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Tarpon Springs, Florida



Tarpon Springs is located on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  It is one of my favorite places to visit! 

The Sponge Docks are why I love Tarpon Springs.  It is a small Greek village along the coast with hundreds of little shops, bakeries, and Greek restaurants.  They also feature sightseeing cruises where you can watch divers harvest sponges from the sea.

One of our favorite shops is Spiceman's Kitchen.  They have every hot sauce imaginable sitting on one of their shelves.  Even though the clerk said pictures weren't allowed I managed to sneak a few in






Next door to the Spiceman's Kitchen is a nostalgic candy store.

Then there is the restaurants! The bakeries! The gyros are awesome and the baklava is to die for. If you've never tried the flaming cheese (pictured below) I have to say it tastes decadent and buttery.

If you find yourself traveling the Gulf Coast near Tarpon Springs you should take the side roads and head on down to The Sponge Docks for an afternoon of fun!









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Just how clean is that glass in your hotel room?

Has it ever crossed your mind that the glass provided in your hotel room might be contaminated?  Well, if it's a real glass, it's a real possibility.  The only way to know the glass in your room is clean is if it's disposable and individually wrapped.  We never risk it and always pack Solo cups when we travel.

Check out this video expose on hotel glasses and how they were being cleaned at some Atlanta hotels.

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Weekend Getaway to Sarasota, FL next weekend!

Hubby is going to Sarasota next weekend for the Caravelle Boat Show in Sarasota and I am tagging along for some sun and sand!  That means today I am working on my travel notebook so we can make the most of our time there.  We are leaving Saturday and returning on Tuesday. 

I have Googled for local maps, coupons, dining menus, and attractions.  I have printed enough pages this morning to  fill a 3" notebook!  I have menus for many restaurants that include prices so I am sure before I walk in that I can afford the place.  I also found this great site which listed 50 Fun & Free Things to do in Sarasota!

I intend to spend my days on the beach or by the pool with a Stephen King novel or three.  I am also planning to take my cooler with a lovely batch of key lime martinis just waiting to to be shaken and poured into a glass.  I have no intention of sight-seeing this trip.  I've been working some really long weeks and I just want to relax. 

I do plan to eat some seafood while I'm there so if you know of any good restaurants please leave a comment!  Right now I have to start packing because this is my only day off before we leave.  Be sure to check back later for a post on how to pack light for a 3 night trip


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Georgia State Parks - Libraries have Park Passes you can "check-out"

Georgia Libraries are now allowing patrons to check-out a state park pass the same as you would a library book!  With your library card you can check out a folder that includes a parking pass good at any of the state’s parks, a ticket for one person good at any of the state’s historic sites, plus a map and information about what each of those facilities offers.

The packet can be checked out for free just like a book. Overdue fees are $3 per day and if you lose it the replacement fee is $30.

“We want families and individuals to discover the great treasures that are so close to home and quite often, right in their own backyard,” said Becky Kelly, director of PRHSD. “Partnering with our local libraries is such a natural fit because they, too, are also assets to our state, our communities, and are accessible to every Georgian.”

To see a list of parks and historic sites covered by the passes, visit www.GeorgiaStateParks.org.

For more information about GO Georgia visit www.GetOutdoorsGeorgia.org.


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Slacker Friday - Travel Cartoon

Courtesy of the CartoonRoom

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Golf in South Georgia - Georgia Veteran's Memorial State Park

This is a reprint of an article by David Cooper from The Toronto Star

Shhh!  Not a Word to Anyone

 

By David Cooper

 

Okay, this is a secret.  Or so it would seem.  So whatever you do, don't tell anybody about golf in southern Georgia. 

 

Canadians by the thousands drive south to Florida in late February and early March to get away from the white stuff and onto the short green stuff.  But when you get there, the golf courses are covered with pasty skinned Candians.  Tee times are hard to come by, green fees are high, and five-hour rounds are the norm.

 

Not in Georgia.  Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Course is virtually empty through the week.  Yup, empty.  No people.  The local players are busy preparing for planting season right now (watermelon is a big local crop according to head golf pro Ryan Snyder).

 

It's about 16 kilometres west of Interstate 75 in Cordele, and only 160 kilometres from the Florida state border, and about six hours from Denedin (FL) where I was headed. But it's a world away from busy Florida golf.

 

The day I was there (a Monday in the middle of February) eight people played...all day.  The course is walkable but not as flat as a Florida course.  It's in beautiful condition, with bent grass fairways and dwarf Bermuda greens.  The fairway grass is dormant in early February, but very playable, while the greens are green and roll very niceley.

 

The price?  Well it just gets better...a senior couple can join the club together as members for one month for $125 for both of them.  Walk the course for free from then on or pay the cart fee...$13 each per 18 holes.  Call the clubhouse for up-to-date rates.  First time I played there I got in around three and a half hours...came in and for the cost of the cart...went out AGAIN and played another 18. 

 

The golf course is part of Georgia Veterans State Park, one of eight state parks with golf courses on them.  Also in the park is Lake Blackshear Resort, a lovely modern resort on the shores of Lake Blackshear.  It has a marina, main conference centre, and several nice restaurants.  My only complaint, they gave me too much food in Cordelia's.  That's right, giant portions so that everone leaves with takeout containers.  It was a welcome change from the I-75 hotels I'm used to when travelling to spring training to photograph the Toronto Blue Jays.  I paid an off-season rate of $89 for a villa room with a screened-in porch and a view of the lake in one of their low rise Florida condo sytle units. 

 

Eight of the state parks in Georgia have golf courses on them.  All the snowbirds go racing by them trying to get to Florida as fast as possible.  When they get there, the courses are more money and less fun.  So a word of advice - slow down and smell the magnolias!

 

For more information visit:  www.lakeblackshearresort.com or www.georgiagolf.com



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Slacker Friday - Beach Cartoon

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Wordless Wednesday - Brother & Sister

Bubba preferred the floor rather than pulling out the sofa sleeper and sharing it with sis. It was ok to share a blankie tho   The next room had two beds!

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