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 . . .
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 . . .
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