Wednesday Walking - Our First 20 Mile Walk! Baldwin Rail to Trail

I like to walk but last year if anyone told me I'd walk 20 miles in one day I'd have had a good laugh!

But walk 20 miles we did! Whoop-Whoop!

This is all in preparation for our trip to New York next month. We'll be joining about a thousand other folks in  The Great Saunter a 32 mile walk around the shoreline of Manhattan.  

Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail

The Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail runs 14.5 miles between Imeson Road Trailhead and Brandy Branch Road Trailhead. There's several places to stop along the way including the Helsema Road trailhead, Baldwin Station and Camp Milton Historic Preserve.

Our walk started at the Helsema Road Trailhead on the Baldwin Rail to Trail. We walked 12 miles round trip to the Imeson trailhead, back to Helsema and then four miles towards Baldwin Station and four miles back to Helsema.

A total of 20 miles! 

The Baldwin Trail is a nice flat paved over railroad track that runs mostly through farm land.

This little black cow followed us for quite a ways on our walk.

We walked under a tunnel of sorts and there's even trail for horseback riders that runs along the side of the walking trail.

Our First Bike Encounter

There are no cars allowed but walkers and bikes share the trail. And on this walk we had our first run in with a bicyclist. Signs at the trailheads instruct everyone to stay on the right side of the trail. The idea being that faster traffic can pass on the left.
You can hear the bikes coming up behind you and most of the riders call out "passing on the left!" which is great. Unfortunately one woman on a bike didn't see us because the visor of her helmet was obscuring her vision and she plowed into us.
It's weird how things like that seem to go in slow motion. All of a sudden she was there falling to the ground between us.  Thank God she wasn't going very fast! She pretty much missed me but John caught it on the arm and foot. Poor lady she was so embarrassed and apologetic but we were none the worse for wear.
She got back on her bike and we went back to walking. But after that I was a little paranoid and couldn't help but turn around whenever I heard a bike coming up behind us.

A Few Tips For Long Distance Walking

1. Start by walking 1 -3 miles a day on most days.
2. After you're used to walking short distances daily begin adding a longer walk once a week. We did a few 6 miles walks then moved up to an 8 mile then 10, 17 and finally our 20 mile walk. 
3. Stay hydrated! Sweating and drinking plain water tends to wash the minerals out of your body so consider a sports drink. We take Lemon-Lime Gatorade in a 3 liter hydration system that's in John's Deuter backpack. Plus I carry powdered Gatorade and a water bottle as well. 
4. High energy salty snacks are a must. We take a snack mix of dried fruit, salty nuts and pretzels. We also take a few bananas and PBJ sandwiches are nice and portable. 
5. Think about eating a good (not heavy) meal at some point in a long walk. We stopped back at our car after 12 miles and ate the picnic I'd packed. Turkey, ham and cheese sub sandwiches with lettuce, pickles and black olives.  
6. Take frequent rest stops. At the beginning of the walk we stopped for about 10 -15 minutes after each 3 miles. The last three miles I think we stopped for about 5 minutes every mile. 
7. For ladies consider taking something like a P-Style along. We don't have the freedom to pee on a tree like the guys but there are products available that make it possible. Carrying something like the P-Style means you don't have to drop your drawers and squat behind a tree! When it's a two mile walk (that's forty minutes!)  to the nearest bathroom you'll be glad you've got one with you. 
8. For me I need a walking partner. If John wasn't encouraging me along the way I'd have stopped at 12 miles! 
9. Plan on a really good high calorie meal after your walk. Even if weight loss is your goal you need to replenish your body. I burned 2100 calories on this walk. 

You don't have to walk 20 miles but lace up and take a walk today!

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St. Mary's African Methodist Episcopal Church - Armstrong, Florida

Last week we took a nice long walk on the Palatka-to-St. Augustine rail to trail in St. John's county. After reading the history of this rail road line and that it passed through the historic town of Armstrong I knew this would make an interesting walk.

Armstrong Historic Community

The town of Armstrong is one of  the oldest African American communities in St. John's county. The small community was settled about 1886 around a sawmill. By 1900 it was a thriving agricultural community shipping potatoes by rail. Timber and turpentine was another big industry for the small community.

While walking the trail you can see the location of the train depot, the Armstrong post-office and the Sand Cut Camp which was for railroad employees. You can also see the remains of St. Mary's AME Church.

St. Mary's African Methodist Episcopal Church

The original church was a wood frame building constructed in 1914. This building was destroyed by fire in 1915 and the members met for the next ten years in homes around town. The present church and bell tower was built in 1925. I can just imagine the excitement of the congregation when their new building was finished.

The picture on the sign shows the church in 1985.

This is what the church looks like now. If you peer closely you can just barely make out the remains. The woods and undergrowth are threatening to completely over take the abandoned building. 

(I could have gotten a better picture if I had gotten off the trail and tramped through the high grass and underbrush. But this is Florida and that means ticks! So, no way...I stay on the trail.)

Take Time to See the World Around You!

 I often wonder if any of the bicyclist that blew by us have ever taken the time to stop and peer off the trail to see the ruins of this tiny church. Walking is a nice way to  view the world around us at 3 miles per hour.

Get outside and take a slow walk to see what you can see!

State(s):	Florida
Counties:	St. Johns
Length:	8.5 miles
Trail end points:	FL 207 and CR 207 (Spuds) to (nearly) I-95 in Elkton

You can see other churches and cemeteries by checking out:

17 Miles Walk Along the Palatka to St. Augustine Rail to Trail

Dotted all over the country and even around the world old, abandoned railroad lines are being given new life as walking and biking trails. The Palatka-to-St. Augustine rail to trail is eight and half miles long and runs through the towns of Armstrong, Elkton and Vermont Heights in northeast Florida. On Sunday we took a round trip walk on the trail for a total of 17 miles. 

The Palatka-to-St. Augustine trail is open to foot traffic and bicycles but walkers were well out numbered by bikes. Even so the trail was well marked with one lane for bikes and the other for foot traffic. 

The First Few Miles

The first few miles of the trail runs along State Road 207. There was no shade! It made us glad we started early to beat the Florida heat. 

There were several interesting, abandoned buildings along the trail.

A few beautiful farms along the way. I wonder if they're glad the trains are gone?

Finally We Found the Shade!

Most of the trail ran through shady woodlands. This made for a pleasant walk.

Since we did a round trip walk we ended up back on the sunny part of the trail around noon. But at least there was a nice breeze so it wasn't so bad. 

It took us 5 hours and 23 minutes to walk 17 miles. That time doesn't include a few rest stops and lunch. 

This is about half the distance we'll be walking next month in New York when we do The Great Saunter.You can read about that here-The Great Saunter - A Slow 32 Mile Walk Around Manhattan Still need to do some training!

Walking the Rail to Trail from Levanto to Bonassola Italy

It seems that all over the world old railroad lines are being re-purposed into walking and biking trails. We found one such trail while visiting Levanto, Italy. It is an unused railroad line that runs along the Ligurian coast and connects the towns of  Levanto, Bonassola and Famura.

The trail is paved and has divided lanes for walkers and bikers. There are several lighted tunnels to walk through along the way.

Me and my favorite guy.

It's an easy, flat trail with plenty of opportunities to view the beautiful Legurian Sea as you walk.

     

View looking back on Levanto

There are several places you can leave the trail and get to the water. It was a little chilly in November but I'm sure in the summer it would be wonderful to dip your feet in the cool, green water. 

Lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore along the way. Josh wanted to check out the many caves craved into the rocks below. Might have to come back in the summer for that.

Me and my other favorite guy.

The trail between Levanto and Bonassola is around 3 miles one way but it's flat and an easy walk. We  took a side trail along the cliffs and then rewarded ourselves by having lunch in Bonassola before heading back.

One of the best ways to explore an area is on foot. There's always fun and interesting things to check out along the way.

This is a short video we took if you'd like to see and hear the sea from the trail.

I wish I could remember what I was telling my son. He's looking at me like "mom, you're crazy"!

Stay tuned for more posts about Italy coming soon!