We woke up around 7:30 again today, this time with James leaving about 30 minutes before I (Sam) did at 8am. Our tents were set up in a large “ditch,” so it was initially a challenge getting the heavy strollers out of there. Once on the road, I continued for about 6 miles until arriving at a Panda Express where I had myself a nice brunch. I ended up staying there for about an hour, but figured that I would have a little time to spare due to the early-ish start. I continued onwards for about another 7 miles until we were hit with a surprise storm. The forecast said there was a 40% chance of rain at around 2pm, which was not much cause for concern. What ensued was much greater though. The rain began to pour, and I ran across the road to a nearby “Roadside Park” to find shelter under a tree. I pulled out my big yellow poncho and draped it over myself while leaning my back against the tree to avoid getting soaked. I ended up falling asleep in this position for about an hour until a nice lady pulled up in her car to ask if I was ok. After checking the forecast again and seeing that it would continue raining for s few hours, I called James who had a nice shelter at Dollar General that I would set up my tent. Literally 30 minutes after I set up my tent, the rain stopped. I ended up laying in my tent for an hour, frustrated, before getting back out and taking it down. This was probably the most challenging part of my day. I walked for another mile and a half until it began storming again! This time I found a nearby Mexican restaurant and dined there while James seemed to find a nice shed that was for sale on the side of the road to sleep in. I enjoyed my fajitas before finding a park to sleep in, this being the first night I wouldn’t camp next to James. We were about 4.5 miles apart at this point, and I knew that I would have a longer day ahead of me tomorrow. Still, a large part of this trip are the unexpected circumstances we find ourselves in and adapting as best we can.
8/29/22
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