Today we enjoyed a brief walking tour of Fort DeSoto. All that remains of the old fort is some concrete walls and several empty rooms. But, the view from on top of the fort was well worth the climb.
Here's a few pieces of information about Fort DeSoto. Both Fort DeSoto and Fort Dade were built at the beginning of the Spanish American war. Fort DeSoto was built on Mullet Key, which is now Fort DeSoto Park and is a few miles south of St Petersburg. This strategic location, along with Fort Dade on Egmont Key, provided excellent defense of the northern entrance of Tampa Bay. Large ships would need to follow the deep water channel which runs between the two forts. The forts were abandoned by the US Army in 1923 and the property was later purchased by Pinellas county. Fort DeSoto was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977
This 6" rapid fire cannon was originally installed at Fort Dade. It was recovered from Fort Dade and brought to Fort DeSoto for display in 1980.
This is a mortar battery which still remains at Fort DeSoto. Information for zeroing in on targets was sent via telephone from spotters in forward positions.
The roof of the old fort is covered with vegetation just like modern buildings today with "Green Roofs." The concrete rooms would provide protection from enemy shelling, but also provide some cooling relief from the searing summer sun. The construction of these forts using solid concrete walls was a big improvement from earlier forts using bricks and mortar.
We really enjoyed the view from atop Fort DeSoto. It provides a panoramic view of the Gulf beach, Egmont Key, and Tampa Bay.
This is a view of Fort DeSoto Park Beach as seen from on top of Fort DeSoto.
A fishing Pier in the foreground, and Egmont Key in the background. In the Center of Egmont Key, you can see the old light house. (See Egmont Key blog dated August 4th)
This view is looking towards the southern shore of Tampa Bay. Using a telephoto lens makes the southern shore appear closer than it is with the naked eye.
Enjoying the view.
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| Kitty and Craig |
After spending the morning and part of the early afternoon enjoying the North Beach at Fort DeSoto Park under the shade of a large tree, we decided to drive up to Palm Harbor for lunch at The Lucky Dill. The Lucky Dill was rated as one of the top sandwich shops in the country, and we have friends who's last name is Dill. So, we had to check this place out.
As we walked into the Lucky Dill, I asked the waitress if we would get a discount because we knew Henry Dill. She responded, "Who the hell is Henry Dill?" Well, needless to say, we didn't get a discount. But, that's alright since the food was great and the portion sizes were big enough to feed an army.
Tomorrow, we will head to Ruskin, Florida to camp at another county campground. It's an interesting place to spend our last two days of this trip. That blog will be up next.
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