Today we left the St. Petersburg area and headed towards an auction in Lakeland. We traveled across Old Tampa Bay on The Howard Frankland Bridge, named for the local businessman who originally proposed the bridge. Nearly 16,000 feet long, it had a second set of lanes added so it now carries four lanes in each direction of I-275. It is a long bridge connecting St. Petersburg and Tampa.
Heading towards Howard Frankland Bridge and Tampa on I-275
During a stop this morning at a yard sale I asked the owner how to get to a nearby beach. (This was after I made a huge $1 purchase!) He gave me easy to follow directions to what he said was known as Red Neck Beach. He said that locals like this beach and that it was free and you can drive right out on the beach and the water. We liked the drive to the water and the free aspect, so off we went.
Looking west towards St. Petersburg
Looking east at the beach section with no trees
The beach is actually on Tampa Bay, not the Gulf of Mexico. It is adjacent to a causeway that runs from St. Petersburg to the south side of Tampa. As we drove we began to see cars and trucks parked in the gaps between a line of trees on the south side of the highway. Sure enough, we had found Red Neck Beach more properly known as Ganby Beach.
It was a nice warm almost hot day, little breeze and bright sunshine. There were quite a few people out on the beach but in no way was it crowded. The group of young adults next to us were having a great time and they were wading out in the water about twent yards or so.
As beaches go, I have to say that this one is rather lame. The sand was hard packed and not very wide where the tree line is. The area was clean of trash probably because of a recent crackdown and enforcement of ordinances on the books. Now the local police enforce the no campfire, leave by dark rules and are begining to enforce the no alcohol rules if needed.
This little pooch was enjoying a romp on the sand
We did have a relaxed afternoon, got some work done and I got some photography in. I’m not sure I’d recommend a stop here, but it was free!
Note: The driving areas, tough hard packed sand, were very rough with dips and holes. Not suitable for large coaches or trucks with trailers.
Out for a sail
Feathered friends
Yesterday we had a very relaxing time at the beach at Howard Park in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The beach is on a small island at the end of a long causeway road. For $5 you get a parking pass good until dusk of that day.
Not a cloud in the sky, but very windy
We could park in the regular parking spaces
We got there about 10:30 in the morning and enjoyed watching several guys wind surfing. My did the gusty winds send them flying across the water! Then it was back to the RV for lunch. This location is yet another example of why we love our 24′ Class C coach. The parking lot had spaces that allowed us to park. We could not have done that with a trailer/truck combo or a larger coach.
After lunch we took a walk along the beach. It was invigorating with the wind, but enjoyable all the same. After our walk Sher went back to the RV and I lingered a bit to take some pictures. We even took a little nap mid afternoon!
The causeway leading from the beach back to the mainland
A local resident perched on the shower stand
After our nap we stretched and did a bit of work online. Then another stroll on the beach to enjoy the sun and sand. When it got to be around 5:30 we headed out back across the causeway. We then took a drive through the mainland park. The trees and other vegetation were striking. This park has a great design. There are several shelter houses that can be rented for parties or family get togethers. The layout is such that each shelter house is sheltered (pun intended) from the view of the others. Privacy is a good thing.
All in all we had a fantastic day. It is days like this that make you grateful to be able to live this crazy RV lifestyle.
One of the magnificent old trees in the park
Mark Tetrault, foreground, sailing along at a very fast pace!
The band setting up
Everyone loves a bonfire!
We had left the Sponge Docks shopping and attractions area and were headed towards one of the Tarpon Springs beaches. We wanted to see the sun set over the Gulf. We ended up at Sunset Beach and much to our surprise and delight we spotted signs for a free concert on the beach that evening.
When we first pulled up a nice lady stopped us and she thought we were one of the food vendors there to set up! Once she realized we were not the food truck she politely directed us to the other parking areas.
I spoke with Craig Dolan, the Superintendent of the Tarpon Springs Department of Recreation. The free concert series will be on the first Thursday of the month from February through November, with bonfires in February, March, October and November. I told Craig that we were happy to have discovered this neat free beach concert event.
Ashley Friend, Special Events & Volunteer Coordinator making some announcements
The Sunset Beach is just beautiful. The covered stage was perfect for live music, and everyone of the many folks there enjoyed the music, the bonfire and the available refreshments.
The sunset was stunning: one of those cloudless events that brought a beautiful orange hue to the entire skyline. It was pretty windy, but folks just bundled up, brought their own chairs, and enjoyed The 75 South Band. Free marshmallows and sticks were also provided for everyone who wanted a toasted marshmallow.
Delicious food and great drinks at the food trucks
The master cigar maker at work
In a neat little stand alone shop on Dodecanese Blvd. Sponge Docks is a sign for hand made cigars. That prompted a look for me. Sure enough, inside the booth sat Don Esteban making fine cigars by hand. I had never seen cigars made. Don was a delight to chat with, and with a big grin stated that he was the mayor of Little Cuba in Tarpon Springs.
He had quite the selection of cigars for sale, both in packages or for sale individually. It was fun watching this craftsman at work.
Cigars for sale
We headed to one of the beaches at Tarpon Springs, Florida. It turns out there will be a free concert tonight at the beach, much to our surprise.
You can see the size of the board and the ropes leading to the kite.
When we approached the beach we saw some huge kites in the air. It turned ot that these kites were being used by some folks to pull them through the water on a single board that looked like an oversized skate board. Did they ever fly through the water! Don’t know if I could do it, but it sure looked like fun.
The huge kite
We decided to take a day and just do some fun tourist things. So off to Tarpon Springs we went this morning. Sher and I had been here before last year but had not really explored the Sponge Dock area very well.
I say just some touristy type things, however we did spot a sign for an estate sale and had to stop. What a great stop it was. The building was packed with some beautiful things ranging from high end antique furniture to some nice glass ware to some old saddles and about everything in between.
Statue honoring the Greek sponge divers. That is a real sponge boat tied to the dock.
Sponges for sale in the market
We had a great time just walking along Dodecanese Blvd. and visiting most of the many shops. We met some nice people and I even found a leather vest that fit. We decided to grab a bite to eat at the Parthenon, one of many Greek restaurants in the Sponge Docks area. I’ll have a full review up soon, but I can tell you it was good eating!
Right now we are back in the RV enjoying some rest time, and planning the rest of the evening. There are a couple of beaches and some parks that look interesting. We may have to stay around here overnight and continue sightseeing tomorrow.
Tile mosaic on the side of one of the market buildings
Plaque with the sponge diver mosaic
There was a Civil War re-enactment Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There were thousands of people going through the flea market.
The 10 o’clock shuffleboard games in full swing
Steam coming off the heated pool at the main office complex
Several friends of ours who are traveling in Florida recommended Red Oaks RV park in Bushnell, Florida. Both a Good Sam Club and Passport America park, it has exceeded our expectations. This park is part of the Carefree Resorts chain.
A feathered friend strolling down the street
Starting with the exceptionally friendly office staff and including the escort to our site we knew that we were in good hands at this RV park. Our site is close to the main office, one of the heated pools, laundry and the largest community building. Full hook-ups including a great line up of cable TV stations and a level site made our parking and setup a breeze.
This morning it is rather chilly, but the sun is out and temps are on the rise. I took a stroll to the shuffleboards court where the 10 o’clock games were in full swing. Sher and I are going back for the 2 o’clock games. Horseshoe pits and bocce ball are available and I spotted some corn hole games near the pool. There are some fishing ponds
This park has over 1000 full hook-up sites. The park is one of the cleanest that we have ever seen, and the seasonal residents have been very friendly to us. Any RVer looking for an RV park in central Florida should consider a stay at Red Oaks. Unlike most Florida RV parks, Red Oaks will give the Passport America discount during the “peak season” months. This is one of the few PA member parks that we have found that will honor the discount rate in the winter months.
Our site
We like and would recommend this RV park for a short or a long term stay. Our only complaint is the slow and sometimes intermittent WiFi through the paid Tango Internet service offered at the park. We might just take a break from blogging and go to the karaoke tonight.
1952 Ford truck on an ’87 Ranger frame with a 302 with a C4 tranny: parked across from our site
This guy was about 3 feet away from me
Main Office complex
Roadtirement 