A few weekends ago we took a short trip to St. Pete Beach to relax and enjoy some sunshine. Priceline amazed us again by putting us at the Tradewinds Sandpiper, complete with paddle boats, beach trikes, cabanas, and overpriced tasty pina coladas! It was definitely a resort-style vacation on a budget. We even got upgraded to a Mustang by the rental car company that was short on sedans!
Our first day we drove up to Homosassa, FL where we kayaked with Manatees that are drawn in to the warm springs this time of year. It was truly amazing, they literally would swim right up to your boat as if they were playing with you!
"Manatee Zone"
Monkey Island on the way to the spring (part of a wildlife park that was a few miles down the road)
"Kayaking to the springs"
The water was crystal clear -- you could see them swim right up to you!
After a few hours of kayaking, we down the street to "The Freezer" for beer and fresh steamed shrimp. The shrimp had literally been caught in the past 24 hours, and were absolutely the best steamed shrimp we have ever had.
On the way home, we drove down the coast to check out the small beach towns. Most curious was the town of Tarpon Springs, a town founded around the Sponge Industry. Many years ago when this industry boomed, it drew in settlers from the Mediterranean who were eager to make big money in the sponge business. Today, the sponge industry is more of a touristy thing, but the whole town is still nearly 100% Greek and bigger than any Greektown that I've seen in the US!
The rest of the trip we mostly relaxed around the resort. Breakfast at the Seaside grill was definitely a favorite morning breakfast spot. We even saw some dolphins swimming by as we ate our eggs and toast!
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