Two Times The Chaos!: An "Off" Day

I started off the day thinking that I was going to drive to Fort Desoto in Tierra Verde (about 45 minutes from Tampa) and spend the morning taking some pictures of the Gulf Coast, the beach, wildlife, etc. Then my plan was to depart Fort Desoto at 11:00 a.m. for Egmont Key, an offshore National Island Wildlife Refuge that is accessible only by boat, and spend some more time taking photographs and maybe even relaxing at the beach. But...I guess I should have known that when I had to return to the hotel (twice) before I had even left Tampa this morning that my day was going to be doomed!

I left the hotel this morning around 9:00 a.m. and returned about 9:02 (after getting out to my car) because I realized that I forgot my sunscreen. Okay, no big deal. Then, I left the hotel again and around 9:08 a.m. had to pull my car over to the side of the road because my GPS appeared to have quit working and I didn't have any maps with me...hmmm. I had found some weird pieces of electronic-related stuff in my laptop bag earlier in the morning but had no idea what they were from. Well, after looking over my GPS in an attempt to figure out why there was no longer a charge left in it, I figured it out. Those odd parts were to my GSP, which had somehow come unscrewed (the piece you stick in the outlet in the car) and was now pretty much useless. With no GPS and no paper map, I turned the car around once again and returned to the hotel about 9:21. I ~~stomped~~ ran back up to my room, grabbed the three tiny pieces that were in the laptop bag and once again, around 9:27 a.m. hit the road again. This time convinced that I had everything I needed. Money (check), sunscreen (check), sunglasses (check), swimsuit (check), cell phone (check), something to drink (check)...you get the picture.

So I hit the road for the third time and FINALLY feel like I'm good-to-go. I make the 45 minute drive to Fort DeSoto, get out of the car, take a peek around (very cool area!), check my watch for the time to make sure I don't miss the ferry to Egmont Key, and realize that I have about a 1/2 hr. until departure. So I decide to head out to the pier, try to determine exactly where the ferry leaves from, and then take some pictures from the pier. It was all going well up until this point...and then...and then THIS happens.

I pull out my camera and attempt to take a few pictures, nothing. I attempted to take a few more, nothing -- at which time I decided that I better take a closer look at the camera. It was then that I noticed the little "no memory card" icon. Damn...it is at the hotel. So with no time to run anywhere to buy one prior to the arrival of the ferry to Egmont Key and no way to take pictures I decide to head back to the hotel for a third time.

I'm a little ~~pissed off~~ miffed, to say the least. My whole day was seemingly in ruins. On the 45 minute ride back to Tampa, I decided that instead of heading back to the hotel and sulking all day that I would make the most of it and just switch things up. So upon my arrival in Tampa I headed back to the hotel to retrieve my memory card for the camera and then I went straight to another tourist attraction that had I wanted to see while I was here. The Lowry Zoo. Voted the #1 Zoo in America.

With the morning behind me, the warmth of the sun at my back, and my demeanor a little more low-key...I proceeded into the gates of the Lowry Zoo. I spent the afternoon there. It was fun but in my opinion wasn't all it was hyped up to be; in fact, I think the MN Zoo is 110% nicer than this zoo. However, I did get to see some really cool animals, many of which aren't found at any of the local zoos back in MN...so all in all, the day turned out okay. Here are some photos from the Lowry Zoo: