Monday, October 18, 2010

Ft. De Soto Park Beach

It was a beautiful weekend and I had been wanting to take some pictures of Dear Son and Liesl, so we headed out to Ft. De Soto Beach. The beach at Ft. De Soto has been named the best beach in The United States on more than one occasion, and the dog beach shares equal honors. It’s a great place to go for swimming, fishing and water sports. Another bonus would be it’s historical past.

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Dear Son cooperated; Liesl on the other hand… Not so much. Here’s a few of the pictures I took and some more information on Ft. De Soto.

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* “In 1898, the United States became involved in a conflict in Cuba, which led to the Spanish American War. This event prompted the citizens of Tampa to demand military defenses for Tampa Bay. In March 1899, the crew was ready to begin pouring the foundation of the mortar battery. On April 4, 1900, the military fort was named Fort De Soto after the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto.”

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* “The 12-inch mortar battery, located at the fort for which the park was named, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Adding to the historical interest at Fort De Soto, two British breech-loading, rapid-fire rifles of 1890 vintage were installed in March 1982. Markers showing the original building locations and a Quartermaster Storehouse Museum add to the park's historic interest.”

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The museum is teeny tiny, but interesting. Here’s some older photos.

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There’s not much to see at the actual Fort except for the big cannons and a little room that has some historical photos and maps.

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It’s a fun place to walk around and take some pictures. From the top of the Fort you can get a view of the Fishing Pier and the beach.

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Karen

* Taken from The Official Ft. De Soto Park site.

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