I woke up with muscle aches and fatigue.  My body told me that I was approaching that fine line between building fitness and tearing it down. My mind said, “Too bad. This is Day 3.  Get over it!”

I took a moment to search for hotels and campsites in the Miami Beach area but was frustrated with the results.  So I decided to head out on the bike and plan where to stay on the fly.

My legs performed well but I was clearly exhausted.

As I approached Miami, I traveled along an extensive network of bike paths and bike lanes.  There was some sidewalk riding as well.

I did encounter a few obstacles.

The first picture shows a low clearance under a bridge.  I had to “strike the American flag” and walk the bike under the bridge while ducking. On the opposite side, I was confronted with steps. I’m an engineer but I cursed those who came up with this design in the middle of an otherwise pleasant bike path.

Also, I am not a big fan of riding on sidewalks but it often is necessary to stay safe.  Most sidewalks provided a reasonably smooth ride. But I encountered sidewalks with those elevated ridges created by tree roots.  To a cyclist, this feels like riding over a series of speed bumps. Every jolt adds to fatigue and hand numbness.

As I approached Miami proper, I passed through familiar neighborhoods such as Coconut Grove. During my Coast Guard career, my family and I spent a glorious 4-1/2 years in Miami.

I then connected to the bike paths that exist under Miami’s Metrorail system.  They’re clearly the best paths I’ve experienced to date (they’re wide and very smooth). Here’s a picture of some of Miami’s skyline from under the Metrorail:

When I stopped to take this picture, I again checked for hotels in Miami Beach. Most of the available places were hostels where I’d have to sleep in a multi-occupant barracks style room. I chose to keep that experience in my distant past so I booked a room at the Miami Hilton.

I enjoyed the challenge of biking through downtown Miami streets. It’s a vibrant city and traffic was congested and the sidewalks were packed with people going about their daily routine.  I encountered numerous delivery robots. As I approached to pass, the robots seemed confused by a bicyclist, often freezing in their path.  They’re simply hilarious!  I snapped this picture:

Congestion allowed me to zip past cars and get to my destination quicker than if I was driving.

When I arrived at the hotel, there were a few high priced cars lined up at the valet station.  I asked the valet if the hotel had a bike rack.  His answer was no.  So I leaned my bike up against a very nice feature wall outside the hotel entrance and walked into the hotel.  Hotel security asked me where I was going and I said that I was checking in.

At check in, the agent asked me if I had a car.  I said that I arrived on a high-priced bike that I needed to bring up to my room because they have no bike racks.  He gave me a confused answer that I liberally interpreted as an authorization. And he gave me a room on the 18th floor.

I went to the room (very nice) and returned to the hotel entrance to carry my panniers up.  I then went to retrieve my bike. Hotel security challenged me again and I told him that registration told me that I could bring my bike to my room.

As I walked my bike towards the elevators, another security agent challenged me. I gave him my room number and told him that I was authorized to bring the bike to my room.  I was polite but firm and he acknowledged my intent. I recognize that I stood out as an anomaly as compared to the other guests. I wasn’t frustrated but I did assert my rights as a paying customer.

My bike enjoyed a stunning view of the city:

Tally for the day: 35 miles