041408

 

walking to Weston to South Bay to Belle Glade to Canal Point, FL

Monday April 14, 2008

     6:22am  I got about eight hours of sleep. I woke up at six at my little camp right next to the highway. It was a little loud, but I still got a lot of sleep. I'm all stoned too. Wake and bake. I took like three hits. I'm going to wait for the sun to come up.

     6:48am  I'm up and at 'em walking the highway. Griffin Road 1 mile.

                   Ugh, I just saw a city bus pass by. I could've ridden the city bus down here, that sucks. It even goes further. The 23 route.

     7:21am  I just got to the Griffin Road Shell Station. I'm going to take a shit.

     8:08am  I went to the gas station and looked around for snacks before I took a shit. A can of Ravioli is like three bucks. Screw that. Oh shit, there's a Burger King next door and it's open. I asked the cashier, "Hey, can I come back and ask for rides? I'm not asking for money. I'll only ask them as they're leaving and one complaint and I'm gone. I am very selective in who I ask too. I don't just ask everybody." He frowned and said, "I can't let you do that." "Since when does it hurt to ask?" I told him and walked out of there. He yelled something at me that I didn't understand. I went to the Burger King and spent five bucks. I've got fifteen left. More like eighteen. I bought me an Enormous Breakfast Sandwich. I came to the onramp and sat down and ate it. I asked this one fire department guy how far the next gas station was. He told me to walk over the Griffin bridge here and then take a right on Weston Road and that would be a nice walk. I'm going to keep walking.

     8:21am  Walking up on Weston Road/Dykes. I see a big sign that says City of Weston. I'll take a picture of it.

     8:39am  Passing South Post Road. I can see the highway to my right. I'm walking parallel to it.

                   I could've totally ridden the 23 bus out here.

     8:45am  Passing Meridian Business Campus.

     8:48am  I am going to stop and take a breather under the shade of this tree. My pubes itch from the walking.

     9:06am  Leaving from my break. I took a picture of where I sat in the shade. I took like three big hits. I'm stoned.

     9:19am  I walked to Royal Palms Boulevard and I'm turning right. There's a sign that says I75.

     9:30am  I just got to 75. I'm going to walk down the loop thing. I'm going to walk down the hill in the grass. I just found me a tennis ball, perfect.

     9:39am  I forgot to tell you. I'm on the onramp already. I put my shirt back on. I had taken it off while I walked.

     10:25am  I stopped thumbing. I saw three cops in a row so I took that as my sign. I'm walking.

                     I paused underneath a bridge and took a piss.

     10:47am  I stopped underneath a bridge and I'm going to take my WPTMJ shirt off.

     10:55am  Nelson pulled over for me, but he's going back to Fort Lauderdale. Thanks anyway, brother. It's the thought that counts.

                     Make it happen

     11:34am  I walked almost to the turnpike. There's a Khol's.

                     I95 East. Big junction here.

     11:45am  I crossed the street and stood under the sign that says Naples and thumbed it for a while there. I got bored and figured I would just walk to the turnpike and see what they tell me. I've got money. I'll pay the toll.

     12:20pm  These two kids pulled up and asked me where I was going. I told them I was on my way to save the world. One kid told me, "Yeah, I saw you this morning wayyy down there." They split though. Hell yeah, recognized.

     12:34pm  I stopped to rest. I'll take my boots off and air out my feet.

     12:55pm  Leaving from Bonaventure Boulevard. This bridge here by the highway. I took a piss on the wall and rested. I ate some of those pretzels this Christian lady gave me last night. She gave me a big bible too, but it was too heavy. Not to mention, old.

     12:57pm  I stopped right before the bridge and switched out my tennis ball.

     1:06pm  All of a sudden State Trooper Walker pulled over and he's giving me a courtesy ride to the next gas station. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     2:02pm  I just had a badass presentation with Trooper Walker. He was smiling the whole time I was telling my story. Especially with the marijuana part. Indian Springs is where I am now. I'm fearless, hell yeah.

                     The gas station is dead. I'm not going to get a ride there. I'm going to go to the onramp and stand there with my shirt.

     2:44pm  Manon came up to me and told me that because she just saw the Into the Wild movie she felt like volunteering me a twenty dollar bill. She wished me luck. I really appreciate it, Manon. Thanks for helping me live this dream.

                    Manon is French Canadian.

                    This cop at the gas station told me he didn't think I could walk Alligator Alley.

                    I'm getting tired of the onramp. I'm going to go back to the gas station and ask them if they have any public transit that stops here. I've got money.

     3:01pm  Came back to the gas station.

     4:02pm  I had gone back to the onramp and got bored. I'm going to walk the highway. I see a sign pointing To 75.

                    Some more magic just happened! I was walking down the access road going towards 75N. What were your names? Vinny and Tom. They pulled up and one said, "Hey, havethisbook.com!" I'm going to smoke them out. How did you get my website? I gave him my website over at the Chevron off of Sheridan yesterday, I think."

                    I switched out tapes. I filled up my other one. I just got magically teleported to South Bay over by Lake Okeechobee. Wait, there's a guy with a Puerto Rico shirt at this gas station.

                    The guy with the shirt told me no. Oh yeah, I just magically teleported to South Bay on Highway 27. I'm not on 75 anymore. I want to find out if the Greyhound stops here. I've got twenty five dollars. I gave them five bucks for gas. Shit, I forgot what their names were. I had given this kid my website last night at the Shell station on Sheridan. He saw me walking today and picked me up. It sucks that I didn't get their name or even take their picture. I showed them the picture of the dead body.

                    Behold the perfection. I was just bouncing back and forth between the gas station and the onramp in Weston. Like three or four times. I said screw it, I'm going to walk it. Maybe like a mile later I get recognized and picked up.

     5:09pm  Clewiston 16, Ft. Myers 78.

     5:24pm  Permission granted at the Marathon gas station here, GR's. I'll take a picture.  Some guy.

     6:02pm  I got tired of thumbing it. I am a long-distance walker, after all. I'm going to walk to the next town. It's only fourteen miles away, Clewiston.

     6:07pm  Hmm, passing sign for Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail South Bay trailhead. Tempting. It's got a picture of a hiker with a walking stick.

     6:14pm  Coming up on Levee Road. Scenic trail .2 miles to the right. I'm going to take it.

     6:17pm  I've only got four big chocolate covered pretzels left, a Ramen noodle cake and a jumbo honey bun. That's alright until I get more food. I'm going to walk this scenic trail. I took a picture.

                    I walked to this part that dead-ends. It sucks. I have to go all the way back. The nature trail veers off to the right. I see a road on the other side of this golf course and there's this big building, I don't know what it is, I took a picture of it. It's all fenced off with barbwire everywhere. I came behind it to rest and smoke by the water. I guess I'll just climb over the wall and keep walking the scenic trail.

                   Swamp Buggy

     7:06pm  There does seem to be a way through. There's this green bridge I have to cross.

     7:09pm  On the other side of the bridge there's a sign that says, "Entering golfing area, beware of errant golf balls."

     7:18pm  Going to turn left on this road. There's a big mobile home community out here.

     7:30pm  I came in and walked around Tooley Island, this big RV park out here. Maybe I'll walk around some more and look for someone to tell my story to. Maybe I'll just forget it and double back.

     7:38pm  This kid just talked to me in a golf cart. I offered him my website and he stopped and talked to me. I told him it was all about world peace through marijuana. He smiled. He told me I was four miles away from the next store.

     7:44pm  I walked in and roamed around the RV park, but there wasn't an outlet anywhere. I walked out and on top of this hill there's a light at the drawbridge. This brother Otis gave me a ride. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     7:50pm  I am in the town of Belle Glade at the Marathon gas station.

     8:13pm  It looks like I am going to West Palm Beach. I came to this gas station here and all these cool black dudes are hanging out. They told me there's a city transit bus that goes all the way to West Palm Beach! I am all zigzagging around Florida.

     8:54pm  About five minutes ago I got on the 48 bus that came. I'll transfer to the 40 bus that will take me to West Palm Beach.

     9:00pm  We stopped at some place called West Tech. The nice bus driver, she was real talkative, she was telling me that the bus going to WPB doesn't take any passengers going back on it's last run. Duh, I was supposed to run and ask the driver if he would make an exception for me, but I spaced it. So, I'm going to keep going on the 48.

     9:24pm  Virginia, the nice bus driver, she's dropping me off in Canal Point, she just volunteered me two free bus tickets for tomorrow. I appreciate it, Virgina. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:33pm  Per Virginia's suggestion I am camped in this empty lot behind this grove of palm trees. I'll take pictures in the morning. I'm like less than a block away from where she dropped me off. We drove through Pahokee, but she didn't feel right dropping me there because of the crime and drugs. She gave me two bus tickets. That's awesome.

Next day..