It’s been a year since we purchased Primrose, our 1982 VW Vanagon. Here’s a recap of where we’ve been and what we’ve seen.
Addison Blockhouse Historic State Park
Beneath a dense canopy of cabbage palms and live oaks, the remains of a 19th century plantation rise from the forest floor at Addison Blockhouse State Park.
Discovering Lake May Preserve
On our way to Doe Lake for New Years, I looked at Google Maps and saw the most efficient route was one we’d never taken before, using CR 44. As we rounded a curve, I noticed a trailhead for a trail we’d never heard of. Since it was only a half hour from home, we …
Edward Ball Nature Trail
At the University of West Florida, the Edward Ball Nature Trail offers an escape for quiet contemplation beneath the shade of old cypresses on a 1 mile loop.
Kicking off Hiker Season with Primrose
On January 5th, we loaded up Primrose and headed south, traveling parallel to the Florida Trail for much of the trip, starting out at Christmas. Driving south of Tosahatchee, we continued through the Deseret Ranch where we spotted our first two Florida Trail thru-hikers walking up the highway. Although they are not keeping online journals, …
Relocation of the Florida Trail near The 88 Store
According to trail maintainers in the area, the Florida Trail has been relocated in the vicinity of The 88 Store in the Ocala National Forest. The thru-trail now passes directly behind The 88 Store and within sight of FR 11 south of CR 316 for a short stretch, making it easier to access services at …
Still Life, with Cows
Walking the whole Florida Trail means miles on pavement where the trail follows roads. On this lonely dead-end road in Basinger, your companions are cows.
Summiting Lake Okeechobee’s High Point
In completing an end-to-end hike of the Florida Trail, I knew I’d need to fill a gap or two left behind at the Big O Hike. Despite having walked around Lake Okeechobee several times, I was missing a few miles. During the Big O Hike, the hike begins and ends at trailheads, and in all …
The 2014 Florida Trail thru-hiker Kickoff
When we started hearing a lot of buzz about friends and friends of friends headed to the Florida Trail this season, we figured that our new book The Florida Trail Guide and the talks we’d done at venues like ALDHA and Trail Dames had worked some magic. Sure enough, nearly a dozen people we knew …
Walking the Reservation
It’s been over 10 years since I walked into Billie Swamp Safari and backpacked out of the reservation to Lake Okeechobee. With the announcement that the route of the Florida Trail would shift back to the original roadwalk I missed doing back then, and our plans to meet up with thru-hikers beyond the swamps, I …