4,774. That’s the average number of steps an adult in the US walks per day — but what if we multiplied that by 20?
Editor Connor here. After seeing creator Hope Henchey max out a pedometer by walking 100,000 steps around St. Petersburg, TBAYtoday editor Bailey LeFever and I agreed to a challenge: walking as many steps as possible around our respective cities. Come along with me to walk ‘til I drop around Lakeland.
Downtown
I started bright and early on a Saturday at the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market. After popping into Pressed for a Hemingway mocha + coconut latte, I took a brisk walk down Kentucky Avenue.
Vendors were still setting up their booths around 8:15 a.m., and if you prefer to avoid crowds, this is the time to go. With fewer people around, I also noticed new sculptures on Lemon Street — I sense a story coming soon.
Step count: 2,500
Lake Morton
I kept walking south past Lake Morton. The swans and squirrels were active around 9 a.m., but the neighborhood near the lake was quite the opposite. I didn’t hear a peep or see very many cars as I walked down South Boulevard.
What I did see: cats. Everywhere I looked, there was a feline sunning itself on the sidewalk, hunting lizards, or snoozing in a windowsill. If you’re a cat person, this is the community for you.
Step count: 3,500
Florida Southern College
After reaching Lake Hollingsworth (and deciding to return later for a full walk around it), I looped back through Florida Southern College.
The campus is silent on a Saturday morning and open for visitors to walk around Frank Lloyd Wright’s stunning architecture, from the Esplanade to Annie Pfeiffer Chapel. The Water Dome fountain sprang to life precisely at 9:30 a.m.
Before heading back toward downtown, I stopped by the McKay Archives Center to retie my shoes. Looking up, I was startled at the sight of what appeared to be a mannequin posed at a piano in a second-floor window. If my heart wasn’t racing before, it was now — if you know anything about this perpetual pianist, fill me in.
Step count: 6,800
Library + museum
With a little more pep in my step thanks to that scare, I walked north on Johnson Avenue until I reached the Lakeland Public Library.
I got a few more steps walking through the fiction shelves, and I also checked out the library’s wide selection of movies + TV series available on DVD. Note to self: Cancel my Netflix subscription and check out a movie like old times.
When the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art opened at 10 a.m., I was one of the first guests inside. This was the perfect time to walk through Renaissance-era paintings, clay creations, and haunting photographs.
Good thing there weren’t many others there at this time — I was fighting back tears seeing a mobile by my favorite artist, Alexander Calder, in the “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore!” exhibition.
Step count: 9,000
Lake Mirror
After that much-needed break in the air conditioning, I trekked back toward Lake Mirror. Hollis Garden had just opened for the day, and it was filled with photographers. It was a beautiful morning for celebrating prom, graduation, and quinceañeras.
I worked my way around the lake, passing an adorable line of ducklings near the fire station. Finally, I reached Catapult, where Meraki Bakehouse was popping up. I hit 10,000 steps right as I walked up the steps, so I treated myself to a celebratory raspberry pop tart before walking back through the farmers market to my car.
Step count: 11,200
Kathleen Area Historical Society
This was a busy weekend in Lakeland, and even with this challenge, I was determined to hit as many events as possible. So, I headed across town to the Kathleen Heritage Day.
Unfortunately, walking the 11 miles there would have taken about four hours, so I drove there instead. Once you leave the downtown area, traveling in Lakeland becomes car-dependent pretty fast.
This was my first time at Heritage Park. The event was lively, filled with bluegrass music and delicious collard greens. I got my steps in as I shopped the makers market and browsed the pioneer museum (a must-visit if you go to Heritage Park for another Kathleen Area Historical Society event).
Step count: 13,000
Bonnet Springs Park
Next stop: a 168-acre park with walking trails galore. I set out on the circulator path and weaved through many families enjoying the sunshine together.
I knew the park had a boardwalk that hugged the shores of the Lagoon, but I was unaware of how far it went. If you keep following the path from its start near the boathouse, you can keep going through the trees until you loop around the water. This was my favorite discovery of the day.
Step count: 18,000
Errands
Life doesn’t stop when you want to walk 100,000 steps — but surely I could get more while completing everyday errands, right? I checked off a few things on my to-do list, including a Publix run, which tacked on a little more than 2,000 steps to my total.
Step count: 20,300
Lake Hollingsworth (almost)
Remember my plan to return to Lake Hollingsworth for a walk later in the day? It turns out my car had other plans.
I was on my way there for a 3-mile sunset stroll, hoping to at least reach a quarter of my step goal, when I blew out my tire. By the time we got the spare on, it was dark out, and I decided against a walk. I do want to shout out the runner who stopped to make sure I was okay. Lakelanders really do look out for others.
Final step count: 22,446
What we would try next time
I got a great workout in and got to explore more of our city on foot, but could I actually walk 100,000 steps around Lakeland?
On a day with less on my agenda (and a new tire), I might have been able to get more steps by walking farther south after hitting the farmers market. Ideally, I could have walked past Lake Hollingsworth and down Cleveland Heights Boulevard to Three Parks Trail, or even cut over to Dixieland.
If you’re trying this for yourself, consider walking around Circle B Bar Reserve, Se7en Wetlands, and Lake Parker, or on the Fort Fraser Trail to Bartow. The city offers a helpful map of pedestrian trails.
Will Bailey outdo me over in Tampa Bay? Follow along with TBAYtoday to learn how far she traveled in one day.
