% road riding on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 1. Traffic noise on the road shoulder sections can be unnerving for some riders. There are 42 bridges and some of them are long. Most of them have a wide shoulder and some are separate bike bridges. The longest of all is the famous 7 Mile Bridge. Riders need to have good bike handling skills and be able to tolerate road riding for parts of this tour, or they can ride in our van for the sections that feature road riding, for example, the 7 Mile Bridge. Windy conditions are to be expected here. We categorize this tour as advanced due to the amount of road shoulder riding, particularly the bridges. 

Itinerary

Pricing

The cost of this trip is $3,250 or $3,300 per person (double occupancy) -- prices go up by the week in Key West!

• Single supplement fee is $925 or $975.
• 50% of the total is a required deposit due upon registration.
• The remainder is due 60 days prior to departure date. 
• You'll receive an email invoice for the balance due 90 days prior to departure date.

Trip Insurance and Cancellation Policy

Please review Senior Cycling's Cancellation Policy here.  

Please purchase Trip Insurance. Especially at our age, even though no one expects or wants it, health issues arise and accidents happen.  At Travelinsurance.com you can get quotes for coverage from several different providers and get all your questions answered about different levels of coverage, such as "Cancel For Any Reason (COFR)" polices and Pre-Existing Condition waivers. Allianz Travel Insurance and TravelGuard by AIG are also well-known companies with reasonable rates. Please check it out and protect your travel investment.

Your Travel Plans

This trip starts on Saturday, January 6th or 13th, 2024 and ends on Friday, January 12th or 19th. 

If you are flying, the Miami, Ft Lauderdale or Key West airports are the most common choices. Use shuttle or ride-share services to meet us at our opening hotel. 

If you are driving, meet us at our hotel on Saturday afternoon: The Holiday Inn Key Largo

Some or our guests have used Key West's airport for their arrival and/or return trip, so you may want to consider this option. Several major airlines, including American, Delta and United have service to Key West. Car rental is available as well. Our hotel staff can recommend shuttle services that run from the airports to our hotel.

Non-Standard Bikes

If you plan to bring your own bike and it is a non-standard bike such as a recumbent, tandem, or E-bike, you will need to discuss transport issues with me before you register for this trip. We may or may not be able to accommodate.  Email: ned@seniorcycling.com