Eeek! The Honeymoon is Over!
Written: Mar 09 '05 (Updated Mar 09 '05)
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Pros: There's a beautiful ocean
Cons: It's an ugly beach
The Bottom Line: Recommended for those who like to go shelling, fishing, or bird watching.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area |
My friend and I arranged to meet at Honeymoon Island State Park to spend the day catching up on things while she was in town. This was a place that she had picked because she had heard great things about it. We planned on taking the ferry, having lunch, and soak up some rays on the beach. Things didn’t exactly as we had planned.
We didn’t have any problems finding the park though we had to go through a lot of the town before we got there. We passed a lot of nice restaurants which we should have stopped at because there’s not much to eat once you get to the area near the park.
We paid $5.00 for park entrance and met up with our friends. Our first task upon arrival was finding something to eat. There is a snack bar in the park for hamburgers and hot dogs but we decided to go down the street and got some sandwiches at the Subway and brought them back to the picnic area to eat.
There is only one place on the map where picnic tables are, so that’s where we went. It was a very nice ocean front seat but it was extremely difficult eat because the wind was blowing so hard. We had an inclination to move but didn’t know where else we could go because the whole park is on the beach.
The first planning mistake that we made was that it was too cold to be hanging out on the beach. It was only February and warm enough outside for a t-shirt and jeans, but standing on the beach with the wind sent us running to the car for our coats that luckily we packed just in case!
Honeymoon Island is part of a chain of barrier islands off of the gulf so is indeed majestic to the eye. The gulf waters are generally pretty warm however we didn’t get into the ocean because it was February and much too cold. From what I could see there were too many rocks and shells for me personally to be walking in the ocean but then I usually don’t get in anyway. The park is not staffed with a life guard.
We spent a couple hours on the beach walking the shoreline and were quite repulsed at what had washed up. It smelled of fish stench and there were dead stingrays, pieces of wood, broken up shells, and black sea weed washed ashore. There were lots of nasty unidentifiable dead things on the shore. Every time I think of it I appreciate the tourist beaches that clean the beaches every morning.
Next time that I go to this park I will take the beach chairs because the beach is not suitable for a towel and the park charges per hour to sit in their chairs.
There is a section on the beach that pets are able to walk on which is the only state beach that pets are allowed to go on.
There is a ferry that takes you to Caladesi Island State Park. The ferry begins operating at 10AM and is the only way to get to the island. You could probably make a day of the trip if also exploring Caladesi Island. If I remember correctly prices were $7 a person to ride over which is why we didn’t go.
Osprey Trail wasn’t so bad; we actually had a really good time on it. It was an extremely wide path though the wooded area. We saw many of the birds that we were told to look for. The area is home to many Osprey birds which look similar to hawks and have a white belly. They find their food by diving into the water and carrying a fish away in the claws. They like to build their nests at the highest points near water which happens to be the tall slash pines on Honeymoon Island. Slash pines are really tall skinny trees that don’t have the pine needles on them until they are up high. They grow in wet sandy soils so prosper well on Honeymoon Island. Osprey trail is pretty dense in these trees so the area is shaded and it blocks the wind which makes for an enjoyable hike.
We heard a lot of movement in the trees and leaves. We weren’t being particularly quiet but did see a lot of birds. The best part was seeing a baby armadillo which came right up to our feet.
There is a designated area for fishing however all out of state residents must have a saltwater fishing license. Some of the fish that the park lists in the water is flounder, snook, rout, redfish, snapper, whiting, sheepshead and tarpon.
There is a history behind the name Honeymoon Island. In 1938 Clinton Mosely Washburn purchased the island and built cottages near it and marketed it as a vacation spot for honeymooners. It has been known as Honeymoon Island since then. In the 50’s the causeway was built making the area more accessible. By the 70’s they became aware that the needed to preserve the area and is now home to more than 208 species of plants and shore birds.
There is no camping of any kind at this park.
I feel disappointed by this beach because it didn’t live up to the wonderful impression that I had envisioned. I thought that this was a very small park and it would be difficult to spend a full day there. The beach is untouched so you will not be able to walk barefoot and bask in the sun as usual. I would recommend this to nature lovers, not vacation seekers.
1 Causeway Blvd.
Dunedin, Florida 34698
Phone: 727-469-5942
Website: http://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland/default.cfm
Hours 8AM-Dusk
Other Things around Florida:
Amusements
Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios, Orlando Sea World, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park
Indoor Entertainment
Orlando Science Museum, The Florida Aquarium
Malls/Shopping Areas
The Mall at Millenia, The Florida Mall, Universal CityWalk
State Parks
Lake Louisa State Park
Best Food
Universal Margaritaville at CityWalk, Hard Rock Cafe at Citywalk, NBA City at Citywalk, Seasons 52, New York Pizza Deli, Jungle Jim's, Bajama Breeze
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: March-May
Recommended for: Fishermen-hunters
Review Topic: Overview
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 530
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