Florida Family Getaways - 2008 - (Page 14) towns GHOST TALES Florida’s Beachy Ghost Haunt Not all the ghosts are in towns. Some of Florida’s most eerie places are actually abandoned towns, including Fort Dade on Egmont Key, near St. Petersburg. You might feel like you’re on the surreal TV island in Lost as you follow desolate brick streets and crumbling sidewalks that lead nowhere and climb the shadowed stairways of military batteries on Egmont Key. Located near the entrance to Tampa Bay, the key is accessible only by ferry from St. Petersburg’s Fort De Soto Park or by private boat, but it is well worth the trip. Fort Dade was built on the barrier island when the Spanish-American War was imminent. Surprisingly modern for its time and remote location, it provided its 300 residents with electricity, telephones and the luxuries of a movie theater, bowling alley and tennis court. The fort was deactivated in 1923, but the lighthouse, built in 1848, still operates. Little more than a few walls and bricks remain of the original town’s 70 buildings; many sites are marked with placards and black-and-white photos of buildings long gone. Location: Barrier island at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Get there via ferry from Fort De Soto Park, southwest of St. Petersburg. Info: www.floridastateparks.org/ egmontkey Fort Dade, Egmont Key Create lasting family memories Hospitality Has a New Home ALL STAR offers you the peace of mind that a quality accommodation and superior guest services provides. Choose from homes that offer private pools and spas, game rooms, home theatres, gourmet kitchens, computers and more. Each vacation home within 5 miles of Walt Disney World®. Reader Response 6 888-640-7812 • AllStarVacationHomes.com 14 VISITFLORIDA.com/family http://www.floridastateparks.org/egmontkey http://www.floridastateparks.org/egmontkey http://AllStarVacationHomes.com http://AllStarVacationHomes.com http://VISITFLORIDA.com/family
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.