FLORIDA: The BEST roads of the sunshine state - Ozello trail + Casey Key all the way to MIAMI

Welcome to the final ride. Welcome to my final destination. Welcome to the Sunshine State. Travel with me through Florida and discover its most scenic roads. From the Osiello Trail to Clearwater and Casey Key. From Florida's west coast to Florida's east coast. My journey all the way to Miami. Good morning, guys. Time to leave scenic St. Mary's, time to leave Georgia, and time to head into the last state of this journey. Time to ride to Florida. St. Mary's River is the natural border between the state Georgia and Florida on the east coast. I've been riding for 10 minutes now and Interstate 95 crosses St. Mary's River here. So that means I am in Florida now. Welcome to the Sunshine State. So this might seem a bit weird after I just rode east for weeks now, but now I'm going west again because some of the best motorcycle roads of the whole state are supposed to be on the west coast of Florida. And that's why I'm turning west again now and going there now. Yeah, this is one of the downsides of the Yamaha that I've already talked about. I just, I don't know. I just got petrol and the closing thing here fell down and now I can't find it anymore. And I already asked two guys and nobody can find it. It's very strange. I mean, this is like the strangest thing ever. I tried to look everywhere. I put it here. It fell down. So I thought it's maybe somewhere stuck in here or stuck here, but it's nowhere. Guess what? I just found the little bugger. It's in here. Unbelievable. Oh, thanks God. This doesn't look really scenic yet, but here after the gas station, I turn right and then there should be the beginning of one of Florida's most scenic rides. So we will see. Today I'm driving the famous, I think it's called Ice Yellow Trail. I would have said Orsello Trail. And it's a little trail, a one-way road that stretches along here, the west coast of Florida. And it's supposed to be one of the most scenic motorcycle roads in Florida because it has some curves. From US 19, south of Crystal River, Route 494, or the so-called Orsello Trail, heads out towards the Gulf of Mexico. The road winds and twists for nine miles or 14 kilometers through St. Martin's Aquatic Wildlife Preserve. The 67 turns and spectacular marshland scenery make it the best motorcycle ride of the state Florida. But it also is a magnet for birders, fishermen, and adventurers of all kinds. This trail is pretty amazing. Somehow it's very different to what I normally imagine when thinking about Florida. And even though it's pretty famous, it kind of feels as well remote with all these islands and the endless marshlands that only so few people live here. Today, the Orsello community counts 600 residents. The town on the Orsello Trail was established just after Civil War. But until 1961, the only way to get out to these islands was by boat. The school was built on a small island in the middle of the river. This was only agreeable because it was said that a child who could not row a boat by the age of six years was beyond the hope of education anyways. Must visits on the trail today are the unpretentious Island Outpost Tiki Bar and Pax Old Port Cove that serves local seafood and features one of the few blue crab farms in the US. This trail is a one-way road, which means you have to return the same way you came in here. And I really think this is the end of the road now. The Orsello Trail ends at the Orsello Community Park. There's a small picnic ground that overlooks the border and it can get crowded with people trying their luck fishing. So it's pretty warm behind me. You can see the road and it's a one-way road. So I will drive out of here now again and then more or less follow the west coast of Florida a little bit and see where it brings me. Taking in the beauty of this trail one more time before hitting bigger roads again. It's afternoon already, so I will just follow the road south along the west coast of Florida a little bit more. I learned a very important lesson. When riding in Florida in springtime, be always prepared for some abrupt weather changes. You know what is the great thing about riding in Florida? It's so hot outside that you don't need to put on any rain gear if it starts to rain. And I'm just getting a bit wet now, which is actually pretty refreshing. And then I will just try again in the wind. I followed alternative Highway 19 that runs closer to the coast through many towns until I reached clear water. This bridge here is connecting the mainland to an island that I'm riding on now. And even though this area might be a bit too touristy for my taste, I think it is the most pretty that I could reach for today because the beaches are supposed to be very nice. Clearwater Beach includes a resort area and a residential area on the Gulf of Mexico. The beach is characterized by white sand and stretches for 2.5 miles or four kilometers along the Gulf and sits on a barrier island. Clearwater has a full marina and is linked on the south by a short bridge to another barrier island called Sand Key. Clearwater Beach has frequently been ranked one of the best beaches in the United States. In February, 2019, Clearwater Beach was named the best beach in the United States and sixth best in the world by TripAdvisor. This is my nice view today. As you can see, I am really in Florida now. It's all beautiful beaches and I am coming to the end of my trip. It's either one day today or maybe two days now from here. I will continue riding here along the West Coast and stay a little bit here on the ocean. And then I will be in Miami, my final destination of this trip. Good morning, everyone. I have a fun fact for you today. You see all these palm trees that pretty much line all these roads here in Florida. Most palm trees are in fact not native to Florida at all, even though they like the climate here. There are only a few species that are actually native and really from Florida. All others were brought here. Indeed, Florida has over 2,500 different species of palm trees and only 12 of them are native to the state. Today I might already ride all the way to Miami depending on how fast I go and how quick it goes. But first I have another destination that's called Casey Key, which is again supposed to be a fantastic road and beautiful ride. Following Interstate 275 South, I was about to reach Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a tall road for $1.50 connecting St. Petersburg to Terra Cella. The Sunshine Skyway that you see today opened in 1987 and is the second bridge of that name on the site. The four-lane bridge carries Interstate 275 and US Route 19. But the bridge has as well been a witness to rather sad happenings. At least 310 people have committed suicide by jumping from the bridge. In response to the high number of suicide attempts from the bridge, the state of Florida installed six crisis hotline phones along the center span and began 24-hour patrols. Let's go to Casey Key now. I only have to cross one bridge, then I'm again on an island. Next is a place called Casey Key. And some of the locals say it's the most beautiful ride, even in the United States. That's what the locals say. But actually many people say it's one of the most beautiful places in the whole of Florida. Oh no, that's the problem with islands and small roads. The bridges often have to open for boats that come by, so you have to wait until they close the bridge again and until you can cross. But at least I can skip the line. So now I'm getting on Casey Key and I'm very curious if it's really as pretty as people told me. The route over Casey Key takes you along the beach with amazing mansions and beautiful scenery. Casey Key is a tiny eight mile or 13 kilometers long barrier island between Venice and Sarasota and has only one road, a narrow twisting lane through a residential neighborhood of spectacular houses. There is no commercial part on Casey Key, which makes it quite a charming place to travel to. And while I was riding the road, I started to dream about what living here would be like with the surreal blue waters and white beaches right in front of your doorstep. So what I'm going to do now is called swimming for motorcyclists and actually not really swimming. So this is how it works. You go into the ocean with your water resistant boots. So you don't feel if it's cold or warm, but you have been in the ocean. Now I got some water in my boots. Getting closer to the end of Casey Key now, this ride was way too short and yes, it was pretty awesome. And I as well found it very relaxing because it was so peaceful and residential here. And this blue ocean, very beautiful and definitely worth a little detour if you're in the area. So I'm back on my least favorite road, the interstate. And I just decided to push it a little bit today. It's 192 miles now, or I think that's like 300 kilometers left to Miami. And I will just go the fastest way possible and cross over the state from the West Coast to the East Coast over the famous so-called Alligator Alley. Oh my God, look at this, 97 degrees Fahrenheit, which I think it's about 37 degrees Celsius. And it's very humid. The sky looks kind of gray, so I hope there will be another fresh rain shower soon so it cools down a little bit. It didn't take long until my wish became reality. Oh my God, I'm getting so close to my destination now. This feels absolutely weird and unreal. Only about 35 miles left. This is something special about the interstate here close to Miami. There are these express lanes that cost some extra money and then you can use them. And I'm not so sure if it's free for motorcyclists or if I would have to pay too, but no risk, no fun. That's it, that's Miami. It feels super weird to be in such a huge city again after having been riding on the countryside basically for weeks now. And as well that this trip is over now soon, it makes me super happy and at the same time, super sad, which is very strange. There is the saying that every end is a new beginning, but I don't think that this is true. I think that the journey just continues. It continues no matter if you smile or if you cry. It continues no matter if you fall or if you fly. There's nothing you can do to stop the world turning or to stop things happening, but you can always choose your next steps. So choose them wisely and keep all these precious memories in the only safe place in the world, in your heart. Let them lead you to your future path. Guys, that's it, that's the end of my trip. My tenary will rest here in Miami now for a while, but I will be back, I promise. You made it all the way through the USA with me. Congrats, it was an awesome ride. To support me, give this video a thumbs up, hit the bell button to subscribe, and leave a comment to tell me which part of this journey was your favorite. And yes, you heard right, the journey is never over. Next week, I will change my tenary for a Harley Davidson and ride from Miami to famous Key West. Yes, I just got to go on a Harley when visiting the USA.