On Saturday, June 12th, 2010, over 100 members of the Shri Surya Narayan Mandir (Florida Branch) boarded two charter buses and departed from the mandir compound headed to Tampa. Our first stop was in the Historic District of Tampa, an area better known as Ybor City. The members toured the downtown area where a summer arts festival was occurring and were able to browse and purchase a variety of different items from the various vendors. Around noon, devotees headed to the St. Petersburg pier, which overlooks the Tampa Bay. There, we all joined together and ate lunch in a picnic-like environment. From there, some members opted to take a boat ride around the Bay. Other members explored the boardwalk and the different shops there; and some members just relaxed in the shade and enjoyed each other’s company. For many, the most memorable part of the trip was the actual bus ride to and from Tampa. Bhai Dhanraj, Brian and Anand brought along their karaoke machine and dholak and entertained the entire bus by singing film songs and old time folk songs. All of the members who went thoroughly enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to our next adventure.
