De Soto National Memorial

The exploratory history of the new world shapes the beautiful De Soto National Memorial on the water. We walked the grounds and took in the sites. Then, we were lucky enough to boat around the waterfront part of the park and to see it from the waterside. The boys loved the boat ride and I loved getting my stamp, so it was a win/win kind of day! After an revised start to our Florida NPS tour, I was happy that Sam was able to play in his basketball tournament in Spokane, WA and then we could hop the red-eye to land … take a quick nap … and to start our revised tour. The weather was perfect and it was so nice to be out and about in nature.

“De Soto National Memorial, in Manatee County 5 miles west of Bradenton, Florida, commemorates the 1539 landing of Hernando de Soto and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States. The memorial includes 26 acres, where the Manatee River joins Tampa Bay.”