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Day Trip To Tarpon Springs

The historic town of Tarpon Springs is located about an hour south of the Villages of Citrus Hills right on the Gulf Coast, just north of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater.  

The town represents an interesting combination of rich history and modern culture with a dash of Greek heritage. If you are passionate about history, shopping for antiques, or excellent Greek food, Tarpon Springs will make an excellent day trip for you and your family. 

History of Tarpon Springs 

Tarpon Springs received its name when some of the first visitors to the town observed a number of Tarpon jumping out of the water out in the Gulf of Mexico.

As you can probably guess, the Tarpon Fishing here is excellent. But that wasn’t originally the most popular sea item in Tarpon Springs. 

Tarpon Springs is also known as “The Sponge Capital of the World” because its 51-mile coast was once filled with sponges. In the early 1900s, many Greek sponge divers made their way to Tarpon Springs to harvest these sponges, which led to Tarpon Springs having the largest Greek population in all of Florida. 

In 1947, just about all of the sponge fields around Tarpon Springs were destroyed, so most of the sponge industry was then converted to fishing and shrimping. However, “The Sponge Capital of the World” lives on in spirit with attractions like the Sponge Docks and Spongeorama.  

The first stop for any history buffs visiting Tarpon Springs should be the Tarpon Springs Area Historical Society’s Welcome Center and Museum. Other great historic sites include the Tarpon Springs Historic District, the Safford House, Old Tarpon Springs City Hall, and the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral.  

Tarpon Springs Attractions 

One of the most popular attractions in Tarpon Springs is known as The Sponge Docks. This wharf area is filled with boats, but has also become populated with great shopping and restaurants.  

You can stroll the docks, tour sponge boats, visit dozens of small shops, and find great authentic Greek cuisine, all in one central location. The Tarpon Springs Aquarium is also located right next to The Sponge Docks. 

Another popular attraction in Tarpon Springs is the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center. This former high school turned theater plays host to a wide variety of community theater and music events throughout the year. There is a lot of information about upcoming shows on their website, where you can find the perfect event to schedule your trip around. 

Wine drinkers will absolutely want to plan on stopping at the Tarpon Springs Castle Winery. This beautiful facility offers daily tours, information on how their handcrafted wines are produced, and plenty of tasting opportunities.

Dining in Tarpon Springs  

With its rich Greek heritage, Tarpon Springs is known for having some of the best Greek restaurants in Florida. If you are a fan of Greek cuisine, you will have more than your fair share of options in Tarpon Springs.

The most popular Greek restaurant is probably Hellas Restaurant and Bakery, but you will also find outstanding Greek food at Mykonos, Mr. Souvlaki, and The Original Mama Maria’s Greek Cuisine.  

While Greek food is obviously a staple in Tarpon Springs, there are plenty of other options as well. Rusty Bellies at the end of The Sponge Docks is known for serving great seafood, and the Tarpon Tavern has some outstanding pub-style cuisine. You might also want to try the Caribbean food at the Jerk Center and the pizza at Plum Tomato. 

The ideal day trip to Tarpon Springs would contain a little bit of history in the morning, followed by pizza or pub food for lunch. After that, you could plan an afternoon of shopping at The Sponge Docks, followed by a Greek dinner and a show at the Tarpon Spring Cultural Center.  

Even if you can’t find a show that sparks your interest, there is still plenty to do here, which is what makes Tarpon Springs a great place to spend the day!

 

 

Home Walkthrough: The Amherst

One of the most common themes among many of the active adults looking to spend their retirement at the Villages of Citrus Hills is that they are looking to downsize into a home that requires as little maintenance as possible.  

After spending most of their lives living in bigger homes to accommodate their growing families, many of our residents prefer their retirement housing to be as simple as possible.  

Out of the 19 floor plans available here at the Villages of Citrus Hills, The Amherst is designed for those who are seeking simplicity. It packs a lot of popular features into 1,666 square feet of living space. Add in the two-car garage and back yard lanai and this floor plan has 2,500 total square feet.  

On top of being minimal in the square footage department, The Amherst is also one of our Care-Free Homes, which means that you won’t ever have to worry about any exterior maintenance. Everything from mowing the lawn to painting the outside will be handled for you for as long as you choose to live here.  

Let’s take a walk through this simple home and see how it’s laid out! 

Entering The Amherst

Standing in front of The Amherst, the two-story entryway is right in the middle of the house, with a large window placed right above the front door. On one side of the front door is the two-car garage. The other side of the house is a large window that looks out from the second bedroom.  

As you pass through the entryway and into the home, you will find yourself standing in the foyer with the guest bedroom and guest bathroom off to one side of the house. Continuing straight back will take you right into the great room that makes up the heart of the home.  

There is also an owner’s entrance through the two-car garage that passes through the laundry room and into the great room right next to the foyer entrance.  

The Heart of the Amherst 

Standing in the great room, the open floor plan of The Amherst allows you to see right into all of the other common rooms.  

On the same side of the home as the guest bedroom and guest bathroom, the kitchen area takes up the middle of the floor plan, and there is a small breakfast nook tucked at the back of the house. The kitchen includes an L-shape of cabinets against the back wall that contains the refrigerator and stove, while the sink is located in the island overlooking the great room.

On the opposite side of the great room is a set of French doors that leads into a private study area. There is also a large lanai off the back of the house that can be accessed from the back of the great room, or observed through the large window behind the breakfast nook.  

The Amherst Master Suite 

Like many of the floor plans here at the Villages of Citrus Hills, you will find access to the master suite located at the very back of the great room on the side opposite the kitchen. The door leads right into the master bedroom, which includes a large window looking out the back of the house from just past the end of the lanai.  

From the master bedroom, we can turn towards the front of the home and continue down a short hallway that is flanked by two walk-in closets on our way into the master bathroom. Like everything in The Amherst, the master bathroom is straightforward, yet elegant, with a standing shower and his and her sinks.  

This is the ultimate escape for anyone looking to downsize into a home that has all of the features that they need, without overdoing it on all of the extra options. If that is the kind of home you are looking for, this is definitely the place to start your search here at the Villages of Citrus Hills.

 

August Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

The month of August has arrived, and once again the events calendar is packed full of socials and excursions here at the Villages of Citrus Hills. As we begin to wind down the summer of 2016 and prepare for the upcoming fall golf season, this month will give us the opportunity to enjoy time with friends and neighbors, and also time to work on our short game! 

Whether you are interested in social events, recreational sports like golf and tennis, or just knowing when to plan on heading to one of our excellent restaurants for dinner, we’ve got you covered with just about everything that is happening around the Villages of Citrus Hills this month. Let’s dive in and get started! 

Social Events 

August will jump off to a fun start with the Dance Party that is scheduled to happen in the Hampton Room on Thursday, August 11.  There will be live music, dancing, and a cash bar from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, and the cost is $15 for members and $20 for guests.

Trivia Junkies like the “Cool Cats” and “In the Hunt” who won the Trivia Challenge in June and July will be back to compete in this month’s challenge on August 16 in the Hampton Room. The menu this month will include Chicken Parmesan and Baked Haddock.  

If you are new to the Villages of Citrus Hills, you won’t want to miss the New Member Social that is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17 at Skyview Restaurant from 4 pm to 6 pm. This will be a great opportunity to meet and get to know other members who are new to the community.  

A group of baseball fans will be heading down to Tampa on Monday, August 22 to watch the Tampa Bay Rays host the Boston Red Sox. Tickets for members are $45, which includes a ticket to the game, round-trip transportation, and a Tampa Bay Rays hat!

Another exciting musical event this month will be Copacabana Night in the Hampton Room on Thursday, August 24. Espresion Latina and DJ Benny Cruz will be performing live music throughout the evening, and the menu will feature Cuban Pulled Pork and other Cuban specialties.  

You also won’t want to forget that the last Sunday of the month is Summer Splash Sunday at the Activity Center Pool. This month, the party will feature variety pop duo Robert and Mandy France. There will also be lemonade and iced tea provided.  

Golf & Tennis

On August 15, Ocala National Golf Club will be hosting the VIP Card Tournament. This tournament will be scored using the individual point quota format, and the shotgun start is scheduled for 8:30 am.

If you are looking to improve your golf game this month, there will be free golf clinics for beginners on August 8, 9, and 10 at 11 am. There will also be intermediate clinics on August 16, 23, and 30 at 11 am.

This is a great month to take advantage of those free clinics, because the Citrus Hills Labor Day Open, the Skyview Ryder Cup Tournament, and the Skyview Men’s Shoot-Out are all right around the corner in September.  

You can also participate in the Free Beginners Tennis Clinic at the Skyview Tennis Center on Tuesday, August 9 at 11 am. This is a great place for anyone who is new to tennis to learn the game in a fun and friendly environment.

Dinner Specials

The biggest dinner special of the month is going to be the Pacific Rim Wine Tasting hosted by Skyview Restaurant on Tuesday, August 30 from 6 pm to 9 pm. This will be a delicious four-course meal with four perfectly paired wines from the Pacific Rim. Tickets are $39 per person.

Our friends at Skyview Restaurant will also be having a Bay Scallop & Shrimp Night on August 9, a New England Clambake on August 18, and a Mixed Grill Night on August 23. Yum! 

Over at the Tiki Bar and The Grille, you won’t want to miss Cheeseburger in Paradise Night on August 4 or the Mixed Grill Special at the Grille on August 12.  

With the month of August having even more social events scheduled than we are used to, it might be hard to find any time at all to head over to BellaVita Spa. But if you do, you’ll definitely want to ask about their Revitalizing Seaweed Wrap and Oxygenating Bubble Facial specials this month!

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