You have visited Miami and have done the beaches and the night life scene. Now what to do on the second day of your visit?
Or you live in Miami and are wondering what to do with the Sunday afternoon. What to do?
Take a bicycle ride. It's the best way to see the sights and get some exercise, too.
To quote Ben Candidi, the hero of my five novels, "I'd like to shake the hand of the man who invented the bicycle. You move efficiently under your own power, as free as the wind in your face, at a speed that won't kill you or anyone else. The scenery moves by slowly enough for you to enjoy it."
We present two routes starting at Coconut Grove. As you know, Coconut Grove is Miami's answer to New York's Greenwich Village, New Orleans' Latin Quarter and maybe even Key West.
Go to Rand McNally, select "get a map," enter "Coconut Grove", FL, 33133 and pull down a map of the Coconut Grove section of Miami.
TO MAXIMIZE THE EXPERIENCE, TAKE THE FOLLOWING:
Comfortable clothes: Shorts and T-shirt, slip-on canvas shoes
Hat and sunscreen
A swimming suit, towel and goggles
Walking-around cash but no valuables or credit cards
We'll start at the heart of the Grove - the crossroads of Grand Avenue, McFarlane and Main Highway. Two blocks west on Main Highway you can rent a bicycle at Revolution Bicycle Services (3444 Main Highway #16, 305-443-5229, 11AM-9PM every day). They can fix you up with a comfortable mountain bike plus helmet and lock for $6/hr or $25/day. If you are planning to start the trip from Key Biscayne, you may want to try Mangrove Cycles, tel. 305-361-5555.
(For those bringing their own bikes on a car rack, the trip descriptions suggest alternate parking places since the commercial section of the Grove can be quite crowded.)
