Mermaids, Museums and Castles in Florida
Traveling throughout Florida, North or South, from Orlando to the Keys, there are unique sights most tourists may overlook on their way to more traditional fare, such as Disneyworld, Universal Studios, St. Augustine or Miami’s beaches. For every person who has gone out of the way to see a giant mouse or a mechanical shark, consider these options available throughout the East Coast’s most famous peninsula:
On the North coast of the Gulf, you can see live mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs. Watch them swim underwater with other fish. Another family attraction is Solomon’s Castle. From a distance, this castle is bright and shining. Up close, you realize the reason why is that it’s made up of discarded printing plates. Sculptor Howard Solomon has created this work, among many others. It’s a quick drive from Orlando, and may take the entire day to really see and appreciate.
Over in Titusville, you’ll find the Kennedy Space Center. Close to it, you’ll find Cocoa Beach, the same town in which Col. Tony Nelson lived with his genie, from the television series, I Dream of Jeannie. It’s also the town in which you’ll find the Astronaut Hall of Fame, as well as the American Police Hall of Fame. In Pensacola, you’ll find the National Museum of Naval Aviation; this is one of the largest air and space museums in the country. There’s over 140 aircraft, restored, from various service branches.
Among historic attractions, you can find Thomas Edison and Henry Ford’s winter estates. These are located south of the Gulf Coast in Sanibel, Florida. At Edison’s estate, you’ll see his chemical laboratory and a botanical garden created pretty much for scientific study; however, the plants today are known mostly for how beautiful they are.
Along the way, in many of these places, you’ll find Florida contains a number of luxury hotels, designed to make your travels easier and offer you a comfortable place to rest in between all the less customary attractions.