Monday 2nd January – Mermaids!

As usual, we used up every single minute of our hotel room time!  Simon’s parents are planning to join us to enjoy some of Canada later in the year so we had a planning conference call via skype this morning.  Hopefully they will find a good deal to be able to experience life on the road with us.

Returning to Harvey again feels like going home and back to reality again now - but in a good way.  Is that bizarre? 

You may recall us receiving a recommendation whilst we were in Dallas to see the ‘Wishy washy springs’?  Well, today we made our way an hour north of Tampa to the correctly named ‘Weeki Wachee Springs State Park’!  For $13 a piece we gained entry to the mermaid show and the river tour.  I think I’m right in saying that this is the only place in the world where you can see performing mermaids, but please correct me if I’m wrong!  What is 100% accurate is that this is the deepest springs in the USA and the water is some of the clearest.  Whilst the show itself is undoubtedly aimed at the younger ones amongst us, as far as bizarre spectacles go it was well-worth a watch.  I was amazed at the skill of the performers.  The audience sit in an amphitheatre behind a wall of glass, looking into the spring.

The mermaids (and the odd prince, evil witch or frog in a terrible costume) perform several metres down using air hoses to assist with breathing and ‘mime’ along to a Little mermaid soundtrack.  How they manage to orientate themselves correctly whilst dealing with the pressure differences, timing their breathing, dancing AND ‘singing’ is a wonder…. It must take months of practise.  I remember Barbara telling us that in this area of Florida it is most little girls’ dreams to be a mermaid at Weeki Wachee springs when they grow up!

Public swimming area of Weeki Wachee springs from the surface

I don't know what caption to put for this....?!

After the main event we walked around the park and took our boat ride of the springs, though we agreed that it’s much more fun in our own inflatable boat when available! 

Grey heron

We had no plans for where to stay tonight but found a gem of a Passport America site only 2 miles from the spring called ‘Cody’s RV Park’ for only $17.50.  The owner was extremely eccentric.  He had constructed a hurricane shelter in the form of a castle and the sites were scattered with random models of dinosaurs.  There was a TV and socialising room and free use of kayaks on the lake.  An example of a site we would have gladly stayed at much longer if we hadn’t already made bookings elsewhere.

The lake at Cody's RV park