Last Night's Adventure To Tampa Bay Lord Rick Lives....Barely....

[LordOfT...@aol.com]

I just got in this morning from traveling out to Tampa Bay and I am not even sure how to put this trip into words without sounding like a basket case. Its been a long night and I did not get any sleep so I will try to make as much sense in this report then do some revising for when it goes up on the website.

 

This adventure marks our October Special I always each year near Halloween put out a series of awesome adventures. I am also fairly laid back and allow anybody to join them. The paranormal is best shared amongst friends who care one day some of you will understand if you ever decide to work along side with  me or help out.

 

I was really pushing tin with my car actually was quite scared to take it last night the few hundred miles I had to go. Because the CV axle is busted up badly at the joint so it shakes. Heading out to St. Petersburg/Tampa was like the space shuttle reentry for me to keep that car steady for that long was rough. On top of that I have an oil clog problem so the engine was ticking which means it could have ceased up at anytime or blown a head.

 

I ended up running late when do I not I am a stoned ghostbuster that enjoys holding hands with a lady in a cemetery lol. But anyway's I made up for good time arrived at McDonalds at 10pm sharp on the dot yay...almost did 90mph a few times up there.

 

It was a great ride Tampa is a real pretty city its right on this bay of course which when you take the bridge over it goes into St. Petersburg which is really a city on a giant island with loads of Indian Mounds and other historic sites I feel deserve national attention and preservation.

 

See unlike other groups I do not sugarcoat my investigations they are what they are but some groups just care about bragging its the uniforms....outfits...etc well what we do is extreme adventuring head on into the paranormal so these sites were advanced. Unfortunately the lack of help...funds....and games people played somewhat took a little away from each place.

 

Anyway's do you ever feel as if something tries to stop you when your working so hard at something..for example this week my EMF detector was not working.....6 people dissed me for the investigation including Ghost Chasers let them be pissed off its not my fault they are upset over sweating up there uniforms or because they wore uncomfortable steel toes up in that ghost town two weeks ago.

 

Part of the reason why I am moving is cause I am tired of peoples games some of you are lucky to have a chance to go on an outing with me. Do you know how nice it is to be under the stars just wandering around each curve never knowing what might jump out at you.

 

But anyway's I was supposed to meet Ms Innocent (Patricia) at McDonalds we had all these plans to investigate....watch the sun rise at the beach.....hang out all day today etc. Well sadly when I pulled in she was not there it put some real sorrow in my heart. You think someone is a great person and you start to care about them and they just have no respect.

 

So things were hard for me I spent 2 hours waiting for her cause this is someone I have grown close with and well Ill leave it at that she knows others in the St. Pete area so yeah that was that. So I ended up running to a gas station the phone didn't work...the guy sent me the wrong way ended up running through a toll booth so now I am going to be probably fined $100 I do not have. I turned around got off one of the islands....went to another gas station paid out almost 5 dollars to call her house....the photo was busted her daughters were picking up laughing.

 

After that I had to run to Walmart to use a 4th phone stand in line for change...I used that her son was like ummm I do not know she has any cell phone...she is out blah blah blah so I got the run around so already 2 hours of the investigation was gone and so was a lot of my gas in my car trying to locate her. Message to her cause I know she will read it do not ask me to get rid of your stalkers anymore this Lord is tired of being kind.

 

So anyway's I left McDonalds...and decided it was time to do my investigations I did not give up on her because that is how I am. I dont just give up on others cause I realize that you can get lost or things happen hell I got lost last night a few times...doing U-turns...etc St. Pete has ALOT of number streets ohhh yeah.

 

So anyway's I did pull out a productive night alone at Fort DeSoto, Maximo Park & Mound, Jungle Prada, Sunnyside Cemetery, Glen Oaks Cemetery Mound. As you can see this was primarily a native american ancient site type of investigation.

 

I had more places lined up but the late start with things...and the fact that the more hood I seen the less interested I became in venturing into it with my bright orange shirt and tattoos all showing lol. As it is people were staring me down at the gas stations I was going into trust me.

 

Anyhow I noticed a rim was missing off one of my tires now my vehicle really looks odd to make matters work. Speaking of Odd...I am sorry Odd I did not call yo so we could do lunch man....I just was so upset about some things that I ran straight for home after the adventures.

 

Anyhow the adventure started at Fort Desoto which sits on this dark...gloomy island. At night nobody is really on the island except a few boaters that's it so I could not wait to get on the island and so the adventure begins.

 

Fort DeSoto

 

I have been on a few islands the last few years this one was one of the best. There was a light house across from it sending out a rolling light. Not a lot of lights on the island or even a car out. There was a few parks...harbors...and foot trails.

 

I parked over at the fort and some pier...a few people were fishing and perhaps eating at the local restaurant. But not a lot were out. The wind was blowing crazy off the gulf and I set out towards the fort which is hard to see at night cause its overgrown and there are no lights near it.

 

Right away I climbed the giant steps it reminded me of a temple at first. Ya know its not easy to take photos of yourself I had to do a few self timer shots so when you see the update and wonder who was with Rick well simple I took them of me so show I was here because this place was my main reason for the Tampa Tri cause its a cool place.

 

I walked up the steps looked at the lighthouse on the other island....the moon was NOT out so it was dark as hell. The one side of the fort to my left was just a hill and overgrown with the fort built into it. The other side which was the right side was all open and I was pretty high up. A few times I almost climbed the do not enter areas cause I seen some odd chimney and thought hmmm that's odd. I think there are areas people cannot get to here that contain things the public does not get to tour.

 

I then walked down the back side and entered the fort area. It was obviously this was just some concrete shell but it was all wide open. You could walk into the storage rooms....weapon rooms...etc etc you will just have to see the photos. Some of the rooms I went in I could feel ghost in them with me but no strange EMF readings. I took EVP and EMF at every site visited last night including this area.

 

I heard some footsteps everything echoes the concrete makes noise. I spent a long time here it was not a rushed investigation at all I went into every room....walked around the guard post areas....inspected all the cannons etc these cannons are nothing like I had ever seen man there massive again you will see.

 

There were two court yards within the fort those areas I felt watched it was wide open and at times a light would flicker on the fort then turn off. It seemed to be a self timed light that went on then off for awhile. But it got me a few times.

 

Most of the fort is just a series of rooms some of the long halls are foreboding not sure about what kind of ghost haunt it but when your alone you tend to pick up on certain parts of the fort not being welcoming.  On my way back from walking around I seen a cat dart out in front of me. It stopped looked back ran around the corner.

 

I followed the cat same thing he stopped looked at me then ran up the back stairwell. He kept looked back at me out of the corner of his eye as he ran up the steps. I am not sure what the deal was with the cat kind of odd to find a cat living in a fort there is no food source here but cats are pretty feral and they live anywhere but maybe it was a ghost cat. I don't know it just looked weird to me.

 

I should have followed he was trying to show me something but instead I went up some old steps where it says do not enter to these watch post area lol. After this I wrapped it up I really more or less wanted to show we were there and share the stories on this place.

 

I liked visiting here and damn if I had a group of people we could have done more but that's how it is people commit then do not show like the many who wrote me this week. Fort DeSoto is one of my favorite places so far in Florida not to haunted but there is a very dismal energy around it. I hiked along the water back to the car it was nice but went to take a leak and I felt terrible watched from above me.

 

After the fort I sped and got off the island and went all the way out of my time to go look for Patrica again at McDonalds...she was not there I would think someone would be worried...call my house looking for me...check back and sit if they were the ones running late. But she was not there then reality set in that the night was for me and me alone and that the sunset I would watch would be the one I watched alone

 

This island has one of the best beached in the country there is even a sign stating so I can imagine during the day the water must be crystal clear blue grrr I did bring my goggle too. .

 

I moved onto Maximo Mound which is harder to find then you will think.

 

Maximo Mound & Park

 

This investigation was a thriller lets just put it this way. I went to Eckard College cause on the map it looks like you can enter this park by the college grounds. So I almost make it past the gate security stops me I told him I am looking for it and could not find the road that goes directly in. He does not give me directions he says there is your exit nothing but freaking morons on down here. So the guy pissed me off and believe me I would have my revenge at least in my mind I would.

 

So I found a back way onto campus and I could see security standing at the gate I was laughing to myself not so smart are you buddy! Its a cool college but I just wanted the mound of course I have a thing for younger sweet girls so if I met a college girl I would have been enthralled because honestly I cant be alone my whole life.

 

So I walked around campus...went down this dead end trail found like 3 guys and two smoking hot girls giggling and hanging out. Every one of them said hello to me I know I scared them with all my equipment. I said ummm guys do you know where the mound is the guy is like huh?

 

There like try further down well the problem is further down is all waterways and it was taking me away from where I needed to be. So with enough wasted time I used a campus bicycle and road the bike back to the car hahahahaha I took a photo to make it memorable. So that was that....and silly me found the road that goes around and into the park.

 

The park was closed but there were boaters up there. This is a nice park nothing is really mentioned of the mound nobody really knows about its mounds. Like most places you have to find them and know what your looking for. If I don't get gather paranormal evidence at least I make a good archaeologist eh?

 

I pulled on in parked at the playground and gazebo where I seen 3 eyes staring at me. I said oh cool alligators cause it was in a water way. I ran up to them and low and behold it was 3 raccoons which I was able to almost touch...debunked no ghost sorry guys.

 

I took the board walk along the waterway....some fish were jumping...there was a bike trail that looped in the woods and some guys launching the boat. There was a frisbee golf course too and a few playgrounds as well as shelters.

 

I was like how the hell am I going to find this mound trust me with all the little paths...trails...walkways etc it would have to be nestled in a more wooded area and so that would be my challenge. I took a stroll along Maximo Beach a lonely one no ghost even but I like it...its real nice. Then got into the car drove around could not find much more till I parked down a one way dirt road and had a look around.

 

I walked to the observation tower and a homeless guy which I did not notice till I walked near him was sleeping on a bench. I also found a deck also but could not find any nature trail as the woods had many trails.

 

I ended up just going off into the woods and bam I found a series of Indian mounds some of them had pretty in tact conk shells too. I took a few home for the kids. The Indians will understand that it is for the kids so the spirits shall not mind. The mound was very active I heard heavy walking behind me...a branch broke real loud....it got real cold back here and I felt all the spirits just watching me from all ends as I got down on the mound to inspect it carefully.

 

Something was following me around here and I found actually a few separate mounds not huge but they were almost as tall as me and weathered. The mound area...you could tell is haunted by something but the rest of the park seems rather serene. I could not even seen the sky it was a pretty thick area of trees and the mounds were untouched except for this stone someone wrote rip on.

 

After this I went back to the car it was time to head out to Jungle Prada

 

Jungle Prada

 

Lets put it this way this place has a dark history and a lot of energy even an author states the weirdness that goes on back here. Keep in mind the area was visited by the Spaniards in the 1500's where conquest of Florida begin the same Spaniards that would go to slaughter the southern American tribes like the Aztecs for example.

 

I parked in the lot....and went on my hike it was humid so I just wanted to take off my thick clothes its much warmer on the gulf side apparently. I seen some raccoons once again lots of wildlife out there...and I even seen a rat before I arrived here sitting in the road trust me it was bigger then a cat yikes.

 

I went down a trail that went into the palmetto it came out to some beat up museum and stone garden built apparently where the indian village once stood and mounds. Stones were laid out to make steps....the walkways were formed by trees and brush.

 

I ended up having to go into the water for a bit took my sneakers off stepped out a few oyster beds ouch ouch I know. But I wanted to see what is all the hype that so many paranormal groups talk about how its dark...spooky and honestly I may be one of the first ever groups to venture into this area at night.

 

I could not use a light I was walking around blind I heard things moving around me down every turn this was a maze of many paths...stones laid out everywhere some paths thin enough for a child. It was eerie as hell and I hardly took photos I did not need to I felt so many ghost watching me from every end.

 

I heard the chain link fence start to shake....I heard movement..and what may have sounded like a dog but not sure. After a few paths I did not want to stay to long cause I explored a good amount of area except the beat up museum which had a car parked up in the thick and I was like hmmm dog...museum and Lord Rick well hmmm its not what it looks like officer lol.

 

I left my pant legs fell in so now I was wet from the knees down haha. Man the fishing looks good here I seen some enormous fish jump out of the water or thrash there tails. Damn should have brought my pole I just did not think about it. I conquered Jungle Prada an ancient site but I knew there was more you cant fool me with these sites.

 

I noticed there was a patch of woods and figured I would explore them. You would not expect mounds off into the woods since most are build on water but close enough. I hate rodents well guess what? That's right I walked into dozens of rats climbing up tree limbs...up trunks.....running pass my legs and they were pretty large. I tried photographing them but I was amazed I hate them but man I thought what if I had a group of girls can you imagine how they would scream and wake up the whole neighborhood lol.

 

I slowly walked past the rats they were watching and walked in thick brush found me some pretty long Indian mounds some were almost my height with various shells embedded in them. I felt a lot of energy in this area I felt watched..followed...and what I also felt is not evil or dark forces like proposed but rather curiosity.

 

After this I did walk on a board walk sat by the water took a break...took some photos of the restaurant which I think is where Capone use to dine at. I cannot wait to do the write up for this I took EMFs and EVP but only got a few EMF reads not sure have to study the EVP as well.

 

There is something here and it was a nice investigation one of the most spooky of the night being in the woods with rats and ghost nice combo eh? Maybe though the place is cursed...a stone fell from under me...I got stabbed by this bush I never seen before...and snagged on some rust. Jungle Prada was beating the Lord down literally haha.

 

 Next place visited was Sunny Side Cemetery...or rather the Hoxie Gravesite..

 

Sunnyside Cemetery

 

This cemetery was split by the road most of the graves were new and even the old ones were kept up well. I was only concerned with the Hoxie Grave which has a long history to the person buried there.

 

It is a pleasant place most of its well lit to. If I had a choice to sleep at the Indian mound or here I would definitely chose here lol.

 

I ran around this place like a chicken with its head cut off. I could not find the gravesite and I went through Hundreds it exist just hard to find cause its a flat stone mixed in with others nearby.

 

The cemetery had a lot of odd cold spots but other then that its a very cheery cemetery...lots of poems..monuments etc I spent a fairly long time here and it is an older cemetery to the area but some cemeteries have it some do not this one lacked something.

 

I jogged through it most of the time and took a lot of photos here for the hell of it. It was a nice change in pace compared to the last place where rats were running all around me.

 

Conclusion is the place is pretty clean could not pick up on much here but there are from what I heard a few ghost tours given here so who knows maybe its a right time and place issue.  Our final place of the night would be the Glen Oak Mound Cemetery.

 

Glen Oak Mound Cemetery

 

I had to see this place its an Indian mound with gravestones the problem was that it sits in a very very bad part of town I did not like driving up a church alley and parking next to a beat up shack where people were living.

 

Behind the cemetery was houses....I mean everything was surrounded this place but it still was very eerie. The trees were all dead and twisted. The mound was obvious I mean there was a hill in the cemetery with some shells embedded within it.

 

Its hard to believe how houses can be build just a few feet away. This cemetery was very beat up...one grave stone was leaning against a tree...another was crumbled on the ground...then three more were toppling.

 

Only a few grave stones remain or marked graves out of hundred keep this in mind bodies are all over the place.

 

The cemetery had a light in the center of it and I did not get a lot of photos off till some black lady came out her back porch and was screaming at me Motherf$$$$$ constantly. I can imagine the energies present in this place effect the people. I seen also hookers in this area too and of course while driving here a cop followed me for a bit so yeah not a good area at all for someone like me to be alone at.

 

I did like the cemetery and this will be another place that I can share some stories on and about when I put it on the site. But I got out real quick that's why I hate city investigations to many people being nosy or causing problems.

 

Anyway's it was 5am I had a choice do another place or two or go home. My feet had cuts...legs were wet....I really did not want to spend the night alone on a beach kind of retarded if you ask me. So I just left Tampa and the last place I figured was in another bad part of town which really takes away when your trying to get EVP or take photos.

 

I left made some good time and arrived in Patricia's Town outside of Tampa...I drove way off the interstate to use a local payphone and low in behold two separate calls nobody picks up. People are very selfish towards my organization and to me period.

 

So after that I was like hmmm if you got lost you would pick up once you got home wondering what the deal is but that's how people do me they play the avoid game just like all our investigators do or people who want to sign up commit then avoid real noble huh?

 

So I headed for home and I planned on getting gas near her cause we were supposed to spend time together today well since I did not I got it somewhere else in another town where the pump was broken so guess what? It put a hole on my car and I ended up having not enough gas to make it home I was stranded.

 

It was on yellow I put my last buck I had in if people donated more I would have extra funding which would help me out on so many levels. But being I spent all the money on tolls...phone calls to someone who dissed the investigation...extra gas trying to find them etc not only did my cash run out but this gas stationed put a 70 dollar hold and I didn't get any gas out of it.

 

So on fumes I made it to a hick ass town...went down the wrong exit found no gas station and ended up in some town with a water tower. Yeah self timer photo I look pretty bad all dirty....and about to ring someones neck the first chance someone was rude to me.

 

I had a quarter to my name so I tried gambling in the gas station they have a quarter machine if you hit just right it will push over more quarters or rolls. Well stupid me was looking the other way and I lost my quarter so there goes more gas for the tank.

 

I called for a tow truck had to get towed home over 70mph the guy was okay but he seen some girls wanted to change there tire...and he had to see his wife and now had to take me that far so he was sort of like wow I have to tow you that far.

 

I got home but now I got no gas for two weeks its fine but I want others to know when you screw me you screw me beyond just the investigation. I got in at 11am this morning lucky I got triple AAA would not have been necessary but all because people act childish it causes instabilities in what is planned out. I keep things real organized when it comes to this then one person acts like a piss pot and it all falls apart.

 

With luck I was able to salvage this trip came back with a lot of photos...took EVP but my recorder is also broke so who knows nothing can be barely heard cause its an old micro cassette recorder..someone stole my digital or it was lost on an investigation months ago.

 

In conclusion these were some cool places I should kiss the car it got me through the night. I sort of over packed for the trip I had clothes for the beach....to go out and hang....a huge cooler and bag of food hahaha and I would have stayed longer if things panned out but now all I can do is focus on our upcoming Saint Augustine trip I got coming up.

 

Time is winding down till we relocate out west and so I barely make it but I did a little banged up and a little disheartened...another adventure complete. On my one list we have a lot of Tampa members none of you offered to get involved sadly despite the hardships they were very cool places.

Paranormal & Ghost Society

Founder

Lord Rick

www.paranormalghostsociety.org

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