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!

Myakka River State Park, FL

2 Chicas and Myakka How High Are Ya?

2 Chicas heard a lot about Myakka River. We were told: “it is so beautiful.” “It is so much fun.” “You mean you’ve never been?” So after much chiding, 2 Chicas had to check it out for ourselves. Chica 2 decided a day trip just would not do the park justice; she wanted the added adventure of roughing it for two days. So camping it is for the 2 Chicas.

Myakka River is one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks.  It is a wildlife wonderland with photo opportunities at every turn of the road.

It is a 58 square mile Florida phenomenon. At different vantage points, Chica 2 squealed she felt like she was on the Serengeti Plain! 

At some point she became really worried that she would have a hard time getting back into the country without her passport.  Huh? Chica 1 dreamed of traveling down the river in a kayak, but after seeing the size of the alligators, she woke up! 

As we pulled into the campgrounds, the 2 Chicas quickly unpacked their gear and began to set up camp. Chica 1 plopped in a recliner (yes a camping recliner) and eventually realized she had to set up her gourmet kitchen.  

Chica 2, assumed her role as the tent master. Before you knew it, dinner was cooking, and Chica 2 was proudly circling her beautifully assembled Vacation Cottage like a predator looking for a weak link!  Chica 2 is a superior tent director, so none were found.

Chica 1 had a treat for the kids.  She told them that they were going to make magic. She gave them a little packet one at a time and told them to take turns tossing the packets into the fire. 

The little envelops turned the campfire flames into different colors. The kids really enjoyed screaming out “ooh that one is red; look at the blue; I see green; that is magenta!” Magenta?  Only Chica 2’s proper children!

Chica 2 brought fudge graham crackers for the kids to make Smores. As we concluded our dessert, there was the most peculiar feeling that something was watching us. The noises coming out of the forest reminded us that we were not in the city. 

Turkey vultures were landing their gigantic bodies on the palm trees, making a crashing kind of Jurrasic Park sound. 

No more songs around the campfire. It was a prehistoric ending to an otherwise modern camp evening!! That is until the no see ums started biting. 

So the 2 Chicas with kids in tow ran into the perfect tent for a restful evening. With the kids snuggled into their sleeping bags and watching bootleg movies (Chica 2 - who else? Just joking about the bootlegs. This is a figurative urban colloquialism). It was a fairy tale ending to a perfect day. Tee hee he

Chica 1 always has to have that late night bathroom break.Lawd! Chica 2 always worries that a blind possum will try to follow Chica 1 back to the tent thinking he has stumbled upon his perfect mate. Even with their keen sense of smell? Not sure what to think Chica 2. Tee hee he

Day two the 2 Chicas went to tour the Upper Myakka Lake with the park ranger. The vehicle of choice is one of the world's largest airboats, and the ride comes naturally with a fee. 

The trip down the river is very relaxing and informative. The guide points out different species of birds and tries to get the group as many up close alligator encounters as possible. 

We even had an alligator do a quick drive by on the boat. The curious reptile wove his way into the path of the airboat and after a swift yet somehow random bump, he quickly lost interest and drifted away.

Chica 2 mercifully took the children out for a nature hike and discovered the canopy walkway.  This area has a large watchtower and a neat suspension bridge. If you go to the top of the watchtower, you will have a panoramic view of the entire park. Chica 1 was using her alone time wisely by taking a power nap and enjoying the peace and quiet of the campground village.

That serenity was about to quickly change. Chica 2 and the kids were back with tall tales about their adventures on a nature trail. Our friendly neighbor to the east checked out and took his camper on a faraway adventure. 

About ten professionals and their children began moving in. The cars just kept coming and the pop up tents kept going up! Isn’t there a limit to the number of individuals on one camp lot?

As quickly as you could say – “you’re not in Kansas anymore!” Our peaceful journey turned into an Appalachians holler nightmare. Although it all started innocently enough….

Initially, the neighbors took all the kids on a scavenger hunt in the woods. The kids played together happily finding feathers and other forest delights. Dinner time came and peacefully went with no drama. As the sun began to set and find its replacement, the moon, assuming its position in the sky, the freak in the teachers came rolling out.

The children were quickly squirreled away into the tents to go to sleep while the adults sat around the campfire drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. Chica 1, returning from her normal nightly bathroom run, was even offered the opportunity to puff puff pass. What?  Uhhh, no thank you….

To make matters worse, after staying up until 2 in the morning sharing the most intimate stories, they left all their food out. That is, what food was left over after the many munchies breaks! Later, Chica 1 was awakened by the sound of an animal or two bumping against the tent as well as snorting noises. Now a few times our drunkard neighbors tripped over the tent stakes returning from the bathroom.

But something was different.  Chica 1 looked suspiciously over at Chica 2, blissfully asleep on her air mattress tucked tightly in her sleeping bag. Chica 1 then accusingly looked at the children down at the other end of the tent, but these grunting noises were outside.

The following morning, the 2 Chicas exited the tent to find the entire campsite had been trashed by wild boars rooting through the food left out by our inebriated neighbors! The feral hogs dragged the items around as if they had engaged in a mad food orgy! 

The 2 Chicas looked around in total disbelief.  Then we looked around for Courtney Love’s Tour Bus. Tee hee he What a way to ruin an otherwise wonderful camping experience.

Our sheepish neighbors coyly asked if they had misbehaved the previous evening. Chica 1 shared that she now knew far too much about each of them to have not been properly introduced.  While they profusely apologized, it is important to note they are entrusted with our most precious treasures on a daily basis. Lawd!!

It was time to bid farewell to our beautiful Myakka River. 2 Chicas also noticed that there are as many bike enthusiasts as there are hikers. Don’t forget to do some serious bird-watching. 

There is a neat little dam area with a mini pier for fishing and a nice boardwalk area for birdwatching. We saw two alligators having a picnic with a flock of turkey vultures and roseate spoonbills.  Only in Myakka!

Don’t let our camping experience deter you, but just in case, there are also cabins available. 2 Chicas has visited the park more than once to experience the versatile fun!

Little Manatee River State Park

The 2 Chicas were headed south of Tampa to the Little Manatee River State Park, a quaint little park that allows for equestrian camping and easy living. 

Chica 2 emphasizes that it is really a little place on the prairie kind of location.  In her big momma voice, "You in the boondocks now baby."

Unlike the larger Hillsborough River State Park, there is no concession area, so purchase wood for a fire at the Ranger Station and bring just about everything else with you.

Of course, there is a Wal-Mart about five miles away so again, don’t worry, be happy!

There’s an area for fishing, hiking, horse riding trails BYOH (bring your own horse), and solitude.  The site was very sandy, so be prepared with the right kind of stakes.

There really isn’t a lot to do here but camp so bring things to keep you and the kids busy. The kids really enjoyed riding their bikes and throwing the frisbee in front of the camp area.

A little tip, don’t camp here in the summer in a tent.  Our tent held up like a charm, but the daily thunder and lightning storms were scary! 

At one point, Chica 1 thought she was Noah and Chica 2 and her crew were the rest of the family on the ark.  2 Chicas felt like it rained 40 days and 40 nights!

Obviously Chica 2 did everything right in terms of water proofing the tent, and she did a wonderful job of staking the tent against the winds, but we were trembling with the thought we would blow or wash away. Someone left our cake out in the rain, but it was still ok in the morning....

On a more positive note, we had a visit from “Timothy the Turtle” (a gopher tortoise) who was somewhat perplexed that we had set up camp on one of his frequented routes. 

We moved a rope out of the way so that he could pass and off he went on his journey.  What a joy to see this protected animal in his natural habitat!!   

Chica 2 took the kids fishing at the little dock area and they got to witness a giant sturgeon slumbering down the river. 

The 2 Chicas didn't think sturgeon were found this far south, but what a fun thing for the kids to see.

Chica 1 reminded Chica 2 to wear covered shoes while exploring the wilderness, but in true beach bum fashion, Chica 2 wore flip flops. 

After two dozen red ant stings, she decided that maybe just this once, Chica 1 was right.

After a final night of whining and applying a soothing, cooling lotion to Chica 2, the 2 Chicas tore down the camp and tore up the road to the next adventure!

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