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The Jolley Trolley Coastal Route runs between Clearwater Beach and Downtown Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs. This sounds like a full day outing.
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The historic town of Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans in any city in the US. India Rose spent the day exploring the sponge docks, learning about the early Greek immigrants that built the sponge industry in this area. Tarpon Springs was once known as the "sponge capital of the world". Our family then headed down to the bayou to witness the Greek Orthodox Epiphany celebrations, a tradition dating back 113 years in the Tarpon Springs area. The Archbishop and other clergy gather to bless the bayou, before casting a golden cross into the waters. Local boys aged 15-18 then dive into the bayou to retrieve the cross. The young man that finds the cross is blessed by the Archbishop and said to have good luck all year. This celebration draws thousands of people from around the United States. After the "cross day" ceremony we visited a small chapel, the reported site of many miracles. Please read this article if you wish to know the story behind the Shrine of St Michael... bit.ly/1LSc3XQ The lady that kissed India's forehead is Goldie Parr, the sweetest lady! We finished the day at The National Bakery, where India tried baklava for the first time, a traditional Greek pastry. Such a busy day! Thank you so much to the wonderful Greek community in Tarpon Springs, for sharing your beautiful culture and hospitality with us. We had a great day! #tarponsprings #greektown #greekorthodox #epiphany #crossday #shrine #miracle #culture #spongedocks #seashells #florida #fun #cute #baklava #explore #placestovisit #learning #tourism #love #dearindiarose Thanks for watching Dear India Rose! If you enjoyed this video please support our channel by hitting SUBSCRIBE. SHARE our family with a friend and drop a LIKE. Much love, from our home to yours.
I really was lounging on my chair and had my tripod about a foot off the ground just to capture an up close personal shot of the sun's reflection on the mystic water....
"John K. Cheney built a warehouse in Tarpon Springs to handle sponges bound for New York then hired Greek divers and a buyer, John Cocoris. Cocoris went back to Greece and brought over divers, diving engines, oxygen lines and rubber diving suits topped by bell-shaped diving helmets. The men pooled their money and bought a large boat. On June 18, 1905 a diver was lowered overboard and walked for the first time on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, trailing oxygen bubbles and carrying a short rake to hook sponges." (visitflorida)
The Sponge Diver Memorial in Tarpon Springs, Florida, honors the Greek immigrants who established the town’s sponge diving industry in the early 1900s. The bronze statue depicts a diver holding a traditional brass helmet, symbolizing the skill and danger of the underwater trade. Located near the historic Sponge Docks, it serves as a tribute to the workers who helped shape the community’s maritime heritage.
Picture taken from bridge on Alt. 19 looking West towads the sponge docks on the left and where the big shrimp boats dock on the right.
Took Lori's brother, John, to Tarpon Springs, Florida, for dinner at Hellas Greek Restaurant, walking the docks along Dodecanese Boulevard, and even a few boats from the Christmas parade covered in lights and decorations.
The first settlers to the area arrived in 1876, and, thinking that the jumping mullet were Tarpon, named the area Tarpon Springs.
"In the next few years, experienced divers from Greece were brought to Tarpon Springs. By using rubberized diving suits and helmets, they increased harvests. By 1905, over 500 Greek sponge divers were at work using 50 boats."
fcit.usf.edu/FLORIDA/lessons/tarpon/tarpon.htm
Today, mostly a tourist spot as the sponge industry is impacted by the rise of synthetics and fewer and fewer sponge beds close to the shore. Great food, fun chotchkies, and major kitsch.