US Route One

Its a bit of Americana history. US Route One. It stretches from Key West Florida to the Canadian Border.

Originally called the Quebec-Miami international Highway in 1911 and renamed the Atlantic highway in 1915. It has  many names throughout the eastern seaboard: Post Road, Main Street, Boston Post Road, Lincoln highway, Federal Highway etc.

The historic Route One is 2,369 miles ( 3,813km), from Fort Kent Maine (at the Canadian Border ) to Key West, Florida.

The Overseas Highway, connecting the the tiny keys like a kite tail....
 

Much of Route One in Maine is a coastal highway that weaves through villages and town centres. It's often called Main Street in some towns. In Ogunquit it is Main Street.

We decided to re-visit our old friend, US Route One. We drove from our Fort Lauderdale home (US Route One bisects much of the city, called Federal Highway).  From there we went through Miami, and then the overseas highway gain (aka US Route One).

There are lots of little beaches along the Keys along US Route One.

 

Our Route One pilgrimage took us to some of the most beautiful vistas in the Keys: aquamarine sea with shimmering coral. Tropical birds, and numerous shell shacks, (too many to count); and seaside eateries with an abundance of mid century roadside America! -Gotta love it!

Route One in Ogunquit Village Centre

Our journey ended at the ceremonial start of Route One in Key West. Amongst the partiers, revelers, day trippers and other assorted travellers, I took my turn at mile marker 0 and had my obligatory picture taken!

This is where it starts....

As many people know, Key West is an Island to itself. The very end of Florida, but barely Florida. Out in the sea, but not quite foreign. A former haven for bootleggers, smugglers, pirates and other assorted shady characters, Key West has welcomed them all. One unique feature about Key West is that during the Civil War, the island was part of the union. While Florida was firmly planted in the south.  Most likely due to the fact that the island was a major port during that time, and navy base.  To me, that free spirit lives on this small Island that the Spanish call Cayo Hueso ( Bone Cay or island).