Tarpon Springs Beaches and Sponge Docks 3/10/2011

We got heavy rain last night which left us with a cool gloomy day. We drove 4 miles back to Tarpon Springs, with map of the local area in hand. We drove by Whitcomb Bayou.

I zoomed in across the bayou to get a better picture of this place.

I had Joe stop, so I could get a close up of this mansion.

The other side also had a gated drive.

We arrived at Sunset Beach, after driving across a causeway. It was so windy, we got out for a minute, then drove on.

We drove back across the causeway, then drove to the Fred H. Howard Park.

This park had many covered pavilions for picnicking.

Then we headed across another causeway in the park. View on one side of the causeway.

Across it, we arrive at another beach.

Someone had made a heart and arrow out of dried seaweed.

Far away view.

I put on my jacket and got out. As I walked I saw a few of these birds.

I thought this one had lost a leg.

He let me get very close. When it left, it hopped off with two legs.I tried to identify this bird with a bird book my mother-in- law gave me, but I couldn't figure it out. There is more to identifying birds than you'd think! (with the help of my sister - in - law, this is a female Boat Tail Grackle)

Howard Beach. Like the last beach, it is a small island at the end of the causeway.

We drove on to the Sponge Docks. We first went to Mama's Greek Cuisine. We had a huge gyro, a  Greek salad, a drink and a the Greek dessert, baklava, for $9.99. What a deal, especially when we saved half the gyros for dinner that night.. After dinner we walked around the Greek  market. I found a nice shirt for Joe and had to convince him to buy it. He never spend money on himself.

Then we walked around the sponge docks.

There were more people than I thought there would be on such a cool gloomy day.

We listened to a short film in The Original Sponge Factory, which was free and very informative.

As we walked along the docks, I smelled a lovely scent from these flowers.

Cute little flowers with a big scent.

If you are in the area, this is a fun place to stop at, if not just for the authentic Greek food.

John King Cheyney formed the Anclote Sponge Company in 1891, on the Anclote River. In 1905 500 Greek immigrants came to Tarpon Springs, and the sponge docks transformed into a replica of a Mediterranean port city with restaurants and markets.

I really liked this shop, the Sponge Diver Supply.

Ship with sponges that are abundant in the Gulf of Mexico.

A couple of shops had amazing looking Greek sweets. This picture shows the window along the sidewalk, tempting you to come inside to buy.