4

2

March 5:  Tampa, FL
Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning
St. Pete Times Forum

I don't think I have ever been on a "Key" before, so its fitting given my past that the first be named "Mullet Key".  It felt so good to feel the sun here, 80 degrees south of St. Petersburg at Fort de Soto Park.  A few weeks back Ben and I saw the Mississippi River for the first time.  Today we were first timers on the Gulf of Mexico.

Mullet Key has an interesting history.  Robert E. Lee surveyed the area for fortification in 1849 before the Civil War.  It might have been a good idea since Union troops aided the blockade of Tampa Bay from here during the war.  We were disappointed that Fort de Soto, built in 1906 to protect Tampa Bay, was closed for rehabilitation work.  It is pictured here behind Ben.

Why would anyone live in Orlando when an hour a way they could be here?  The locals out running, fishing, kite boarding, kayaking, and biking.

We hoped to inline skate on Bayshore Boulevard, a 5 mile stretch of the Tampa Bay shore that is lined by historic and stately southern mansions.  No skates for rent.  That gave us time before our pre-game pizza to visit the Tampa Bay History Center which was running a Civil War Exhibit.

Tampa Bay has been important real estate for this country.  It, and all of Florida, also had deep roots in slavery.  Hard for Seattle J-Boys to understand.  Ben was quick to find the lacrosse sticks.

I'm just going to be blunt about it.  Ben hates the Montreal Canadiens.  This is also an important game for Tampa.

The word Tampa means "sticks of fire" in the language of the Calusa Native Americans that once lived here.  Unfortunately, it was Montreal that brought the sticks of fire here.  They dominated from the moment the puck dropped.  Rising Tampa star Steven Stamkos was invisible.

I can tell you who had skates of fire though, Tampa winger Marty St. Louis.  He's the best hockey skater I've ever seen.  The elder J-Boy has a new favorite player.

Probably helps that he's also 5'8".

Originally planning to hit Orlando for the Harry Potter Wizarding World theme park, we instead spent Sunday on the Tampa Riverwalk.  What a pleasant city, the nicest I've seen in Florida.

Returning to Orlando we had time to walk Downtown Disney, preferring that to the airport.  I'm sure there are a lot of 12 year olds that would love to have spent our whole weekend there.  Ben could hardly stand it.

We talked about that.  He likes real stuff.  He would rather visit old Fort de Soto than manufactured Epcot Center.

I'm glad he takes me with him.