Day 7: October 6, 2009

Not surprisingly, it’s another hot, muggy day in West Florida, but I’ve made good time walking. Today, I enjoyed walking on part of the historic red brick road that local folks call the old Spanish trail. This old road was built in 1901, and in 1994, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. I love history, especially Florida’s.

At the Blackwater River, I bumped into a Sheriff who stopped to chat. For the most part, we talked about football, which I guess in Florida isn't so hard to believe. Being a gator fan, I shared some thoughts about the upcoming UF and LSU game with my new friend before continuing on my journey. I also grabbed some food, fueling up on pizza and wings, and made my way toward Floridale. Pushing on, I reached my destination 12 miles later and took a moment to celebrate the 75 mile mark. Hooray!

Even though this was another tough day of walking, I was energized by my visit to Childcare Network in Crestview, Florida run by Cheri Pittman. The Worst To First team learned about the Childcare Network and about some challenges in Okaloosa County. Apparently, access to Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs is difficult. First, because VPK is only 3 hours a day and some families may have to travel an hour each way to get their children to the program. Second, to attend a VPK program, a physical is required which can be expensive and hard for families to afford. Currently, the state is unwilling to fund this necessary step in the VPK enrollment process.

I leave thinking it shouldn’t have to be so hard for families in Florida.