Miami - USA

The bridge on the route offered a great view of Downtown Miami, and a random 4x4!

Man it is so hot here!

I am informed that it can get quite cold in Miami, but on both occasions I have been in the city, I cannot see how. I am pretty sure I nearly melted one day.

The sheer humidity and heat combined has made it feel uncomfortably hotter than any other place I have been to. I was staying in Coral Gables, near the Key of Biscayne, so not in the very heart of Miami compared to say South Beach or Downtown.

From my hotel on Franklin Avenue, I headed east towards the Keys along Main highway and McFarlane road where I was met the the view below. The distance to here was approx 1.2km.

A beautiful view across the Key of Biscayne early one morning 

From here, I passed the City Hall and headed for the Key of Biscayne. The pavements in Miami are non-existant, instead on one side of the road there was a wide section of the road marked for pedestrians, effectively acting as a third lane with some interesting road kill on route!

My organised self had planned this journey the night before, so I knew where I was going (roughly). To reach the Rickenbacker Causeway (great name) bridge which connects the Key to the mainland and to cross it totalled 4.5miles from the City Hall.

Along the way, I passed through two parks which were full of people working out. The thing with Miami, much like California, is that image is everything. Where in Woodbridge I may pass 3 or 4 runners, in Miami on an hour run you could see 100, plus exercise classes taking place outdoors.

Where as Doha I was greeted with some strange looks in my vest and shorts, in Miami wearing the same gear made me feel like an overdressed frumpy aunt. Never have I seen so many people exercising wearing so little. It is like a Friday night movie on Channel Five!

This poor guy clearly had too much time in the sun

Some would say it is due to vanity, but for whatever the reason, it is great to see so many people enjoying the beautiful environment they live in, something which we in England do not do enough of.

Past the two parks, en route to the bridge is the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, currently ranked number one on Trip Advisors top sites in Miami. I did not run through the grounds but the views of it from the bridge were stunning.

At the bridge, the humidity becomes more bearable with the sea breeze in your face, however after a while the crazy head wind that whips through the Key soon becomes like running down a wind tunnel.

The views from the bridge make for some spectacular images of both the Key and Downtown Miami, it is just a shame that the causeway was so busy with traffic.

The loop home with the wind at my back was like something out of a dream! I was able to cruise the 5.7 miles back to the hotel, take in a beautiful ice bath before stepping back out into the sauna that is a typical Miami morning for a well deserved Dunkin' Donuts!

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Summary:

Start - Coconut Grove, Convention Centre, Coral Gables

Journey - North East towards Downtown Miami and the Key of Biscayne along South Bayshore Drive. 4.9 miles to reach Rickenbacker Causeway bridge into prevailing headwind. Return journey home with tail wind.

Finish - City Hall, adjacent to Convention Centre