Tampa to the Manatee River

On November 29th we left Gulfport for the Manatee River across Tampa Bay. It was a grey day but we were able to get this picture of the bridge spanning the ship channel as we crossed. Like many of the bays in the Southeast, Tampa Bay is relatively shallow with channels maintained by dredging.

DeSoto Point at the mouth of the Manatee was our next anchorage. We went ashore and walked the trails of the park celebrating the story of DeSoto and his expedition in the area. Monuments here honor the Catholic priests who were part of the Spanish attempts to exploit the New World. DeSoto was particularly cruel to the natives. One of the lesser known historical tidbits about him was his ownership of hundreds of pigs which represented wealth.

At the park, a replica of the Spanish camp has been constructed. DeSoto left part of his men here while he sought riches farther north. Jack tries this hut on for size in this picture.