Add bonus miles to reach 10,000 miles during the year

This morning we packed up at the pavilion before the sun came up. What an absolutely perfect place to camp last night. It was very easy to get up and pack your bags. And much more comfortable too, with access to a table and a place to sit. Pure luxury! Once packed, we set off again in the dark following the road. But it wouldn’t be dark for long.

I had some leftover chocolate milk that I bought at the gas station last night. So I had a sip to start the day and enjoyed a snack. Today we are going to walk on the road for almost the entire day. And the first gas station stop is just 8 miles away in the morning! It will be a truly spectacular day to start the day. Then we will be enjoying food and all kinds of luxuries throughout the day.

Time passed quickly as we walked along the quiet road. He would only get busier and busier as the morning progressed. I really enjoy those quieter hours in the morning and evening when you walk down the street. Before the endless chaos of traffic sounds and car horns invade your mind. Not to mention having to pay attention to ensure that no one swerves and hits you, whether by accident or on purpose. Road trips are always an interesting adventure.

Slide forward along the path.

We arrived early to the first stop of the day at the gas station. Then I went in and had some breakfast, coffee, and a couple of snacks. It was also great to be able to use the bathroom. And it’s never too early on a Florida trail hike to enjoy a slice of Hunt Brothers pizza. I think Hunt Brothers pizza could be the face of the Florida trail. Most gas stations sell those hot pizzas by the slice and they taste amazing when you make something like this. I drank a sugary coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts and enjoyed a slice of pepperoni pizza. Now that’s breakfast.

When we left that gas station we continued along the road. Generally heading towards Crestview. The next city we would be walking through. It was only 8 miles away and we also had a couple more gas stations in between. At one point we stopped to take a quick break on a bench next to a dog park. But other than that, we just kept it moving. It only took a couple more hours to reach the edge of the next city. The trail then took us through the adorable downtown in Crestview.

Crestview Downtown!

When we got to the city center we didn’t stop anywhere. Instead, we continued until we reached the busiest part of the city. That’s where we finally stopped to resupply. There was a Publix in town that is possibly the best grocery store in the world. I bought a foot long pub-sub with chicken tenders and honey mustard. That thing weighed a ton! Then I grabbed a few other replenishment things to help me through the day.

After taking all that, we both went to a UPS store next door. I have a bunch of random stuff but I was meaning to send it home. I currently carry 6 pairs of heated hands, which feels pretty excessive here in Florida. That’s just a testament to how cold and uncomfortable it was in Oregon. When I returned to New Mexico, I never wanted to be that cold again! So I stayed prepared. But now I don’t think I need them anymore. Plus, I got rid of a bunch of other stuff.

I forgot how much I love Pub-subs!

After mailing things out, I sat outside and enjoyed half of my sub. Those Publix subs are even better than I remembered. It was delicious and I was excited to eat the other half later. We stayed in town probably a little longer than we should have. We had a decent amount of things to do though. In the end I felt productive. And above all, we were still having a pretty good time. We simply hadn’t achieved the kind of 2:00 pm mileage that we had achieved recently. In comparison, we feel like we’re slacking, but that’s all relative.

Crossing a river on a bridge.

Once we finished everything in Crestview, we continued down the highway and out of town. Passing by some other businesses along the way. We stopped at one last gas station for some last minute drinks. I bought a Red Bull and a couple of latest items. Then we finally came back and walked the rest of the way out of town.

It’s been a really hot day, especially being open and exposed on the asphalt. I’ve been covering my face with my skin when it’s hot. At this point, I know I will never use sunscreen effectively and will otherwise get burned, even with an umbrella. The path reflects the sun towards you. So you can’t avoid its intensity. At least at this point in the day it was starting to get later. It was only a matter of time until it started to cool down.

It felt good to finally be back in the forest.

After that we continued along the road for a while longer. But eventually we would get back to some real trail and head into the woods. The timing couldn’t have been better. We were then able to enjoy a couple more hours walking along a gentle pine trail before the sun set. The next stretch of trail was really nice and the time flew by. My body felt great too. As time went on I began to realize where we were. Sometimes I really can’t remember what a section is like or what’s coming next. But as we walked I began to remember.

The trees along this section were so beautiful. I love the way they curved.

The next section had a small town just at the end of the road. When I was here in 2023, I turned to that city with Beer Run. We stopped at Waffle House and then walked down the road a bit to make our lives easier. Slide is nice to walk with because he is a planner. He is always checking the map and formulating a plan. Walking with someone who makes plans is simply a delight. And because of this, I usually don’t have to mention side quests or things like that to him. Before I can mention something like that, he already realized the same thing and will mention it. Which is exactly what happened today. He saw the small town at the end of the road and had already made his own fantastic plan.

Slide thought we could spend the night in that city. But it wouldn’t be enough mileage to meet the daily quota. So his idea was to continue north on the trail for a few miles this afternoon. Then just go back and get back on the road. Where we could then walk into town and spend the night. That would add the extra 6 miles we needed. And we could spend a comfortable night in town before returning to the trail tomorrow morning. I loved that idea. That’s exactly what I had in mind.

Following the orange flames.

Once we figured that out, I got really excited. The idea of ​​showering and sleeping in a bed sounded tempting. With the big miles we’re doing, it’s really nice to be able to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible. And we can’t really do that much. Even now we would probably be quite late in the city. Although in the end it was still worth it to be able to sleep in a bed.

Crossing a nice little pedestrian bridge.

It got dark just before we emerged onto the next road. From there we continued south along the trail for another kilometer. We then stopped once we reached the mileage needed to turn around and walk towards the road once again. The terrain was also nice and easy which helped. And while I was walking I talked to Sparkle on the phone, which helped me pass an hour or so. Then we just had to get to the road and walk a couple of miles to the small town nearby.

The sun begins to set between the pines.

I was exhausted when we hit the sidewalk again. And definitely eager for some food and a bed. When we finally got to Waffle House, McDonald’s, and the hotel, we decided to divide and conquer. Slide went to McDonald’s to buy food. I still had half a sandwich left over from before, so I just wanted a couple things from McDonald’s. Then I went next door and they checked us into a room.

Once I was in the room, I went through the standard checklist. I threw out the trash, plugged in the electronics, and went through my things. Then I got ready to shower and settle in for the night. It took a while for Slide to get back from McDonald’s. And after he did, we just watched something on TV and ate. Then he showered and prepared to crash. It was after 9 at night when we entered the room. So by the time we were ready to go to bed, it was already quite late. I was defeated and knew we would have to get up and leave early. Especially if we wanted to eat waffles in the morning before heading out of town. Today was another very successful 40 mile day!

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