Florida's Hidden Gems

Hidden away off of a winding road on the other side of Tampa's well-known Bayshore Blvd. is Ballast Point Park, which is my favorite pick for Florida's Hidden Gems.

Only In Your State has an interesting article on 14 of their picks for Hidden Gems in Florida.  Click here to go to their article to discover some new spots in Florida to explore.

Fishing Adventure at Ballast Point ~ Tampa, Florida

The Captain and I started in the middle of the night . . . beginning with a trip to the 24/7 Walmart to buy some last minute items we needed for our adventure.

This is the view that greeted us as we walked upon the pier.  The photos don't do the early morning sky justice . . . it was overwhelmingly breathtaking.  What was really beautiful is the downtown Tampa skyline at this time.  What you are looking at in this view is the Port of Tampa.

Click on any of the photos for a larger view with greater detail.

It surprised me that this early in October, it was freezing out there (well, what this Florida girl calls freezing).  The winds were whipping around and I was chilled to the bone!  Good thing we still had blankets in the van from our trips to the beach.  Once I got wrapped up in a blanket, I was fine.

I just sat there gazing at the sky for the longest time . . . the changing colors were amazing.  The water was choppy from the wind and took on a spectrum of colors.  The sights and sounds of the morning stillness, along with the beachy smells conjured up those awesome childhood memories for me again.

We had the whole pier to ourselves except for a few people at the very end and some people in the park area enjoying the changing colors of the sky.  I would be so very happy to grab a cup of coffee on the way over there and just watch the changing sky.  Being on that pier gives a panoramic sky view . . . just AWESOME!

This is a part of the downtown Tampa skyline . . . not the greatest photo, but I love the way the sun bounced off of the sides of the buildings.  Next time I'll get better photos of this view!

All of a sudden, the birds started to appear . . . a few at first . . . 

. . . and more appeared . . .

The night skies turned to day . . . with a smidge of orange skies.

The little guy was not too happy with the intrusion of the bigger bird!

As more and more birds appeared, so did the fishermen.

A view of Bayshore Boulevard . . . notice the beautiful pinkish sky!

The big rock bulging out of the water is full of little birds . . .

The sun begins peaking up from the horizon . . .

I love the way the sunlight reflects against the pier!

Well . . . we proceeded to fish throughout the morning and a chilly early morning turned into a hotter mid-morning at which time we had enough of feeding the fish and decided to drive around and take more photos of Tampa.  We did catch two little fish, but nothing substantial to bring home.

The fun was being in the midst of it all and experiencing night turn into day on Tampa Bay.

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Ballast Point Park ~ Tampa, Florida

Ballast Point Park is a located on Tampa Bay (featuring awesome views of downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa), down the street from Bayshore Boulevard, one of the most picturesque points in Tampa.

click photo for enlarged view

The park dates back to Tampa's earliest days, originally named Jules Verne Park.  The Hillsborough County Historical Commission placed a historical marker at the park which reads:

"Formerly Jules Verne Park . . .

Mrs. Chester W. Chapin, controlling owner of the company which operated the city's first electric trolley cars, purchased these acres and in 1894 developed this site into a tropical park as a terminal for her line.  

She named it for the French writer Jules Verne (1814-1905) who in his famous novel "From the Earth to the Moon" first published in 1865, chose Tampa town as his launching site for the imaginary shot of his rocket to that planet near one hundred years ago."

The park features a lovely fishing pier that brought back so many memories of my childhood.  As we ventured down the pier today, flashbacks of fishing with my dad came to mind.  The one memory that stands out are the ugly blowfish that were often caught off that pier.  They really freaked me out as a child!

click photos for enlarged views

As a dating teenager, the pier was a fun spot to enjoy a relaxing evening after having dinner out.  That pier has been a fun spot for me as I became an adult, looking for a frugal way to spend a very enjoyable evening, either fishing or merely walking the pier watching others fish.  There is something about fishing piers at night that fascinate me in the simple way of just enjoying one of nature's gifts . . . the sounds, the sights, the smells.  It is an awesome way to spend an evening!

click photo for enlarged view

We passed by the familiar picnic pavillions and I could almost feel the happy childhood excitement and wind on my face as I ran around and played with my cousins and second cousins.  Family picnics back in the day meant the whole family got together . . . such happy memories just walking around that park!

Each sheltered picnic pavillion includes a grill, lots of picnic tables in shady surroundings that includes a children's playground. 

The tree-lined walkways along the water are popular among joggers, walkers and rollerbladers with quick access to Bayshore Blvd.

Some views of Bayshore Blvd., downtown Tampa and Port of Tampa from the Ballast Point Pier:

click photos to enlarge views

It was one of those overcast days in Florida . . . hit and miss showers all over town.  Notice the difference in cloud formations . . . watching the sky fascinates me!


Ballast Point Park is an awesome place to spend the day picnicing with family, relaxing on a park bench enjoying the Florida sunshine, fishing on the pier or just passing the day or evening watching others fish . . . there is also a restaurant on the grounds (have no idea what the food is like).


Check it out if you find yourself in Tampa and just want to enjoy a little relaxation with spectacular surroundings . . .