Day 125 - February 3, 2013: Marathon exploration

Today began with a planning session looking at alternatives for moving up the Keys and approaching Miami. We do this kind of detailed planning every few days, and it involves looking at guide books for good marinas, anchorages, and things to do at various stops along the way. Plus, we seek out information from other boaters on the docks, cruising blogs, and local residents.

Since we have already explored the Upper and Lower Keys, it was time to take a more detailed look at the Middle Keys - that being the Marathon area. We started with a brunch at the Key Colony Inn, the first breakfast we have eaten out on the trip! We stopped at a Sea Turtle Hospital and Rehabilitation Center where volunteers help rehab turtles and return them to their natural habitat.

Then, we drove to see some of the various marinas on both the Florida Bay and ocean sides of Vaca Key. In Boot Key Harbor, we visited the Marathon City Marina where they have dozens of mooring balls and and the largest dinghy docks we have ever seen.

Boot Key mooring field

Marathon City Marina's large dinghy dock

In 1904, Standard Oil magnet Henry Flagler took an interest in the Florida Keys and decided to build a railroad from Miami to Key West. It took eight years and was a formidable effort through swamps and over miles of water and coral reefs. The result was a much more rapid development of the Keys for both residents and tourists.

We walked out on Flagler's original 7 1/2 mile railway bridge which crosses Moser Channel south of Marathon. This bridge was later abandoned in favor of a newer highway crossing. The railway down the entire Keys was eventually removed in 1938, and U.S. 1 was built on the roadbed.

Abandoned highway viaduct, now a walking path