It snowed in Central Texas last week. A rare occurrence. Having spent years living just below the
Arctic circle I have no need to see snow.
Fortunately, I was out of town for the week.
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| Tarpon Springs Sponge Boat |
While I might have wished I’d been in Greece, I was about the
closest you can get to Greece without leaving the country. Tarpon Springs is a small town on the west
coast of Florida known for its Greek population and its ocean sponge harvesting
business.
Tarpon Springs’
sponge industry started in the 1880s and came into its own in 1905 with the
recruitment of Greek sponge divers and crew.
The industry collapsed in the 1940s when a Red Algae bloom wiped out the
sponges in the Gulf of Mexico.
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| The crowds gather when the sponges are unloaded. |
Eventually the sponge population recovered and today the Sponge
docks in Tarpon Springs is a lively combination of sponge harvest and tourist
photo ops.
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| On a nice day you can enjoy lunch outside. |
While the tiny historic downtown can get crowded on the
weekends, midweek is the perfect time to stop at one of the Greek cafes for a
dessert or lunch salad and a glass of wine.
Tarpon isn’t all about the sponges and the food. With the warm Gulf weather there are water
activities abound. A great way to spend
a pleasant (and free) afternoon is to head to the local free park at Sunset
Beach. Across the water from the larger
county facility – Howard Park—Sunset Beach is a smaller, more intimate beach
area. Parking is free, there are rest
rooms and picnic tables, and even a boat ramp.
On the afternoon I visited there were only ten or so cars in
the small lot. I found a spot of the
sand where I could watch both the Kiteboarders and the birds.
Eventually I’d have to go home to Texas … but not before
that snow melted!
Nice!
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