April 11 was Doreen's birthday and she wanted to celebrate it by going to an old school attraction here in Florida: Weeki Wachi Springs. Weeki Wachi was a top tourist attraction from 1947 up to 2008 when the state of Florida purchased the roadside attraction and made it part of the state park system. It is located on US 19 on the gulf coast north of New Port Ritchey.
Weeki Wachi is built on the site of an underground spring that surfaces and forms the Weeki Wachi river. The water is 99% pure and a constant 74 degrees. The famous underwater mermaid show was so popular in the 1960's that the television network ABC bought the park and featured it in a weekly TV show. The park has not changed too much and for a $13 admittance fee you get the mermaid show and entrance to the beach area.
If you like low tech wholesome entertainment this is for you. It is a throwback to the days before interstates when roadside attractions along U.S. highways like US 19 were pulling in customers long before the big theme parks were in existence. After entering the park you are greeted by a colorful muster of peacocks.
A short walk away is the mermaid theater where patrons are seated sixteen feet under the spring.
The curtains are drawn and the famous mermaids are revealed.
The mermaids breathe via a submerged air hose and can go several minutes without taking a breath. The most experienced mermaids are able to dive to a depth of 109 feet following the source of the spring. The show concludes with a patriotic finale.
After the show we checked out the animal show where a handler exhibits snakes and gators.
This little fella is a about six years old. You got to love their grin. After the show there is a short riverboat ride but there wasn't much to see. Some fish and trees; there was a bald eagle nest but I was mushed into the center of the boat and couldn't get a picture. After that we went over to the beach. It is a nice set up with loungers on the sand and on a concrete deck under a huge umbrella and in front of a large tikibar.
The only drawback is the place closed at 5 PM. That was okay because we were going to go have some dinner. Since it was Friday during lent we were going meatless. We found an out of the way food shack called Becky Jacks right off of US 19.
All the reviews online praised their crunchy fish sandwich and other seafood specialties. This is the kind of place that should be on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The inside has about eight tables and an eclectic decor'.
My fish sandwich was about a pound and I could have used three buns. The fillet is coated in frosted flakes giving it a crunchy texture. I had the little neck clams for and appetizer and Doreen had the crab cake sandwich but she was so hungry she didn't realize it had bacon on it.
A few week before Doreen's birthday we met up with my aunt Sally from Pittsburgh. She snow birds in Clearwater and we met at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.
We had driven by there numerous times while staying at Happy Traveler RV Park but never made it to the casino. We had a nice lunch in the Green Room and said our goodbyes. Of course we couldn't leave without dropping a few bucks into the slots. Doreen didn't have any cash so I gave her one dollar. She got the slot machine up to $14.90 and cashed out. I on the other hand put a five in and lost promptly. Then I tried $20 in the joker poker and lost that. Enough for me.
Of course Doreen had to buy souvenirs such as a t-shirt and a pin for her jacket.
Lastly we are making preparations to close up the house and resume our travels for six months. Tentatively our plans are to leave here after the first of May and go to New Orleans for our first stop. From there our destination is the New England states and then be back here in Florida by November. I will miss playing golf everyday but I am anxious to hit the road. Hopefully my game will not get too rusty. We hope to see everyone in PA when we come through. Until then, happy trails.
