Florida winter

[nudewalker]

It is that time now that we ate back up north again to try to update all those stories with more detail and some pictures. Unfortunately this is what I discovered on most of the excursions taken to find some free range time. After finding a group of like minded souls there is more of an understanding of the situation. Now that the rain has stopped and the sun is shining it is time to get outside!

[nudewalker]

From the grapevine I was told of Veterans Park where a number of people use the launch point to kayak and paddle board. After a quick search of Google maps it was decided to head there and paddle along the shore to find anyplace to sun and relax. Upon arrival there was a couple just coming to shore so I waited until they got in before I set out. When the female of the two got out of her kayak she had on what until that time was the skimpiest bathing costume seen in Florida so far. We struck up a conversation then she noticed the Calvin "Life is short, play naked" sticker on my craft. So the conversation took a sudden turn and I was told to go out to the island in the bay where I could find some solitude and f lucky naked time. They also told me of some other places to try and wished me luck. The parting comment was from the male who said "It's nice to loose these" as he hooked his thumbs in the waistband.

The paddle part was no problem but there was one boat anchored on shore plus another one just offshore when I got there. As I neared the first boat there was a couple onboard that seemed more interested in reading than going ashore, just then the other boat pulled away and headed away. Moving to the south side of the island away from the anchored boat I went ashore and began to explore. The island itself was made of crushed shells which meant water shoes had to stay on and as the island was deserted I could remove the tan through suit and walk around a bit. There was enough foliage to stay hidden to passing boats but really not enough room to enjoy a good walk. It seemed no matter where I went all paths led to the anchored boat! There was a nice clearing that gave me a place to spread my beach mat and lay out for awhile but a group of jet skiers put an end to that soon.

The first photo is leaving the launch area heading to the island, the second one is the beach where I landed. Sorry for the quality but they were taken with my cell phone.

[jbeegoode]

No hiking, short walks to the couple reading. What about swimming?

What do you figure the dimension of this island to be?
Jbee

[nudewalker]

Quick answer after looking it up on Google earth is 500 ft by 200 roughly. It is near the channel so being able to swim wasn't possible then because of boat traffic. Just a nice little escape which I plan pack a picnic and enjoy a day next year.

[nudewalker]

Trying to put the information the couple from Veterans Park gave me the next excursion was from Fort Desoto. I only knew of one place to put in the kayak and it was near the rental concession so entering the water with about twenty others the hope was to get to open water or find a good spot. One of the highlights was passing the eagles nest although it seems that we may have gotten too close for comfort. Most of the group that I left with headed to a marked trail away from the open water and others turned back leaving me alone. As I reached freedom I did slip off the tan through shorts and proceeded to paddle naked toward the open areas. The shoreline in this area had heavy foliage so although there were places to beach the kayak none proved sufficient to allow any naked time in the sun. So that day I just put my legs out and drifted with the currents for awhile before heading back to the launch place. Going back was more difficult due to the headwind so by the time I got back my arms were so tired that assistance was needed to put the kayak on the roof! I did drive around the park to look for some other launch sites closer to my destination.

[nudewalker]

In an effort to find any suitable place for hiking I took these pictures along the way. More on the details of the area; Fort Desoto is in the entrance to Tampa Bay. During the Spanish-American War fortifications were built here to protect the bay from invasion. Parts of the old fort and guns are preserved and as you can see it is run by the county who has posted anti-nudity signs. Plus the latest addition of security cameras though out the park.

Now I have been told that a lot of the patrols are due to spring breakers in the park and surrounding areas. Since the crackdown in the Pensacola area the locals feared a more rowdy crowd headed south. So therefore the crackdown on the beaches on alcohol and although I had not seen it nudity as well. On the last count I took the locals word for it as it is their beach (at least their tax money) and did not want to make waves.

I did find a little out of the way place that held some promise however. As I walked along I noticed a cactus plant that seemed to have the same berries or such that Jbee and DF harvested in an earlier post. As I said the place did hold promise until I came to a roped off area with the sign in the other picture.

[jbeegoode]

I have found those succulents in the weirdest places. Weird because I'd expect them to only be a desert plant. Sandy beaches in topics, hanging in the arms of trees and saguaros, high country where it freezes, next to pines, etc. Then where they would grow best, there are so many varieties, shapes of pads, configurations and types of needles, and then colors purples, reds greens. They are on Islands in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, too. They tough it out and are among the first to recover after a blade or flood scrapes away the top soil.

They sometimes curl up into a bowl and float. The pads can just sit for months and then attach and take root. Some are very prolific and just take over within months. Here we plant a pad and water it. Water it again in a week and then again. It just grows happy after that. Even brown thumbs have been know to grow these, Eyesup.
Jbee

[nudewalker]

Now I still haven't reached the area described to me by the couple at the park earlier. Now that I found a launch point closer to there maybe this was the day. The currents in the open water on the bay can be exhausting plus the tide which I never seemed to know if it was going out or coming in. Yes, the news does announce it during the weather and the newspaper does have tide tables posted but this is like a long vacation or at least I try to treat in that way. Upon approach to the island there were a few boats anchored offshore and a number of kayaks on the shore. Then I saw people, maybe even naked people? Well from a distance anyway. Needless to say the turnover in paddle strokes quickened as nirvana may have ben found. As I moved closer the disappointment grew; no nakedness just the skimpiest bathing suits I've ever seen. Once I reached shore I was greeted by a few people and the couple from Veterans Park. They wondered when I was going to make it there. I did say they had my hopes up as the nude island had been found and was told that that island is more of a sandbar at low tide. I did find out the suits on the females there were by an Australian company called Wicked Weasel, the men's from a variety of manufactures mostly Skinz. After a brief visit we did take a walk off the beach where at last experience naked time. The beach is patrolled quite a bit as there is a preserve that is off limits to humans so efforts are made to stay in the rules that being no nudity or alcohol so that the entire space does not become off limits.

Not much else to report here except the occasional trip out there to get some sun. In my cautious age I was too afraid to attempt going out to the sandbar but I did start to pay attention to the tides after that first trip. unlike the other island this one had white sand almost like powdered sugar in some places. And to be honest, if you can't beat them, join them became the motto. So I did buy a thong suit from a local beach store but was still covered way more than anyone else. That ends the highlights of the winter. Now that I'm home and back to familiar ground things may improve as turkey season ends on May 14th!

[JOhnGw]

For such minimum wear I have worn Kiniki g-string underwear.
Some of the latest designs are in an unlined mesh fabric which should be very comfortable as swimwear.
http://www.kiniki.com/collections/mens/g-string

[jbeegoode]

The law is obsessed with making sure that everyone gets at least some gritty souvenir sand in their crotch to take home and to keep themselves busy alleviating discomfort. 
Jbee

[nudewalker]

I don't know about the law but someone or some group feels they need to be the moral compass. The whole "family" oriented or "think of the children" is getting old when there were very few around. Most of the youngsters are up where the Mouse and friends are, not on the beaches near me. Thankfully, the sand was fine enough to rinse out in the water by just pulling the suit down and letting a wave clean it out.

JOhnGw, thanks for the link and plans are if we go south again next winter I will go prepared with the absolute minimum to be within the law. Some of the people I met have also provided me with websites to look over.