Part of the fun of the Penguin Winter Carnival will be the opportunity to
make new penguin friends throughout the weekend, particularly during our
small group outings on Friday afternoon. We are offering four choices of
small group outings.
OUTING B: A Gulf Beach
Pay as you go:
Three of the top ten beaches in the United States are
within 70 miles of the host hotel for the Penguin Winter Carnival! We will
car pool to one of the closest nearby local area beaches for a couple hours
of rest and relaxation in the sun. Pay as you go for meals and shared gas.
You've all heard of the annual beach ratings compiled by
"Dr. Beach", Dr. Stephen Leatherman.
http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/best_beach_list.htm
Criteria for the selections include physical factors such as sand softness,
wave size and current strength; biological factors such as water color,
water quality and prevalence of pests and human-use factors and impacts
such as lifeguard protection, visual obstructions and amenities.
The #2 top-rated beach in the United States for 2004
Fort DeSoto Park, in Florida (only 37 miles south of the Penguin Winter
Carnival host hotel in Tampa).
http://news.fiu.edu/images/lores/fort_desoto_beach.jpg
http://news.fiu.edu/images/lores/fort_desoto_pier.jpg
http://www.fortdesoto.com/
http://beaches.tbo.com/beaches/guide/fortdesoto.htm
Fort De Soto is located in the southwest corner of Mullet Key, at the
entrance to Tampa Bay. Fort DeSoto, named after the Spanish explorer
Hernando DeSoto, was built in 1898 in an effort to provide protection to
Tampa Bay during the Spanish-American War. The entire island is now Fort De
Soto Park, a Pinellas county park which offers fine beaches, fishing,
nature trails, camping, boating, and much more. The park provides two piers
for fishing that are outfitted with bait, tackle and food stores. There are
four miles of paved bike trails, picnic, a boat ramp and swimming beaches
with lifeguards during the season. It is also the home of the Escape From
Fort DeSoto Triathlon. http://www.designsportsinc.com/
The #4 top-rated beach in the United States for 2004
Caladesi Island State Park, in Florida (only 25 miles northwest of the
Penguin Winter Carnival host hotel in Tampa).
http://news.fiu.edu/images/lores/caladesi_island.jpg
http://beaches.tbo.com/beaches/guide/caladesibeach.htm
You have to go by ferry or private boat to reach this 500-acre park. That's
one of the beauties of visiting here. But then everything about this
unpopulated island retreat is beautiful. "It's an island
getaway," Leatherman says of the 3-mile beach. "You look out at
the Gulf. You look around, you don't see anything but nature. It's a day
adventure, a wonderful place to get away to." Leatherman praises the
mangroves, the sand dunes, the egrets and blue herons - even the concession
that sells ice cream. Caladesi, visited by 135,000 to 175,000 people a
year, has a 99-slip marina where boaters can camp overnight if they
register before sundown ($8 per night). Other amenities include picnic
shelters and tables, a 3-mile nature trail and bathhouses with showers. And
don't forget that concession with ice cream.
The #7 top-rated beach in the United States for 2004
Crescent Beach, Siesta Key, in Florida (70 miles south of the Penguin
Winter Carnival host hotel in Tampa).
http://news.fiu.edu/images/lores/seven.jpg
http://www.siestagetaways.com/siestakeysarasot.html
At the "Great International White Sand Beach Challenge" it was
recognized as having the "whitest and finest sand in the world."
Unlike beaches elsewhere that are made up mostly of coral, Siesta Beach's
sand is 99% quartz. Even on the hottest days, the sand is so reflective
that it feels cool under foot. It's estimated that the sand on Siesta Beach
is millions of years old, and started in the Appalachians and flowed down
the rivers and was eventually deposited on the shores of Siesta Key.
Please note all outings are currently tentative and
may be changed to suit registrant preferences up until the time of Penguin Winter Carnival 2005.
