Exploring the World with Pokémon Go: Seminole Wekiva Trail 10
After little wait, I went back to exploring Seminole Wekiva Trail 10. According to maps this was the beginning of the final segment.
After my last adventure, ended right at a major bend, Seminole Wekiva Trail 10 turns away from its north and south alignment and heads east west. After being near business headquarters and open fields for so long, it was nice to be back in forest again.
According to the signs I passed, there were many little parks and overlook spots along this section of the trail. A good sign for multiple scenic areas. Also there must have been a railroad running near here. I saw a few other signs talking about that at an earlier segment of the trail.
Mile Marker 13.5 didn’t have anything new near it. But according to those earlier mentioned signs, that would be changing soon.
There was a lot more to see at the next segment of Seminole Wekiva Trail 10. From broken fences to odd tree formations, quite a bit caught me eye. I was happy for all the shade. It was hot out while I walked down the trail. Once more I set out later in the day than originally planned.
Unlike earlier areas, the land just off to the side was no longer grass and fields. On one side, I had a little buffer zone next to a road. Probably to protect both trail users and cars on the nearby road from interacting in a fatal way. On the other side, things were much more interesting. Large homes alternated with marsh land. I wonder if the greenery and nearness to nature ups the land value?
Mile Marker 13.75 heralded new things ahead. I saw some fantastic sights as I continued on.
The next part of Seminole Wekiva Trail 10 was more from before. The alternating houses and marshland continued to amuse me. I know I live in Florida. Before that I lived in Illinois so its hypocritical for me to say I wouldn’t want to live in a swamp. But there is a difference between living near a swamp and living in a swamp. I can’t imagine how horrible dealing with bugs is for those living around here.
I looked at the sky frequently at this point in my adventure I continually worried about rain. A common fear for anyone in Florida. But I was far down the trail and would have to continue soaked if the heavens opened up.
The road moved away from the trail on the south side and once again, I spotted a couple fields that quickly took its place. I think that might have been private property so I didn’t try walking onto it at any point on this excursion.
Around mile marker 14.0 I saw a few downed trees. I think they were chopped down by people and not by the weather. My theory was confirmed later as I saw more of them. I’ll elaborate on that further in a bit.
While I saw a couple fences earlier on Cross Seminole Trail 10, they became a much more common occurrence here. Of course the greenery and marshes also continued their odd alternating pattern with the homes.
Some of the trees stood out at this part of the trail. I don’t know much about trees. I’ll admit that I can’t look at them and tell you the species. But I still enjoy them. And you get to see pictures of them.
Mile Marker 14.25 sat at a part of the trail where the trees arced overhead creating almost a branch like canopy. Though I felt perfectly safe at this spot, I always remember that scene in Lord of the Rings where the Ringwraith showed up and made the trees bend towards the middle like a tunnel. That’s enough movie imagery for now.
The fences were out in full force as I continued down Seminole Wekiva Trail 10. And it was clear that some of the wood used in making them was from nearby trees. Well, if those trees are replaced its not that big of a deal. A shame that growing trees is not made easier.
Some of the fences deserved their own pictures. Shout out to whoever made the gate in the above picture. I sat and looked at the design for a bit. They even managed to make the private property signs look like they were part of the fence. Rather than just tacked out to prevent nobodies like me that were using the trail to try and act stupid.
There was another surprise waiting for me around Mile Marker 14.5. Once more I saw murals painted into the fence. This time they were all consistently comic book related. Still, its nice that every single time I am done with the fence art, more of it appears.
The cloudy skies and threat of rain vanished as I approached Mile Marker 14.75 on Seminole Wekiva Trail 10. A good thing too since this section of the trail had far less tree cover. The sun was shining as bright. Luckily the cloud cover had cooled the area down some.
The trail kept a mostly straight path west at this point. It moved a little this way or that, but its destination was clear now. I was moving through the final segments of Seminole and moving towards Wekiva Springs where this trail ultimately end.
The next section of Seminole Wekiva Trail 10 had a bit more to offer than the prior sections. While the swamps and home areas continued to alternate, this part of the trail was the first time I could actually step out onto a dock and look out at the water.
If not for the bugs, I might have stayed out there for a bit and just enjoyed the quiet. But mosquitos swarmed around me and reminded me that I was invading their home. A group of gnats buzzed through the air and annoyed me for a bit before I left them alone.
Originally my plan had been to stop at this section of the trail and continue on in my next blog post. There is a soccer field here. But I learned that despite being a park, one requires registration to make use of the facilities, parking included. As a result, I was forced to park at the next stopping point. I ended up condensing what would have been two blog posts.
After crossing a couple more side streets, I reached Mile Marker 15.25. I have come a long way. I didn’t realize that the trail was this long when I first set out. But I’m glad I chose to take this adventure.
At long last the swamp land disappeared entirely at this segment of Seminole Wekiva Trail 10. It was replaced by gated communities and fancy looking houses. I know I mentioned this earlier, but I’m certain the land value here must be high.
As for the trail itself, the shade returned with trees blocking the sky a bit more than before. You might think that some segments of the trail look identical. And for those of you like me who don’t know all the different species of tree, you would seem credible. Look carefully at all the different pictures though and you will see that there are several different species and types of greenery.
Reaching Mile Marker 15.5 helped me appreciate the many different biomes I have passed through as I continue to explore this trail. And as I get ever closer to Wekiva Springs, those changes will only be more frequent.
As I reached my stopping point for the day, I couldn’t help but smile. According to maps, I am close to the end. While its been a fun project, the Seminole Wekiva Trail is just one of many places I want to explore in the world. Seminole Wekiva Trail 10 might be done, but there is still a bit more to check out.
Mile Marker 15.75 sat right where I stopped. According to maps, I have less than 2 miles of trail left. I hope the end will be as incredible as the beginning and middle were.
Seminole Wekiva Trail 10 was a bit better in Pokémon Go than the last several sections of the trail. However, I selected this spot in game to showcase the Soccer Fields that I am forced to miss. A shame too. Usually when that many Pokestops are arranged in one place it means its a great spot to play.
The spawns that did appear on the edge were pretty good too. All in all, if you happen to have a membership to this park, Seminole Soccer Complex, it might be worth checking it out in Pokémon Go. As for the rest of the trail, while this section was better in game than the last couple spots, you can find better places in game nearby.
Axew is still my buddy. The Dragon wanted to check out the soccer fields. But if a Human can’t get in there without being registered, I doubt a baby dragon would be any more welcome.
Here I am smiling after a long walk down Seminole Wekiva Trail 10. I’m close to the end and I can’t contain my excitement. Look forward to the next part soon. I’m eager to keep exploring.