To mark my 50th birthday, Shira and I walked 50 miles in Knoxville, Tennessee. A full blog post is on my TODO list, but here are the notes I captured at every mile marker. We had a blast and it was the perfect way to mark this milestone. It goes without say, but Shira's amazing for playing along with this craziness.
Mile 0 — Departure
- Left the hotel in the dark, chilly and beautiful
- Ben had hot chocolate in hand
- Triple navigation redundancy: Shira on Backcountry Navigator, Ben on a second phone running Backcountry Navigator, plus Ben's GPS watch
- Officially "off and running"
Mile 1
- Pre-dawn, still dark, cool and slightly humid — quite nice
- Birds just starting to chirp; walking on sidewalk
- Suburban HOA-style neighborhood, but the empty streets and birdsong made it feel green and natural
- Small routing glitch at the very start, quickly resolved
Mile 2
- Main road with stores — suburban Brighton / Rochester, NY vibe
- First unofficial green space: a trail-like cut-through (not a designated path, but a welcome break from road walking)
- First encounter with Turkey Creek — worth tracking as a recurring landmark
Mile 3
- Overcast morning, sun just starting to come up; wide quiet road
- Spotted a historic marker for Pleasant Forest Cemetery — fell directly on the route, no detour needed
- Found the grave of an early Tennessee governor / frontier judge (late 1700s / early 1800s; name to look up) — described as "an absolute gem of a find"
- Lesson noted: add historic cemeteries to future route waypoints; same logic applies to public gardens
Mile 4
- Pleasant downhill stretch on a wide sidewalk, approaching Concord Park
- ChatGPT had recommended Knoxville over Washington D.C. for this walk, calling it a "sleeper hit" for greenways — verdict at mile 4: correct
- Printed UTM pocket map paired with GPS device is working as hoped
Mile 5
- ~8am, overcast
- First obstacle: a bridge with no sidewalk — short and manageable; Tennessee drivers gave a friendly finger wave
- First views of Fort Loudoun Lake — overcast, some fog, calm and beautiful
- Wildlife: several Canadian geese and one blue heron
- Entered Concord Park: trail system felt like true wilderness despite the park's size — highlight of this leg
- First ProBar Meal Bar (chocolate chip peanut butter, ~400 cal): delicious
- Note: KT-taped Shira's knees and ankles the night before — will evaluate effectiveness at end of journey
Mile 6
- Concord Park rated 10/10 — real green space, legit trail, felt like genuine wilderness; some car noise audible but visually excellent
- Unexpectedly passed a historic cemetery along the route
- Current stretch: narrow road, no sidewalk, minimal shoulder — a bit sketchy, but no regrets given the overall experience
- Aside: recently migrated to Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra; migration fast; cameras and speed noticeably better; one outstanding issue — Bluetooth shutter on the JJ02 tripod not yet paired
Mile 7
- Busy road with no sidewalk or shoulder; must step into grass when cars pass — "luck has officially run out" for infrastructure
- Setting is suburban but feels almost rural: very large lawns, large homes, lots of green, a pond/lake inlet — quite beautiful, would be ideal with a path
- Dunkin' Donuts less than half a mile ahead — first tagged restaurant on the route
Mile 8 — Dunkin' Donuts
- GPS ticked to 8.0 miles while seated inside Dunkin' — counts anyway
- Ben: everything bagel (good, needed more toasting, needed lox)
- Shira: avocado toast with egg ("good enough"); egg described as the weirdest-looking egg Ben has ever seen
- Departed with 25 munchkins and a Cream Supreme donut
- Tables had outlets; devices charged; logistics "dead on perfect"
Mile 9
- Left Dunkin'; brief sketchy intersection, then full sidewalks
- Passing A.L. Lotz Elementary School
- Temperature: 62°F around 10am — much cooler than anticipated; taking the win
- Supreme Cream Donut verdict: fantastic; wedding cake munchkins: delicious
- Hot chocolate at the hotel > tea: still hot, has calories, no diuretic effect (fewer bathroom needs on a route with few facilities)
- Notable exchange: passed a house flying a pink "It's a Girl" flag instead of an American flag. Ben: "charming old-fashioned way to announce a new baby." Shira: "You're just announcing to the world there's a baby to kidnap." — a perfect encapsulation of the Ben-vs-Shira worldview gap
Mile 10
- One-fifth of the project complete — significant on any day
- Sidewalks throughout; passed palatial mansions and more clustered subdivisions; "easy breezy" mile
- Both wearing matching blue sun hoodies — unintentional but noted as potentially adorable
- Approaching a fork: left toward stores (and a restroom) or right to continue the adventure
Mile 11
- Quiet residential neighborhood: large lots, mature trees, temperature warming up
- Donato's Pizza waypoint arrived before opening hours; Shira spotted a K-Brew adjacent — first visit; very nice, clean, large space
- Ben skipped the cheesy jalapeño bagel — long line formed while in the bathroom; they left impatient
- Time ~10:40am; sun beginning to peek through clouds
Mile 12
- Transitioned from neighborhood to a country two-lane road: no shoulder, some traffic — a bit sketchy but scenic with lots of green space
- Some elevation gain — notable since the trip hasn't had much
- Shira scolded Ben for looking at a notebook while on a shoulderless road
- Next: mile 13, "the bar mitzvah mile marker"
Mile 13
- Back on neighborhood roads after a stretch of busy road; safe but required attention
- Weather: overcast, slightly warmed, less humid — good walking conditions
- Stopped to tape two of Shira's blisters
- Spotted cactuses used as yard decorations — a surprise in Tennessee
- Street View route preview (HTML with Google Street View at every half-mile, generated during planning) paid off: gave real confidence about which segments were safe before they arrived
- Shira primarily using the waypoint distance table on the pocket map rather than the map itself; Ben using the UTM grid for broad position
- Limitation noted: the pocket map's scale is useless for micro-navigation at junctions — not enough detail to decide left vs. right in the moment
Mile 14
- Weather improving: clouds parting, blue sky, large white fluffy clouds — "a very nice moment"
- Found a larger road with a sidewalk; next major stop: Food City
- Lemonade stand: dad with daughter and son selling from their front lawn; bought a pint of pink lemonade — delicious
- One member of the group officially announced feet hurting
Mile 15
- Missed the mile 15 check-in and selfie during a foot care stop at Food City — got distracted and walked straight through without noticing
- Mile 16 note covers both miles
Mile 16
- Hit mile 16 post-Food City; Shira's feet "definitely cooked"
- Concern is more about tomorrow than finishing today
- Took ibuprofen at Food City as preventative
- Sun shining, blue sky, white clouds, walking on sidewalk through residential neighborhood with lots of trees — "a perfect moment"
- Recovery plan for the evening: feet up on wall 15–20 min (tip from Shira's co-worker), protein-heavy food, charge all devices
- ~2.5 miles remaining for the day
Mile 17
- Noticed pink painted arrows and lines on the road; asked Gemini about them
- Gemini identified it immediately as the Knoxville Dogwood Arts Festival trail — a marked neighborhood route through areas with notable dogwood gardens
- Impressed by Gemini's ability to identify the markings from just two data points (city + color)
- Under a mile from the hotel; debating whether to stop for lunch first
- Figured out why mile 15 had no check-in: Ben got distracted on his phone and they walked through without noticing — the walk still demands real attention
Mile 18 — Whole Foods
- Shira made the call to stop at Whole Foods despite being under a mile from the hotel — Ben calls it a great decision
- Shira: avocado and spicy tuna sushi; Ben: salmon, tuna, and avocado sushi plus two more donuts and a fancy electrolyte lemonade
- "18 miles, as in chai, as in life"
- Recorded at 2:07pm
- Final stretch to hotel: access road with no shoulder, navigating carefully
Mile 19 — Arrival
- Reached the hotel and completed the day
- Car had been staged there the night before; laptop left in the car overnight — no issues
- Physical status: both feeling good; ibuprofen from Food City has kicked in
- Shira: "I feel great. I feel much better."
- Day reflections: "This feels like a really wonderful way to celebrate 50"
- The mile-by-mile updates and photos gave the day a rhythm and made it feel like it moved quickly
Mile 20
- 6:28am, April 27 — the day before Ben's birthday
- Low 60s, chilly; wide sidewalk past closed retail strip (Nothing Bundt Cakes, Goodwill, Aldi) — empty and peaceful
- Both feeling better than expected after yesterday's 19 miles
- Recovery credit: legs elevated the night before, KT tape on knees and ankles, ibuprofen (used carefully), and baseline fitness
- Spotted a historical plaque for Herb Hoover (1912–1952), test pilot — first civilian to break the sound barrier (NOT Herbert Hoover the president — important distinction clarified at mile 21)
Mile 21 — Kingston Pike
- On Kingston Pike heading toward Knoxville
- Breakfast: ProBar protein bar, cookie dough flavor — surprisingly good; adding to hiking food repertoire
- Working through the ~25 donut holes from Dunkin' the day before
- Duck Donuts near the hotel was closed; Krispy Kreme was in the wrong direction — skipped
- Backpack weight: 9 lbs — mostly food and drink (one water bottle, one Gatorade), plus foot supplies and first aid
- Route is a figure eight: two nights at one hotel, no need to carry clothes or extra supplies — significantly reduced pack weight
Mile 22 — Kingston Pike
- Kingston Pike: grand, long-established homes with generous lawns — "Brighton Esplanade vibes"
- Passed Heska Amunah synagogue (Conservative, chartered 1890) — one of the first clear signs of Jewish presence in Knoxville on the walk; also noticed a kosher section at a supermarket earlier
- Breakfast report: Shira tried a True bar (peanut butter & jelly, 12g fiber) — took the smallest bite and declared "it wasn't food." The day was saved by a Nature Valley Crunch peanut butter granola bar: "exactly what a mom would pack in a lunchbox"
- Temperature 55°F, sun out, bright blue sky — first real sunny day
- First sunscreen and hats deployed
Mile 23 — University of Tennessee area
- Standing at Tyson Place (formerly Tyson Junior High) across from the University of Tennessee — facade reminiscent of Brighton Middle School
- Kingston Pike highlights: - Temple Beth-El (Reform synagogue, roots to the 1860s; began as a burial coordination association) - Bleak House / Confederate Hall — Longstreet's base during the Confederate siege of Knoxville; the Union held the city despite it being in a Confederate state - Ossoli Circle — Lizzie Crozier French founded it in 1885; carries a GFWC "Unity in Diversity" sign
- Reflection: had they taken only greenways today, they would have missed all of Kingston Pike's history — urban corridors carry their own rewards
Mile 24 — Under the UT Bridge
- Walking under a University of Tennessee pedestrian bridge; urban / university-town feel
- Pit stop: McDonald's — hash brown described as very good; bathrooms less so (college-town McDonald's)
- Observation on kiosk ordering: both McDonald's and Dunkin' now kiosk- first; Ben notes the cognitive dissonance of wanting to talk to the person standing right there
- Looking forward to historic downtown Knoxville ahead
Mile 25 — Halfway / Downtown Knoxville
- Mile 25 of 50 — officially halfway
- Stopped at the sculpture garden outside the Knoxville Museum of Art; noted a piece: /Motor City/ by Charles Pilkey — gears, miniatures, and figures, worth extended viewing
- Sun Sphere (1982 World's Fair): arrived too early to go up inside; photographed from outside. Ben notes 1982 feels both very old and very recent for a World's Fair
- Walked through UT campus; stopped at four historic signs (to Shira's dismay) - A Marine general with Tennessee connections buried at Arlington — Ben wants to find the grave - UT predates the Civil War; Union and Confederate forces both took control of "the Hill" fortification; Longstreet's headquarters visible
- Knoxville utility box art: vinyl-print paintings, each highlighting a local artist alongside their work — smart use of infrastructure
- Fort Dickerson listed as upcoming stop; Ben is excited about it
- Heading to Market Square
Mile 26 — Downtown Knoxville
- Market Square: spotted a zero mile marker placed by the AAA club (purpose to research)
- Strong Alley: professional murals and renegade graffiti coexist side by side — a standout surprise
- Cradle of Country Music Park: modern/abstract sculpture, incongruously unrelated to country music
- Gay Street: shops all closed (too early), but crossed the Gay Street Bridge — Tennessee River described as "majestic"; perfect temperature, almost no other walkers
- Old courthouse: found "The Hiker," a statue honoring Spanish-American War veterans — the same statue appears at Arlington Cemetery
- Adolph Ochs monument: started as a Knoxville paperboy before becoming publisher of the New York Times; his father was a founding member of Temple Beth-El (passed at mile 23) — a satisfying web of connections
- Heading to Fort Dickerson next
Mile 27 — Kern's Bakery / Leaving Downtown
- Stopped at Eggs Cetera inside Kern's Bakery (originally an industrial bread factory, now a food court)
- Ben: eggs benedict with smoked salmon on a croissant — outstanding; minor quibble that the croissant didn't hold up under the lox
- Shira: eggs benedict with avocado — described as flawless, perfectly poached eggs
- Notable contrast to yesterday's Dunkin' egg "from a comic book"
- Spotted a Rotary Club sculpture near the museum: a man on a globe holding a child and a needle — honoring work vaccinating children against polio in the 1990s. Observation: a monument that was once unambiguously triumphant now carries an unintended political charge given the current moment
- Crossed back over the bridge; now through a regular residential neighborhood heading to Fort Dickerson
Mile 28 — Fort Dickerson (entering)
- Arrived at Fort Dickerson Park — stopped to shed layers and apply sunscreen
- Monday: have the park essentially to themselves
- Came off a neighborhood road and immediately entered real forest — felt like a genuine transition to wilderness in short order
- Shout-out to red Gatorade: amid high-tech hydration options, classic red Gatorade just works
- Mountain biking trails visible; must be a popular MTB destination
- Ijams Nature Center (318-acre urban greenspace, 14+ miles of natural- surface trails) is the more premier wilderness option nearby, but Fort Dickerson fit the route perfectly and exceeded expectations
- Approaching Civil War earthworks
Mile 29 — Fort Dickerson (the fort)
- Fort Dickerson: Union-held earthworks fort, key to defending Knoxville during the Civil War
- The fort's value was largely deterrence — well-constructed and well-sited on high ground; signaled to Confederate forces that taking it would cost too much
- Reminds Ben of Fort C.F. Smith in Washington D.C. — both are earthworks (mounds of dirt at this point), requiring imagination to appreciate; contrasts with masonry forts like the one in Puerto Rico, which are immediately awe-inspiring
- The park exceeded expectations: downtown → impressive green space → history, all in close proximity
- Weather: 75°F, 59% humidity, sunny with blue skies and light clouds
- Next: head to the quarry viewpoint, then cross back over the bridge
Mile 30 — Fort Dickerson Quarry
- Still within Fort Dickerson Park, now circling the quarry
- Water: emerald colored, steep and sharp quarry walls — striking
- Gear spotlight: - Shira's Camelbak insulated water bottle: keeps water cold → she drinks more; bite-suck valve preferred for trail use - Large Anker battery pack from Shira's mother's estate (z"l) — finding it was a surprise; Ben notes it brings extra joy, a way to carry his mother-in-law with him on the adventure
- Phone management: heavy photo and voice memo use drained it to 33% by ~11am; the Anker is the solution
- On the horizon: University of Tennessee Creamery
Mile 31 — Crossing Back Over the Tennessee River
- Leaving Fort Dickerson, crossing back over the Tennessee River
- Sunny, clear; back on solid concrete after the park — easier walking
- Views of the Gay Street Bridge and Sun Sphere visible in the distance
- Wildlife: an osprey flew near a group of pigeons — every pigeon immediately scattered
- Reflection on Knoxville vs. Washington D.C.: Knoxville delivered on murals, Civil War history, green space, beautiful views, and great weather; the novelty factor (everything unfamiliar) made it a genuine adventure. D.C. would have been more introspective. Knoxville = outward discovery; D.C. = inward reflection. Floats idea of a future D.C. walk
Mile 32 — Volunteer Landing
- Beautiful spot by the river; Three River Rambler train on display nearby
- Historical plaques line the landing (Ben was reading slowly until Shira noted the Creamery closes at 7pm)
- Clean public bathrooms — appreciated
- Gemini query about the street grid: both Ben and Shira independently thought of Philadelphia when they crossed Walnut St. — Shira attended UPenn. Gemini confirmed: Charles McClung (1761–), originally from Lancaster then Philadelphia, laid out Knoxville's streets and explicitly modeled them on Philadelphia's grid, choosing Walnut, Church, and Locust to evoke his hometown. Genuine delight at an unexpected historical connection
- Next: gardens, then the Creamery (~3 miles)
Mile 33 — Neyland Greenway
- Walking along the Tennessee River
- Believe this is the first greenway on the entire 50-for-50 route
- Neyland Greenway (N-E-Y-L-A-N-D) — Shira's initial take: "I think it's just a sidewalk." Confirmed it is legitimately a trail
- River: calm, flat, wide, inviting; across the water: River Bluff Wildlife Area — bluffs described as "really, really picturesque, very beautiful"
- Trail mostly to themselves; a couple of bikers passing
Mile 34 — UT Gardens / College of Veterinary Medicine
- Selfie in front of a UT campus building near the College of Veterinary Medicine; building has suspiciously tall and narrow loading doors — presumably for moving large animals
- UT Gardens: a major hit; significantly slowed the pace but worth it; many things in full bloom
- Kitchen garden: impressive display of fruits and vegetables actively being grown
- Standout plants: a poppy (caught the eye; identified via Google) and an entire hardy hibiscus breeding bed — apparently a research project on varieties suitable for home gardeners across different climates
- Heading to the Creamery next
Mile 35 — UT Creamery
- Long-anticipated stop; hope was high quality ice cream, open when they arrived — both delivered
- Ben: two large scoops, chocolate and vanilla
- Shira: one very large scoop of peanut butter
- "Outstanding" — ate every bit, no regrets
- 4.5 miles remaining to hotel; skies mostly cloudy, sun diffused — "really pleasant"
- Turned onto a legitimate forested greenway — a real path, not just a labeled sidewalk
Mile 36 — Third River Greenway
- Now on the Third River Greenway: wide, paved, tree-lined — the greenway hype paying off
- Shira is physically worn down; pain management is the focus: tracking when the next ibuprofen dose is allowed
- Shira declared it ibuprofen time at the end of the recording
Mile 37 — Greenway Home Stretch
- Wide, wooded greenway; sun out, blue sky — the greenery really pops
- Shira waiting for ibuprofen to kick in
- Reflection on the deeper why of the trip: - Most obvious: mark his 50th birthday with something notable rather than letting it pass quietly - Deeper: gave himself the gift of an adventure — the preparation itself (routing tools, routing strategies, gear and food planning) was part of the gift - Discoveries hoped for: UT Creamery, Fort Dickerson green space ✓ - Unexpected discoveries: historic cemeteries, Strong Alley murals - Verdict: "It has overly succeeded so far"
Mile 38 — Whimsical Cookie Company
- Just left the Whimsical Cookie Company (tagline: "cookies fix everything")
- Got gooey chocolate and gooey lemon cookies — highly recommended
- Notable debate: one cookie had "happy birthday" written on it, but Ben refused to eat it — his birthday is tomorrow, not today
- Back on Kingston Pike (the same road the day started on); much busier now with traffic
- Plan: duck off onto a greenway soon
Mile 39 — Nearly Back
- Nearly back at the hotel
- Route summary for Day 2: Kingston Pike outbound, downtown Knoxville, Gay Street Bridge, Kern's Bakery, Fort Dickerson, UT Gardens and Creamery, Neyland Greenway, Third River Greenway home
- Final greenway stretch: unexpectedly pleasant and wide, away from traffic
- Passed a bonus cemetery but did not stop
- Overall assessment: "a route that had it all" — sunrise, history, architecture, downtown, a bridge, food, real trail hiking, a university, and greenways
- Heading to hotel to recover before mile 40
Mile 40 — Rain Delay and Foot Care
- Heavy rain started at 4:39 AM; cleared ~30 min before the 8:59 AM start
- Intentional late start to wait out the storm; umbrellas packed just in case
- Extensive foot prep: tape, blister pads, Gurney Goo (recommended by an adventure runner to prevent blisters and protect against wet feet), KT tape on Shira's legs ("looks like a KT Tape commercial")
- Shira researched and applied box-style shoe relacing to reduce constriction
- Breakfast: tortilla with peanut butter and chocolate chips; Nature Valley peanut butter granola bars
Mile 41 — Forest Side Roads
- Sky gray but holding; possible rain in ~30 min from a passing storm
- Started from hotel on a main road → sidewalk → narrow side road through a wonderful forest → approaching another main road with no sidewalk
- Ibuprofen clearly helping; feeling strong out of the gate; first mile flew by
Mile 42 — Data-Driven Field Report
- Found a sidewalk ~200 yards onto the main road — relief
- Creeks nearly overflowing from overnight rain
- Passed two rehab centers, a surgery center, and a senior living complex — running joke about potential future stops
- Ibuprofen and KT Tape in full effect; considering a Tylenol booster
- Trail mix of the day: peanuts, chocolate chips, and pretzels — simple "Boy Scout gorp" outperforms fancy superfood options in practice
- Main idea captured: a "data-driven field report" blog post assembled from mile-marker selfies, voice memos, and GPX files, built with Claude Code tooling during the rain delay — a permalink to share for birthday well-wishes; a narrative post will follow once rested
Mile 43 — True Liberty Ice Packs
- Continuing down Middlebrook Pike — wide road, good sidewalk
- Passing subdivisions, office parks, closed sushi restaurant, liquor stores
- Sky overcast, chilly, but dry; bodies still feeling good
- Gear shoutout: True Liberty odor-proof bags (thick, like oven cooking bags) used as improvised ice packs for end-of-day recovery — don't leak as ice melts, easy to reseal with the included ties, reusable across nights
- Shira noted that dictating voice memos while walking downhill is a "missed opportunity in performance" — pace slows when talking
Mile 44 — Middlebrook Pike / Weigel's Hot Chocolate
- Still on Middlebrook Pike; good sidewalk, sky starting to clear
- Walked past a stretch of election yard signs (Knox County races)
- Stop at Weigel's convenience store: got a hot chocolate — delicious
- Hot chocolate + cool breeze + sidewalk + 44 miles = everything pointing in the right direction
Mile 45 — Backcountry Navigator App Review
- Still on Middlebrook Pike; clouds clearing, still a little chilly
- Shout-out to Backcountry Navigator (Android): an old app nearly dropped in favor of something newer, but it earned its keep on this trip - Cleanly imports the custom GPX route files - Old S22 Ultra (replaced ~1.5 weeks ago) repurposed as a dedicated tracker: in the backpack, airplane mode, recording the walked track - More reliable than the Garmin Venue 2 watch, which needed restarting a couple of times
- Best for: nuts-and-bolts navigation, no extraneous features
Mile 46 — Brewster's Ice Cream
- Now off Middlebrook Pike, on Cedar Bluff Road; 4 miles to the 50-mile mark
- Arrived at Brewster's Ice Cream at 11:01 AM — one minute after opening
- Lone high school-age clerk visibly confused by walkers wanting ice cream at 11 AM on a chilly day
- Ice cream described as "absolutely delicious"; sun briefly peaked out during the stop
Mile 47 — Sunshine and Bluebirds
- One mile past Brewster's — confirmed as the exact halfway point of the walk
- On narrow rural/suburban back roads; sun finally out, mostly blue sky
- First time removing the long-sleeve shirt; switched to t-shirt, applied sunscreen for the first time all trip
- Wildlife reflection: landscape feels like Virginia with some upstate NY character; common birds (robins, blue jays, cardinals) feel familiar, but eastern bluebirds appear here as casually as robins do back home — visually striking and a trip highlight
Mile 48 — Backpack Gear Review
- Mile 48 of 50; sun out, blue sky, puffy clouds — "conditions could not be more perfect"
- Shira's pack: Osprey Tempest 20 — highly recommended; small size limits overpacking, many pockets, vented back panel, hip belt with pockets, very comfortable for high-mileage days
- Ben's pack: standard navy Jansport school backpack — functional and low-profile (looks like any everyday bag), Cordura fabric, side water bottle holder; no hip belt or back padding; items shift and press into the back (Gatorade bottle migration noted); wouldn't broadly recommend for long-mileage use but Ben acknowledges some stubbornness in choosing simplicity over features
Mile 49 — Gemini as Instant Tour Guide
- Finishing a two-lane, no-sidewalk suburban/rural road; 67°F, blue sky, puffy clouds — perfect walking weather
- Passed mobile home community, packed subdivision, and homes on enormous lots — notable diversity in housing scale
- Gemini as ad hoc tour guide: used periodically throughout the walk; highlights include the Knoxville street grid / Philadelphia connection and identifying "Bob Kirby" and another local name at a landmark
- Tradeoff: picking up your phone risks missing something in the moment; works best during quieter stretches
- Passed many Kim Frazier for Mayor signs; looked her up via Gemini — "sounds pretty good" with the caveat it's just an AI summary
- One more mile to go
Mile 50 — We Did It
- Mile 50 dedicated to Shira — partner of 28 years; grateful not just for this trip but for making all adventures possible; specifically thanks her for walking every step rather than waiting at the finish
- Good omen: spotted a killdeer — common bird but Ben has never seen one before; struck by its distinctive pattern; takes it as a sign there are still new things to discover at 50
- Trying ibuprofen + Tylenol combination for pain management
- Hitting mile 50 doesn't mean the walk is over — hotel is a couple miles further; committed to walking the whole way (completist nature)
Mile 51 — Bonus Mile / Grit
- Pace: 18–19 minutes per mile — "blazingly fast" given the accumulated mileage
- Shira recognized the terrain near the finish, signaling they were almost done
- Ben's word for the entire 50-for-50 journey: *grit*
- Shira described as a "rock star" throughout the project
Mile 52 — Finish / Lessons Learned
- Finished in the hotel parking lot, ~10–20 yards from the entrance
- Final stretch: main streets with sidewalks → major bridge (no sidewalk but very wide shoulder) → Turkey Creek Greenway (shaded, wilderness-feel, top-notch) — a great way to finish
The Route
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
| Day | Planned | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | GPX KML Street View ↗ Map ↗ | GPX |
| Day 2 | GPX KML Street View ↗ Map ↗ | GPX |
| Day 3 | GPX KML Street View ↗ Map ↗ | GPX |
