Marco Island, Southwest Florida

After our initial surveilance drive around on Marco Island, we decided to take the bikes back today and get a closer look. It was a gorgeous day, with highs in the upper 70s. Marco Island is a beautiful place. It's on our favorites list now.

I finally got a chance to hitch the bike carrier, usually plugged into the short receiver in the back of the trailer, into the trailer hitch on the SUV. It works much better there; very stable and rigid. My plan was to use the bike carrier on the trailer during travel and then move it to the SUV when we reach our destination and want to go out and explore nearby cities and places of interest. Being on a bicycle gains you access to many areas where you couldn't normally go.

Based on our experiences today, this arrangement of the bike carrier on the SUV should work very well. I'm still not happy with the way the bike carrier works on the back of the trailer though; it sags too much. I've been taking weight off the hitch and relieving some of the sagging by tying the carrier up to the trailer's spare tire carrier. Not the perfect solution, but nothing has fallen off yet and I haven't pulled the spare off the back wall of the trailer yet either (thank God). Someday I'll have to take the rig to a local welder and get some structural support added to the arrangement.

Mo at one of the two public parks we found on Marco Island. This one is a marina/boat launching park with beautiful views of the water and canalside homes.

Hi Maureen!

I've got to get my kayak off the SUV's roof and into the water!

Mo on the beach at a public beach access point (We found two along Collier, but just try to find somewhere nearby to park!). After a two-slice lunch with raspberry ice teas at Joey's Pizza and Pasta House (now our favorite italian food spot), we attempted to nonchalantly bicycle into the very beautiful and, as it turned out, very private, for residents-only beach park on Collier Avenue. We didn't get past the guardbooth before being stopped and asked to leave. Jeez! We were just going to look around! These Marco Islanders do guard their privacy.

Looking south along the beach. The photo doesn't do the color of the pale aqua-marine water justice.

Looking north.

Beautiful...

Taking a break in front of the Marriott.

Taking a different kind of break; Gin and Tonics at a beachside hotel bar.

The view from the bar... And the end of a great day on Marco Island. Next time we want to buy a big pet basket for my bike so that we can bring Rocky.