A Day at the Beach – Fenley's Footprints

You’d better have a good selection of bills and quarters if you’re going to drive in Florida!

I had to pay three tolls to get to the Fort Desoto Campground, including one to cross the dramatic Sunshine Skyway Bridge over the mouth of Tampa Bay. Once here it’s pretty nice though – the park is operated by Pinellas County and named for an Army fort built around 1900 to defend Tampa from a Spanish invasion that never came. The borders of the park encompass five barrier islands with multiple beaches and boat launches, two piers and even a special beach for dogs, something I’ve not seen before.

This park is a total playground for folks with kayaks or bicycles, but lacking either of those conveyances I’ve kept my activities to beach walking, conversing with shorebirds, exploring the old fort and reading Elmore Leonard in a beach chair. It does have me thinking though, and I may look into adding a new toy in the future. Rentals are readily available of course, so one can try before they buy.

The park campground offers a couple hundred sites on its own dedicated island with areas designated for tents, big rigs, trailers, dogs, etc. The trailer sites have water and electric, there are also two dump stations and multiple shower houses. While closely packed, each campsite is surrounded with mangroves and live oaks, so the campground doesn’t seem as high density as it really is. Be warned however that the administration is quite adamant about enforcing their rules, including threats of being expelled from the campground and a $118 citation for possession of any alcohol. The tone of the disclaimers reminds me of high school. I have no idea where the random number of 118 comes from, but thank goodness if you’re caught with a beer it doesn’t get marked down in your Permanent Record!

After a full day in the sun today I’m ready for a break, so I’ll tend to some minor repairs and cleaning here at the camper tomorrow and cook some corned beef and turnips in the InstantPot before running out to the beaches again to catch the sun setting in the gulf. The campground doesn’t offer WiFi and AT&T’s signal is rotten here, but Verizon is strong so I can still post. The impending Mothers Day weekend has been on my mind, so I may post on that topic before I head North again on Friday.

Happy Trails,

-GF

Day after arrival I reconnoitered the park and walked out on East Beach at sunset.

I started my morning at the South Beach. More seaweed, but virtually no people and lots of birds.

The North Beach had the cleanest sand, attracting the most swimmers.

View South from North Beach, towards the Gulf Pier.

A nice offshore breeze made the 90 degree temp feel cooler, and swept away the bugs.

You know if there is a big cannon about, I’m going to visit it!

English guns moved from nearby island. Used against fast moving naval targets.

These big boys could lob thousand pound shells six miles out to sea. 4 of the original 8 remain.

Twelve inch mortars were the fort’s main battery.

These chain links are as thick as a man’s wrist.

The mortars were made in New York, the gun carriages in Minnesota.

Fort Desoto — View of East Beach from top of the old fort.

View towards Tampa Bay from top of fort. Note magazine vents in foreground.

No more fun of any kind! I was sort of hoping to do some gun climbing.

2 Replies to “A Day at the Beach”

Pop says:

May 10, 2018 at 1:13 am

I wonder how accurate those cannons were, lobbing a thousand pound shell out six miles.
Gowan says:

May 11, 2018 at 3:23 am

Thanks to the diligence of the Company Clerk, we have a record of that! Check this out:
https://www.fenley.net/img_e1618/

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