Honeymoon Island ready for summer

Blink. And you missed them.

The eagle fledglings that called Honeymoon Island home this spring have flown the coop.

“We’ll probably see these guys back next year with their parents, but they will be chasing them away,” says Peter Krulder, the park manager at Honeymoon Island.

• Honeymoon Island is in Pinellas County
• The island is Florida’s most visited state park
• Nature center has hands-on exhibits, artifacts
  

Lucky for Floridians, Honeymoon Island State Park has several personalities year-round from the nature side to the beach.

There is a reason Honeymoon Island State Park is the most-visited state park in Florida. The beaches here are stunning for man and his best friend.

“We do have a section of beach known as Pet Beach where you’re allowed to bring your dog,” Krulder said.

Dogs must be on a 6-foot leash, and owners are expected to clean up after their pets.

Away from the beach, Carole Shrigley is visiting the park from England.

“We tour, we like to see nature,” she says.

Inside the nature center, which is built on stilts just in case Pinellas County is hit by a hurricane, you’ll discover hands-on exhibits and a collection of artifacts available to touch.

Plus, if you missed the eagles, an updated photo album showcases the stars from their birth around Christmas 2015.

Also find some critters you may not want to see, like the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. No worries, though; here, it’s stuffed.

When the shadows grow long, some bid farewell to the day at one of two diners on site.

“Great place to sit, get out of the sun, get something to eat,” Krulder said.

Seating over the sand provides postcard views of the glowing sunset.

Grouper tacos are one of the most popular items on the menu, along with grilled grouper sandwich served on a fresh bun.

“It’s a lovely place to come… a nice easy walk,” Shrigley said. “It’s brilliant.”

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