Back in April, we had the chance to go with a fellow homeschooling family to visit Honeymoon Island State Park. We had an absolute blast! In fact, we enjoyed it so well, that we took Gary and went back in June. It was just as great the second time around though we missed the company of our friends. We would even rank it as one of Florida's top beaches.
Back in April we started the day by visiting the nature center and checking out information about the island. It use to be known by a different name, Hog Island. But in 1921, a hurricane cut the island into two smaller islands: Caladesi and Hog Island. Between the two islands to this day runs Hurricane Pass. Honeymoon Island got it's name in the late 1930s when Clinton Washburn bought the island, looked around and thought that it would make the perfect destination for honeymooning couples. Life magazine wrote about the island and the name and idea stuck. Fifty cottages were then built and couples entered to win a two week stay on the island. In total, 164 couples stayed on the island; however with the outbreak of WWII the destination island was forgotten. In 1974, the state of Florida began acquiring the land on Honeymoon Island, and by December of 1981 the state park had opened.
After learning a bit about the island and it's history we embarked on a short nature walk just outside of the Rotary Centennial Nature Center called the Nature Trail. It is a short walk, under a mile, but the bugs are particularly bad in the area, so if you venture out be aware of that and the lack of shade along the trail. We did luck out and find tortoise tracks and were able to see several kinds of birds including ospreys.
Eventually though we did make it to our main destination: the North beach. It was more crowded than usual in April, all we could figure was that college kids were on a late spring break from somewhere. However, in June it was practically deserted. Both times though we were able to set up near the water on a spot of shoreline near to a jetty of rock. It was the perfect place to be with the kids. The jetty meant that the waves weren't as big when they broke at the shore, and so the little kids had a place to play and explore. The rocks also provided areas for small schools of fish to hide and live in safety, so we had the experience of observing lots of them during the day. Finally, the big kids loved the jetty because it gave them somewhere to sit and visit while enjoying larger waves that broke against it. The island is also a great place for shelling, especially during low tide, which we enjoyed in June. We found sand dollars, some really large shells during low tide, and thousands of small ones in all sorts of colors littered the sand around the clock. Because the water is also amazingly clear, it makes for a great place to actually see the life below the water all around you.
Because of all of these things, and due to the fact that it isn't your typical touristy destination, we would rank it as one of the best beaches in Florida. Really the only downside is that you have to drive through Tampa to get there, and the traffic was really terrible in April when we left around 3:30 or so on a Friday. It wasn't quiet as bad when we left around 7 on a Friday in June. We would definitely recommend it. If you'd like to make a trip the address to the Honeymoon Island State Park is #1 Causeway Boulevard, Dunedin, Florida. The park is open from 8 to sunset, every day of the week; however, the visitor center is only open 9-5, Wednesday through Sunday. Of course, you can always call for more information at 727-241-6106. Entrance to the Park is $8 a vehicle.
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