Sponges, Ospreys, and Eagles

Our First Anniversary - Tarpon Springs, FL

We had a terrific time celebrating the first anniversary of our wedding by taking a weekend trip to Tarpon Springs, FL. Tarpon Springs is located on the Gulf Coast of the state. We had been talking about going there for quite some time. As it turned out, there was an arts and crafts festival on the sponge docks that weekend and a nature festival to celebrate Earth Day in the nature park on Honeymoon Island - Plenty to do!

We stayed at the Spring Bayou Inn in Tarpon Springs. This bed and breakfast is conveniently located to downtown shopping and the sponge docks but seems a little long in the tooth. This was a grand home a few decades ago but now needs some love and attention. It still has quite a bit of charm, though, and was a decent base for our stay.

Our weekend began with a trip to the sponge docks.

Sponges for sale


A derelict fishing boat with a mansion in the background.


Commercial Sponges Boats


Small alligators can be fed at a local restaurant. No worries - they're taken care of very well.


On the Osprey Trail at Honeymoon Island Nature Park, you can find all kinds of natural beauty, including this Prickly Pear cactus flower.


A Great Horned Owl


An adult American Bald Eagle...


And its baby. This one is about ready to take its first flight in the next couple of weeks.


This isn't called the Osprey Trail for nothing! Ospreys, their nests, and their babies were practically everywhere you looked.


Osprey on dead tree


Osprey in pine tree


Osprey in flight


Osprey in flight


Adult Osprey lands on its nest. The young Ospreys are visible.


An adult Osprey was guarding its nest when another Osprey tried to land. A fight quickly ensued.


An Osprey with a freshly caught fish. The bird has already torn off the fish's head and proceeded to dine.

Hope you enjoyed as much as we did!

John and Sara