Freedom – Walk Into the Future

Always remember Rosewood, Florida (Repost)

Justice

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

(Nelson Mandela)

Happy to see the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement continue to draw attention to racial injustices. The momentum gained after the George Floyd murder continues to lead people worldwide to protest injustices. It feels real this time, but I thought that after Rodney King, Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardner, and Michael Brown. Too many instances where black people are killed, and the justice system does not provide justice. Not trying to be cute with words here but most of these examples were seen on video just like George Floyd but no justice for black victims could be found.

Would like to say these are just isolated examples and America really treats black people well. Yep, we all know that would be a huge lie and I could not say that with a straight face anyway. America’s majority has treated people of color horribly and then try to convince us everything is okay. It is not and has not been okay for a long time.

Decided to go back in history and introduce Walk into the Future readers to Rosewood, Florida. Most people have never heard about Rosewood or the horror the black families endured there. It does not get the same press as the Black Wall Street massacre but is closer to home for me.

Sadly, I did not learn about Rosewood until the 1997 movie directed by John Singleton was released. I grew up in Florida and never heard a word about the massacre in a history or civics class. Rosewood is less than a two-hour drive from my hometown Jasper, Florida so it is equally shocking how close this type of mob/Klan activity was to my family.

I watched the movie and remember thinking this happened right down the street from my hometown. How is it possible I did not know about this? How could an entire town get wiped off the face of the earth and nobody said a word? This appears to be the American way. We condemn other countries and regimes for their atrocities and then hide ours from the public.

The movie stirred me to visit Rosewood in 1997 so I could see the place for myself. Sadly, the only substantial thing to identify Rosewood is a placard to let you know you are in the place where the town of Rosewood use to be. There are a few buildings there now but most of the things in the area are incorporated to Cedar Key, Florida. Felt weird being at the site of a massacre of black people but believe this was an important lesson to never forget the past so these things do not repeat. Like what is happening now; we cannot just let these injustices occur without responding in kind.

The BLM movement is here to stay, and we will need to remain vigilant to ensure human rights are respected for all. Keep learning and growing tree branches—we need you to make this a better world!

Learn more about Rosewood, Florida here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/03/rosewood-florida-massacre-racial-violence-reparations

“The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society”.

(John Lewis)

Repost from August 20, 2020.

Walking and exploring Lake Okeechobee

Lake O me

“Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life was meant to be”.

(Steve Pavlina)

My Walk into the Future has allowed me to experience some great adventures.

My adventures prior to COVID-19 took me to places that required a bit of planning. Planes, trains, and automobile (not really the train) got me from place to place so I could enjoy new places. We are slowly getting back to being able to travel again with more and more people getting vaccinated. I am excited about the possibilities of becoming a running tourist again. Please note, I signed up for the early bird special to run the 2022 New Orleans Rock n Roll Running Series Half Marathon next February. Yes, the Rock n Roll folks changed their name!

The newest adventure for me only took me 35 miles from Fort Pierce. I have traveled to the town of Okeechobee multiple times because we have a campus there. I drive over and take care of my work and then drive back to the main campus in Fort Pierce. A very routine process but realized I had never taken the time to go to Lake Okeechobee. Imagine being about 10 miles away from the largest freshwater lake in Florida but never visiting. Decided to fix this issue and get over to the lake for a little adventure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Okeechobee

My day started with the prospect of severe thunderstorms approaching the area. Luckily, I did not let this deter me from my adventure. The skies remained sunny and clear, so I took a chance (Walk into the Future) and packed a backpack and headed over to see the big lake. The drive over was around 40 minutes, so it did not take long to begin the adventure. There was not much traffic on the road, so the drive was easy. It is a farming community so not many sights to see on the drive except orange groves, farms, and cows.

I did not create a travel plan for my visit so just decided to make it up as I went. Parked at the Welcome Center and took in Lake Okeechobee from the walking bridge. This was my first view of the lake and it did not disappoint. The massiveness of Lake Okeechobee is probably the most impressive part of being there. I knew going over it was going to be a large body of water but being there and not seeing a bank on the other side was amazing. Finally got a chance to break out my new camera with my 80x zoom lens for this trip—it was needed to zoom in on objects in the distance.

I decided to go further down the road and see what other adventures Lake Okeechobee had for me. Pulled over when I saw a sign for the Lake Okeechobee Historic Trail—seemed like a great place to explore a bit more. The trail is paved so made my way east and took in the sights. There were several people at this point fishing, and they were pulling them in. Guess I will return to this spot IF I ever get into fishing—never been high on my list of hobbies to pick up. Got a 3 mile walk in on this portion of the trip and got more pictures of the lake and surrounding area. A couple riding their bikes shared they saw bald eagles a little further down the trail so decided to get back in the vehicle and drive down more to where they mentioned seeing eagles. Would love to get pictures of bald eagles in the wild! I was also racing time because the skies were getting dark—the rain was coming!

Drove another 5 miles or so down the road and pulled into another segment of the Lake Okeechobee Historic Trail. There were more people fishing here so the theme of the day is Lake Okeechobee is great if you like to fish. 😊 Again, walked on the trail heading east looking for perches eagles would populate—funny to read that last sentence—how would I know where eagles hang out???

Got a good walk in on this portion of the trail. I saw birds but nothing as interesting as bald eagle so took more pictures of the lake. I got lucky and spotted an alligator swimming in water close to Lake Okeechobee. This allowed me to utilize my zoom lens to get a good shot of a 6-foot alligator—my camera on my phone would not have allowed me to get this shot so happy to have the zoom available now. Cannot wait to take some pictures in Negril, Jamaica with a real zoom lens!

The skies got extremely dark because of the incoming bad weather so decided to cut my losses and get back on the road to head home. No need to get caught in a thunderstorm on Lake Okeechobee. This was a short trip but worth the time to drive over and explore Lake Okeechobee. May venture back over soon and experience the lake via an airboat ride. The adventures continue! 😊

“I thought it was an adventure but actually, it was life”.

(www.ecogentleman.com)

Roots, reggae, and hello 2021!

NYE

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right”.

(Oprah Winfrey)

How do you celebrate the end of the COVID-19 impacted 2020?

Wait, do not answer that! It was a trick question.

2020 was a year like none of us have ever experienced. The year started off with a lot of us using the clever (so we thought) 2020 Vision moniker but that quickly dissipated as we saw how much the pandemic would change our daily lives.

So, the answer to my trick question above is the beach—Indialantic beach to be precise.

Decided to head to my favorite beach in Melbourne, Florida to spend the last day of 2020 on the beach so I could celebrate the first day of 2021 on that same beach.

I have written about the Indialantic beach before and how I enjoy the Tiki bar at the Crowne Plaza. I have stayed there in the past but mostly just hang out there when I need a beach getaway. I was happily surprised the Crowne Plaza still had rooms available so went ahead and booked so I did not have to worry about driving around on New Year’s Eve. There were other hotels available in the area, but they did not provide the comfort of staying right on the beach.

I wanted to send 2020 out with a bang so made sure to tackle the last day of the year and enjoy it as much as possible. Of course, this meant I needed to get a great run in to celebrate the end of 2020! 😊 I got in a fast 5 mile run along Seaway Drive in Fort Pierce prior to leaving for Melbourne. Love this route because I can stop at the halfway point and recharge while on the beach. This is a great way for me to enjoy my run and take in the beach views. Yes, I made a beach stop prior to going to the beach.

Made my way north on I95 to check into the Crowne Plaza and celebrate NYE on the beach. My plan was to simply make it to the beach to relax, reflect and make some 2021 plans. It appears a lot of other folks had the same idea for a NYE beach escape since people were everywhere. I had to walk further down the beach to get away from the crowds to find a spot for me to work on my napping skills. Happy to report I found that perfect spot. Did a little reading, napping, and walking on the beach—the temperature was in the low 80s, so it was a perfect day to enjoy the beach. The water was too cold for me but there were surfers and swimmers enjoying the waves.

Got a late lunch and fruity drinks at the Tiki bar. The area was spaced out to ensure we had proper physical distancing while enjoying the atmosphere and great food. I was able to catch a couple college football bowl games while at the Tiki bar and still enjoy the sound of the waves. Great place to visit if you have never been to the Crowne Plaza in Melbourne.

The hotel had a live band scheduled to perform in the ballroom to ring in the new year. This is a Crowne Plaza tradition, but I did not drive up to be inside when there was a beach so close. My plan was to be on the beach when the clock struck midnight so I could bring in the new year with waves close by.

My timing was off a bit and I had to watch a couple episodes of the A&E show The First 48 to get me closer to midnight. I did not want to head down to the beach too early because there is not much to see when seating on the beach in the dark. FYI—I highly recommend The First 48—it is highly addictive. 😊

Made my way back down to the beach at 11:30 pm to count down the end of 2020 and ring in 2021. I love the beach and reggae so decided to combine the two while I waited to celebrate the arrival of 2021. I took a slight detour to listen to my favorite artist, Prince before switching over to Bob Marley for the rest of the night. Here is one of my favorite Prince live performances on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0VbNXafDc

I went straight to my Bob Marley YouTube playlist to finish off 2020 and ring in 2021 with roots, rock, and reggae! Luckily, we had a full moon on NYE and it really produced great images over the water. I bounced around several Bob Marly classics as I waited for 2021 to arrive. Decided to play this classic as 2020 ended and 2021 began: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USQsp_hI3Tw

Had my own little party right there on the beach as I enjoyed the full moon, beach, reggae, and my beer. Could not think of a better way to say goodbye 2020 and hello 2021 than hanging out on my favorite beach.

Started 2021 on a positive note and plan to leverage this Irie energy to make 2021 a fantastic year.

How did you celebrate the end of 2020? How will you make 2021 a great year? Thanks!

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year”.

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Always remember Rosewood, Florida

Justice

(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

(Nelson Mandela)

Learn more about Rosewood, Florida here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/03/rosewood-florida-massacre-racial-violence-reparations

“The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society”.

(John Lewis)

Repost from August 20, 2020.

Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) matters today!

BLM

(Image by Markus Winkler from Pixabay)

“Human rights are something you were born with. Human rights are your God-given rights. Human rights are the rights recognized by all nations on earth. And any time anyone violates your human rights, you can take them to court”.

(Malcolm X.)

Dictionary.com defines human rights as a right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person.

Interesting to hear politicians, everyday Americans and TV news programs talk about the Constitution but most only cite the Amendments that fit a small segment of society. A lot of folks will scream for their Second Amendment rights even though it was written when the country did not have an Army and militias were needed to defend the country. These same folks do not make a peep when the Fourteenth Amendment is brought up.

14^th Amendment cliff notes version: No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person in its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The Fourteenth amendment seems clearer to me in today’s climate than arming a militia we do not need because we have professional armed services (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Guard and Reserves). Imagine if all Americans were treated equally as described in the Fourteenth amendment. The world would be a better place right now.

Had a fantastic conversation with an older gentleman last week about all the things (protests, marches, etc.) going on after the death of George Floyd. The gentleman is a retiree and he drives the customer shuttle part time for a local car dealership. He was giving me a ride home after I dropped my vehicle off for repairs and wanted to discuss current events. He let me know he wanted to talk with someone but did not know how to start. He asked if I would be willing to talk with him so he would have a better understanding of current events. Guess I made him feel comfortable because I had only been around him 10 minutes before he decided I was the chosen one to enlighten him.

He asked me two questions:

Why are people saying Black Lives Matter (BLM), shouldn’t all live matter?
Why are the confederate statues coming down so important today?

Explained to him the BLM movement is needed to highlight the injustices black people continue to face with no end in sight. No one ever said all lives do not matter but BLM is a way to focus on people who have been marginalized, forgotten, abused, and brutalized since being brought to America. The BLM movement keeps the continued injustices against black people in America at the forefront and signals we will not be quiet anymore. Anyone who says All Lives Matter, White Lives Matter or Blue Lives Matter have not been subjected to the same level of systemic racism, policing, sentencing, violence, government oversight and oppression as the people who need you to understand Black Live Matter!

https://blacklivesmatter.com/

I let my new friend know the confederate statues were routinely placed as racial dog whistles to a past that honored men who fought to continue slavery. Most people do not know but a lot of these statues were put in place throughout the 1900’s. The state of Arizona built a confederate monument in 2010. Let me repeat that—the state of Arizona commissioned and placed a confederate monument in 2010!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Confederate_monuments_and_memorials

Placing these monuments in public places is a slap in the face of all Americans but is reprehensible for anyone who was subjected to slavery, cruelty and death at the hands of the men others are trying to honor with a heritage claim. Does Germany or Japan have statues of American Generals who fought against their countries? What would they think having to walk by statues of these people daily?

The confederates who are depicted by the statues fought against America! They would be considered enemies if they were from a different country or race. They were traitors against the American government and fought to keep black people as slaves, but some people want to hide behind a heritage claim for why these statues should remain. They are a part of history but should not be given a higher regard than true American heroes who did not become traitors against their country. Confederate generals, soldiers, sympathizers, and apologists are traitors to the American way of life. Who would claim being a traitor as a heritage to be proud of?

My new friend and I departed after having a great conversation. I am happy he felt comfortable enough to want to talk with me. He let me know he would talk with his grand kids later that day to help them understand everything happening around them and become a better BLM ally. Smalls steps on this journey!

Who can you help understand the BLM movement? What support do you need to keep the conversation moving forward?

“It’s a privilege to educate yourself about racism instead of experiencing it”.

(Sir John)

Walking and being black in America!

Candles

(Image by Pexels from Pixabay)

“To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage”.

(James Baldwin)

“I’m a black man in America so I always feel there’s a target on me”.

(Wale)

The Walk into the Future blog has provided me with a creative outlet where I can share my thoughts, leadership philosophy and life adventures. It puts a smile on my face when I look back at this journey and see the quality of my writing and content improve daily. Never thought an electronic journal would become such a huge part of my daily life. I smile every time someone follows the blog or sends me a comment.

Well, I did not smile so much today!

The battle we fight daily as black men in America has been playing out on every major TV network first with Ahmaud Arbery (killed jogging), then Breonna Taylor (killed sleeping) and now George Floyd (killed while handcuffed). Think about that last sentence for a minute!

I know there are others out there who have faced the wrath of America but there was not video evidence of what happened to them. Black America has been hoping and praying these incidents would stop and we can fully engage in the American dream—good thing I am not holding my breath—this never seems to end! Why not? I know this is not a simple question to answer but it needs to get answered soon.

Got several text messages from my friends to check on me to see how I am doing with all of this. Thank you for thinking of me and reaching out!

Think it hits closer to home with my friends because they know how much I am out and about with my running program. Seeing a black man get killed while out for a run highlighted our plight to my friends—yes, that could have been me. I have had to reassure my mom, brothers, and friends that I am doing everything I can to stay safe when I am out for a run. Sad to say I must think about being able to make it home safely when I go out for a run. How many who read my blog have these thoughts when you go for a run? Life is weird, huh?

My running outfits are selected to provide me with the most visibility as possible. The extreme bright, loud, and sometimes fluorescent colors are used so everyone will know I am not hiding anything or trying to blend in. I want to be visible and remembered by everyone who sees me running through their neighborhood. I also make a point to speak, wave, and smile at everyone I encounter because I do not want them to feel threatened. Surprisingly, most do not wave back but that is not the point of my actions. I smile and wave whenever I see a police car drive by too. Cannot be seen as a threat while exercising!

(Do I look like a runner?)

I also make a point to carry my retired Air Force identification card when I am on my runs in case I encounter police. I have found police are less threatened when they realize they are talking with someone who has served the country.

When driving I always show my military identification if I get pulled over for any reason first, then I provide whatever identification is requested. Please know both hands remain on the steering wheel and then I explain in a clear, distinct voice what I am doing if ordered to produce anything else. I am sure most black people follow this same process to avoid misunderstandings that leads to…you know!

Being a black man in America is exhausting! I have a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a Master’s degree in Counseling/Human Relations, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Air Force retiree identification and recognized nationally for authentic leadership development.

Now, imagine what black men without my credentials must do to survive in America. The insanity must stop!

NOTE: I will get back to my normal tone next week—thanks for allowing me to vent.

“I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color”.

(Malcolm X.)

“Usually, when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they are angry, they bring about change”.

(Malcolm X.)

Time for change—let’s get out and vote, remain vigilant and demand change—we must do better!

How can you help?

Start a voter registration campaign
Sign a petition
- https://colorofchange.org/
- https://www.change.org/
Stay vigilant

Great article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/05/29/george-floyd-ahmaud-arbery-killings-make-hard-blacks-breathe-column/5278108002/

My favorite thing about me!

Mirror

(Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay)

“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom”.

(Michel de Montaigne)

My efforts to create content for the Walk into the Future blog finds me conducting research in multiple locations. I’m an avid reader so of course books, online articles and other blogs catch my attention daily. The goal is to generate fresh content others would be willing to read and share with their network. Always seeking additional content ideas as I Walk into the Future.

Came across an interesting guide during my research phase called 365 Days of Writing Prompts which was created by the Word Press editors to prompt bloggers with inspiration to write every day. Some of the prompts are an attempt to give bloggers a vault of topics which hopefully leads to finished articles.

I incorporate daily thoughts, conversations and events into Walk into the Future blog posts so most of the Word Press prompts are just things for me to view—not looking to write without a real purpose since this would not help promote my why on the blog.

Found a few of the Word Press prompts interesting enough to put aside to see if I could develop a future blog post. The following prompt is my first post using the Word Press guide:

Toot your horn: Most of us are excellent at being self-deprecating and are not so good at the opposite. Tell us your favorite thing about yourself.

Perseverance is defined as persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success (Dictionary.com).

I’ve talked about superpowers and leveraging my why to make a positive difference in the world. My favorite thing about myself at this point in my Walk into the Future is my perseverance.

My goal is to tackle each day with positive energy as I continue to move forward in the world. Would like to say things always go my way but that’s not true or a realistic outcome. I continue to persevere even when things don’t follow the plan; my positive energy mantra allows me to quickly regroup, make new plans (pivot) and then move forward.

The Walk into the Future title was selected for the blog because it gives me purpose and enhances how I interact with others daily.

Perseverance in my daily Walk into the Future allows me to continue to focus on how my words, thoughts, actions and why lead to small wins daily. The win could simply be a comment from one of my tree branches, family or blog followers, but it provides the positive energy to strive to do more in this world.

So, there it is, perseverance is my favorite thing about myself! Will continue to work on projects and topics to incorporate my why to see where this journey leads. Always striving for positive energy and outcomes in everything I touch—Irie mindset daily!

What is your favorite thing about yourself? How do you display your favorite thing to others? Thanks for walking with me!

“A true genius admits he/she knows nothing”.

(Albert Einstein)

2020 Winter Park 10k and a podcast on the side

Podcast March 2020

(Image by Florante Valdez from Pixabay)

“Life is a blank canvas and you need to throw all the paint on it you can”.

(Danny Kaye)

Ventured back down to the Orlando area for the 2020 Winter Park 10k. This race has been on my running calendar the past two years because it allows me to hang out with great friends and family while running a unique course in Winter Park.

Track Shack promotes this race as a fantastic course to run a 10k personal best (PB) and it does not disappoint. There were several runners ringing the PB Bell strategically placed in the runner’s village after the race. Always exciting to see the joy a PB time brings to runners.

Mastering College to Career podcast

Coordinated with an Orlando tree branch to stop on the way down for the race to catch up a bit and record another episode on his Mastering College to Career podcast.

The podcast is Daniel Botero’s way to Walk into the Future and he has added on-line courses, videos and workbooks to go along with the weekly podcast episode. Very proud of his efforts and the difference he’s making with college students transitioning into the workplace.

Daniel provides me with the topic of discussion prior to the podcast and then we get to work. I’ve known Daniel since 2011 so we have a great working relationship and energize each other when we are in the same room. He wanted his students to understand the behind the scenes interactions between on-campus recruiters and career centers. The goal was to provide students with a better understanding how/why employers recruit on their campuses and the work involved to get them there. Was very happy to share my career center and employer relations knowledge with Daniel for the podcast and helping his students.

Found out I’m the first person on Daniel’s podcast to return for a third time. This put a smile on my face, but the smile got bigger because Daniel asked me to cut another podcast episode before I left his recording studio. So, it turns out I’m the only four-time guest on the podcast now. The additional podcast episode was to highlight the recruiting calendar employers utilize when deciding which campuses to visit. What a great way to start my race weekend! Got a chance to catch up with Daniel and cut two podcast episodes to help his students continue to move forward in life. (Both episodes should be live in April 2020).

Left Daniel’s recording studio and headed straight to Track Shack to pick up my race packet. Always exciting to see the Track Shack staff engaging with runners buying new gear. Love they host a spring sale the entire week of the Winter Park 10k race. Always can find some new gear and the sale prices are fantastic. Got a chance to chat with one of the Track Shack owners who I met one morning while running in Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee. Turns out her daughter lives in Tallahassee and works at FSU—small world!

Carb loading

Headed to my favorite Italian restaurant, Café Panuzzo’s with Jayla to carb load and catch up. We normally dine at Café Panuzzo’s or Buffalo Wild Wings prior to my races and Italian dining won this round. Café Panuzzo’s never disappoints when we visit. I stuck to my normal selection of chicken parmesan with pasta and Jayla got adventurous with the calzone. Got a double order of bread since my goal was to get as many carbs as possible prior to the 10k. Most got burned off the next morning, so no harm and their bread is fantastic!

https://cafepanuzzos.com/

Winter Park 10k

The morning started out cooler than expected but was great once we got started. Told several tree branches prior my goal was to run fast this year and wanted to record a good time. Happy to report I ran a 10k PB of 56:41 and felt good during and after the race.

Track Shack does not use the corral format for races so the first mile was crowded with runners of all levels and time expectations. Decided to patiently work my way through the crowd and then pick up my pace once the runners thinned a bit. Made up most of my slow start once the course flattened and went about my plan to go faster this year. Knew my time was going to be good (for me) at the 4-mile mark and got comfortable with my pace and breathing. Decided to pick up my pace at the 5-mile mark to see how much improvements I’ve made in the past year. Was able to pass several other runners and get to the finish line with a smile on my face. Learned to smile crossing the finish line since everyone with a camera is snapping away.

Got my medal, checked my time and rang the PB bell too. Great race, people and after party! Can’t beat drinking a beer and eating donuts at 9 am in the morning. Running is the best way to stay in shape and overindulge at the same time.

Will keep this race on my calendar because it’s fun and they will always have beer at the end! 😊

What podcasts do you listen to? How have the podcasts helped you Walk into the Future?

“Oh, the places you’ll go”.

(Dr. Seuss)

Follow Daniel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedanielbotero/

Follow Track Shack here: https://www.trackshack.com/

Run Winter Park

Walking in the Future without a return date

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

“I want to move and go places and never look back. Just have fun, forever”.

(Josephine Marcus from the 1993 movie, Tombstone)

I love the quote above for the simple nature of how it signifies life should be fun.

The quote was a response to a question Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) asked Josephine Marcus (Dana Delaney) in the 1993 movie, Tombstone. He was trying to understand how Josephine defined the concept of happiness.

My current Walk into the Future has a bit of resemblance to Josephine’s view with a slight twist.

I constantly seek out opportunities and adventures that excite me and then find ways to incorporate these things into my current walk. Had another interesting conversation with a longtime friend prior to heading to Philadelphia for the 2019 Philly Rock n Roll half marathon.

My travel itinerary was the topic of discussion and I revealed in my typical Walk into the Future fashion the following things were known about my trip:

Hotel reservation confirmed
Race registration confirmed
Arrival flight confirmed

The list above did not have an official return date from Philadelphia. To me, this was not a big deal, just part of how I Walk into the Future.

My friend quickly became worried for me because going somewhere new without a return date was/is a foreign concept to most people. FYI, for me this is an exciting part of the walk! Please note, I knew when I planned to come back, I just didn’t book the return flight at the same time as my departure.

Southwest Airlines tends to reduce flight prices to ensure they have full flights. I simply gambled on the premise they would lower the price for the return flight from Philly and it happened. Spent less coming back than I did going up because of my ability to walk without a return date.

Don’t consider myself as a travel pioneer; I’m sure other people have flexible travel schedules. This flexibility is an exciting aspect when traveling. I routinely book travel at the last minute because of the great deals I’ve been able to get in the past. Please note, it does not always work in my favor and I end up spending the same or more for my travel adventures. Can’t complain when this happens since I normally come out ahead more times than not.

I book with a more traditional travel concept when friends and family travel with me. My wait and see program can cause some level of anxiety so I’m mindful to eliminate this when others are counting on me being in a specific location at a specific time.

Plan to explore new destinations in 2020 and will not be pressed by a return date. Will continue Walking into the Future with no return date; been a fun journey so far! 😊

Where would you travel without a return date? Would you find this exciting or scary?

“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better”.

(Albert Camus)

(Downtown Philly!)

Walking and exploring the Great Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg, Tennessee)

My adventure in the Smoky Mountains!

Smokey Mountains hue

“Live a life of quiet inspiration.”

(William Britten)

Why Gatlinburg?

There’s an old saying “The mountains are calling, and I must go” attributed to John Muir who spent his life advocating for wilderness preservation. I would like to think John Muir’s words were instrumental to my trek back up to the Smoky mountains and Gatlinburg in particular.

My true inspiration to get back in the mountains came from an August 2019 NBC Nightly News special on a new Gatlinburg attraction, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/take-a-trip-to-the-longest-pedestrian-suspension-bridge-in-north-america-67497029583

Requested my 2019 Gatlinburg Vacation Guide when the news went off

I’ve been in the Smokey mountains and Gatlinburg years ago but seeing the suspension bridge on TV got me excited to go back to the mountains and explore. Finally, just decided to head up in mid-November before the weather got too cold and snow covered the mountain roads. I’m good driving in the mountains but didn’t want to fight ice and snow as I made my way through the winding roads. Got lucky with sunny weather and high temps in the low 50s. Turned out to be ideal hiking weather and didn’t have to wear too many layers of clothes to stay warm. Started peeling off layers about an hour into my first hike.

Hiking the Smokey Mountains

So, this is where I apologize to all my friends who have been avid hikers over the years. I didn’t fully get the concept of hiking because I’m always looking for my next training run. Texted a few of them to admit my error while I was out on my first hike of the day. I fully get hiking now—it was an amazing experience and can’t wait to do it again!

Started the hiking adventure on the Trails in the Sugarland Area which is the first Smokey mountain hiking area leaving Gatlinburg. Decided this would be a nice warm up trail to get me out and exploring. Got a map and quick briefing at the Welcome Center and then I was off on the trails. Didn’t know what I would see on this trail but was excited to begin the adventure.

Well, to my surprise almost got run over by a deer and while trying to take a picture of the buck, saw a flock of turkeys coming up behind me—this was the first 5 minutes of my hike! LOL. Believe this episode is where I decided hiking is the greatest thing ever—this flurry of wildlife activity got me ready to see more. Didn’t get a picture of the deer since I was trying to keep the turkeys in range to take a picture of them.

Continued the trails to see what else was ahead and came to the John Ownby cabin. The structure was in decent shape and highlights how early mountain folks lived. This was also a good place to take a break and take in everything I had experienced in a short period of time. This is also the spot I texted my friends to say I get hiking now! 😊 Left the cabin and got on the next trail head and made it over to Cataract Falls. Thought this was going to be a larger area but was happy with the scenic beauty I saw hiking over to the falls. Only saw a few hikers out but everyone was friendly. Got a chance to take pictures at the falls and sit awhile to admire the surroundings. Very peaceful, quiet and refreshing time sitting at the falls. Covered about 3 miles on this hiking segment. Wanted to explore a bit more in this area but decided to move on after the tour buses started dropping groups off—the trail heads got crowded quickly!

Moved further into the Smokey mountains and made my way to the Sugarland Parks Trail. Similar name as the first adventure but this was a .5-mile paved trail. Not much wildlife to see on this trail but had great water views and river scenery. Didn’t spend a lot of time here because it was a short, one loop trail.

Decided to venture further up the mountain to see what other adventures were waiting. Saw several stop points on the way and pulled over at the Carlos C. Campbell Overlook. No trails here but the view of the mountains was tremendous! Had this area to myself so took advantage of the photo opportunity while it lasted.

Campbell Overlook

Next stop was the Gatlinburg trail which had a little bit of everything. Trails, rivers, bridges, climbs, drops and wildlife. Spent quite a bit of time exploring on this trail just enjoying the experience and nature. Covered 10 miles total hiking on the different trails during my Smoky mountain adventures.

Skybridge

Got a quick lunch after my hiking adventures and headed to the main reason for my visit, the Gatlinburg Skybridge. Gatlinburg has always had a Sky Lift Park to haul people up the mountain to get a higher view of the area.

The Skybridge is a new addition to Sky Lift Park and has become the main attraction for most people to see when visiting Gatlinburg. It did not disappoint! It’s a suspension bridge so it moves while walking on it—it really moves with a lot of people walking on it! There were several folks on the bridge who didn’t look so happy with their decision to make the walk across. The Skybridge is an excellent way to view Gatlinburg, see the surrounding mountains tops and people watch. The pass for Sky Lift Park is good for the entire day so I was able to come back once it got dark to experience the ride up and the bridge at night. Didn’t stay as long the second time up because it started getting cold when the sun went down.

https://www.gatlinburgskylift.com/skybridge

Moonshine tasting

The Gatlinburg Vacation guide was an excellent resource to help plan out my activities. Discovered Gatlinburg has several distilleries and wineries right downtown. I’ve toured rum and whiskey distilleries in the past but never a moonshine tour. Researched the moonshine distilleries and decided to visit multiple since they were so close to each other and walkable. My first stop was the Ole Smokey Moonshine Distillery because of the variety of flavors they make. $5 gets you a taste of every moonshine flavor/proof in the store.

These range from 128 proof down to 40 proof with different flavors: https://olesmoky.com/collections/moonshine.

Made sure I ate before touring the moonshine distilleries—good thing because moonshine has a kick to it. 😊

Next, made my way down the street to visit Sugarlands Distilling Company to see what they had: https://www.sugarlands.com/moonshine/.

They had some unique moonshine flavors and names but gave several of them a try during my tasting tour. FYI, moonshine really warms you up, didn’t feel the cold after my sipping tour of moonshine distilleries.

Decided to head back to Ole Smokey Moonshine Distillery and went right to the top of the moonshine proof levels—got the Blue Flame (128 proof). Will probably be sipping on this jar of moonshine for months—not for heavy consumption.

Freedom to travel

2019 has been an adventurous year for me to explore. I’ve been blessed to have the ability to pick places to visit and then make my way there. I’ve explored places I’ve always wanted to visit and some of my favorite places again. Looking forward to seeing where 2020 takes me! I plan to keep Walking into the Future with no return date! 😊

Lessons learned

Never drive in the Smoky mountains at night— (1) it’s scary and (2) you miss the scenic beauty of the mountains
North Carolina / East Tennessee BBQ sauce is vinegar based; I don’t like vinegar in my BBQ sauce
Hiking is a fantastic pastime! Will find other areas to explore this new hobby! 😊
I like moonshine! It mixes great with fruit punch
Gatlinburg has a walkable downtown area—find a place to park and walk around to enjoy the attractions

Thanks for walking with me!

Where have you always wanted to visit? How much hiking do you plan to do in 2020?

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