Cover image for post 10 Florida Attractions Not Named Disney, by JimLamb

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10 Florida Attractions Not Named Disney

Wrote this a few years back. With travel to Florida increasing, seems like time to bring it back.

Ever wonder where Mickey goes when he needs a break?

I know, I know. You come to Florida, and you want to visit Uncle Walt’s place. No fault in that. We all have a favorite uncle. (Uncle George. Uncle Angelo. Uncle Paul. Uncle Sam. Etc.)

Maybe they played catch with us when we were kids. Or cards. Or Monopoly.

Walt gave us Mickey Mouse. Sleeping Beauty. Cinderella. Colorful TV. Daniel Boone. Davy Crockett. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. And more. Who could compete with that? Not many. Not ever.

But believe me, there are other visitation options—humble though they may be. (See links at the end of this article.)

One of my favorite places? Edison & Ford Winter Estates. In Fort Myers. Love it. Even bought a season pass way back when. Some of you are probably thinking, “Boooooor-ing.” With a capital B. Maybe. But at least it’s real. In many ways. On many levels.

Try and imagine the 20th century without the impact Ford and Edison had on every level of society—rich, poor, and all of us in-between. Edison: Electricity, light bulbs, photography, motion pictures, and, of course, recordings.

“Mary had a little lamb.”

Edison accumulated 1,093 patents in his lifetime. (That’s 1,093 more than I have. How about you?) Know this: Edison was dyslexic. As a youngster, one of his teachers called him “Addled.” He was home-schooled. Hard of hearing. And less than a comfortably social creature.

Ford? Most everyone recognizes his contributions to the modern industrial complex—but that was the end result of a thousand previous steps along a long, lonely, and laborious journey.

What will you find at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates? No carnival rides. No dudes or dudettes dressed up like light bulbs. Just nerdy stuffy. Like inventions. Exhibits. Displays.

Things the guys from TV’s “The Big Bang” might enjoy.

All that, plus the garden, the award-winning “Moonlight Garden.” I am not a green-thumb kinda guy, but even I was impressed by all the stuff growing there. Fancy stuff. Exotic stuff. Weedy stuff. Stuff from all over the world—drawn there by the power of Edison’s curiosity. Sucked into his “What if?” world.

Another of my favorite Florida spots? Weeki Wachee Springs. Why? Mermaids, of course.

Weeki Wachee is about an hour’s drive north of Tampa. It’s been around for more than a half-century. While the Edison & Ford Winter Estates satisfies my inner geek, mermaids feed my whimsical side, so much so that about 40 years ago—as a reporter for The Tampa Tribune—I went scuba diving with these playful underwater creatures.

I remember it vividly.

The cuttingly cold, ice-needle spring water. The Darth Vader hollow-echo of my breathing. The eerie experience of slowly turning around and facing a beautiful woman, suspended mid-water, swimming elegantly and effortlessly, our exhaled bubbles tap-dancing together—like Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds—as they swirled to the surface while we stared at each other below.

Well, I’m biased. I’d go back in a minute. Into that cold, mean water; into that buoyant, bubbly dream.

But enough about that.

Number three? Busch Gardens in Tampa. I first visited it many years ago when it was little more than a manicured garden path with tacky little fairy-tale statues and free beer. I returned over the years as it morphed, ever more mechanical, plastic, and carney-like. I haven’t been back in a long time. But I’d return—if only for the memories.

Next up: St. Augustine, “America’s Oldest City.” My wife and I went there for our honeymoon, back in 1975. We’ve been there since. Plan to go again. We love it. Charming. Alluring. Fascinating. Especially if you love history. Not everyone’s cup o’ tea—but a delightful place to have tea, nonetheless.

Tarpon Springs is just a few miles from my house. It’s like a second home. You won’t need more than a half-day to see everything. But you could back there a dozen times just to taste your way through the restaurants. The Greek food is great. When I can, I order the flaming cheese: Saganaki. The waiter brings it to the table, lights it on fire, then puts it out with a lemon. When the flames reach their peak, we like to yell “Opa!”

Delish.

Shifting gears, probably the only place I’ve been to more than Tarpon, is the beach at Siesta Key in Sarasota. (The only other beach that had a bigger impact on my life was China Beach in Vietnam—but that’s another story.)

Siesta Key is said to have “the world’s finest, whitest sand.” I agree. But, to me, the sand is secondary to the sunsets. Spectacular. Stunning. Spiritual. I can close my eyes and be there. My “Happy Place.”

Lastly, also in Sarasota, Ringling. Mulfi-faceted and fascinating. The Circus Museum feeds the kid in you: Colorful posters, mesmerizing miniatures, big ornate circus artifacts. The Art Museum, with its many treasures, lets you feel all high-brow. But my preferred spot is Ca’ d’Zan—“House of John”—the Ringling residence. I always felt it was like visiting Xanadu, the home of Charles Foster Kane.

That’s my list—but please indulge me as I mention three I’d like to visit and why.

First is the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West. If you’re a Hemingway fan, you need not ask why. When I was a young person, two writers stood out in my mind: William Saraoyan and Ernest Hemingway. I’d be happy to walk in their aura, if only for a moment.

Second is the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. If you’re a Dali fan, you need not ask why. When I was a youngster, three artists stood out in my mind: Picasso, van Gogh, and Salvador Dalí—though I’d be afraid to walk through their aura.

Finally, the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. Why? Just because. The Mercury Seven— Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. The Gemini program. Apollo. The moon landing. The shuttles. All that.

What about you? What one small step into Florida would you like to make? It might be closer than you think . . .

My List & Links

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/

Weekie Wachee Springs

http://www.weekiwachee.com/

Busch Gardens-Tampa

http://buschgardens.com/

St.Augustine

http://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/

Tarpon Springs

http://spongedocks.net/