Parrotheads In Margaritaville

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW
This late January, 2019 ride goes from South Miami, Florida to Key West and back. It is designed to accommodate those who wish to enjoy the warm Florida Keys during a cold winter. This time, we rented a van to tote your luggage, increased daily mileage a bit, and shortened the ride by two days. Enjoy some time in Miami, if you wish. Remember, the Florida Keys are perhaps the most casual places on the planet. No need to pack fancy clothing--you won't wear it. Formal attire in the Keys consists of shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops -- packing lightly is the way to go.

You will ride in light winds with moderate daytime temperature in the 70's. This ride features magnificent water vistas, beautiful state parks, and immersion in the "no problem" atmosphere that permeates the Florida Keys. And you get to ride in January!

Along the route, enjoy the Overseas Highway at bicycle speeds. You may decide to swim with the dolphins, visit an airport museum, grab a coffee at one of the many shops, snorkel or dive the islands, enjoy the seafood, or just hang out on one of the many beaches.

While in Key West, visit the southernmost point in the continental United States, travel to the Dry Tortugas, enjoy 24 hour night life on world-famous Duval St., join the nightly sunset celebration on Mallory Square, visit Harry Truman's Southern White House, quaff an adult beverage while channeling Jimmy Buffet at the original Margaritaville, take in a sunset sailing cruise, go fishing, or visit Hemingway's six toed cats. Those who enjoy shopping will find fertile ground and reasonably sized purchases can be accommodated in the vehicle.

RIDE RATING
This tour is rated 1C with the average distance at 53 miles and average elevation gain of 17 feet: 58, 51, 50 miles constitute the daily rides. The only incline you'll encounter is on a bridge. Navigation in the Keys is different than most places--keep the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other and you’re good to go. That said, we will provide cue sheets and GPS data. From the moment we leave Kendall until we reach Key West, you ride a dedicated bike lane or a separate bike path adjacent to the Overseas Highway. For 90% of the distance you may choose from either one. The only time you must ride on the road is a 10 mile segment around Key Largo and a few bridges, both of which have 8’ wide shoulders. There will be heavy traffic on US-1, but you’ll be on the bike path. Your ride director scouted this route last January, after the 2017 hurricane and the bike path is in good shape. This tour is totally appropriate for tandem cyclists.

WEATHER
It's the Florida Keys in January. No worries. Expect daytime highs in the 70s and lows in the 60s with occasional rain.

LOGISTICS
We will assemble and depart from Kendall Florida, just 16 miles from the Miami International Airport. Plan to arrive on January 19, 2018 and depart on January 27. Free parking is available at the hotel while on the tour. There is no hotel shuttle, but transportation from Miami Internatonal Airport to Kendall, Florida is available via Super Shuttle.

Enroute accommodations range from luxury resorts to a more modest old time Florida resort nestled comfortably on the Gulf of Mexico. We depart from Kendall and in three riding days, stay on Key Largo and Marathon before we reach Key West, where we spend two nights. Leaving Key West we reverse course back to Kendall.

COST & ADMINISTRATION
The cost for this tour is $1645. The first deposit will be $950, with the balance due one month prior to the ride. We have arranged rooms in four hotels. Participation numbers are based on that. It’s high season in the Keys. Cost also includes 2 group dinners, 6 breakfasts, luggage van, leader expenses, daily social hour, RWGPS links, and cue sheets.

SINGLES and SOLOS
We welcome singles and solos and will make every effort to match roommates. Ride cost assumes double occupancy. The solo supplement will cover the additional lodging cost--estimated not to exceed $950.  Feel free to write the ride leaders at: conchbac@gmail.com with questions or contact the Ride Director: "Click" the name at the top of this Ride Description. Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check.  They should be mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club,  PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

CANCELLATION POLICY
The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling participant can’t be replaced any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report is completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY
Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP

To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminaryacceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC fee and tour deposit by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.