Some Firsts and Some Seconds (Andre)

The Florida Trail

One of the goals or motivations driving this adventure was the desire to do new things, experience different places, to boldly go where …. as someone once said. And, we have been doing that, and much more, and much less, depending on the day, our feelings, and the circumstances.

So, some notable (at least to us) new things, and new things we’ve done more than once, along this journey:

Picking oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines from trees and eating them fresh (maybe not a big adventure from those who live near such trees!)

Swimming in natural springs – Rainbow Falls and Salt Springs (even though we have learned that the springs are connected in a way to the limestone and sinkhole issue down here)

Visiting Ocala National Forest – the southernmost national forest in the continental US. So nice, we got a campground for the night

Trail running on the Florida Trail (while listening to JJ Grey and Mofro’s Brighter Days, no less– this is a backpacking trail that runs the length of Florida, and the trail cut through a campground we stayed at

Visiting Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia – the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail – a trail we intend to thru-hike next year

Following the Conquistador Trail – back in the northeast, there is the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary War Route that traces the route traveled by George Washington, Rochambeau, and the French Army from Newport to Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. We always seemed to bump into signs and historical markers for that trail. Well, the Conquistador Trail is like that down here and traces de Soto’s route through Florida, in pursuit of “Gold, Glory, and God’

Visiting friends and relatives along the way – thanks Rose and Terry, Jimmy and Belinda, Nick and CMU Ultimate, and Marsha, Kathy, and Bo!

Seeing lots of the lands, flora and fauna of Florida even if we still are trying to figure out what is what!

Experiencing this crazy weather, 35 in the morning and upper 70s in the afternoon!

Oh yeah, living in a van!