Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday

Around 10:30pm a car pulled up to the library and then quickly drove off. Five minutes later it was back with two police officers. The woman got out of her car and I said "was that necessary?" She replied "I just want to return my books and you scared me". She left and the cops came over. I told them about my walk and they ran my ID. After it came back clean, they said it was fine to stay the night.

People here are very concerned about late fees. Someone returned a book at 3:30am. More people came and went as the sun rose and prior to the library opening. When the library did open I used the restroom and filled my water bottles then headed out of town.

I walked on the same road all day. Mostly passed farms and a few residential areas. Around Hebron a man invited me inside for a soda. I drank three. He gave Brown some food and water as well. We continued on. My destination was the truck stop off highway 65. There is a Dennys and Pilot Flying J and a few other fast food options there. I set up camp behind the trucks and Arby's.

I got Brown a roast beef sandwich from Arby's and I went to Dennys. After I ate I read my book and eventually went to bed. It rained overnight.

Wednesday morning I woke up and went to Dennys again. They have a two dollar menu. I then packed up and sat outside the Pilot gas station charging my phone and reading. While sitting there someone gave me their leftovers for Brown. He got french toast, pancakes and sausage.

There was a guy asking for gas money. We were talking for a bit. I was about to offer him gas money for a ride when the manager came over and kicked him off property. Turns out he wasn't using the money he was getting for gas. Once my phone was fully charged, I began walking. Yes, along farm roads. Until I reached Crown Point.

If the country is in a housing recession, this town doesn't know about it. I walked through several new neighborhoods and many under construction. New schools, the hospital has a new wing. There was a lot of construction on the south side of the town. Once passed that, walking down Main St was lovely. Large mature Oaks and maples and homes in all different styles from different decades. All with character and charm and nicely manicured. The downtown area is also nice. The old store fronts had businesses rather than being abandoned. Nice town.

As I walked further through town, I passed a Domino's. An employee came out and called out to me and gave me a medium cheese pizza for free! A few blocks further I reached the Erie-Lackawanna trail head. There's a Walgreens at the trail head. I sat outside on a bench and began to enjoy my pizza. A car drove by and a guy got out and said "no offense, but are you homeless". I really gotta work on my image. I told him no, I am hiking across the country. He was going to offer assistance, I declined and thanked him. It made me happy that he stopped to help what he thought was a homeless man.

After Brown and I finished our pizza we jumped on the trail. While walking a man on his bicycle stopped to talk and walked a bit with me. He's a veterinarian and was kind enough to check out Brown's paws for me. We chatted a bit and then he was off. Roughly two miles up the trail I found the picnic pavilion I planned on camping at. I finished reading my book while waiting for it to get dark.  A cyclist gave me a protein bar. Once it got dark I set my tent up. Richard, the veterinarian came by with some cookies and medicine for Brown. It was so nice!

After he left I went to bed. Figured I'd have to be up and out early since this is a popular trail.

Thursday morning we packed up and headed down the trail. It didn't take long for the mosquitoes to smell me out. We had a small swarm following us. Up the trail a bit I ran into Bill. He hangs out in a pavilion in the town of Griffith. He's a bike mechanic and helps people out for donations. He said he would do it for free because he loves meeting and helping people but the city made him get a permit. Anyway he has mosquito repellent handy and lets me use some. We chatted for awhile and then I finally got moving.

I continued up the Erie-Lackawanna trail and parted with the American Discovery Trail. The ADT doesn't head into Chicago. I was headed to Wolf Lake to camp but I ended up only making it to Hammond. A man waved me over from the side of the trail. I was weary at first but the fire station was right there. Well within ear shot of my whistle. He asked how far I was traveling and where to. I told him about my journey. He's a homeless Vietnam Veteran. Him and another vet sleep in a small clearing off the trail hidden by trees. He suggested that I camp out with them for the night.

I said OK. While the two of them drank their dollar beers, I listened to stories about the war. They were impressed with my cook stove. I was sad that they didn't even have tents or tarps. They just strung whatever fabric they could find over the tree branches and spread more on the ground. With what little they had, they were offering me their gloves and ear warmers. I refused, I knew they needed it more than I did. When one of them went to sleep, I turned in also. The other guy stayed up talking to himself.

Friday morning when I woke up, he was gone. The other guy was going to grab some coffee so I gave him a couple bucks to grab me one as well.  As soon as I finished packing up he came back with the coffee. He reviewed my map and offered some advice. He grew up in Chicago and is very familiar with the area.

I originally was going to grab a hotel in Chicago for two nights. However, there's a huge conference in town. The affordable hotels were booked up and everyone else raised their rates on the weekend. I couldn't find anything affordable. I decided to get my rental car early and sleep in it for a night.

I headed out and soon ran out of trail. I walked through mostly neighborhoods until Wolf Lake. There I hopped on the Burnham Greenway trail. Again I ran out of trail and made my way to the car rental place. Unfortunately, you need a credit card to rent a car from Enterprise if you have an out of state ID. I only have a debit card.  There was a Hertz next door, so I tried there. They do it but were out of cars. I felt devastated. How would I get out of Chicago and down to the southern leg of the ADT? I was at a loss.

While sitting there I saw some people returning cars so I figured I would check back. They had one left but were reluctant to rent it out. Probably 1) because I look homeless, 2) you aren't supposed to have pets in the cars and 3) because the car had definitely just been used to transport weed. He said he would put on the paper that the car smelt like smoke, so I wouldn't get charged. The car smelt like weed, not smoke.

I drove towards the city on Lake Shore Drive. Slight traffic when I got there, but I didn't mind. It allowed me to look up at the buildings. Just past the main downtown area, I stopped in a park and people watched. Then tore the car apart and found a lighter, an ice cream sandwich wrapper, natural male stimulant and a small amount of weed. I swear there's more in there, the car still smells of it.

I drove back south through the city and caught the sunset over the skyline in a park. I decided it would be to difficult to sight see the next day. With a dog and a car, I would be limited. I settled for just a driving tour of Chicago. I made for the highway and headed south. Moving that fast is pretty scary. The milage you can cover in a car is intense. I drove until one in the morning and pulled off. There's a hotel there so I parked there and camped out in the car.

Saturday morning I woke up and entered the hotel through a side door. I ate as much as I could, then hit the road. I reached Evansville and found a park to hang out in. I also found a Barnes and Noble across town. This town is very spread out. I got the third book in the series. Went for dinner at Golden Corral. Binged. Ended up back at the park reading. Probably going to park in a hotel parking lot tonight. Get some free breakfast again in the morning.

Thank you readers and people I've met this week. Thank you everyone for the kindness you've shown me.

"Oh darling, when it's you I see in headlights, driving down the golden highway. And salvation in the beauty of some brace. And the deer is gone without me to the valley of surrender. There is still another world along it's tracks"

Saturday/Sunday/Monday

Saturday morning I woke up and made some coffee. I packed up and left the trailer around ten. I headed out of town and it became clear I was in for another day of road walking. All I see are massive fields. Farm after farm. We take short breaks under the few trees that line the road. Brown jumps in the ditches and cools off where he can.

I was headed to Tippecanoe State Park. When I finally got there I was happy to be on a trail, in a forest for the first time since I crossed into Indiana. Bittersweet though. This SP is teeming with mosquitoes. Not just a few, but swarms. I reached the park office and explain my walk. I know it's Memorial Day Weekend but ask if there are any campsites available. The ranger told me that by law they're required to keep a few unmarked sites available in case of thru hikers or bikers.

I get to my campsite and set up and end up jumping in the tent. The mosquitoes are too much to contend with. I nap for an hour or two. I woke up to cook dinner but wished I had gone hungry. I was slapping myself like crazy trying to fight them off. After I was done cooking, I sat in my tent eating, trying to count the mosquitoes hanging out on the outside of my tent. I stopped counting at sixty.

I felt trapped in my tent. Eventually the park rangers drove by spraying something from their truck. Probably deet, probably dangerous to breathe. It did nothing to stop the swarm.

Sunday morning I woke up and dreaded having to leave the tent. While packing up I was barraged. I packed up as fast as possible and headed out of there. I was followed for two miles through the park to the main road. Getting bit up the entire way.

A couple miles up the road I stopped at a gas station/deli and got a sandwich. Just up the road I hopped on the Erie-Monterrey rail trail to the town of North Judson. Pretty much similar to the rail trails I've been on through Indiana. Farms on either side of the trail. Not enough trees or shade to break the baking sun.

When I reached North Judson, I was hot and out of water. I hit up the grocery store and purchased a gallon of water, a watermelon and lemon sherbet. I devoured the sherbet immediately. Then walked to the park. I figured I would camp in the park and sat on the bench reading my book until dark. I pitched my tent, crawled inside and went to bed.

Monday morning I woke up to police outside my tent. I told them about my walk and fortunately they were understanding. They told me there was going to be a Memorial Day Parade here in a few hours and I needed to be gone soon. I packed up then sliced open my watermelon and ate the whole thing for breakfast. It was amazing.

As people began to gather for the parade, I picked up my bag and headed out of town. If you guessed that I would be walking on farm roads past huge sprawling corn fields, then you guessed right. I'm desperate for a change in scenery. I passed a house with a family outside unhitching their camper from their truck. The dad asked me where I was headed and I began the story of my travels. He offered me a soda and pointed me in the direction of Kouts. I was headed there to camp. I told him I was probably going to camp at the library since there would be shelter from the evenings thunderstorms.

When I reached Koutz, I sat down at the bench outside the library, pulled out my book and read. Twenty minutes later the man I had met a few miles back pulled up and gave me another soda and a gatorade. I thanked him for his kindness. The lightening, thunder and rain came around eight thirty. It continues as I write this.

Oddly enough people have come up to the library to return things. The most recent at ten. I feel awkward, I look pretty dirty from sweating the past few days. Haven't showered since Wednesday.  Huddled under an awning, I probably look homeless. I began to wonder if people in these small towns have seen homeless people before? If there are even homeless people around here? Towns with no more than two thousand residents.

I just realized I'm in a new time zone. Thank you readers. Thank you Mr. Miller for the sodas.

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday

Wednesday morning I woke up and began packing up eyeing the dark clouds overhead. I walked over to the pizza place and used the restroom. When I came out it began to pour. I sat around for a bit and chatted with the owner. An hour later the rain stopped and I headed back to the trail. At this point Brown was not feeling it and lied down. His paws are worn so thin. I let him rest for a little longer, then we continued on.

The temperature rose and the humidity was thick. The sun beat down on us on the walk today. Nineteen miles on the bike trail. No shade. The trail is surrounded by farms. Farmers apparently don't like trees. They block the sun from their crops. So each time we rested it was in the sun. I had only two liters of water on me and no store on this stretch of trail. I have been reluctant to filter the creek water I've seen because I'm sure it's full of fertilizer and pesticide run off.

Each break I examine Brown's paws. They have begun bleeding. I feel so bad but he doesn't seem to notice. He keeps on trekking. We eventually make it to Rochester, IN.

There's a Walmart and I head in for some ice cream. I checked into the Super 8 and rubbed lotion on Brown's paws. Which he licks right off. Tomorrow is our weekly zero day. Hopefully the rest will help his little pads heal.

Thursday we spent the day hanging out. I did my laundry in the sink. Then I walked to the post office to pick up my resupply package. Also I ordered a new hip belt for my backpack. I've lost enough weight for the old one to be obsolete. It was at the post office waiting for me. The rest of the day I spent catching up on shows I used to watch.

Friday morning I wake up and binge on the free breakfast. I headed back to the room and packed up. We headed out of town and onto a long stretch of farm road. At this point I feel I will be able to see these crops through. From seedlings to new growth; eventually I'll be able to see full grown corn stalks. All I see is field after field of corn at different stages of growth. Over it. All I can say is: at least it's flat.

Fifteen miles later I made it to Bruce Lake. There's a camper/trailer park called Hoosier Hideaway. I walked up to the office and asked if I could camp here. The owner said they don't really do tent camping but I could set up in his yard if I wanted. As soon as I got my tent up he came over to me and said: "if you're only staying one night, I have an extra trailer that no one is using. You're welcome to it." So I packed my tent up and am in a double wide, three bedroom trailer! After we settled in Brown and I went down to the shore and played tether ball.

Tried to watch the meteor shower around 10:30 but didn't see anything. I didn't want to stay up too late for it so I went to bed.

Thank you readers. Happy Memorial Day weekend. Five more days to Chicago! I'm pretty excited.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday/Tuesday

Thursday was a zero day. I ended up doing my laundry in the sink and laying in bed catching up on season four of Game of Thrones. For dinner I went to one of those huge Chinese buffets and binged.

Friday morning I woke up and headed downstairs for breakfast. I went back upstairs and packed up then hit the road. Two hours into my walk it started to rain. I passed through the town of Gaston and sat under an awning for awhile to let the storm pass. While sitting outside of this building I met the kind ladies that work inside. They loved Brownie and watched him for me while I grabbed a coffee from across the street.

After the rain died down, I headed out of town. I walked for about five miles along farms to the next town, Matthews. I located the library/community center/musuem/police station building. None of those services were open so I headed around back and sat beneath an over hang. No sooner did I get under the over hang when it started to hail. Small, slightly larger than rice. It was brief and I set my tent up afterwards and settled in behind the community center.

Saturday morning I woke up early fearing that the playground or library or police station would have people coming around. No one came. I had a ten miles of road walking before I reached the trail head. The rail trail couldn't get the trail to connect due to adjacent land owners who are given first right. The farmers along this section of abandoned rail line purchased the section of old rail making for road walking or biking in this area.  Thanks...

The trail starts back up in the town of Jonesboro. As soon as I hit the trail head it began to rain. I pulled out my tarp and draped it over Brownie and I. It had seemed like forever since I had a dry day and I felt worn down. When it stopped I continued walking.  I reached Marion the town I had intended on camping in.

There was a park in along the trail and I decided this is where I'll camp. It was early still and I saw on my map that there was a store nearby. I walked to Family Dollar to buy some water and chips. As I sat outside the store eating it began to rain again. A woman saw me feeding some to Brown on her way in the store and came out the store with dog biscuits for him. When it stopped raining I headed back to the park.  Since it was still early I sat on the picnic table reading. A young boy of thirteen came up and began talking to me. He talked so much he barely paused between sentences and subjects. Sitting with him was slightly exhausting. When his sister walked by she told him not to talk to strangers. I thought this would get him to leave, but he stayed. Eventually his parents came by and I could tell by the way they screamed his name from the car they were upset with him. Probably for talking to strangers.

When it was just before dark I set my tent up behind some trees. I settled in and fell asleep exhausted.
Sunday morning I woke up early again. Fearing that because I was in a park people would be out and about. Not a single person. I packed up and began down the trail. After a distance the Cardinal Greenway trail gives way to the Sweetser Trail.
This trail is short and soon I'm back to road walking along massive farms. The roads cut through at square mile intervals, making each farm 640ish acres. Not a single tree lines the road and I'm to walk twelve miles to reach the next trail head.  I had plans of camping somewhere along this stretch. However,  that is easier said than done, when corn fields stretch right up to the side if the road. I checked my map and saw a church a little further up and decided to head a half mile off the trail to camp there.

When I reached the church, a few people were left packing some stuff up. I went in and told them of my walk and asked if I may camp out back. They were very kind and said of course. Thank you Miami Howard Mennonite Church for your hospitality. I set my tent up by the playground, cooked dinner and listened to the horse and buggies riding by. The clipity clop of their hooves makes me giggle. After some reading I was off to sleep.

Monday morning I woke up as a car pulled into the church parking lot. I went inside to use the restroom and met the pastor. Ben was very nice and listened to the story of my journey and offered me coffee. After I packed up I headed off to finish the stretch of road before the next trail head.

Just a mile shy of the Nickel Plate Trail a woman pulled along side and asked me if I needed any food. I always need food.  I said yes and she said she'd meet me up the road a bit. She drove back home and filled a bag with cliff bars, nature valley bars, water bottles and mini muffins. So kind! When I reached the trail head I sat on the bench and devoured half of what she gave me.
While I was sitting there a woman working for Edward Jones was going door to door. She spotted me and came over to chat. One look at me and you can assume I'm not a target audience for investment brokers. However, she came over anyway. We chatted and I learned a little about her life. She's from a few towns north of here called Peru. Where there is a circus musuem. A family tradition, she joined the circus when she was young. She lived in China and shot her husband out of a cannon for many years before returning state side. What a crazy adventure to have when you are young, I thought!

Anyway, after a while I started walking again. I was headed to the town of Bunker Hill. When I reached the town I looked at my map and saw a park on the opposite side and headed there to make camp. As I walked past what was once a main street with shops, now all empty, I met Jeff.

I told him about my walk and said I was going to camp at the park. He said that he just bought two of the buildings on this street with intent to fix them and sell them. He offered me to stay in one for the night. Six thousand square feet, I felt like a king. We chatted for hours, Jeff is an incredibly interesting guy with some good ideas. He has a future philosophy for better infrastructure and city development that demands fewer resources and has put it into a book. Newopolis. He even gave me a copy for free. You can also check out Newopolis.com.

Hours later he went back to his building and I to mine. I ran over to the convenience store for some ice cream before bed though.

Tuesday morning I was walking Brown when I saw Jeff outside. He gave me an apple, a banana and a granola bar and said he'd be back with coffee. Sure enough ten minutes later he was back with coffee. We again talked for a few hours before we both decided we needed to get on with our day. I thanked him for letting me stay and assured him I'd keep in touch.

I hit the trail and walked for six miles before hitting the town of Peru. Just off the trail is a Kroger. I've been craving watermelon for days and decided I had to have some. While inside I ran into Jeff again. He had come to Kroger to grab lunch since Bunker Hill is too small for anything but a convenience store. While I was sitting outside eating my watermelon with a spoon he came out, gave me two cheese sticks and said goodbye.

I called my good friend Brad who I've known since kindergarten and miss very much. After the watermelon and the conversation I walked back to the trail. Brown was tired and just wanted to lie down so I extended our break. While sitting there reading, I met two guys who work for the Nickel Plate Trail. We chatted for a bit about my walk and they told me what to expect ahead.

The next few miles were slow moving as Brown needed to stop and rest every thirty minutes. The day was much hotter than it had been. Three miles later I gave him another full hour break. We still had six miles left though. It was later in the day and this part of the trail had plenty of tree cover. We powered through the last section only stopping once for twenty minutes.

I reached the town of Denver and saw that in the park I planned on camping in, there were children's baseball games underway. I found a pizza/ice cream place next to the park and ordered a medium pizza with brocoli. I ate the whole thing giving Brown my crust. I met the owner and he gave me a free soda! He's a nice guy and gives free ice cream to the kids after their baseball games. He told me to swing by in the morning if I needed to use the restroom.

After the games ended I went back to the park. There's lightening in the sky and forecast for storms all day tomorrow. Two dry days are all I get? I guess you can't win them all.



I'm grateful for every day. Each day I wake up and know the challenge I face. Yet I gather my strength and carry on. My feet blistered and sore. My back and shoulders ache. Each day drags on and on, dull and boring, the steps I take seem endless. The time seems to pass slower and slower. I don't know what keeps pushing me forward. I have nothing at the end of this road. I'll be spent financially when this journey is over. And yet every day I put on my heavy pack, put one foot in front of the other and I march.

Thank you readers. Thank you to those I met this week. Those who have provided food, shelter, money and conversation. You all brighten my day like you wouldn't believe.

"I’m losing sleep. I’m losing friends. I’ve got a love/hate/love with each city I’m in. I’ll count the hours, having just one wish. If I’m doing fine, there’s no point to this."

Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday

Happy Birthday to my amazing mother!

Sunday morning I woke up and began packing up. As soon as I had my things out of the tent I looked up and saw dark clouds moving very quickly towards me. Moments later the rain came. I threw everything back in the tent and decided to wait it out.

An hour or two later it stopped raining and I began to pack up again. I was excited for today because I was going to cross into Indiana and say goodbye to Ohio! I was determined to reach Richmond. It was a twenty two mile walk entirely on farm roads. Land that stretches for as far as the eye can see. Dotted with silos, farm houses and barns. It was a pretty hot day but there were plenty of creek crossings; every time we passed one Brown would jump in and dunk his body under to cool off.

As soon as we crossed the state line Indiana welcomed us with a rain shower. Only for about thirty minutes, just long enough to get us wet. Slowly the farms gave way to horse stables then to homes then to Richmond proper. I decided to grab a room for the night. One more hotel stay and I'll have enough points for two free nights! Before I got to the hotel I passed a book store, I ran in and bought the next book in the Game of Thrones series.

I showered and spread my things out across the hotel room to dry. I was starving, the only thing I ate all day was a protein bar. The closest restaurant was Red Lobster. Being from a coastal area and then moving to another coastal area, now currently 1,000 miles from the coast, being particular about my seafood, I wasn't so sure. However, it was the closest and I was starving. I sat at the bar and was helped by two awesome bartenders, they were happy to hear my story. I even got a free drink! Ironically enough on the TV above the bar the Indiana Pacers were playing the Washington Wizards.

I headed back to my room and found Brown sprawled across the bed. I tackled him and began pulling ticks off. When I was finished I had pulled off forty five ticks. Shortly after we fell asleep.

Monday I woke up and headed down stairs for breakfast. Obviously I ate enough for three people. The people that shuffled down after me were saying how there wasn't much food left. I hid my first two plates under my third and agreed with them. The early bird gets the worm? I brought sausage back up to the room for Brown and began packing up.

We walked a short distance when I noticed Brown limping. He would walk a short distance and lie down.  I examined his paws and there wasn't any major cracks. I made him walk a little further to the grocery store let him lie down and went inside. I bought dog food and a veggie platter. I then went next door to Walmart to look for dog paw treatment stuff. They had a dry skin and paw lotion. It'll do for now but I need to look into ordering something a little more serious.

We continued down the street and his limping continued. We were headed towards the river to the Cardinal Greenway trail. A nice gentleman saw us struggling and offered a ride. Turns out his son was just named National Geographic's adventurer of the year. www.wildernessclassroom.com He told me about his own adventure hitchhiking across the country in the 70's. He was happy that I was living the dream and experiencing life while I was young.

He dropped me off at the trail head by the river and said goodbye. Shortly down the trail I met up with Aaron. He's the nephew of Judy and Dee, family friends of ours. He rode his bike east last year and hopes to ride west next year. He gave me some tips about the trail ahead and then Brown and I were off. The forecast keeps threatening thunderstorms but keeps giving us hot sunny days instead. Fortunately there's no shortage of lakes, rivers and creeks on the trail for Brown to cool off in.

Since I would have to camp along the trail, I would have to wait until dark to pitch my tent. When I was sure there was no one left on the trail I found a rare piece of grass and set up. Most of the land along the trail is uneven, ditch down then an embankment up, surrounded by private property. I read for a bit then fell asleep.

Tuesday morning I woke up and as I was packing up a man rode by on his bike. Fortunately he didn't say anything. My destination today: Losantville. I had a resupply package waiting for me there.

Today as I passed the town of Economy (seven miles before Losantville) I hit my 1,000th mile. After that I walked with a smile on my face and jammed out singing loudly. Huge farms lined the trail and powerful gusts of wind swept across the flat land. It felt good to be here and be alive. Except when I would pass the cow farms. They always smell awful.

I finally reached Losantville. I hit up the post office to find two extra packages!! One from my friend Felicia contained six boxes of girl scout cookies! The other from my Uncle and his fiancé. This box had dried fruit in it. I ate an entire bag of dried peaches right there. I have been craving fruit for so long now. I was so happy! There were also dog biscuits in there for Brown. He scarfed down a bunch. Thank you for the packages!!!!

My pack is now stuffed to the brim. I'm still carrying Brown's pack for him so I'm practically about to fall over. I was going to celebrate my 1000th mile by grabbing pizza tonight but I'm going to eat my own food and lighten my load instead.

Tomorrow I head towards Muncie. I've got a day off scheduled there the following day; hopefully I can find something to do. If not reading and eating sound good to me.

Wednesday morning I woke up and packed up. As soon as I put my bag on the rain started. The temperature dropped as well, it was in the low sixties today. I was cold, wet and sore all day. The extra weight of my pack was excruciating. I stopped once for a break but got going again twenty minutes because I was shaking from the cold. There are no shelters on the trail. The two towns I passed through were too small to have anywhere to seek shelter. I had no choice but to keep moving. Fifteen miles with only a twenty minute break.

I reached Muncie, IN and just outside of town, a park with a covered picnic table. I tried to take another break but again the cold had me shivering. I stopped just long enough to look up a hotel. The lows for the next two days are in the thirties. I was soaked along with the pup and all my gear.

Five miles later we reached the hotel. It hasn't stopped raining all day. I'm happy to be dry/warm. I'm happy dairy queen is across the street. I need to do laundry tomorrow on my day off. Fortunately there's also a laundromat across the street. I'm trying to figure out how to wash my two outfits without doing two loads. That seems wasteful but I may have no choice. I'm going to sleep well tonight.

Thank you readers. Thank you family and friends for the care packages, support and contributions.

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday

First and foremost happy Mother's Day to the greatest mom there is. She is my rock and her support helps make my journey possible. I'll like you forever, I'll love you for always.

Sorry for the delay in posting.

Monday morning I woke up had a cup of coffee and showered. Bart and I continued our tour of Cincinnati. He showed me an old cemetery that he is restoring and we walked through Ault Park which reminds me of Meridian Hill Park in DC. It has a mall and cascading waterfalls, little reminders of home.  After we walked through Bicentennial Park. Great green space in Cincinnati.  Afterwards we went up to Eden Park so that I could continue on my journey. This is when I realized I didn't have my trekking poles. I felt awful but Bart brought me back to the restaurant where we first met and sure enough, leaning against the side of the building, my poles. I was so relieved they were there. We then drove back to Eden Park. We said goodbye and I was off.

The trail took me for a beautiful stroll along the river. Past the Great American Ball Park and across the Ohio River on the Roebling Bridge into Kentucky. Covington is an adorable little town just over the river. I walked through Goebel Park and ascended a bunch of steps up to Devou Park. It's a huge park on a hill overlooking downtown Cincinnati. I waited until after sunset then set my tent up out of sight.

Tuesday morning I packed up my things and headed to a pavilion in the park to charge my phone. While sitting there I met two very nice guys who gave me $40! After awhile we got moving. The forecast said it was going to be a hot day, 86 degrees. Today's walk would take me through Kentucky to Anderson Ferry and back across the river into Ohio.

It was a hot day and Brown needed to rest frequently. I felt bad and decided from here on out he wouldn't be carrying his pack. I affixed it to mine. The extra weight is rough but I'd rather take it then see him suffer.

The ferry boat was fun. I think it was my first time on one. A short ride but still pretty cool. On the other side of the river is a United Dairy Farmer's gas station. I went in and got three scoops of ice cream. While outside eating it a family pulled up in their truck. They asked where I was going? After explaining my story, they offered me two sandwiches they had left over from their day fishing the river! I gave Brown one and I ate the other. Nothing like a homemade sandwich.  After that we got moving. Going slow, stopping every two to three miles for Brown to rest.

We were headed to North Bend, Ohio. One of only two cities in our nation that can boast having two presidents from there. The other is wherever the Adams are from. Anyway, we were headed to the tomb of William Henry Harrison. I had planned to camp there with our 9th president. Since we stopped so much, I only had thirty minutes before dark. The tomb is lit up at night so, I decided to pitch my tent in the forest behind it.

Wednesday morning I woke up to the sound of a woman walking her dog through the trail in the forest. I figured I better get moving before she calls the cops on me. While I was packing up, she came back around. She made eye contact with me and said to her dog, "let's go the other way". I guess I do look like a drifter. I smiled at her and she turned around.

I headed back into town to hit up the post office. I ended up forwarding these resupply boxes to Indiana. I then sat outside for a bit and charged up my phone. Met some friendly town folk while sitting there. Another day of road walking.  Another eighty six degree day. I was headed to Miami Whitewater Forest County Park. The American Discovery Trail splits in two in Elizabethtown. Since I already knew I was going north from here I skipped Elizabethtown and looked up a more direct route.

Again resting every two to three miles we reached a gas station about four miles from the Park. We took a rest on the picnic tables out front and enjoyed an icee. While out front I met a Vietnam Veteran. I told him about my journey and he thought it was cool. He told me about his hike in the Grand Canyon a few years back. He left and then returned ten minutes later with a photo album of pictures from his hike. He was a nature photographer so the pictures were awesome and it definitely inspired me to go down there while I'm taking a break in Colorado. I told him how we were resting because of how hot it is and rush hour traffic. He offered to bring me the rest of the way to the park campgrounds. I was relieved, and great full to him for the ride, his service and the good conversation on the ride over there.

After he left I set up my tent and relaxed. The next day was a scheduled day off. After two hot days of road walking, I was happy for the rest.

Thursday was somewhat relaxing. I spent the day reading and worrying about Brown. He didn't eat or drink, all he did all day was sleep. Moving from sun to shade and back again. I looked up the closest vet clinic and figured I would take another day off if he was like this in the morning.

By the end of the day he was eating and drinking again. Such a relief. The next day was supposed to be cloudy and much cooler so I hoped that would help.

Friday morning we woke up, I looked to Brown and he was fine and ready to get moving. The first part of the day was on trail through the park. I hadn't listened to music for awhile so I put my head phones in and jammed. Brown was definitely better as our pace was faster with music and he was still pulling me. Then back to road walking. Mostly past huge sprawling farms.

We were headed to Bunker Hill Haven for Boys. My guidebook says  to use a trail that cuts through their property. I don't think they know about this as the trail is not maintained nor does it look like it has ever been used. It is a field of knee deep grass that ends in a forest with no trail through the forest. I made my way through and when I was on their property I ran into a lady and she asked if she could help me. I explained that I was walking across the country and my guidebook said that there is a shelter house here that hikers may use. I asked if it would be OK to make camp there tonight. She said "no, this is a home for boys. We can't have strange men camping on property". Thank you ADT society/guidebook.... again you let me down. She was kind enough to point me in the direction of Pater Wildlife Area, which is adjacent to their property. I walked down the road a bit and made camp.

Saturday morning I woke up and no sooner did I start packing up did the rain begin. It was too late to get back inside the tent so I continued packing up getting soaked in the process. I was wet, Brown was wet, my tent, my pack, all my gear, everything. Once it was packed up we got moving. I passed the town of Riley and while walking through a woman selling mothers day flower pots outside the museum stopped me. I told her about my journey and she gave me a couple of bags of chips! I told her my route and she offered a more direct route to Oxford. Considering the thunderstorms, I decided on the quicker way she told me about. I signed the museum guest book and headed out of Riley.

Getting to the town of Oxford was great. It's home to Miami University. Every one was wearing Miami shirts and it made me think of Florida. It's very much a college town with frat houses and homes that rent to students lining the streets. You can tell by all the beer pong tables on the porches, every house had one. I later found out that it is finals week for them. I stopped at Chipotle for lunch. They sell margaritas in this Chipotle.  Maybe all Chipotles do now and I've just been gone too long. Around this time it had stopped raining. I meant to hit up a book store to grab the next book in the game of thrones series but I forgot. I mostly just wanted to get to the campground and set up so my tent/gear could dry off before dark.

I got to Hueston Woods SP two hours later. It's a huge park. I finally made it to the campground and set up. Thank fully the sun decided to come out so my tent was able to dry off. My sleeping bag was still a little damp but you can't win every battle. I met a few people while setting up who were interested in hearing about my journey and impressed by my walk.

Tonight is my last night in Ohio. Tomorrow I cross the border into Indiana!  Two days from now I'll hit my 1,000th mile. I'm thinking of ways to "treat myself". Maybe a gallon of ice cream or a fancy dinner, we'll see. I haven't stayed in a hotel in a month so maybe a hotel stay.

Anyway, thank you readers. Thank you for your patience as well.

"It's empty in the valley of your heart. The sun, it rises slowly as you walk. Away from all the fears and all the faults you've left behind"

Saturday/Sunday

Saturday was a day filled with rerouted, replanning, reconfiguring, etc. I was able to get all my post offices planned out. I'm doing something a little strange. From Cincinnati, I'm taking the northern route to Chicago. I'm going to spend a weekend there and meet up with my friend Nicole. Then I'm going to rent a car and drive down to Evansville, Indiana to hop on the southern leg of the trail. I also contacted Connie and Mike Snyder, the couple that hosted me a few weeks back. Brownie's pack broke again and I left his back up pack at her house. I asked her to mail it to me but being the wonderful lady she is, she said she would bring it to me the next day.

I got that all figured out. Baked some cookies for Judy and Dee. Watched the Correspondents Dinner, laughed a lot. Then went to bed.

Sunday morning I woke up, packed up and made some coffee. I had leftover chicken parm from the night before, so I heated that up for breakfast. I then walked three miles back to the trail and into old Milford. On Main St is a great little outfitter called Roads Rivers and Trails that I planned to swing through before hopping back on the trail.

While sitting outside waiting for them to open, I met Shane. We got to talking and I found out he has been riding his bike around the country for the past seven years. He decided to hike the Appalachian trail and when he finished he realized he didn't want to settle down. He got a bike and has seen the lower forty eight. He's on a current route back to Moab, UT. He hopes to head to Alaska next. His life stories so intriguing, I could only hope to fill my life with so much adventure.

Around noon Connie and Mike arrived with Brown's pack. It was great to see them again. We went into the store. I bought straps for my pack and flip flops. Probably a superfluous purchase but I want something to wear around camp. The store owner Emily hooked it up with a discount and gave me some advice for where I could camp that evening. Even made some calls for me. After we left, Connie and Mike treated me to pizza! A couple strolling by then treated Brown to ice cream! We said our good byes and I hoped on the trail.

The trail follows a rail trail along the river. Since it was a beautiful day, there were tons of cyclists, joggers, walkers, etc on the trail. I ran into three ladies practice hiking. They're leaving in three weeks for Spain to hike the Camino Trail. We walked together for a while chatting about my journey. We parted ways when Brown decided it was time for a dip in the river. He wouldn't even wait for me to take his pack off, he just went right in. I couldn't blame him it was a warm day.

I reached Mariemont an adorable community. Stopped at Graters Ice Cream and got a frozen limeade. Then I reached Hyde Park an even more adorable town. While walking on the sidewalk past a thai restaurant a man eating on the patio called out to me. He lives a block away from the trail and hosts hikers and asked if I needed a place to camp for the night. It wasn't too late and I really wanted to reach Eden Park but I knew camping there would be a challenge, so I said yes. After he finished his dinner we went back to his house. I set up my tent and then we went for a ride.

Bart is a realtor and ambassador for the area. He had lived here since the 60's. He gave me the most incredible tour of Hyde Park, Eden Park, Cincinnati and her surrounding neighborhoods. Even a tour of the University of Cincinnati. This city is beautiful and her row houses remind me of DC. Afterwards we ended up at Graters ice cream and Bart bought me an ice cream cone. Such an awesome city and a great tour. I can't wait to walk through tomorrow and take a bunch of pictures. 

Thank you readers. Thank you Connie and Mike. Thank you Emily. Thank you Bart.

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday

Wednesday morning I woke up, packed up and went upstairs for coffee. Judy made me eggs, bacon and hash browns. She packaged up some cookies for me and then we were off.

We headed to Mt. Orab so I could pick up my mail. Thank you Jojo for the care package filled with candy. My sweet prince. After the post office they brought me back to the trail. We said our goodbyes and I thanked them for their wonderful hospitality. It had been raining all morning, not heavy though. I walked past Grant Lake which looked rather swollen. Then past farms, houses and down country roads. I was headed towards the campgrounds of East Fork Lake.

I blindly followed the blue blazes of the Buckeye Trail. It wasn't until I was on the East Fork Backpack Trail that I realized I had made a wrong turn. The campground was in the opposite direction. My guidebook said that this way was an alternate option though, so I continued on. There would be a primitive campsite somewhere down the trail my map indicated. It was further than I hoped to travel but Brown wasn't having any difficulty. So we pressed on.

The thunderstorms that passed through this area on Monday and Tuesday had left the trail very muddy. It wasn't until I reached the first creek crossing that I realized how much rain this area got. The creek was knee deep. The water brown, making it impossible to see where you're stepping. This freaks me out because of my fear of snakes but there's no other way around. Glad to have that behind me we continue on.

We walked through corn fields, past another creek and through water logged trails until we finally reached campsite three. What I thought would be a primitive campsite was actually a shelter. I was so relieved,  I wouldn't have to pitch my tent on the wet ground. There were bats and birds living in the shelter so I pitched my tent inside. I read my book for awhile. Half way through it, I can't put it down. I made some dinner and then went to sleep.

Thursday morning I woke up, packed up and got moving. Low on stove fuel I skip my morning coffee. I don't know why I thought the trail would have dried up overnight but I was saddened to see it was going to be another wet footed, muddy day of walking. Not a half mile down the trail I reached my first creek crossing. Reeds surround the creek which drains into the lake on my right. Being from Florida, I know gators and snakes live in the reeds. I know there are no gators in Ohio but not being able to see the bottom convinces this hypochondriac there are. It took me forever to build up the courage to cross. The water was up to my hips when I turned back. There had to be another way. Poor Brown didn't know what was up. I walked up stream a ways and found a shallower crossing and fought my way through greenbrier thorns to get back to the trail. Better thorns than gators I told myself.

Another mile down the trail I reached another creek. This one only knee deep but fast moving. I carried browns pack to prevent him from slipping. However, that meant I couldn't use my hiking poles to poke the creek in front of me. I caught myself after almost slipping and was glad to be across. The trail then went up hill and down and followed the curves of the land and lake. Still pretty muddy and my feet soaked I was hating today. It wasn't until my final creek crossing that I was like "you've got to be kidding me". It was a river not a creek.  The water was up to my hips after only a few steps and again I turned around and looked for a shallower crossing. The river had steep banks on the opposite side. Crossing at a shallower point meant I would be climbing a river bank when I got across. I tell myself better a climb than swim. So I cross an area only knee deep and begin a twenty foot climb. Each step pushed leaves away revealing the mud beneath it. I grabbed rocks and trees to pull myself up. At one point I was on all fours dragging myself up grasping for anything. Brown had slipped a few times but each time rebounded and hobbled up like a mountain goat.

At the top we again had to trail blaze through greenbrier thorns back to the trail. A short distance later we reached primitive campsite two. We stopped here for lunch, contemplated just staying. However, the day was still young and the longer I sat around the colder I got. The forecast is cloudy, temps around sixty. Not bad if you're moving but cold if you're sitting still and wet. I swap my socks and keep moving.

Through muddy trails along the lake and through dense wood I make my way. I stumbled upon a couple going at it in the woods. They didn't see me until Brown went running up to them, I nodded, the guy said hi, I called Brown and we kept moving. I wasn't sure how far I wanted to go but when I got to primitive campsite one, I decided to call it a day. We set up in the shelter, I read for a few hours, then went to bed.

Friday morning while packing up an older hiker was passing through camp and we talked for a bit. He wished me well and I was on my way. I got to the ranger station, charged my phone and looked at my maps. I decided I would skip the next town of Batavia and take a more direct route to Milford.

Passing through towns I had many well wishes along the way. So many people offered encouragement, it was warming. I stopped in Amelia at a Little Caesars. Brown and I finished a whole pizza and crazy bread for lunch. We continued walking cutting through neighborhoods. We past a garage sale and the ladies wished us well on the way. Several miles down the road, on a different road in fact a man came up to me with a bag of food and water. He said his mom saw me at the garage sale and called him, when I past his house he was ready with some food. We stopped at a baseball field and opened the bag. There was even a treat for Brown inside!

After a brief rest we kept moving. Dark clouds loomed on the horizon, the forecast didn't call for rain but I wasn't going to chance it. Shortly after I man in a van pulled up and asked about my hike. I told him and he thought it was awesome. He was driving a company van and making his route which past me a couple of times. Finally he offered a ride up the road. He said he couldn't go too far because he was still working but he wanted to pick my brain. His name is Jeremy, maybe a few years younger than me. He has plans to hike the Appalachian trail when he finishes school. I told him about my journey and we talked a bit. He probably drove me two or three miles which saved me an hour of walking.

Today was going to be a twenty mile day and I could feel it in my feet. The insoles that I bought at Walmart had only made my shoes tighter at their widest point. Squeezing my feet in, I took them out and suddenly my feet felt a little bit better. I reached the town of Miami and a guy at a red light yelled out his car "I saw you all the way back in Bethel this morning!  Right on man!". He gave me a thumbs up and drove off when the light changed. About a mile from my destination I saw a Sonic. I had been craving one of their slushies forever. I got a lemon berry slush and the girl on roller blades brought it out. She asked about my pack and I told her about my journey, she thought it was really cool.

Finally around 8:30pm I reached Judy & Dee's house. It was a long day. We got pretty muddy the past few days so showers felt great. I made a root beer float and called it a night. I'm going to take tomorrow off to fix the post offices on my website and do laundry. 

Thank you readers. Thank you Jojo. Thank you Jay. Thank you Jeremy.  Thank you to everyone who I passed by today that wished me luck.

"Tell all the English boys you meet about the American boy back in the states"