SILVER SPRINGS CYPRUS GARDENS and EPCOT

Silver Springs

Since the 1850s, the natural beauty of Silver Springs has attracted exploiters from around the country. Glass bottom boat tours of the springs began in the late 1870s and we took one in 2009, a bored captain with a delivery that was almost unintelligible, gave a commentary of the features on the bottom of this crystal clear lake of springwater including some statues placed their for some film.

But Carol had remembered animals roaming freely on islands and sadly this was not the case anymore.


Bored bears chewed on dustbins,










giraffes begged for food from the punters and







albino alligators hid from the sun





or snacked on rats.








The bird show was well presented and I suppose they would not perform if they were not content but I hate to see clipped wings and tiny cages.



CYPRUS GARDENS

Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936 as a botanical garden
planted by Dick and Julie Pope. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, lush gardens, and Southern Belle models.

Many films and ads. used the gardens as a backdrop.

I am sure that this banyan was in one of the predator films.



Recently the park has been on hard times as Disney and Busch gardens stole away thir customers. We saw this as we seemed to be the only visitors at times and I am sure there were only 20 or so people in the park.

It became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World" because many of the sport's landmark "firsts" and over 50 world records were broken there but sadly for us there are no shows when we visited.

What a contrast it was when we were part of a madding crowd at Epcot center, or as I call it “The world according to Walt”. First of all it was a good day out, WAAAAAAAAY overpriced but all the same a good day out. However we are in their low season just now and it was still pretty crowded in the park. As the car park was less than ¼ full what it must be like in hign season I can only imagine. Waits for the rides were measured in hours and at times the madding crowds were quite scary. I mean grown men wearing Micky ears, what is that all about.

There were some high spots though. Many children were sporting amazing facial artwork, courtesy of the free face painters, the American Experience started off



with a Fife and Drum band who were good but the singers in period costume who followed them were exceptional. The potted history of the USA, narrated by the figures from the past courtesy of some tired animatronics, was OK starting with the Mayflower, but did we need Walt and Tinkerbelle?





As a pleasant contrast to the trained exhibits, we found theses cranes wndering around at Buds Marina and RV park in the middle of nowhere.






The boat hunt is still ongoing with several that would "do I suppose" but we are still hoping to find "THE BOAT" somewhere.

Homosassa Springs

We visited an unusual State Park called Homosassa Springs. It is world famous as the center for sick and injured manatees but, to us anyway, the reality is different. It is a zoo, animal side shows with clipped wings and small cages, a fat and bored bear, a panther forced out in the sun when it would usually lie up in shade














however the manatees were in a large pool but they still had to put on their show three times a day.









Right at the end of our visit we found out that it had been a private, for profit zoo which had been taken over by the state for the purpose of exibiting animals native to Florida. We liked this resident, made an honorary Floridian by Governor Chiles.

Repo's, The Keys, The Everglades, Monkeys, Flowers and the Best Tool Box in the World.

We go see the REPO MAN

We went to see the huge stash of boats repossessed by the banks, confiscated by the drug police and those recovered from the big fraudsters, [yes you know at least one of them.]

There were hundreds and hundreds of them, mostly powerboats but a few sail too. The one we wanted to see required us to sign in and be escorted by a duly authorized federal marshal as we had to pass through an enclosure full of boats all the subject of “ongoing investigations” and covered with warning stickers, many even shrinkwrapped. This was the end result of the when the real Miami Vice meets the real CSI Miami.

However after all this we did not like the layout of the Gulfstar we looked at so it is on with the hunt. We did see one boat we liked, a 44 foot Cat Ketch with a custom interior. Unfortunately it needs a lot of work and although the owner is clearly willing to negotiate it might be too much work to do.

We are taking a few days off to go down the chain of islands stitched together by concrete bridges that lead to the Conch Republic AKA Key West.

Key West

We stayed at Bahia Honda, a great State Park just North of Key West and used the bus to get there. It was interesting with lots of funky little shops some of which were selling artifacts recovered from the treasure galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha in 1985.






Mel Fisher found it. It took sixteen years and unfortunately, the lives of his son and daughter-in-law, but Mel persevered and never lost hope. All during the
1970s, his crew found bits and pieces from the 1622 fleet, some spectacular, others more common. They finally found the main cargo hold of the Atocha in 1985.


The Everglades

We stopped off and did the tourist thing with an airboat ride then a visit to the Miccosukee Tribe alligator wrestling show.

The airboat driver ran over a gator but did give us a good show.




The gator wrestled was pretty impressive, passing his hand through the gators open mouth and kissing his snout.





Did I mention it is HOT over here!





Monkeys

When Joseph DuMond, an inquisitive animal behaviorist, released six monkeys into the wilds of a dense South Florida hammock in 1933, he didn’t realize that their descendents are a thriving troop that runs free at MONKEY JUNGLE today.



They dive for food in the pool and mine the tourists for food





by rattling the metal cups on chains that dangle from the tunnels we were confined in.



Yup the tourists are in the cage and the monkeys run free.

They are a sanctuary for exotic abandoned pets



such as this hansome fellow.







Coons
We also met another group of wild/tame animals. These racoons live on and in a shop in a strange little shopping centre.




One of them has a foot fetish and kept following Carol around and stroking het toes with his long fingers. Creepy!




Looking around the Japanese Gardens








Orchids

A walk around the gardens was a pleasant change from the boat hunt. Almost completely funded by enthusiasts the gardens were spectacular.
















Best Tool Box in the World.




We spotted this and I WANT ONE!





It even has a FRIDGE!