Yesterday was one hot day at the Fort.  I spent at least four hours along the shore.  I chose to layout midway down the beach, almost were the curve is heading south just before the new roped off area for bird nesting.  I setup my blanket were the wet sand ends and the dry sand begins.  From that point I get a better breeze than if I sat up near the small dune.  Also, I get a good view of the walkers and they of me.  I have been wearing my skinz tan-thru orange panther print with orange string,  I must say that this is the nicest suit I own.  My tan lines last night were very defined as get pretty dark to begin with but yesterdays tanning index was 11 (Extreme Sun). I sawy several other thongers and when walking to north end one thonger was with his lady and she was in a black thong (nice body).  When I walked south towards the Fort there were several ladies out shelling and one really nice female but she had a young girl with her so I stayed on my blanket  but she had a body!  I plan to be out there Friday for another hot adventure.

See ya at the Fort!

G

Out to the Fort on Friday, more tourist than usual for a Friday but not bad.  Went near the same area as always, north of the roped off area.  High tide when I got there so my chair was close to the waters edge.  Let me tell ya it was a hot day with no much breeze.  As the tide went out it got even nicer to lay in the shallow water to tan  my back side.  With the rays being as strong as they are now my tan lines are really showing up white.  Gotta love the Florida heat & sun!

G

Four hours of tropical paradise!  The beach was quiet, very little breeze and warm, not muggy or humid likes days ago.  There was almost noone around. I only took a small towel and a cooler of water and sat on the waters edge.  I laid on the sand and swam most of the time.  Later I walked south near the concession and then back. As I walked south an older female came my way and said hello as we passed, she was checking out my suit or what little there was (Skinz G-string Roman).  As she headed north I continued south and came upon a nice looking female laying on the shore. As I approched she stood and went to the water (knee deep) and cooled off all the while checking out my g.  I enjoyed my walk!  Then as I came back this young female started to walk north to keep infont of me.  As I got back to my towel this young lady stayed close by, went to the water and swam.  She never got close enought to talk but the looks were great!  This is the best time of year at the Fort as no one is around and paradise is all yours.

G

Was out at the Fort yesterday. As Ski said above, it was paradise. I got out there after lunchtime and stayed til about 5. I don't think I saw no more than a dozen people the whole day. I've never seen it like that before. I'm not sure if it's because the kids are back in school or the extreme weather we've had lately. Probably both. I stayed south of the ranger trail. I took a couple of walks to the north end around mid afternoon. I saw a few people in the water along with a jetski. The ranger came by once when I was walking. I was wearing my custom made white V/Y string which is the smallest I have. The ranger just waved and kept moving. The breeze is what made the day really good. Can't wait to get back out next week.

V-String

hey guys need some clarification how accepted thong are there in the st pete area. I am coming down in oct. with some family and do not want to drag a 5 yr old from say redington all the way down to the fort just so dad can get some "T" time. Suits vary from conservative ritchie thong to attention getting skinz skinny side thong. 

Other web sites stated that medeira beach was legaly topless, but I got the impression that the site was not upto date. Can you advise the current status. understand this is not a travel site,but any advise, referalsor links would be appreciated. oh is there a website where I can use your comments on land marks to navigate the fort? PS. probably be in town midweek, have to catch fireworks over at mickey's place on weekend.

Tell us your best visit this summer to Fort De Soto Beach!!!  Mine happens to be most everytime I go as I leave behind all my worries and just relax and get some down time.  I was out today (Wednesday Sept 5th) and the beach was a beautiful as ever, several guys (10+) all sunning and walking the beach, tide was going out so the beach was wide open and very shallow water, great for laying in the water and tanning.  As most times lately I had on my Skinz Roman Tan-Thru and did I get a great tan today.  I walked to the very north end were the beach water drains from the small bay, so several tanners along the way and enjoyed the heat on my bod.  Walkding back the rangere drove by and waved, funny I only saw them once today. See ya soon at the Fort!

G

Just to let everyone know what is going out at the Fort. We were out Sunday and they are in the process of getting rid of all of those beautiful Australian Pine trees located between the road abd the beach. They had completed cut down 3 and had 4 or 5 more started when we got there. They were not working Sunday but I but they took down a lot more starting Tuesday. We loved those trees because they whistled when the wind went htrough them. 

Remember when they roped off so much beach for nesting birds? Wonder where the birds that nested in these trees are suppose to go now?

Beachfolks - We are missing your smiling face out there. It has been really hot and humid.  Hope to see you and the misses either in the fall or spring.

Australian Pine trees are not native.  There is a big move in the state park service to get rid of them because they take over the local stuff.  Unfortunatly the local stuff they put back in it's place is often just scrub and scrub palms. 

Still it may be good to get rid of the trees, they are very invasive.  But on the other hand they do seem to be resiliant to salt water and do help to bind together fragile cost lines. 

There has been a move to plant coconut trees on the city beaches here.  You can get small ones at low cost.  How about starting a drive to plant them on the beach?  You could do it officaly or just put down a group of half a dozen, put stakes around and a tape to keep people off them.  The park workers would probalby think that it was an offical planting.  In a couple of years they will give you shade, and in a couple more you can sling a hamock under them.

You can make a good argument that coconuts are good to help stop erosion.  The roots help bind the sand.  If there is a large swell from a stom the trees break up the waves.  If it gets real bad some trees may fall cross ways and help to break up the waves. 

Scrub pams (Palmoeto Palms) have bad shade and are dirty trees.  They don't shead their fonds and they become rat houses.  Try to get coconuts planted.  Just do a few your self.  If a lot of you do it you will have a coconut grove. 

There are quite a few vrieties of coconut pam.  The Maypan starts to produce nuts that can be planted in only three to four years.  By that time it is twice as tall as you.   The clasic Jamaca tall is very salt resistant and is exclent at holding sand together since it has a wide fibrous root system.  The Jamaca will take 5 to six years before it bares coconuts but it will continue growing for longer than a human life time and can get 85 foot tall.  That's tall. 

If you get trees that are just started from the nut they will be small and easy to conseal.  YOu can bring them an a shopping bag.  Bigger tress may take more planning to put in, but will give you shade a year or two sooner.  

Just make sure they are not planning to put in grass and bbq stands.  One way that parks have attempted to 'reform' thonger beaches is by turning them into open vistas full of family pickick tables, rental pavilions and bbq stands.

Don't under rate coconut palms. They are hardy.  They even have some growing in the south of England. Fort De Soto is only 100 miles to the north of me.  You get basicly the same weather we do. 

Wikipeda says "Coconut palms will grow from Bradenton southwards on Florida's west coast and Melbourne southwards on Florida's east coast. The occasional coconut palm is seen north of these areas in favored microclimates in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area and around Cape Canaveral."

Wikipedia is wrong in one aspect:  There are variations in the coconut genus.  I suspect some are more hardy than others.  There is also a large number of other palm trees that at first glance look similar and that provide reletivly clean and dappled shade.  Some are salt water resistant, although to my knowlage none are as salt resistant as the cocount palms. The best text on the subject that I know of is "Betrock's guide to Palms".  (There are a couple of versions,  you want one of the the palm spicific ones. There is also a guide to landscape palms that is similar, if not as detailed). 

Growing them from the nut, instead of from a small tree, would probably make sure they will adapt well to the local soil.  On the other hand, if they are allready well started, young trees my grow faster and it is less likley that kids will find them and uproot them.

I was out at the Fort yesterday. A beautiful day. Not alot of walkers and with the tide low the whole beach was wide open. I wore my smallest suit, white pouch with coral string which gave me a maxium tan. I walked up to the North end a few times and saw about a dozen other thongers including 3 women. Even the birds were out, lining up along the shore as you walked the beach. Only saw the rangers twice which happened as I arrived and then when I was leaving. All in all, another perfect day at the Fort.

V-String

Will be interesting to see how the beach  area changes over the next year. With some of the trees coming down along the road and the removing of one access road for the rangers.  Not sure where the dirt came from that they spread on the access road. It is full of garbage. Guess they will be transplanting some sea oates into that area. Will be nice for habitat area but makes the walk a little longer. This longer walk may cause some of the thongers to stay further south.  Not sure the textilers ( those that wear shorts past their knees or a one piece that covers more than a wedding dress) will accept this movement. Over the winter months all will stay calm. Come next March and April I bet the story will not be the same. 

We have had some wonderful times out at the Fort. I have to say the best for us was one Saturday this year. I think it was in June. It was a beautiful day with a slight breeze and calm warm water. By about 4pm the foot traffic slowed down and we were able to enjoy the peace and quite while having some cheese and crackers. We  watched the Carnival cruise ship heading out for a fun week at sea.  We stayed and saw a beautiful sunset and then packed up and came home. There is nothing better than enjoying a wonderful thonging day ( maybe even no tanlines) at fort desoto with great friendly people. Some are regulars you see a lot of and talk family things and then you also get to meet the people that are down for vacation.  Even with all the problems of insurance and property taxes along with lower wages it is worth the sacrafice to me to enjoy this area. My wife and I are both native Floridians and just could not see living outside this area. I spent 2 years in Idaho and more time around the southeast so I have experienced some areas. We have also traveled to quite a few areas. But it is hard to think about leaving a picture postcard beach area like fort desoto.

Thursday should also be windy...then fantastic for the weekend if the remnants of the tropical storm will not mess up the forecast.  Up here in Mexico Beach in the panhandle where the weather broke today, going to pop their eyes out in a thong tomorrow here and on St George Island (nude there also) then come on back down to the Fort for fantastic Friday and the weekend....should be pent up demand after a week of bad and windy weather.  

Enjoyed thongs and less at the Fort on Monday, Tuesday was a washout.