Spring Fling 2011 - Day 10

This was the day we went to the Fort De Soto park on a barrier island (but reachable by road and bridge).  To J&P's disappointment its definition as the #1 beach in the country in 2005 immensely increased its popularity & instead of just a day or two camping reservations are now up to 6 months out.  There are also vastly more day trippers, such as we were this day.  The old fort itself is undergoing massive restorations and is closed to the public, but we went primarily for the beach.

It is a fair drive, but not a difficult one.  Being a Saturday the beach was busy/crowded but nothing like it is going to be in the upcoming spring break weeks.  The sun shone brightly all day, but when staying still the cool breeze made the addition of a coat or fleece wise.  We set up and picnicked in the grassy part close to the huge parking area, then we packed up, grabbed some portable seating and headed for the beach, settling in fairly close to the edge to absorb some rays as the saying goes.  A full stomach & relaxation had it's inevitable effect and it didn't take me long to doze off for a nice nap.

After I woke we left Pete behind a pile of chairs (acting as a windbreak) with his newspaper and Jean and I took a nice long walk all around the beach perimeter as far as the protected area (for ground nesting birds) one end and a minor bay entrance the other end ending at the back by the facilities where we bought cups of ice cream for dessert for the three of us.

Eventually we took our leave, making short stops at a fishing pier, the (closed) fort, and the tip of the island with a good view a long way across the water to the bridge, easily seen with the eye but not so much by our cameras.  By the time we were getting close to home it was after seven so we went to a local family-owned authentic Spanish restaurant and all had a delicious meal, each of us walking out with at least 45% of our serving in a doggie box as they were way more than any of us could eat all at one time.

It was a very nice day, enjoyed by us all.  I have weaned the pictures we took down to a reasonable number and posted them on Flickr, findable here.