Daughter does tri's and they start EARLY
if you were to exit a cruise in Miami, get a car and drive to Key West
by the time you get close they will be in final clean up stages I'd expect . . . the one's I've gone to are pretty much done deal around noon and if you do a leisurely drive from Miami to KW you're looking at 3 to 4 hours. Stop for lunch on the way and you'll never know there was a race 'cept for folks in town wearing their medals!
I tried to find a route map for the race .... if you have one I may be able to comment. I DOUBT they'd shut US-1 ... but lane reduction is a possibility.
Exactly, that's why I was asking the questions above.
Port Miami to Key West is about 167 miles. Depending on day of week and time of day, that could take 3 1/2 to more than 5 hours easily. Seth would be leaving early to mid-morning by the time he debarked, shuttled to the rental car place and actually got on the road.
And driving straight through to Key West would be almost a sacrilege! You would miss most of the flavor of the Keys. I've done it, but it's much more enjoyable taking your time, enjoying the beautiful views, having lunch, maybe even doing a half-day snorkeling trip on the way down. There are many cool "Conch" things to do, and there are definitely some must-do's. (Keys residents are called Conchs, and you can even buy a Conch Republic flag!)
The other thing that is critical is day and time of day for
the drive back. The return drive can be relaxing and easy, and it can be a nerve-wracking parking lot -- again, depending on
when you travel. Timing is absolutely critical in driving the Keys, especially on weekends.
