Exploring the World with Pokemon Go: Wekiva Trail
Years ago when I hiked the Seminole Wekiva Trail, I noticed that the path continued. But I never looked into where it went. So today I decided to check out the Wekiva Trail which continues into Lake County, Florida and loses the Seminole label.
Before I could venture onto the Wekiva Trail, I had one final segment of the old trail to hike. If I had known where this went years ago, I would have included this in the final segment of that adventure. But no need to miss out on what I saw for the sake of correctness.
This final segment of the Seminole Wekiva Trail travels through an area that recently had major construction. Years ago when I visited the area Toll Road 429 was being expanded and through a local wildlife preserve at that. The controversial move caused some issue but ultimately was built. Allegedly the highway essentially took over the old alignment of State Road 46 which meant wildlife was barely effected. But I’m no expert. I’m not sure if that is true or not.
Anyway, back to the trail, ignoring my shadow in many of those photos, you can see the new road alongside the old one. State Road 46 became a frontage road for the highway and the trail is not far from either. A lot of people are not of fan of hiking in more urbanized environments. But I actually like looking at bridges and concrete roads. So this was a rare treat for me.
Across the Bridge
The county line between Seminole and Lake County Florida is marked by the Wekiva River. The springs are to the south and you can even see the waters that will take you there if you choose to go by boat. On the other side of the bridge sits the massive Seminole State Forest. There are tons of trails here and I intend to check them out on future posts.
Back to the first side again, alongside the south bank of the Wekiva River, I saw signs for a smaller park that I’ll be checking out soon. One of my favorite parts of exploring the world for this blog has been spotting little parks that are near places I travel through constantly. Taking those slow quiet moments to find new places has been a rewarding experience from the very first adventure.
Mile Marker 0
On the other side of the Wekiva River, the Wekiva Trail starts. And I was pleased to see that this one will have mile markers. Its my first time exploring anything in Lake County on foot. And I’m sure there are lots of parks nearby. I didn’t realize how close I was to the Lake County Border. I wonder what else I’ll find around here.
After the bridge, the trail continues following State Road 46 while Toll Road 429 looms up above casting a shadow at the road. A shame that the shadow did not keep the sun away from me. It was a humid morning with barely any clouds. My skin is not happy with me as I write this. Better bring sunscreen next time.
There is much more of this trail to explore, and the next mile marker was almost visible in the pictures above. Instead I walked over to the nearby state park where I had started my hike with Pokémon Go, before turning around and taking pictures. I hope no one has a problem with an arbitrary rule that only exists in my head that was broken today.
Pokémon Go
I showed you the final part of the Seminole Wekiva Trail and the beginning of the Wekiva Trail. But how do both parts of my hike measure up in Pokemon Go? Unfortunately, not too well. Like with most trails, especially ones on the edge of civilization, there are barely any stops or Gyms. And spawns were far and few. Though there were things to catch on the walk, so I certainly have seen worse.
This trail exists mostly for bikers and walkers to travel between several state parks and wilderness areas. For the optimal Pokémon Go experience, I recommend visiting some of those parks instead while using the trail to hatch eggs.
Eggs
Speaking of eggs, here are the two I hatched. Look carefully cause their CP is different. That’s how you know its not the same Psyduck twice. Oh there is also the fact that one is significantly smaller than the other. Both were turned to candy though. The game doesn’t care about size when you do that.
Wrap Up
Here I am trying my best to smile while the sun is smacking me upside the head. Regardless of how my face looks, I felt great and the end of this adventure. I don’t walk outside enough for leisure these days and going on hikes have always been one of my top methods of keeping depression away. Not to mention the early morning walks wake me up and keep me motivated the rest of the day.
I saw several parks near my walk and I’ll be sure to check each of them out when I can. I might hold off on Seminole State Forest for a bit since its hunting season and even with a vest I would prefer not to be around all that. Accidents happen and I don’t want to be part of one. On a positive note, there is plenty for me to see and do as I start exploring more of Lake County Florida.