Dunedin is a delightful town less than an hour west of Tampa, bordering the St. Joseph Sound. It is also close to Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs. You can easily get about using Uber or the Jolley Trolley. Jolley Trolley – Welcome Aboard Clearwater Jolley Trolley!
Main Street is fun to browse and explore. Get a map at your hotel and spend several hours leisurely perusing the many shops, including apparel, jewelry, arts and crafts and restaurants.
Favorite restaurants include:
Frenchy’s Outpost Bar and Grill ~ Frenchy’s has a Tiki Bar, terrific outdoor and indoor dining ~ very good menu, including excellent Fried Zucchini, grilled Mahi Mahi and a super Key Lime Pie
Criketers British Pub ~ extensive menu ~ Superb Fish N Chips and marvelous Portobello Fingers (fried mushrooms) ~ and the best Moscow Mule drink ever!
Yes, I want to return and explore more of this beautiful part of Florida, including Honeymoon Island State Park.
Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined
My first plane trip since the pandemic was terrific. Flights were full, but on time ~ always a good thing. Rather than renting a car, as I’d never been to the area, I opted to explore using either Uber or the Jolley Trolley. It worked well ~ and next time I visit, I shall rent a car. I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Dunedin, just north of Clearwater and I highly recommend it.
There were two places that for me were “must see.” First, the Clearwater Aquarium, which I have wanted to visit since seeing the beautiful movie “A Dolphin Tale.” The Aquarium lived up to my expectations and more.
Second, I had heard about Tarpon Springs, north of Clearwater, which has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. It was fun to walk about and the restaurant I chose was incredible. Definitely worth a repeat visit.
I’ll have several more post about the Clearwater Aquarium, beautiful Clearwater Beach (yes, the Gulf is spectacular!), Tarpon Springs and Dunedin plus some favorite restaurants.
Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined
Greece is the home of the gods; they may have died but their presence still makes itself felt. The gods were of human proportion; they were created out of the human spirit. ~ Henry Miller
We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, out religion, our arts, have their roots in Greece. ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley
Enthusiasm is a wonderful thing. In South Africa, they throw flowers at you. In Greece, Greeks throw themselves. ~ Melina Mercouri
Recently, on a rainy day, I came upon some old postcards. Several were of Greece, primarily Athens and they brought back some terrific memories.
A friend and I went to Greece (Athens plus a 3 day tour to Corinth and Delphi) and Rome on our first trip to Europe. Athens has so many memorable sights, including the Acropolis (link below) and a short distance away from the city is the beautiful scenic Temple of Poseidon. Temple of Poseidon at Sounion | The Official Athens Guide (thisisathens.org)
I still recall a fabulous restaurant dinner at Dionysius restaurant which had the most incredible view of the Acropolis. I googled the restaurant and yes, it is still there … with it’s fantastic view and menu. Home | Dionysos Zonar’s (dionysoszonars.gr).
Here is a link about Delphi, one of the most beautiful serene places I have visited. It is a place where you can feel the presence of the Gods.
The great fun of Armchair Travel is you can go where you want, check out museums, monuments, parks, restaurants, book shops, day tours, etc. And imagine yourself there … enjoying stuffed vine leaves, Moussaka and a beautiful glass of Greek wine. If you are lucky to live near a good Green restaurant, indulge!
Perhaps play some Greek music, watch a movie set in Greece, check out “Aerial Greece” by the Smithsonian Channel (marvelous 4 part show covering mainland Greece and the islands) or hunt about for books set in Greece. If you enjoy mysteries, check out the Chief Andreas Kaldis series by Jeffrey Siger. Most of the books also feature the Greek isles … which is definitely another Armchair Travel journey.
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Savor your journeys… real, imagined or virtual, near or far
This iconic poem by Robert Frost reminds us that everything beautiful is fleeting, which makes it all the more precious when it’s here.
Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.
The spring wakes us, nurtures us and revitalizes us. How often does your spring come? If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently ~ Gary Zukav
We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives ~ Gary Zukav
The spring wakes us, nurtures us and revitalizes us. How often does your spring come? If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently ~ Gary Zukav
Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be ~ Anonymous
Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment ~ Ellis Peters
No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow ~ English Proverb
Spring is painted in daffodil yellows, robin egg blues, new grass green and the brightness of hope for a better life ~ Toni Sorenson
Journeys with Eileen Diane 