Thursday, December 19th – Friday, December 20th, 2019
continued…
The rain was getting heavier as we walked towards Miami. There appeared to be a car accident up ahead, so we were concerned about getting around it without ‘rubber neckers’ running us over. Fortunately, it was cleared up before we got there. A man who we had seen driving around with the decal, “Indian Outlaw” on the back of his truck ended up stopping to offer us a ride. We thanked him, but walking was our mission.
I could see the glow of the Miccosukee Casino and Resort in the distance. We were getting closer to our turn, as well as the gas station that we hoped to get food at. A cop pulled over with his lights on. We were ready to be harassed, but he wound up being very friendly, and just wanted to check and see if we were okay. A car stopped right in between us. The lady apparently thought she was getting pulled over for whatever reason.
“Excuse me ma’am I’m talking to a pedestrian. Move along.”
We thanked him for his concern and asked him about the road ahead of us, hoping to get any hints as to where we could stealth camp for the night. He told us that there wasn’t a bike path ahead. We would later realized we misheard him, and would be very relieved to discover that there was!
It was around 6:40 pm when we finished our road walk along Route 41, which was approximately 35 miles on the day. The gas station was on the corner of the Route 41 and FL-997 intersection. FL-997, also known as Krome Avenue, was our next big turn to get us into Homestead. We sat at that Pilot gas station for a while. Hoping the rain would stop. We ate a meatball sub and drank Gatorade outside. We were disappointed to find out that there wasn’t any indoor seating. I was freezing cold and wet. At one point, I attempted to dry my jacket under the bathroom hand dryer. It didn’t do the job.
Most of the people that passed through seemed pretty slimy. There was a couple sitting in their car that kept staring us down. They had been there a while, and the lack of sleep had me paranoid. I was convinced that they were waiting for us to move so they could mug us. Frisbee told me that they were probably just waiting to use the shower. There’s usually a queue.
Amidst all the shady individuals, there was one nice one who walked by me while Frisbee was looking around inside. He handed me $5, and I quickly handed it back. I thanked him for his gesture, but informed him I wasn’t homeless. He probably felt bad for the assumption. Either that, or he didn’t believe me. I’m used to people mistaking me for a homeless person. It comes with the lifestyle.
The downpour transitioned into a light mist, so we decided to head out. We were both thrilled that there was a bike path along the highway. It would have been a miserable walk if we had to dodge traffic.
Jump Ahead to Road Walk to Key West: Chapter 5
Jump Back to Road Walk to Key West: Chapter 3
or
Start from The Beginning
Stubbs Rambles On 