Crossing the St. Johns River

The Lone Cabbage Restaurant and Air boat ride purveyor seen from the highway 520 bridge over the St. Johns River.

"Key West or Bust" - Day 112

It was a rain shortened day.  I made thirteen miles toward the beach via FL 520 today and then quit in mid-afternoon when a cold rain that had begun as a nuisance turned into a steady soaker.  All day I was hiking the wide grassy shoulder beside busy four-lane highway 520.  It was not an unpleasant walk, though a few mosquitoes began to show up.  The highlight of the day was finding a secret trailhead and white blazed trail behind a closed gate.

This trailhead has no sign identifying it along the highway.  There's just a tiny sign on the high chain link gate that says simply 'please close gate'.  Inside there is this big parking lot and has an inviting white-blazed trail that headed off into the tropical jungle.

I was tempted to follow it, but since there was no map I had no inkling of where it would lead me, and not enough time to just take off and explore.

That was my first nature fix for the day.  Later I noticed one of my favorite mini-ecosystems - the intense competition for real estate that lichens were engaging in on a smooth-barked tree.  I took the photo for the variety of colors but spent time marveling at the drama.  Each lichen had established a territory and was defending it and battling with its neighbor to expand.  From a human reference frame there is no motion, but the evidence of the ongoing dynamic battle at the boundaries is plain to see if you take the time to look.

I ended the day getting soaked as the rain got much heavier than forecast.  I reached the western edge of the town of Cocoa.  Tomorrow I should be on the beach.


Here's a map of today's route:



Crossing the St. Johns River at EveryTrail
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