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6-1-2024 ANNUAL PICNIC - PHILIPPE PARK

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Saturday, the first day of June, 2024 was the day for the Sun 'n Fun Vettes annual picnic.  As has been the case for the past two or three years, Philippe Park in Pinellas county was the site for our picnic.  

The weather cooperated and we had a beautiful day for a picnic. 

 

Philippe Park is a beautiful site on old Tampa Bay with magnificent old oak trees and all the facilities needed for a great group get together and picnic.  Not only is this a beautiful site for a picnic but it has a lot of significance in Florida history.  It was a special site for the Tocobaga Indians who occupied this area about 1,000 years ago.  

Several members went ahead to make preparations at the shelter we had reserved for our picnic - set out some of the food, get the grill started, etc.  The rest of us met in the Kohl's parking lot at Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road in Lutz.  We had 8 Vettes, an SUV,  and 16 people  to make our cruise to Philippe Park in Safety Harbor.   We got separated right at the start - as soon as we left the parking lot - because of heavy traffic on the roads.  And although we thought we were separated for good and would never in this lifetime see each other again, we managed to regroup and make the trip together.  All those Vettes pulling into Philippe Park together drew some attention.  Makes you feel good to be part of a group like that.

We had a great time.  Delicious hamburgers and hot dogs thanks to our chefs Ed B. and Yaz H. and a lot of delicious "pot luck" food brought by members.  We had our fill and, as usual, really enjoyed our time together.  

 

Here's who participated (no particular order):  John & Frances W - Pablo & Delia R - Lloyd & Carol J - Jerry & Terri G - Mike & Delma E - Dave G & Rose B - Carl D with his daughter and her two sons - Mark S - Warren R & his friend Dale - Gary & Linda W - Jerry & Matty M - John & Irene H - Ed B - Peter & Yaz H - John & Edie R - Ryaan & Isha A - Tom A - Rich & Marge F - and Dan & Cathy B.   A nice turn out and everyone had plenty to eat. 

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Meeting at Kohl's parking lot for our cruise to Philippe Park in Pinellas County

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- - - - - - - - - - Arriving at Philippe Park - - - - - - - - - -

A quick view around our picnic site

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Jerry G at the entrance to our picnic shelter.

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Here come Rose & David

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John & Edie R with

Ryaan & Isha A

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- - - - - - - - - - - Our picnic shelter - - - - - - - - - - -

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Irene, Frances & Carol

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L-R:  Jerry G, John H,

Tom A, and Lloyd J

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Gary & Linda W

with Matty M

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Yaz and Ed - they cooked for all of us

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Mike & Delma E

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Dave G, Rose B, Cathy & Dan B

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Rich F & John W 

Very serious discussion

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Isha & Ryaan A - new members

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Warren R (right) & 

friend, Dale

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Everyone's ready to eat

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Warren says "What's the holdup.  Let's eat."

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Chief chef, Ed B hard at work.

Ya really done good, Ed.

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- - - - - Dinner is served - - - - - 

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Carl D's daughter and her 2 sons

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John W, Tom A, and

Carol & Lloyd J

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Warren & Dale

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Peter H with Delia R

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Irene H and Frances W

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Rich found the dessert

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So did Mark

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- - - - - - Our picnic shelter was in a beautiful site - - - - - -

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Our shelter - panorama

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Gotta get pictures to make a web page of our picnic

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The walk along the bay

Matty on a walk under those beautiful big oak trees

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Matty & Jerry on a stroll

along the bay

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Majestic old trees

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The Tocobaga Indians inhabited this part of Florida about 1,000 years ago

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On the site of Philippe Park, the Tocobaga people had a sacred temple mound.  That mound stands today at the southeast end of Philippe Park.

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The Tocobaga Indians,

part of Florida history

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Looking up to the temple mound

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View from the temple mound

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- - - - - - - - - Views  of  the  temple  mound - - - - - - - - - - 

Tocobaga Indians

One thousand years ago, Tocobaga Indians gathered here by the hundreds to feast on oysters and clams, the shells of which helped build up the very ground you can see rising 16 feet before you at the Safety Harbor Indian Mound Site. If you could travel back in time 1,000 years, and get a bird's-eye view, you would see the Tocabaga Indians working and playing in the very same waters that attracts visitors today.

 

Indian Mound

A Tocobaga Indian mound that is situated in the park is a National Historic Landmark known as the Safety Harbor Site. The temple mound is one of the last remaining examples of the Tocobaga civilization on the Pinellas Peninsula. Records indicate that in 1566, Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the founder of St. Augustine (1565), visited the site to help broker a truce between the Tocobaga and the Culusa tribe to the south. On your next visit to Philippe Park make sure you climb to the top to experience a spectacular view of Old Tampa Bay.

Click on the image (button) below to see more about the Tocobaga Indians and the temple mound.

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Our glorious leader, John H and Irene thought it was a pretty good day

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