Two Wheel Touring South Florida Style

The first ride I call the ‘Lake Loop’ since it entails circumventing Lake Okeechobee. This ride will take 6 to 8 hours depending on how often you stop to enjoy the sights.
If you start the ride in West Palm Beach , take Southern Boulevard/80/98 west to route 880 which will be a left hand turn across a metal grate bridge a mile or so past the entrance to Lion Country Safari. 880 will take you through the sugar cane fields of western Palm Beach County. Keep your eyes open for gators sunning themselves on the banks of the canal next to the road. Depending on the time of year you may need to keep a watch for the ‘cane trucks hauling sugar cane to the mills. There is also a possibility of smoke if it is harvest time when they burn the underbrush from the fields.
Continue on 880 past ’6 Mile Bend’ and ‘DuDa Road’ (ya gotta love these names) until 880 ends at Main Street/80/441 in Belle Glade. Take a left (south) on S. Main St. and follow it until you see a right hand turn for route 715. Make the right on 715 and you are at the start of the ‘Lake Loop’. After a few miles you will pass the ‘Palm Beach County Glades Airport’ and you may see skydivers which is a popular sport from this airport. A bit further on and you will be able to get your first glimpse of the lake from ‘Duncan Paggett Park’ which will be on your left just past a gradual left hand sweeper. Park your bike and hike the short way up the dike to see the lake. most likely there will be folks fishing for ‘speck’ (infamous in this area). This park also has ‘facilities’ if needed.
When you leave the park continue north on 715 through the town of Pahokee. The ride into town is memorable for the Large ‘king’ Palms that line both sides of the road as you enter town.
Eventually 715 will intersect with 441 which hugs the western side of the Lake. As you leave Pahokee there is a marina on your left (just over the dike) that can be another view of the Lake. A bit further on you come to an intersection of 441 and route 98 at Canal Point.This is the turning point for a shorter (2-3 hour) ride. (Take 98 south back to route 80 east and on into West Palm)
Stay on 441 and you will enjoy one of the best lake views as you cross over the ’St Lucie Canal. As soon as you cross the bridge there will be a road on the left that leads back along the bridge to the canal and then up to the SAint Lucie Locks. The St. Lusie Canal is the main channel between lake Okeechobee and the Atlantic Ocean. Boats use the Canal to pass from the Atlantic across the lake and on to the Gulf coast.
From the Locks you will get an idea of how large the lake actually is and may also see a boat/yacht or two on the way to or from the Atlantic Ocean.
(More to Come)

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