Fort De Soto

I wore pants today and a sweater yesterday...take me back to Florida, please.

A majority of our first full day in Florida was spent at Fort de Soto, a park on the Gulf of Mexico by the entrance of Tampa Bay. It's beaches were voted the number 1 beach in the United States beach by a travel or beach magazine somewhere not too long ago. I've been here before and can tell you that it is absolutely beautiful. They have white sand beaches, 85 degree water, and it's generally not crowded giving you space to run around and set up camp for the day. This day however, the beaches were not their best. There had recently been a tropical storm which dragged in kelp and residue from the ocean. Regardless, it was still an amazing place to spend some time.

Fort de Soto is an fort that was constructed during the Spanish American War. It has played a part in the evolution of modern weaponry, and it was interesting to get the chance to see something that has survived since then. I would definitely check it out if you get a chance to visit the park.

The park also has many other things to offer like kayaking, hiking trails, camping, and fishing. My parents love to fish so we spent a few hours on the fishing pier. The benefit of going here is that you don't have to pay for a fishing license as long as you stay within the confines of the pier. It was my first time fishing in the ocean so it was a lot of fun for me. There were so many fish that you can catch one almost instantly. Although, more often than not they just bit the heads off my bait. Fish are smarter than I thought I guess, or more likely I'm just not that skilled a fisherman.

 A downside to fishing here is that birds also like to fish so they are just about everywhere. I am usually scared of birds but somehow I found the courage to allow myself to be around them. Problem is, those suckers want to steal your bait so you have to worry about them eating what you caught or accidentally snagging a bird while you're reeling in the line. I think that would absolutely terrify me and I would panic. This part of Florida is known for their brown pelicans so it was great to get a chance to see them up close.

 Dolphins also like to hang around here. My parents went back to the pier a couple of days later and said they saw quite a few looking for fish and playing around right beside the pier. I would have loved to be that close to wild dolphins and be given the chance to interact with them. Maybe next time, right?