Treasure Island Activities

I was preparing an agenda of Treasure Island activities that would keep us busy on our vacation, but I couldn't help smiling at my son when he asked if they celebrated "talk like a pirate day" on Treasure Island waving his toy sword at me. I was really sorry to break his bubble by saying that Treasure Island's name had little to do with pirates. But seeing my 9 year old son's crestfallen face I waved my very own sword to stay on the safer side. The rental house I was booking would be just fine for our week at Treasure Island, FL.

We'd had our first Treasure Island activities some years ago when I had decided to celebrate our second honeymoon with my husband Adam. The small beach towns always proved enjoyable and this one sounded ideal for my family. A variety of activities in a friendly small town atmosphere found us returning to the same spot year after year.

There are at least half dozen resorts on Treasure Island. We prefer one of the quaint beach houses, which we book for a week's stay. This always helped us stay within our limited budgets by bringing down our living costs since we also cooked many of our meals. We also enjoy walking around the area and going about with reassure Island activities considering ourselves to be one of the "locals".

Josh, I and Adam would often go to the beach or rent a jet ski and zip around on the beautiful waters. "The boys" would get up before dawn, get hold of the lunch I packed the night before and head out to the Gulf of Mexico for a day of deep sea fishing. They would almost always come back tired as racehorse, sunburned, smelly and above all hungry. The aching muscles did nothing to dampen the huge grins spread across their faces.

Meanwhile, I would use up the day driving to the sunken gardens in St. Petersburg which is about 8 miles away. I often wandered down the windy paths, enjoying the collection of over 50,000 tropical plants thriving in the gardens. I had also attended some orchid workshops which charged for admission but were otherwise free.

While on Treasure Island another activity we all enjoy is golf. I do admit that none of us are exactly what you can call professionals; in fact we often horrify the more serious enthusiasts with our bumbling selves. We however always have a good time, since its more about having fun with each other than making it to the PGA. In all there are 7 golf courses on Treasure Island so we easily can pick another every time we feel people at one have had enough of us.

Another one of our favorite haunts is the Sun coast Seabird Sanctuary. With an average of 30 wild birds being admitted daily, it is easily the largest non-profit wild bird hospital in the United States. It's an amazing experience to roam the grounds and spot the immense variety of birds who have found safe haven in this sanctuary. Though the admission is free, we've always made a point to donate to this heartwarming showcase of solidarity with nature.

Though it was a letdown for Josh to know that Treasure Island was named because developers buried "fake" treasure to lure prospective buyers to their lands around 1915, he would surely enjoy our Treasure Island vacations like he always did.