This past June, in keeping with our plans to take a special Adventure Friday involving an activity that each person really wanted to do, for our birthdays; we picked out Weeki Wachee Springs State Park for Katherine. She is currently obsessed with Mermaids and had been asking for months to go to a water park. As we could use our state park pass and the kids Junior Ranger passes to get into the park for free, it made for the perfect surprise for her.
You can enter the park side or the water side. We chose to start out on the dry side, and visit the park. Normally they have animal shows which we had hoped to catch, but they had cancelled them for the day due to the heat. So we wandered around a few trails, saw the amphitheater, and then stopped for lunch outside a little restaurant. While we were enjoying our picnic lunch that we brought along with us, one of several peacocks that they have roaming the grounds walked right up to the table looking for a handout.
Next we headed to the Mermaid show. Kate took so many photos and videos in there that the phone died. She said it was the best part of the whole day. She loved it. They swam and "danced" to different songs, and answered lots of common questions that they get. One even ate a banana underwater, which is why I have had some trouble since then with kids not wanting to keep food out of the pool. Ha! All the kids were wowed with their acrobatics, even Britt who wasn't really interested at first said he thought the swimming was impressive.
After that we headed over to the water park section, where the kids spent several hours swimming in the bracingly cold water. And going down the water slides. The reason that we didn't go to the park right after Kate's birthday, was because she wanted to go down a water slide, and they weren't open before Memorial Day Weekend. She tried one and it shot her out so fast, she decided that was enough of that, and stuck to swimming. The twins mostly played in the sand while Gary and I watched them from a chair right near the water. Everyone had a great day. I wish we had a few pictures from them playing in the water and on the beach, but Kate had already killed the phone taking pictures. So I'll leave you with this video she took of the mermaids at the beginning of their routine.
We had a great time and all would love to go again with friends or family. If you'd like to make a trip the address to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is 6131 Commercial Way, Spring Hill Florida. Their hours are 9 to 5:30 every day of the week year round, but the water park is only open seasonally. Of course, you can always call for more information at 352-610-5660. It cost $13 for anyone over thirteen, $8 for anyone between six and twelve, and free for anyone five and under.
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