Exploring the World with Pokémon Go: Sanford Riverwalk West
I decided that the trail right next to my house, Sanford Riverwalk West needed an entry for my Travel Blog. In retrospect, going out at 4pm without my hat in the Florida heat was not the smartest decision.
Sanford Riverwalk West comprises the western half of a longer trail. I know I know, that is some groundbreaking stuff. Anyway, for something actually impressive this trail begins near the end of the Cross Seminole Trail. Lately I have been on the Volusia County section of that same trail, though it has gone by several other names.
Now I know what you are thinking. This trail is called a riverwalk, yet no river is visible. More so, if you are familiar with the area, you might try pointing out that there is a giant lake to my left past those trees. Well funny thing actually. That lake is a river. A river I have mentioned several times on this blog in fact. Yep the Saint Johns River again. Can’t seem to escape it.
Since I live near this trail, I have gone past this section several times. Personally I think this trail is its best at night. All those light poles are well lit and the trail has a spooky yet visible enough atmosphere. Instead I came during the day to see it from another angle. A shame the sun wanted to turn me into a lobster.
Exploring in the Heat:
The next section of Sanford Riverwalk West took me away from Interstate 4 and US Route 17-92 and towards Sanford itself. The city gets a bit of a bad reputation since most of the United States only knows about this place due to the Travon Martin Trial. But Sanford is so much more and I hope showing even a single section of this trail proves it.
I have traveled on some trails that put me right next to the street with nothing keeping a stray car from hitting me. And I should mention that Orlando, Florida which I’m still technically near in this post has historically been one of the most dangerous places for pedestrians. So the fact that this trail has space plus some trees to keep cars in their lane speaks about how this trail was built.
Speaking of how it was built. This trail was just updated recently. Within the last few years recent I mean. Before I moved to Jacksonville, I visited Sanford and walked along this trail. But it was under construction or I would have written a blog post sooner.
Oh right, I’m supposed to be talking about what I saw. By this point Lake Monroe is visible through the trees. And its a beautiful view. A shame that the wind did nothing to cool me down. Saying it was hot and humid outside when I completed this walk is an extreme understatement. I was not feeling well by the time I was taking these pictures.
Pictures through Delirium:
You might notice that I took a lot of pictures in this section of Sanford Riverwalk West. By this point the sun’s heat had really gotten to me and I was growing delirious. Not good at all. Normally I try my best to be safe, especially when I go out in the middle of the day. But to do this trail, I was reckless and set out before fully preparing.
The sights were worth the heat though. Its a beautiful trail with plenty of green space alongside benches to take a breath and ignore the troubles of the world for a time. A shame that the sun just wouldn’t ignore me. Normally I am excited from start to finish on an adventure. But by this point I was painfully aware of my mistake and was eager to make it home.
That doesn’t mean I ignored all the sights. Plenty to look at on this section of the trail. Not just the lake, though I do like lakes. Plenty of clouds too. The sky almost looks like a lake doesn’t it? Minus the fluffy water vapor coated dust floating around that is.
Special mention goes to that rock formation. Looks like a great place to chill with friends and or family. I’ll probably make use of that section of the trail in the future. I do live near it after all.
Scenic Lake Views:
When I reached the final section of Sanford Riverwalk West, my body was begging for water and air conditioning. A shame I was in such a rush though since the lake is beautiful in the middle of the day. But the sun had my attention and there is only so much a frail human can do in the face of such a force.
Still, this is a well designed trail with plenty of parking along side so that people can use the trail however the see fit. Lots of green along the path so that the concrete wall to protect against flooding doesn’t become the dominant feature. And as mentioned before, the street for the most part is far enough away that I didn’t fear getting hit by any cars.
Maybe I should have explored in the morning or closer to night. That way I wouldn’t have been figuring out how close I was to being done the entire time. That takes away from the whole experience in my opinion.
Pokémon Go:
As far as Pokémon Go is concerned, Sandford Riverwalk West is not the place. The best thing to do is pop your 15 minute incense and start walking. For beautiful views and a quiet walk along the lake, this is a perfect spot. But for Pokémon Go, try the other half of this trail. I’ll be featuring that in another post.
I hatched a Ponyta and Stufful. Nothing else to add. But I have to fill the text space below those images somehow.
Krokorok might be an edgy teen, but I managed to catch my buddy while happy for a split second. Also the different colors of Lake Monroe in the background really pop and stand out.
Here I am covered in sweat and moments from passing out due to dehydration. I had a lot of fun exploring, but I got dizzy soon after I made it home. Don’t mess around in the heat. Drink plenty of water and try to not go outside when the sun is strongest if you can avoid it.
Don’t worry, I’m fine now. And there are plenty of places to explore. I’ll just be sure to go to those places when its safer outside.