Fort De Soto Park; Dog days are alive and well along the Gulf of Mexico
GoPetFriendly.com offers dog owners excellent information about traveling with your pet near or far. Owners, and good friends, Amy & Rod shared part of their visit to Florida with us, along with their fur-balls, Ty and Buster. Photo by Rori Paul
Not long ago we met up with friends, Amy and Rod of GoPetFriendly.com. This excellent website offers up plenty of national travel information for those for who taking along the dog on the family vacation is important.
We chose to meet up at Fort De Soto Park, part of a vast, sprawling county park site set along the Gulf of Mexico’s white sandy shores and a former Fort site. Camping, biking, hiking, kayaking and fishing are just some of the many activities one can enjoy at Fort De Soto, but don’t forget that furry, four legged friend you brought along, because this is one spot where dogs are welcome.
Fort De Soto offers an excellent dog park and dog beach.
No, not throughout the whole park and you should make certain of times and all locations around the Fort De Soto setting, but set aside just for the pleasure and joy of the slobbery set, a park and beach front.
While visiting with Amy and Rod, we also had the privilege of meeting their fur-balls, Ty and Buster. Ty’s got a bit of a Ty-tude while Buster is a free wheeling, fun-loving, life living, running and playing sort. Then again, Buster is a German Shepard, a breed known for its full-of-life self.
Laura meets Ty, and Amy and Rod knowing his temperament chose not to bring him to the dog park. Knowing your dog is part of the safety you need to respect when enjoying a dog park. Photo by Rori Paul.
To that end, Ty spent some time in the RV while we all took Buster for some park time. There we watched as the goofball made new friends, chased his toy and ran with canine beauty. He loved his time away from mom and dad, but never once hesitated to explore far and wide.
The dog park is divided in two; one side for large dogs, one for small. We watched from a distance as someone brought their small dog into the large dog area, stunned and angered as they let the larger dogs pick on the little buggers.
Laura and I do not bring our dogs to dog parks – we’ve been told by trainers that it’s not smart nor safe – that said, many dog owners do and if you know and trust your dog, this is a good park for them to enjoy. But do utilize the size-restricted areas.
Buster smiles big during his Fort De Soto Dog Park visit. He loved running the large yard, picking up speed, chasing a toy at a far, distant and deserted end, and playing with other dogs. Photo by Rori Paul
At the far end of the park is the dog beach, a lovely stretch of white sand that offers humans beautiful views and pups a great stretch to run along.
Fort De Soto is an easy location to get to near Pass-A-Grille with the ability to head there after or back to St Petersburg, up to Clearwater or over to Tampa.
Buser makes a new friend by the water area. Make sure there is plenty of water for your dog. This area at Fort De Soto lets dogs drink and stay hydrated in our hot Florida air. Photo by Rori Paul.
Buster loved romping through the waves. There is a separate stretch of beach specifically for dogs. Photo by Rori Paul
Buster is immediately off and running for his toy, thrown at a far, deserted end to not interfere with other dogs. Photo by Rori Paul.
Rod, Amy and Buster enjoyed the beauty of an early spring morning along the beaches of Fort De Soto Park along Florida's Gulf Coast. Photo by Rori Paul.
That was a fantastic day! Thanks for the memories.
We had a ton of fun! And watching Buster enjoy it all was true joy!
- Rori