Exploring the World with Pokémon Go: Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail
As promised, and with more perfect weather in my favor, I returned to the same trailhead as last time and headed the other direction down Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail. The name of the trail helped set the tone of what I would find. Though there was less neighborhood and a lot more scenic. Especially compared to the last trail.
Unlike many trails, Mile Marker 0 of Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail is not the start. Instead the milage starts once the trail crosses into Lake County. The Orange County segment is another half mile roughly though without proper mile markers, the best I could do was estimate.
As for the Orange County Segment itself, it was defined by green on both sides. Further down the trail, I would be right near Toll Road 429 just like on the last trail, but enjoyed not hearing cars so much as I started my hike. That changed of course as I approached the county line and said mile marker.
Signs dotted the side opposite side of the trail warning not only that a conservation area that was off limits sat over there, but a second warning that wild animals made their homes nearby. The signs listed a few of the more dangerous ones while reminding those hiking that we are in their home and to respect any and all wildlife with a fair distance. Something I followed properly as a deer ran out in front of me. I didn’t get a picture of that, but I stopped my hike for a minute to make sure more of their friends were not making the same crossing.
Mile Marker 0.5
The leadup to mile marker 0.5 on the Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail took me past some empty green spaces that I imagine are for the animals that live here rather than the people hiking. Its best to respect nature in these places so that more and more people will be able to enjoy them in the future.
If not for the different trees, one might assume I had traveled back to Illinois and was on the Des Plaines River Trail again. The pavement is around the same width and both trails take hikers through marshlands. But Illinois and Florida both feel different. Travel to both and take pictures and you will be able to tell them from one another.
I passed a few benches and bike racks beside them. I’m pleased to see that at least the infrastructure when it comes to these nature walks is being done with care. This trail is relatively new and gives insight into what park and trail planning looks like in modern day. Too many of the trails I have hiked have been around forever. Seeing a new project that was done well gives me hope for future trails and parks.
Mile Marker 1.0
Around Mile Marker 1.0 of Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail I started to see more and more Bat Houses. One encounter stood out to me because as I looked at the Bat House, I saw a pair of eyes looking out at me. I know that making eye contact with another creature, especially for a prolonged amount of time is viewed as aggression, and I looked at the bat for a little too long. I’ll admit that I was surprised by how bold it was.
Still I didn’t want any trouble coming my way. Especially trouble that can fly. So I quickly left that part of the trail and kept heading towards the next mile marker. Along the way, I found a signpost that was empty of anything. Its the first time I have found one completely blank. I wonder what happened?
More signs warned that I was not allowed to enter the conservation area, and I had no interest anyway. According to earlier signs, dangerous animals like bobcats, coyotes and, venomous snakes live there. And I had no interest into running into anything listed above.
Mile Marker 1.5
Mile Marker 1.5 of Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail took me away from the noise of the nearby tollway and back into the wilderness. The pictures make it look like I was far away from civilization. Yet I could still hear the cars rushing by on the nearby road. A well placed line of trees can make a place look isolated from the rest of the world.
More of the same relaxing bits of nature that dominate many of these Florida Trails surrounded me. More Bat Houses and some Bird Houses too. I won’t complain though. Bats are awesome and as I am writing this its spooky season. Then again, running into bats during the day is a bad sign and they should be avoided if encountered. Usually indicates they are hungry, sick, or both.
Mile Marker 2.0
Everything leading up to Mile Marker 2.0 served as the final true section of Neighborhood Lakes Trail Scenic. Still didn’t find any neighborhoods and saw few if no actual lakes. But that’s fine cause what I cared about most was the scenic view. Plenty of pictures taken to showcase that in this post.
One thing I didn’t mention earlier in this post, and should serve as a friendly warning for anyone who wishes to hike this trail is to beware the sun. All summer in Florida I avoided going on hikes. And this trail is prime example of why. The sky was clear and I had nothing covering me from it and the star in the sky the whole hike. This trail is completely open with little to no shade at all.
Be safe out there. These trails are beautiful places to check out. But always be mindful of the wildlife and the sun. When visiting swampland, don’t forget your bug spray either. Its the best way to avoid taking unwanted guests home with you.
End of the Trail
Alas all fun things must come to an end. And the final segment of Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail took me to the same trailhead that I explored as part of my last adventure. Yes I did the Pokémon Go segment first and then walked back for the pictures. It happens sometimes. Especially when I start at the wrong end of the trail like this one.
Anyway, I have been meaning to explore this place for a bit now. Though I didn’t realize at the time just how new this trail is. I used to drive up and down Toll Road 429 to visit some friends on the other end and had spotted this trail. It turns out I had spotted the path as it was being built. Another hike off my bucket list and I beat a lot of people to the punch while exploring a beautiful greenway.
Pokémon Go
Speaking of Pokémon Go, let’s talk about my experience playing the game at Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail. The two trailheads were incredible when it came to spawns. And the northern one pictured above had plenty of Pokestops and even a gym. A massive improvement from the last trail.
Meanwhile, while the trail itself outside these trailheads didn’t have a lot of Pokestops, there were still plenty of spawns to catch along the way. Even better than the spawns though were the routes. The trail has several in game routes that all connect the different sections to each other. Make sure to start a route and continue following them for the best Pokémon Go experience here.
This walk didn’t take me nearly as far as my last adventure. And so I only hatched a few eggs. The Charmander was exciting not because of the Pokémon itself, but because of the candy I need to build a Charizard for PvP. I’ll talk more about that in my other weekly blog post.
Hey look its me. I’m looking at the sun like an idiot while trying to take a picture. And that is the only reason I look unhappy in this picture. Cause I certainly didn’t feel that way during and after the hike. While repping Team Instinct in the image with that shirt, I cannot express at times how happy I am that Pokémon Go exists. The game motivated me to seek out parks and trails. Years later and I’m still doing so.
This adventure has come to an end and I am, not aware of any nearby trails. I’ll probably be going to lots of parks for a while till I discover a new one.