We parked in the first lot we saw, which was $5 for parking all day, and it was adjacent to The Sponge Factory, which was probably the largest store in the area.
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| The Sponge Factory Entrance has a cute photo opportunity. Tarpon Springs, FL. |
We couldn't resist visiting the Tarpon Springs Dive shop: Narcosis. A 2-story shop that has a little bit of everything, including reversible camo wetsuits.
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| Narcosis Scuba, Tarpon Springs, FL. Their front yard is full of Large Conch Shells. |
Sponges, sponges, SPONGES! Tarpon Springs is well known for its Greek Culture and Sponge Divers, since the mid 1800s.
The Sponge Factory has more than just sponges - they have collections of all sorts of undersea and oceanic related items.
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| The Sponge Factory. Tarpon Springs, FL. |
Interested in going out on an boat excursion? There are tons of different ones, just walk along the street, and you'll see 10 different ones in a row.
As a Floridian, I've seen my share of tourist shops and kitsch. There's a bit of kitsch overload, but Jason and I have trained eyes to spot the unique items. They were somewhat rare here.
All along the street are docks, restaurants and shops. Some boats are still used to harvest sponges on a regular basis.
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| Sponge Boat bagging up their harvest. Tarpon Springs, FL |
We bought t-shirts in one store (which I can't remember the name) and they gave us free wool sponges for each t-shirt we purchased. This is when I learned the difference between the sponges. Wool is the best for bath time, and the most durable of all. It's the kind you can buy at a drugstore. Finger sponges are the least durable, very brittle. Grass/vase sponges are the prettiest - in my opinion. There are more varieties, but these are the most common in the area. They sell loofahs too, but those aren't really sponges - they are plants! I've grown them myself.
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| Sponges: top to bottom 1. Grass or Vase Sponge 2. Wool Sponge 3. Finger Sponge |
I'm pretty sure we passed 10-12 bakeries. There wasn't one that I didn't want to stop and sample, but I resisted the temptation.
We did make a few purchases...
We stopped and decided to eat, after looking at 3 menus at 3 different locations. The octopus lured us in here at Hella's Greek Restaurant. I was set on having Lamb, and Jason was ready for Octopus.
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| Partially eaten Cold Platter at Hella's Restaurant, Tarpon Springs, FL |
Jason had the Lamb shank over spaghetti, which was falling off the bone and so flavorful, but not overwhelming.
I had to try the Gyro (Yee-row) but had to take off the tomato. For some reason, I love tomatoes in salad, but not on sandwiches. The pita and meat were probably the best I've ever tasted in a gyro.
Their bakery was nothing to sneeze at either, and reminded me of one you'd find in NYC.
We both left Hella's with 3 to-go boxes, full bellies, and big smiles.
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| Hella's Bakery, Tarpon Springs, FL |
We decided to visit the Tarpon Springs Aquarium, which was operated by teenage volunteers. The giant Alligator Snapping Turtle greeted us at the entrance.
We arrived near the end of feeding time, while the shark, tarpon, snook and cobia were all hassling the diver.
They also have a small collection of large snakes - some were "rescued" - former pets that escaped and ended up here.
The live coral tank was beautiful, and I snapped a lot of photos of this clown fish while he was fluttering through the anemone.
Last stop was the high point of my visit. Petting and Feeding Stingrays! Jason had to drag me away.
All in all, we enjoyed our visit to Tarpon Springs, and we agreed to take his kids when they are down from Kentucky.
