Fort De Soto

2 Chicas Fortify the Camp

At the far end of St. Petersburg, FL is Fort De Soto Park, often ranked as one of the best beaches in the United States by Dr. Beach! 2 Chicas don’t know Dr. Beach, but we have been coming to Ft. De Soto for quite some time and agree with his assessment.

Pristine water, beautiful views of the bay and the gulf as well as incredible panorama of the Skyway Bridge make this the place to come decompress. The fact that it isn’t real crowded is an added benefit.

Fort  De Soto is also a prime area to fish, sun, bike, kayak, swim, birdwatch, hike, explore an old fort, and camp.  This chain of five interconnected islands has parks, beach areas, two fishing piers, and a ferry to Egmont Key. 2 Chicas decided to stay close to the action and set up camp for a few days worth of adventures! There are no hotels or other accommodations here, but St. Petersburg Beach and Pass a Grille Beach are quite close nearby if camping is not for you.

Chica 2 has become quite the camp designer and set up expert. She had the tent pitched in just a few minutes and this is no small abode.

She waterproofed it a few days before and also checked the seams to secure our temporary home from traditional late summer storms. It’s so nice to find Chica 2’s true strength. Tee hee he

Sure enough, early in the morning, a storm rolled through and we didn’t have as much as a single drop of water inside our tent.

She placed the tent so we had a perfect water view. It was a million dollar scenic overlook from a hundred dollar domicile!

Then a few critters from the wild came lumbering up the path to our campsite. A group of raccoons who were all too comfortable around humans rolled out the welcome wagon.  It was obvious they were looking for any invitation to join. Chica 2 said they were so cute, until one sat down and started to scratch.

Please don’t feed the wildlife! They become dependent on human handouts, which only invites danger. After a few loud “gits” (get), they quickly scurried off to another campsite, but they weren’t done with 2 Chicas.

Setting up camp made everyone hungry. Chica 1 always cooks a traditional cowboy steak for dinner on the first night. Paired with potatoes and broccoli, these happy campers are satisfied.

2 Chicas Reach the East Beach

Time to explore! Outside of the camp, 2 Chicas took the kids down to explore the East Beach, a much quieter and secluded area. There was one fisherman wading out to try his luck at catching dinner.

2 Chicas captured a tricolored heron looking for dinner as a snowy egret seemed to watch the fisherman in hopes that he would generously share his catch.

Chica 1 looked out at the Skyway Bridge and marveled at the how gorgeous the pointy sails looked in the distance. Like a large sailboat frozen in time. Chica 2 said it looked like pointy Mickey Mouse ears; two very different perspectives wouldn’t you say?

Back to the campsite to tell stories and roast marshmallows over an open fire. No s’mores tonight because Chica 2 forgot the graham crackers.

It wouldn’t take long for us to move to no campfire stories, because Chica 2 is so scary, but the kids purified small palm fronds over the hot firewood then roasted marshmallows.

They felt so special making their own skewers. Tomorrow would be filled with adventures that would fill the day and exhaust the evening!

Chica 2 took the kids to the beach to swim, but Lil’ Chica discovered a new passion, searching for sand dollars. A kind lady on the beach taught her how to wade in chest deep water and shuffle her feet to find these beautiful creatures of the sea. Lil’ Chica spent the better part of two hours blissfully in search of her new best friends.

2 Chicas Cannonball!

A short hike to another portion of the beach brought exploration of part of the fort. Chica 2 threatened to call an ambulance if Chica 1 didn’t stop breathing so desperately after climbing to the top. The hike up really wasn't that bad.

Chica 2 could not imagine early Spanish explorers in full armor marching around this fort. Neither could anyone else Chica 2, as this installation wasn’t constructed until almost 1900. You were only off about five hundred years (Tee hee hee)

The canons were large and stationed all over the fort. Fort De Soto was only active for twelve years from 1898 until 1910.

Chica 2 said she knew a few girls from home who saw more action than this fort! Chica 2, we do have a young audience too! Many of the rooms in the fort are open and mostly empty.

Explore the fort, climb to the top and enjoy the views, and take a picture by the cannons. Don’t forget to yell cannonball!! If anyone complains, tell em 2 Chicas told ya to do it!

2 Chicas and the Case of the Daring Bandits

After hanging out at the fort, we headed back to the campsite. We briefly stopped to see how much it would cost to take the ferry over to Egmont Key. It was reasonable, but the return trip was four hours later. 2 Chicas had too many plans, so maybe next time.

As we came down the driveway to our campsite, we noticed something was awry. A head quickly peeked out of our food cooler, then another head, and yet another!

Chica 2 I thought you put the cooler away. Chica 1 I thought you stored the cooler! Oh no!! Those little bandits got away with fajita wraps, hamburgers, and some butter.

We rounded up as much as we could and placed it in the garbage cans onsite. Those little thieves didn’t go far, waiting in the bushes for us to make another oversight and leave something out. Ughhh, it is a good thing we had bleach spray to clean everything! 2 Chicas made sure the coolers were hereafter stored in the trunk!

2 Chicas Fishing or Floundering?

Soooo, Chica 2 decided she was going to take the kids fishing. Off the team goes to a picturesque canal to cast fishing rods out into the deep and see what we would catch.

Almost immediately, the fish were biting. The group spent hours casting and reeling! At times the fish were small and other times they were even smaller.

The kids learned the importance of preserving resources by returning the little ones to their home to hopefully grow bigger.

Chica 1 caught a sizable flounder, which provided much joy for the entire group. For hours, the entire group enjoyed feeding the fish shrimp and every now and again, getting a fish to bite on the hook.

There is something about the anticipation and hope of fishing that reaches deep into the soul. Often we feel we could never get a child to spend time doing something that may or may not reap an immediate reward. 2 Chicas were thrilled to see so many children out with their parents fishing. Some were catching, some were not, but

2 Chicas caught some serious bug bites. In our excitement to fish, we forgot to spray ourselves with bug deterrent. What a major mistake. Days after leaving Ft. De Soto, the remnants of the fishing excursion lived on in itchy, scratchy skin.

It was finally time to leave our little bit of paradise. Chica 2 broke down camp and before you could say hop skippity wobble, we were back on the road to home.

2 Chicas are so lucky to know that Ft. De Soto will be around for another much needed respite visit. Bring your bike, fishing pole and swimsuit. You’ll be glad you did!

New Orleans, LA

2 Chicas Now in NAWLINS

As 2 Chicas were driving into the City of New Orleans from the airport, anticipation and excitement danced in the air. Chica 2 could barely contain herself squealing: “I can’t wait to ride the trolley!” “I really need to stroll down Bourbon Street.” 

“I always wanted to visit New Orleans” “I can’t believe I am here for my birthday!” Chica 2 believes her inner child grew up here and is finally home. A real voodoo mama? Go figure…

New Orleans is a well publicized city for both good and bad reasons. What makes the city unique is its strong French heritage. It is located in Orleans Parish, a jurisdiction much like counties in other states. Many of the streets in the French Quarter are still referred to by French names and the architecture has a distinctively French flair.

Chica 2 proffers that because the French people actually lived there, the area is called the French Quarter; excellent deduction Chica 2.

 

She then goes on to ask if a lot of French kissing goes on in the French Quarter. Perhaps Chica 2 (patience is required), but please don’t start carrying on about the curious history of French fries.

Well known facts about the area are the cuisine (French Creole and Cajun), fantastic public art, the party like it is 2099 atmosphere on Bourbon Street, the love of jazz, Cajun, blues and zydeco music, jazz funerals, ornate above ground cemeteries, and the practice of voodoo. More modern facts revolve around Hurricane Katrina, Katrina Refugees, and the swamp people who live in the bayous throughout the state. 2 Chicas wanted to experience a little bit of everything New Orleans!

2 Chicas Get Down On Bourbon Street

2 Chicas always has to get a little snicky snack and heard that Deanie’s Restaurant was the place to go. As 2 Chicas sat down to grub on some shrimp, Chica 2 was running down all the things on the menu she wouldn’t eat.

The waiter placed down a bowl of spotatoes and Chica 2 finally shut up. These potatoes were so good! They were spicy and flavorful and pretty close to perfect! Every now and again there was a shrimp and man they were delicious.

Chica 2 had the Shrimp PoBoy and Chica 1 had the Catfish PoBoy. We should have had the BBQ Shrimp, because the two PoBoys were just average. There was so much food, we had plenty to take back with us, but we weren’t so sure we wanted to eat it. Our stomachs were so filled to the brim; we had to walk around a little bit to burn some calories.

Chica 2 wanted to see what all the Bourbon Street brouhaha was about, so off we go! There was all kind of racket up and down the street. Chica 2 said it reminded her of some of the areas in Orlando, but without the architectural interest. Chica 2 are you alright? 

There were human statues and people dressed in gothic and other types of costumes (it was January). 

 

2 Chicas darted in and out of the many souvenir stores, but we did not purchase anything. We threw a couple dollars in the hat of a drum line from a local high school group that was on the street playing. At any point on Bourbon Street you will find musicians and other performers sharing their talents in hope of receiving donations. 

After laughing with some of the other revelers, we stopped to enjoy live music playing in various venues. At the first location, there was a great band, and at the second location, we played around with the guys on their dueling pianos. 

We enjoyed the music, took some blurry pictures, and shared in touristy fun with the other partiers. Before the sun came up we returned to our hotel to get some much needed rest.

2 Chicas Ben Yay – Done Dat

Early the next morning 2 Chicas got up and walked down to Jackson Square. There was what seemed like an impromptu art fair going on in front of the famous St. Louis Cathedral. Of course we had to stop over in Café du Monde for beignets and café au lait.

As Chica 1 sat down and began to inhale the rich strong coffee bouquet, Chica 2 said the coffee tasted like old dirty dishwater. As she spit it out, she swore it was about fifteen hundred years old. Guess she didn’t like the chicory taste, but the pigeons sure did quickly waddle over to inspect her leftovers. Fortunately, she enjoyed the beignets and purchased a hot chocolate to wash away the napkin taste (due to her repeatedly wiping her tongue with napkins to remove the coffee flavor).

2 Chicas enjoyed the break dancers and in true Chica 2 fashion, threatened to get down on the ground and “bust a move.” Again, we narrowly avoided a trip to the emergency room. Tee hee he - The Jackson Square area can provide quite a spectacle of happenings.

(Yes, this is really Chica 2's picture of the St. Louis Cathedral) Check it out and have a little chicory with dat!

New Orleans 2

2 Chicas and Crypt of the Walking Dead

Chica 2 was dying to get to the cemeteries and look at the ornate crypts she has heard so much about. Chica 1 was not so anxious to visit graves, but it was Chica 2’s birthday trip. Now 2 Chicas must warn that the cemeteries can be very dangerous, so never travel alone or during evening hours and always be aware of your surroundings. Thieves and robbers have been known to hide behind the large tombs so be careful. 

2 Chicas arrived at Lafayette Cemetery, found in the heart of the Garden District. The graveyard was founded in 1833 and grew considerably due to the yellow fever epidemic. A number of tours are offered if you choose not to wander through the tombs making up stories like 2 Chicas!

 Not long after our arrival, Chica 2 swore a ghostly gravedigger was following us. Remember Chica 2, no weapon formed against us can prosper! Naturally, Chica 1 didn’t see anything.

Many of the crypts were cracked and damaged from age. Chica 2, with her scary self, said she peeked into one of the damaged vaults and saw red eyes glowing back at her. Chica 1 wondered where Chica 2 ran off to without a word. 

Chica 2’s eyes were as large as an owl! Chica 2 don’t be so chicken! If you did see glowing eyes, it was probably a cat (or the reflection of your own eyes). Tee hee he.

As we were preparing to depart, Chica 2 said she wanted to locate the final resting place of her long lost Great Great Uncle Bebe Jean-Micele Montell “Prince Fatman” LaPew. She said he died while headed to his job in a restaurant on St. Charles Avenue. He was carrying a large bag with a hog’s head and entrails.

The bag began to break and he bent down to stop the hog head from falling in the street. Because he was rather rotund, he lost his balance. Tragically, he was hit and killed by a trolley. She believes the remnants of the hog were buried with him. 

The family story says there are times that he wanders the cemetery looking for the rest of his pig. This tale is so tragic Chica 2 and equally ridiculous. Uh oh, what's that shadowy figure?

2 Chicas really enjoyed watching the throngs of visitors follow tour guides through the cemetery, taking pictures and “oohing” at the stories told by their escort. A few chuckled as Chica 2 passed them telling her fictional account. Others wanted to see the crypt made famous by Anne Rice in “Interview with a Vampire”.

Lafayette Cemetery is a unique New Orleans treat. The great thing is once you finish here, you are in the middle of the Garden District so be sure to check out the spectacular homes and grab a bite to eat. Commander’s Palace Restaurant faces the entrance to the cemetery, so you may be able to do some star gazing as well.

2 Chicas was strictly focused on getting to Willie Mae’s Scotch House for lunch. There was a line out the front door so we were weally weally excited. While waiting our turn in line, we looked around at the lingering damage from Hurricane Katrina. 

In the Seventh Ward, some homes were still being rebuilt, while others were boarded up or had been torn down. A school across the street was still abandoned. The buzzing of a saw can be heard from across the street, but the sad stories of 
families being ripped off by unscrupulous contractors still ring true. Chica 2 wondered where were the children? Neighborhoods like this usually are abuzz with the laughter and playful screams of youngsters. Today, the only sounds were from customers waiting to be seated and small construction tools humming in the distance.

All that reflecting made 2 Chicas even more desperate for food! We finally were seated and the chicken did not disappoint. Tender and seasoned to the bone, the chicken was worth the trip. The sides were just average. After leaving the restaurant, we again needed to walk off a few calories so off we went to City Park. There were plenty of fitness freaks out running, biking, and walking. We enjoyed the shadiness of the park and got in a brisk walk.

2 Chicas - Where Does Your Garden Grow?

After Chica 2 high tailed it back to the Garden District. Riding through the area is quite some wear and tear on the suspension system. The roads are rough but the houses are spectacular! The antebellum mansions once proudly displayed ornate gardens, but over time those plots of land were developed for more homes. Chica 2 shouts that she saw a baby born on those steps once. Reincarnation Chica 2? No,  more like the Curious Life of Benjamin Buttons. See if you too can locate that mansion over in the Garden District.

Chica 1 always gets nostalgic talking about architecture. Chica 2 says Chica 1 is really the strange one of the group. Anyhoo, Chica 1rambled on about the Victorian era double galleried style of house found in the Garden District. Next Georgian, Greek Revival, Georgian Revival, blah blah blah. But Chica 2 did enjoy the details found in the ornate fences around the homes.

Chica 2 longingly wished she could know which house really was owned by Brad Pitt. She thought maybe he would come outside and tell her the thing with Angelina was a huge mistake. It was Chica 2 he wanted all along. Nice fantasy Chica 2. You’d probably have better luck with Master P. 

Chica 2 was hungry after all these antics and had a taste for BBQ. Over on St. Charles Street, we saw Voodoo BBQ and decided to see what they had to offer. 

2 Chicas were pleasantly surprised at the delicious food. Chica 2 said the ribs were so good they made her tummy tickle. Chica 1 thoroughly enjoyed the wings. You have to try one of the voodoo sauces and every side we tried was really quite good.

Back down to Bourbon Street for a night of fun. Chica 2 slow down on those Hurricanes! Just joking, Chica 2 doesn’t drink.  Some guy jumped in front of Chica 2 with just a G-string on wiggling and jiggling. Chica 1 ordered another drink, sat back and enjoyed the show! Here’s one for the birthday girl!

2 Chicas Last Mourning

Chica 1 was ready to grub and Mother’s Restaurant was just around the corner. Mother’s is known for baked ham, gumbo, and other Creole specialties. Breakfast was very filling and we were ready to seize our last day in the Big Easy.

Right outside of the French Quarter Chica 2 wanted to check out some food museum. It was located in a mall, so more time was spent browsing and the museum was soon forgotten. 

Next she wanted to check out the French Market, which was an outdoor bazaar. Chica 2 was sad it was  the last day of her birthday trip, so she wanted to do a million different things. 

After strolling through a mall and then an outdoor marketplace, Chica 2 was feeling lunchy. But we did spend a few moments sitting near the Mississippi River watching a barge go by (Hummed to the tune of Sitting on the Dock of the Bay).

So off we went to Praline Connection for a bit of soul food prior to heading home. Chica 1 finally convinced Chica 2 to try the alligator sausage. Chica 2 snapped it down like a distant cousin crocodile. The dishes were wonderful and we both left feeling stuffed. 2 Chicas definitely recommend the Praline Connection.

As Chica 2 pulled onto the bridge that travels over Lake Pontchartrain, she marveled at the expansive water area. She bragged that she was driving across the longest continuous bridge over water in the world. Very true Chica 2, but have you decided what you were going to do once you reach the other side (Mandeville, LA)? 

Chic 2 said “I can show you better than I can tell you.” She whipped a quick U-turn and returned back across the bridge. She made up in her mind as she was driving that she wanted to find the place where one of the canal breaches.

Driving around the canal area, Chica 2 was getting discouraged because she couldn’t locate any of the breaks. The canals aren’t hard to find, but they wind through so many areas of the city, all the way out to Metarie, LA.  Just as she was about to quit and head toward the airport, Chica 1 said keep going straight. The road was getting extremely uneven. Houses in the area were mildewed around the foundation. Chica 1 saw obvious signs of water damage.

Once 2 Chicas pulled onto the back street, we saw a marker dedicated to the site of the canal break. The homes in the area were gone; washed away by the powerful surge of water. 

What a sad testament to the pure strength of the nature. Chica 2 dejectedly looked down to the ground and mused children probably once played here. It was quite possible that someone’s hopes and dreams washed away from this very location.

But wherever there is life, there is the possibility of rebuilding. The future holds so much promise, and that potential upside must never be forgotten. The strength that faith produces has rebuilt kingdoms. But for now we mourn the past and hold on to a morsel of hope for a better tomorrow. 2 Chicas will be back to see the ongoing transformation. So long NAWLINS!

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