We packed up my newly gifted keyboard, had sushi, burgers, and pizza with friends, and said, “Bye for now” to our furry companions. We’ve been planning this (hiking the PCT) for months and years, but reality is setting in as we finish our preparations in Florida. We’re up early today. We take our last trip to the storage unit and pick up the trailer that will tote our resupply boxes of food and shoes across the country.
The kid (in his early twenties) was still hungover (his words) as he checked that the lights on the trailer worked before sending us on our way. Since Caleb is still recovering from double carpal tunnel release surgery, of which both wrists got infected but are on the mend with antibiotics and having the stitches removed, a bit aggressively, I will be driving forward and letting him handle any reversing.
Zeus
We’re able to borrow a hand cart from one of the maintenance guys to get the freeze dryer downstairs once we air up the tires. Thanks, Nick. I carry all the food down, getting some elevation practice (just kidding), and Caleb will use his handmade box net to hold them in place, especially since none of the boxes are closed yet in case of needed adjustments while on the trail.
I drop the keys off at 1030, and we’re on the road minutes later. The usual breaks are still taken, but our mileage-to-empty-guesser (not the official term) is slow at first to adjust to the added weight, which is affecting our miles per gallon. I think we averaged 18 mpg once I could set cruise control on the highway, even with the random bits of congestion for no reason.
unpretentious hotel curtains
Our goal for today was to get to Georgia since we didn’t know when we would leave. We succeeded and added 40 miles to our estimated stopping point, so we are closer to our first activity tomorrow. Driving with this trailer is way less stressful than the uncomfortable truck and trailer that Caleb had to deal with. I look forward to the rest of our trip (as I always do!)
I had a title for this last night but have forgotten it over the course of the day. We are seven days from leaving Florida and 31 away from starting the PCT. April has been just as interesting as the other months as the countdown continues. The last time I kept track of days like this was when Caleb was coming home from a nine-month deployment.
We’ve been attempting to eat our fridge and cabinets bare as our friends can only take so many almonds (that Caleb got while he was making us milk and almond flour). We celebrated a birthday or two and joined in on the christening and maiden voyage of the Kraken Snack. We set up our storage unit and had two friends, with their truck, help us move more than the heavy stuff, which saved us a few trips.
The internet company wanted me on a new cell plan so I could stay connected on the trail. I told them absolutely not. The energy company was easy, and only now, literally, today, am I dealing with my 60-day notice to vacate my apartment (where subletting is not allowed). They also wanted to charge me $50 for a lapse in insurance coverage but never asked about a copy of the renewal that I didn’t think about.
Caleb’s double wrist surgery went well, better than expected, as he was able to move his fingers that day. I helped him take the tight bandages off a few hours earlier than recommended as he was doing a great job of keeping his hands elevated, but the wrapping was pushing on the swelling. I thought there would be one stitch, but there are five in each hand, and one side looks more put together than the other. We got a letter in the mail the same day we got his Ibuprofen telling us to throw the pills away due to possible bacterial contamination.
Our schedule was going as planned, and luckily, our trip to a friend’s pool and my later visit to urgent care didn’t disrupt our move. I got bit by a small thing with wings (deer fly, death moth, murder hornet), and it caused me to cuss, so I figured there would be a quarter-size welt later. I did not expect to lose sight of my red and warm ankle and the definition of my small toes on my right foot. I got bit by something else on my left foot without as much edema. The bite site seemed to change color, so antihistamines and antibiotics were to the rescue.
I know there was more to write, but our families have had their timing right recently when calling to check in or update us about something. We had to switch two boxes around because while I was on the phone, I wrote the wrong address on a resupply box. Caleb is on the phone with his sister now dealing with their dad, who burned his new stove and its surroundings. I get started on one project and am easily distracted by another, but things are getting done.
It’s 30 days until we leave Florida, and another 24 days after that, we start the PCT. That’s the plan that has been in motion since we got our start date over five months ago. We have since packed over 600 meals and half that many protein drinks. I didn’t keep as much track of the snacks; I was just hoping to pack about 600 calories per person per day in some boxes that were too full to close, so we got bigger boxes.
We are leaving our canal-side apartment with the daily turtle, gator, deer, raccoon, rabbit, lizard, and bird sightings, as we are not allowed to sublet, and no one has offered to add their name to the lease in the meantime. This was our last time being able to use the military clause to break a lease, and moving forward, we won’t get the active military discounts, though I’m hoping veterans get deals too.
We have downsized our wardrobes and packed away half our kitchen. We’ve made our last trip to Costco depending on changes to our road trip itinerary of either a few days on the road or a few weeks. Either way, we need some elevation in our legs and lungs that we are not getting at 35 feet above sea level.. or some low Florida equivalent.
I looked into bringing a camera, and a friend gifted me a lens for my phone. I could bring a GoPro, but those batteries don’t seem to last (I only use them when I dive). I know I will take notes, whether on my phone in airplane mode, a Moleskine notebook with my name engraved on the front, or a long CVS receipt that I find in the trash of a town as we resupply.
I plan on updating my Instagram weekly, but maybe not at all. I will not be posting YouTube videos on the trail as I will not want to constantly detour for WiFi and an outlet. I’ve been told I should bring multiple battery banks and a solar charger, but I am looking forward to being off-grid (as much as this trail will allow), and I don’t need others to know how much fun I’m having for it to count.
People are still asking how we will undertake such an endeavor, and I have to remind them that there are plenty who have gone before us – those who have never hiked or camped, those that are recovering from an injury or a loss, and those that were twice our age when they started and finished. It takes some people years to complete this trail – nature and life happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.
Cost is always a popular topic, but this trip – our longest – could very easily be our cheapest. We will not be paying for a place to sleep every night, we will not be driving (maintaining a vehicle) or paying for utilities (gas, electric, water, trash, sewer, etc.), and we saved thousands by freeze-drying our meals. The dehydrated ones might seem pricy at the store, but they come with a convenience tax on the trail.
I’ve had strangers tell me how much they envy my situation and friends who can’t afford the time this adventure will take, but I, too, started out with day trips and then week-long travels. The most time off Caleb has had in 21 years is a month (usually while we are moving across the country or between them). I invite those who want to come to do so or begin to follow their other dreams – life is so short.
As much as we have planned, we are already seeing changes to our schedule. Caleb will have double open carpal tunnel surgery (OCTR) two weeks before we leave, so his grip strength will return before we get on the road. Our flights have shifted, but that’s to be expected. We have our shuttles planned and our reservation at Camp Lockett. All we can do is come prepared and without expectations.
Thank you to those people who have inquired about our trip, as it helps me to think about the Pacific Crest Trail (all 2650 miles of it from Mexico to Canada via California, Oregon, and Washington) from many viewpoints and solidify decisions as to what luxuries I want to bring. We plan on averaging 20-mile days, as uphill in the heat will be slower than downhill with a breeze.
There will be “town” luxuries that we will miss, but I didn’t bring “American” necessities with me when moving overseas, as I think it lessens the experience, so I won’t focus on the warm, clean bed I have now as a sleeping bag with a bit of grit from the day, a band-aid or two to patch holes, and possibly some ants that wander in (more welcome than mosquitoes) will be the highlight of my night – after the starry sky of course.
Aunt Lois is on her way to the Sponge Docks at 830, so I am too. I park by Rusty Bellies, and she’s in the fenced-in parking lot for Hellas Restaurant. We start the morning with her buying a new dress from a gift shop, and then we wander into Fatty’s and talk about the owner’s dog, who the place is named after. Terry and Karley have yet to spend any time near Tarpon Springs, so they meet us for coffee and sweets at Hellas.
I try my first Freddo cappuccino (a strong iced espresso with sugar and frothed milk) and share a chocolate baklava cheesecake with my aunt. After brunch, it is time for more shopping, so the four of us walk through the Olive Oil Co, Jerky Emporium, The Spice and Tea Exchange, and part ways after Susan’s Flags & More. We’ll look at shoes while they walk back to their car so they can have a proper lunch at home while we make a reservation at Hellas.
While we wait the 30-45 minutes, we stroll over to Wine At The Docks and add our home pins to their visitors’ map. I get the text, and soon we are seated with a waiter who likes to tell jokes. The restaurant serves two-for-one deals of tea and water, at least during rush hour, which I think other eateries should take note of. After packing down our gullets, a plate of Greek salad and a gyro each, we need to trudge off some calories.
We take her car to Craig Park and watch the manatees frolic before walking down Tarpon Ave. We peruse a shop or two before we decide to find a new parking spot back at the Sponge Docks. Aunt Lois surprises me with a pair of turquoise turtle earrings, to remember her by, which I definitely will. Having moseyed for a few hours, it’s time for dessert for dinner, and Sweeties is on the menu. I chose scoops of coffee cookies & cream and blueberry cheesecake.
Our stomachs agree that we should have chosen one flavor, so it’s back to the sidewalk for more exploration and digestion. I take her to see the sponge in the shape of an alligator’s head, and she gets a turtle tracking bracelet, in keeping with our theme. I escort her back to her car to get my sauce sampler and she drops me at mine. We say our goodbyes as she’ll go back to Kansas tomorrow. I go to Capt’n Jack’s, where Fallon and Marie (her friend visiting from Temecula) are finishing their dinner.
We finish the night with three hours at Johnny’s Taphouse, where I try a peach drink while we talk about our men (theirs are both back in California) and taking a couples’ cruise in the future. I listen to a girl in the bathroom with a wet foot in her croc talk about athlete’s foot and gangrene. I can only think of the movie Idiocracy, which was delayed two years before release, surprisingly around the same time the shoes became popular.
I found out back in late December, while discussing family history with Aunt Lois, that she would be down near me, northwest of the Tampa metropolitan area, for a wedding on March 1st, and she suggested we should get together. I agreed. I checked in two months later, and although pretty anxious about staying with a friend (with an amazing pool) while their daughter tied the knot, she was excited to see me.
Friday morning, I get an invite to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City. Under two hours later, the fourth out of five girls (my mom being the baby by eleven months) was standing outside my door with the biggest smile on her face. I take a selfie and post to Instagram before bringing her upstairs to say hello to Caleb (who won’t be joining us today). She would be driving us the hour east and somehow manage to get us front row parking (about five car spots from the gate).
We showed our pre-bought tickets, from Publix, and let them have a look in our bags. We were there to shop and snack, so no ride wristbands were needed. We looked at and sat on the Cyclone adjustable-height chair, which would be great if I were in want of another travel-friendly seat. We don’t make it an hour before we are trying strawberry shortcake and splitting a strawberry tiramisu.
We spent the next couple of hours looking, and very possibly buying, hot sauce, a tote bag, an outfit for her great-granddaughter, a clay oil diffuser, and pineberries (white strawberries with a pineapple taste). Aunt Lois does a handwriting personality analysis from a Televac 62000, and we agree with the results, as I’m sure others do with their horoscopes in the back of the newspaper – vague is the way.
We wander into another tent, and my attention is grabbed by a man who calls himself Hilby – The Skinny German Juggle Boy. I’ve seen some of his acts performed by others before, but they have yet to meet his level of hilarity that kept me engaged. At one point, in an effort to get more viewers, “Americans,” he said, “All you can eat at the accident!”
After he’s done making us laugh, we’ll share some thick-cut bacon with chocolate dipping sauce, under an awning. I’m grateful that Aunt Lois is more sun-cautious this time, as I have a memory of being on her boat on a lake all day and her dropping me off at Aunt Gerri’s with a lot of red skin. Next is the museum hall with a strawberry queen dress stand-in and the portraits of every Queen since 1930, minus 1942-47 when priorities were elsewhere.
Ashley Moody was elected festival queen in 1993, elected attorney general, and served from 2019 to January 2025 when she was appointed to the US Senate. There are a bunch of other facts about the festival and portraits of musicians who have played throughout the years. This event wouldn’t take place without the thousands of volunteers who continue to keep this tradition alive and showcasing the importance of proper farming techniques and involving students in the livestock shows.
There is a make-your-own strawberry shortcake buffet, but we will bypass that to sample and purchase more sauces, a hooded blanket, a hair curler, and talk to almost every vendor, even if they don’t sell the adorable boots and sandals in a size to fit our large feet. A guy puts cream on our wrinkly eye bags (that we obviously don’t have) and wants me to dry it with a fan (not wipe off the excess with my finger). We reward our now-younger-looking selves with a gourmet ice pop, a strawberry datil for me, from The Hyppo, with a location in Hyde Park Village in Tampa.
Another great vendor, cookingwithbleu, makes pasta in fun flavors like key lime curry, strawberry, espresso, and jalapeno lime. We talked with a sheriff doing a fundraiser, and when I asked about a photo-op in the backseat of the cruiser he said I could punch his partner and have it arranged. I’m not looking for a permanent position. I thought about the conversation later and wondered if anyone would see his bodycam footage.
We stayed until seating began for the Reba McEntire concert and agreed that we had not drunk enough water while the sun was up. On the return, I get to listen to her and Aunt Janet discuss plans for their summer trip to Europe. I’m excited for them. We talk about the last ten years (how long it’s been since she lost another sister and me a mom – though I know exactly where she is). Aunt Lois dropped me off at 9pm, five miles from where she picked me up, and met my friends Al, Terry, and Karley, who were with Caleb in the hot tub.
While she drove over 20 minutes back to her friend’s house, I went with this hungry bunch to Clear Sky Club Haus for a late dinner – something other than strawberries. We left around 1030, got dropped off at our place, and I walked over to theirs (Terry and Karley are currently our neighbors, which is how we met Al before he moved) to grab Caleb’s shorts, towel, and bottle. This gave me a chance to say hi to their dog, Macaroni, before his evening walk.
TheJessicaness 