We decided to check out a new Tiki Weekender in Orlando to see what a first time event looked like, and then extend it into a mini vacation.
Tiki-A-Go-Go
TAGG surpassed all expectations and seemed to run very smoothly. We didn’t take any pictures because we were having too much fun, but here’s some pictures from friends at the event.
Orlando
After Tiki A Go Go was over, I found a airbnb-ish place on the beach of a private lake. According to an article in the welcome book, the lake started as a sink-hole in the 50s or 60s. This place was close to almost every place that we wanted to go and was reasonably priced, so if you’re ever going to florida; check out the Million Dollar Lake View property on Airbnb or Booking.com.
We weren’t allowed to swim in the lake because there might be alligators, but we did take advantage of the free stand up paddleboards and paddle boat. There was also a kayak, but the weather was too rough on the last day.
Food & Drink
One of the best places we ate was Domu, a Michelin rated ramen restaurant near by.
Susuru was an excellent Japanese street food restaurant with good food and drink.
Picalonga Mix Restaurant had excellent food.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to see the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. This is an old-school 50s road-side attraction that is mostly unchanged.
When we were standing in line for the show, I saw a MOLD-A-MATIC machine that seemed to be working. The line was moving and I asked an employee if could really be made in 30 seconds, as the machine read. She said yes, so I paid my $5 and watched our mold get made…as Lina was yelling at me to get back into line.
I headed over to her after my mold was ejected (still warm) and the line parted because they were all afraid of what Lina was going to do to me if I didn’t make it in time.
While we were waiting Lina found out that we missed two other MOLD-A-MATICs on previous trips. One in Gatorland and the other at the Tampa Electric Power facility where the manatees hang out. (guess we need another trip to Florida!)
They had a great movie of the mermaids from the 50s as we were waiting for the show to start. Then the show started, which was a classic rendition of the Little Mermaid…not to be confused with the Disney movie. The Barbie movie has obviously reprogrammed me, because I spent most of the movie thinking of the patriarchic influences to the story.
Here are the mermaids in the 50s:
Here they are in the 60s:
Here they are in the 70s
Here they are in the 80s:
Modern Mermaids:
The show we saw:
The park also had a swimming spring, a short wildlife show, photo opportunities with and without the mermaids, and a 1/2 hour boat ride.
It was all perfect…and all for $13 each.
We also got another MOLD-A-MATIC from another machine in the park to add to our growing collection.
Wekiwa Springs State Park
We took an amazing side trip to Wekiwa Springs State Park. They have a pool that is 72 degrees 365 days a year because it is fed from an underground spring. We also rented a canoe to paddle around the creek system that was beautiful.
We don’t have any pictures because we both decided to be device-free for this excursion. That ended up being a problem because the park closed 15 minutes after our canoe was due, and they charged by the minute after they close. They gave us general guidelines for time like “When you reach the concrete bridge, that’s about 30 minutes and it take 45 minutes to come back”
They did not account for Lina’s enthusiasm! We made it to the bridge, did a little side excursion, and made it back in less than an hour.
Other Stops
We also went to the beautiful Harry P Leu Gardens. They were filled with wonderful exotic tropical plants and trees from around the world.
Pompano Beach / Ft. Lauderdale / Hollywood, FL
We stayed at a fantastic Airbnb Secluded Beach Adventure Cabana – Newly Renovated just off Pompano Beach. It was a two block walk to a quiet beach, followed by a short walk to a quiet pier. I really enjoyed chasing the 20-30 iguanas in an open lot on the way home every time. It was like watching a scene out of Jurassic Park!
We didn’t take many pictures of the apartment, but did take pictures on the pier. We had a good time sitting in the shade and people and bird watching.
The Flamingo Gardens is a botanical garden / zoo area that was also wonderful. We happened to go during a plant sale, so Lina bought all of the plants.
We also visited the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, which were also beautiful.
The Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop was an unique experience. Our flea market in Denver is very Latino; and this one had a much more Caribbean / African vibe. They also had an expensive car museum that we didn’t go to because it seemed like a weird location.
The Yellow Green Farmers Market was a lot of fun and we tried foods we’ve never had before, like Columbian Stuffed Pork (Lechona) and Golfeado Sugar Cane Roll. This is a must visit if you are in the area!
We saw this art car while driving to the Mai Kai and had to stop for pictures:
Speaking of the Mai Kai. We took some pictures while walking by.
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