swimmarz 72 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Wow its been a busy month for me, feel like I have not been on the site in a while. Anyways locals have told me( TCD and I for the get S/N but i believe his name is Travis) i need to check out Ft Desoto and i was able to book a site way back in September for this past week Kids were off for spring break and its super cheap when compared to the other fort. we booked site 212 for 3 nights, and total cost with tax was $138, or about the same cost as 1 night at the FORT during the same time! Fort DeSoto is on Mullet Key, and is very close to St Petersburg Florida, for me it was just about a 2 hour drive and got to go over the sunshine skyway bridge! Just got there, site 212 time to set up! Check in time was 1 pm and we got there just before 2. We had a water front site so this was our view All set up and heading to the beach, with your nightly fee at this camp ground includes admission to the statepark ( $5/ day) Avatab.... Steve 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Memphis 105 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 We love Fort Desoto. Used to camp there a lot when we lived in Pinellas County. It has some great beaches and fishing piers. Lots to do and explore. Just keep your food and coolers locked up or the coons will leave you with nothing to eat or drink. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Yup, I mentioned it. We haven't camped there in a long long time. Glad to see it has been kept up. It can be almost as hard booking a site there as the Fort. Supposedly they save a few sites everyday for walk-ins. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Avatab.... Steve 124 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Been there many times, it's a great place, very peaceful and a great spot for kayaks or canoes. Half or more of the sites are right on the water. As Travisma just said, its hard to get a water site during the busy season as the county residents get to book earlier than non-residents, but even the off- water sites are nice and the whole park is beautiful. The beach has been rated one the tops in the USA several times and they even have a beach just for dogs. Whenever possible we do a "Fort to Fort Trip" and use Fort Desoto to unwind from Disney. Nothing like a hammock on the water between two palm trees Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cortezcapt (Derek) 156 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 They used to have walk in only sites reserved that you could get on Friday morning if you were in line. About a year or so back they changed it to were you could go on at 7 am and book the walk in sites from the computer. They are still first come first served and if you hesitate or try to look for a different site then they first give you'll end up loosing it. But it does make it nice if you are just looking for a quick get away. I think they were a minimum Friday, Saturday booking and rarely the water front sites. I wish the state parks in florida did the same. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swimmarz 72 Posted April 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 so we left off on day 1( monday) finished setting up camp and then it was off to the beach the boys love sand and even made sand angles we went back to camp, had some steak and potatoes and hit the bunks up next is tuesday, a day we will not forget for a while..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fladogfan aka Gretchen 259 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 ought oh, hope it's a good not to forget day. We camped at this fort many years ago, it was nice. Need to get back. Looking forward to the rest of your report. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swimmarz 72 Posted April 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Tuesday started off good, we went to the old fort checked out the sights Played with some Cannons Got in a lil trouble Had some ice cream to cheer them up and Caught my First Fish we then heard a crack of thunder and it was time to get off the pier. we headed off to lunch at a local crab shack just thinking it would be a typical storm however we got back to the site as things got bad... I mean really bad I had the awning on the pup deployed and did have straps to hold it down, due to the gusts of wind that were well over 45 MPH one of the legs came out from its holder and we had to put the awning away. my Wife who is 100 LBs dripping wet had 1 job, hang on to the awning as i un did the straps that were holding it in place, the awning lifted her like a sail and i grabbed the rail just in time. no damage to her or the camper, or the awning for that matter. The kids were shaken by this storm as was the pup, mom and kids huddled in the end pointed away from the wind/ water where as i was in the bunk on the other end as it was lifting with the bigger gusts. about an hour later things start to die down. Our poor neighbors site was a wreck! thats a 10x10 dome tent that didnt fare the storm well, as did the tarp, it was new but now its ripped and not salvageable, things were littered across the entire campground, we found some of our stuff a few sites down( towels, pop up trash can) just glad it was over and no one got hurt. Avatab.... Steve 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 The coast gets a lot of severe winds/rain, usually stronger than what hits inland. There's not a lot west of the coastline to break up the wind/gusts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Northerngirl--Lori 5 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Wow, that storm sounded scary. Glad everyone was alright. We spent a summer in a pop up when we were renovating our house. there were times I thought for sure that we were tipping over from the wind. Thank you for sharing your trip report. I enjoy reading all of them. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk swimmarz 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fladogfan aka Gretchen 259 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 That was scary! Hope your boys will forget that with all the fun to come. And the first caught fish to remember! We were camping in a VA state park last summer when a thunder storm blew thru. Lots of rain, windy and a bolt of lightning hit not far from the hybrid. The dogs and I were on one of the bed ends, we all jumped at that. Poor Lacey was traumatized by that loud noise so close to us. She is now afraid of loud storms and will come find me to sit with until it is over. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swimmarz 72 Posted April 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 so now comes the calm after the storm, and those beautiful sunsets The next day the weather was great, breakfast was started by the lil guy then a bike ride down to the playground then back to the Pier for some fishing where they boys caught another fish Kiss it for luck after we ran out of bait we went to the beach next to the pier got some fresh squeezed lemonade then it was back to the camper for lunch... more to come Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Looks like a good get away so far. swimmarz 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Memphis 105 Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Making me miss living in Florida and it's barely been a month. Fort Desoto was the first place we camped when we got back into land camping after selling the boat that we used for camping out in the gulf. swimmarz 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swimmarz 72 Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 just finishing up the report, got back to camp and did a little bike ride then upstairs to the camp store the view while eating ice cream on the way back the big guy said he didn't want training wheels anymore, so off they come... he said he wanted to make them into skates he did great, ill try to post a video looking at the sunset from our site everyone looking sad as were packing up lil man making sure everything is clean Avatab.... Steve 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fladogfan aka Gretchen 259 Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 What a great trip. Thanks for sharing it with us. swimmarz 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caveat lector 181 Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 That is a wonderful tr. Thanks Really makes me wish I could turn back time. swimmarz 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Great TR. You have a beautiful family! I especially liked the picture of your sons in "jail." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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