Exploring the World with Pokémon Go: Spring to Spring Trail 3
I checked out Spring to Spring Trail 3 and traveled much farther than intended. I got my miles in for sure this time.
Before I went too far down Spring to Spring Trail 3, I pass Mile Marker 24.5. Remember that this trail is going backwards mile wise because I started at the wrong end. But as you will see as I continued on this adventure, the number decreased a fair amount. At the nearby Trailhead I read a few signs that told me about the importance of this trail and a few other pieces of information. But this was just the start of the journey. Let’s move forward.
Mile Marker 24:
If you read my last couple blog posts, the above pictures might look familiar. That’s because before I could go anywhere else, Spring to Spring Trail needed to finish its journey through Gemini Springs. Some of the pictures above are even locations you can see from other angles in the Gemini Springs one.
I appreciated the shade here though. Its summer now and the Florida sun strikes with vengeance against idiots like me who forget to wear sunscreen when they go outside. At least I wore a hat this time.
I passed Mile Marker 24 and was ready to take in several new sites. Since I am rarely in Volusia County and the entire premise of this blog is exploring the world my goals were clear. I had a lot of ground to cover naturally and did so on this adventure. Which leads to the next part.
Mile Marker 23.5:
The next section of Spring to Spring Trail 3 also took me through parts of Gemini Springs. But not sections I had seen before. Mostly this area was the outskirts away from the open fields and two springs that most visitors check out when they are at the park.
Instead I got to really check out nature. On both sides of the trail sat areas where humans leave the world alone relatively speaking. I saw several downed trees and logs that had become part of the landscape. It was a nice change of pace after exploring several areas carved into their current forms by humans.
I passed Mile Marker 23.5 and started deciding how far I would travel. The sun wasn’t too hot at that point, but I knew the longer I was out, the tougher it would be to remain there. Obviously I already spoiled the surprise. Good thing there are plenty of pictures to show the journey.
Mile Marker 22.5:
You might notice that I took an abnormally high number of pictures for this section of Spring to Spring Trail 3. But that is not true. What actually happened is I messed up and missed a Mile Marker. These pictures should have been split into two smaller and more manageable sections. Oh well. I work with what I have.
This part of the trail moves away from Gemini Springs and into inhabited parts of Volusia County. Namely eastern Debary and into Deland. Much of the rest of this blog post will feature that road to my left. And for a time you will see housing on the right. But that will change in a few segments.
You might think its a strange choice to take pictures of concrete. Well first of all, that is not an ordinary set of concrete with any road up on that bridge. That’s Interstate 4 which is infamous to just about anyone familiar with the highway. I have passed this Interstate one other time on the trails leading up to this adventure. And this is the last time that I’ll be passing underneath it for a while.
Even though I skipped a mile marker, I didn’t miss the next one. I’m up to Mile Marker 22.5 now. I’m not sure what I’ll find at mile marker 0 since I don’t think I’m that close to the coast. While this segment is called Spring to Spring, I’m told that the trail actually leads all the way to the east coast of Florida. I will find out just how true that statement is as I continue.
Mile Marker 22:
While the next section of Spring to Spring Trail 3 had a lot of the same features as the last one, there were a few new ones too. Away from Interstate 4, nature quickly reclaimed the land kept empty due to being next to an interstate highway. And several different landforms and buildings made use of this space.
I passed by a park and ride parking lot and considered stopping there for the day. It would be easy to resume the adventure and park my car there. But decided against it, since I was willing to walk for longer. Signs told me how far I needed to go to make to the next major landmark. And I accepted this challenge in earnest.
Past more housing and a lot more greenery brought me to Mile Marker 22. I wonder what I will find when I reach the end of this trail? I have never done one backwards before and the different possibilities and outcomes are fascinating.
Mile Marker 21.5
This next segment of Spring to Spring Trail 3 gave way to nature with the housing vanishing completely. Besides retention ponds, I also spotted fenced off areas with barbed wire for added security. Makes sense considering there is a power plant there. Duke Energy has no problem advertising the entrance to their complex. Though the warning signs to keep away were a lot more generic. Guess big companies don’t want to waste money on unique no trespassing signs.
Passing Mile Marker 21.5 is when it hit me just how far I was walking on this adventure. And by this point the sun was really starting to push a sense of urgency into my step. I didn’t forget a hat this time. Next time I’m getting sunscreen too.
Mile Marker 21:
I don’t want to sound like a broken record so for this next section of Spring to Spring Trail 3, I want to point out something that makes this segment unique from the others. This area pictured above is in a town called Enterprise. After doing some reading, I learned that this used to be the county seat of Volusia County. Of course the entire region is experiencing a population boom and so it seems impractical for a low populated area such as this to have that honor.
If you are curious, the City of Deland is the current county seat and is significantly more urban than Enterprise. But there is a museum that was not far from this section of the trail that documented the history and changes to Volusia County. Maybe I’ll come by and check it out?
I passed Mile Marker 21 and made it by another major milestone. This was one of my longer journeys. Possibly the longest walk I have been on for the blog after having Covid 19. I don’t think I’ll ever be as healthy as I was before I caught the virus, but its a nice feeling to know that I won’t let the pandemic stop me from enjoying the world.
Mile Marker 20.5:
As one of the last segments I would travel for Spring to Spring Trail 3, I was feeling the exhaustion by the time I reached Mile Marker 20.5. But it was good exhaustion. I had gone quite far and seen countless things I had never looked at before.
Volusia County in general is a place I only tend to drive through. I have never really visited this entire section of Florida in any detail outside of Daytona Beach. Every single thing I saw was a new experience. For that I am grateful. Even if it was extremely hot out and with holes in my shoes, I didn’t regret my choice to go much farther than originally planned.
I passed a memorial to a local hero. I didn’t want to get too close and be disrespectful but I took a read to try and understand who this person had been and is. Sometimes it saddens me that the good and heroic lose their lives while the wicked continue to exist only to cause more harm. But that is not part of this blog and I’ll leave it at that.
There was a little left of Spring to Spring Trail 3 after the last mile marker. But mostly these last two pictures are a glorified I did it. This was a long and rewarding walk. Not sure when I’ll travel this far again in one day but at least now I know its possible. But I’ll be sure to bring sunscreen next time. As of writing this post, I’m bright red around my neck.
Pokémon Go:
As you can see in the above image, there are almost no Pokestops on Spring to Spring Trail 3. And while there are some spawns, this is not the place to play. The trail takes you through multiple parks. And that is where you should go to play.
I hatched lots of eggs since I walked super far. Nothing fancy but I do like Stardust. Still one of the hardest things to farm in Pokémon Go.
Sandile is used to heat. The croc was not bothered by the sun. In fact the loved every moment of this walk.
Here I am smiling after a fun adventure. Not pictured is the sunburns I got soon after. Still worth it considering the hike and the distance I traveled. Can’t wait to explore even more.