Caladesi State Park, Honeymoon Island State Park and more

Other included sunset from Fred Howard Park. (The Wisconsin in me kept typing Fort)

 Up at seven for sunrise

Need to tear down those buildings

 The Chase Inn is several separate buildings.  Six units, I think, in each.

 

I had a patio

 Not much of a view

Breakfast. Included in the price. 138.00 for 2 nights.

 Launched from the Dunedin Causeway at 9:30.  Set course for Caladesi Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Channel that leads to the docks at Caladesi Island State Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under water photo.  Empty shell casing?

Kayak dock.  Too high for me. So, I kept paddling.

 Last time I was here, too many mosquitoes to paddle the trail thorough the mangroves

 Today the issue was low tide  I gave it a shot

 

 

Made it thorough the mangroves.  The trail continues in St. Joseph Sound, then goes back into the mangroves.

 I did not go back into the mangroves.  Tide was out.  Got stuck. Stepped out to pulled the kayak.  Sank to my calves.  Back in the kayak, took the paddle apart and pushed for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Scaup?

 

 

 

 Landed at 12:52

Made the short drive to Honeymoon Island State Park

 Lunch spot. Snagged two pieces of bread from the breakfast buffet to make a sandwich. And, an orange

 

On the Osprey Trail

 

I went left

 

 

 

 

 Pelicans on the Pelican Trail

And osprey

 

 

 

 

 

 Armadillo

 

 

 Walked just over an hour. Now, where to kayak in the afternoon and maybe see the sunset?  Fort De Soto?  40 miles away.   How far is Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs?  7, according to Garmin.  I headed north,.

 Stopped and turned around when I saw roseate spoonbills at a retention pond.

 

 After no spoonbills on the Hillsborough River and Caladesi Island, places I have seen them before, I see them in an artificial setting.

 Parking at Fred Howard is $5.00.  The machines don't make change. I did not have a 5, or five singles.  They do take credit cards.  I was looking for a good spot to park near the Gulf, but decided to go inland and launch on a marked kayak trail.  No pay station.  I asked if the pay part of the park began past the kayak launch.

 Yes

There is a kiosk with a map on shore.  It looked like I could get out into the Gulf at marker Number 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into a lake like area

 

 

 

 

 

I could hear a blues band playing.  Tried to capture the sound.  Failed, but the video is nice

Anclote Key

 Another video

 

 

 

 Always good to have a sign at a place you are visiting  for the first time as darkness descends.

 

 

Landed at 5:45

 

Last picture of the day. Kayak trail sign, 6 PM