The Florida Trail - Segment 3

A Memorable Monday Moment
or "How to have fun during Spring Break"


Last year for Spring Break, Michelle went to Girls' Camp and the boys hiked Segment 2 of the Florida Trail. This year was a repeat, except they continued on to hike Segment 3. Because part of the trail went through the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, we took advantage of gaining some cultural education.When we arrived at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, it was suggested that we do the outdoor nature trail first, because rain was expected. When I asked, "How much?" the answer was "A lot." They were right. And we would have been able to complete the short trail, except there were too many signs to read along the way. Just as we reached the pavilion it started pouring down rain, and 15 minutes later it wasn't letting up, so we continued on our way, getting soaked. (This would be the Memorable Monday Moment.)At least we dried out eventually.And then it was time to set up camp and eat the best hamburger I've had in a long time. Thank you, Wayne! The next day the three of us hiked a 15-mile loop that started at the I-75 rest area, where Segment 2 ends. It was a beautiful day, and we were able to see turkeys, snakes, alligators, turtles, and lots of birds and butterflies. And we didn't even get our feet too wet!Here's a close-up of the alligator that was blocking our trail. It may not look it, but it was at least six feet long. We just didn't want to get too close!
We finally convinced it to creep away back into the brush by thunking on the ground with Wayne's hiking stick.
The next day I took them back to the rest area and they hiked the 20 miles into our camp, and the last day they started from camp and I picked them up 12 1/2 miles later at the L-3 Canal where Segment 4 starts. Most of the "trail" was walking along dusty, shade-less, roads, so every little cloud and bit of breeze was greatly appreciated. In spite of being out in the middle of nowhere, they counted 314 vehicles along their way. That sounds like a lot to me!

In the meantime, Princess was having a nice time hanging out with her friends and increasing her princess qualities and skills. Didn't you know that every princess needs to know how to shoot a rifle and ride a horse, create a new dress and decorate a cake? Ask her if she feels badly about missing the opportunity to log 50 miles on foot!

Comments