Mellow Wanderer

Tag: Florida

Drifting Through Weeki Wachee: Florida’s Dreamlike Spring-Fed River

Mellow Wanderer
Steve Geiger is an EMMY‑winning former national television news producer turned globe-trotting storyteller and creator of Mellow Wanderer

For raw beauty and ultimate relaxation, nothing beats drifting across the crystal-clear waters of a Florida natural spring. Fortunately, one lies just an hour from my home along Florida’s West Coast.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park sits along the Nature Coast, home to the decades-old attraction of underwater mermaids —pure, unapologetic Florida kitsch.

Photo: FL Memory/State Library & Archives of Florida

Photo: FL Memory/State Library & Archives of Florida

“Weeki Wachee” translates to “little spring” or “winding river” in the language of the Seminoles, an Indigenous tribe of Florida. The river itself is born from a remarkable natural process: rainwater filters through underground limestone caverns in the Florida aquifer, then surges to the surface at a rate of nearly five million gallons per hour—instantly forming the river.

Once on the water, the current does most of the work. You glide effortlessly downstream from the headwaters, carried by the steady flow. The water is looking-glass clear, shimmering in shades of turquoise and blue.

Below you, turtles cruise, fish dart, and river grass sways gently with the current. Along the banks, birds call from the canopy of oaks while otters occasionally make a playful appearance. In winter and early spring, you might spot manatees—those gentle giants—gliding past or huddled beneath the banks, keeping warm in the constant 72–74 degree water.

For the best experience, rent a kayak directly inside the state park. Launch access is limited each hour to protect the river, so reservations are essential. Both single and tandem kayaks are available.

However you choose to explore it, the jungle-like scenery and serene flow of Weeki Wachee will invigorate your soul.

Team Mellow Wanderer

Press Play For A Video Tour

Bonus Video: How Weeki Wachee Mermaids Earn Their Fins (History)

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Melissa Samuels contributed photos for this article
An Old Florida Magical Experience Without The Tourist Crowds

Philippe Park is tucked along the shores of Old Tampa Bay — far from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s a favorite among locals seeking respite, quiet contemplation, and a peaceful place to exercise. You won’t often find it featured in Florida tour books or glossy travel guides. Best of all, admission is free — unlike parks in some Florida counties that charge visitors.

Towering canopy oaks shade the park’s winding trails, picnic areas, and scenic waterfront. Philippe Park is especially inviting in spring, when the weather is near perfect and the bay breezes feel invigorating.

Beyond the beauty lies a rich story of Native American heritage. Centuries ago, the Tocobaga people fished and farmed this land.

PHILIPPE PARK PHOTO

PHILIPPE PARK PHOTO

PHILIPPE PARK PHOTO

At the heart of the park rises a prehistoric temple mound where archaeologists believe the Tocobaga held ceremonies and tribal gatherings. Today, visitors climb to the top and take in panoramic views of Old Tampa Bay — the same waters that sustained a thriving civilization.

Spanish conquistadors encountered the Tocobaga while exploring this New World along the bay. Over time, as more explorers arrived, they brought infectious diseases to which the Tocobaga had no immunity.

PHILIPEE PARK PHOTO

The tribe eventually disappeared, leaving behind the mound as a silent witness to their history.

Philippe Park is both a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park honors early French settler Odet Philippe, who arrived in the early 1800s. He transformed this land into a citrus plantation and became the first to successfully cultivate grapefruit in Florida.

National Historic Landmarkl

Temple Mound Path

Some of the park’s most captivating views unfold along the waterfront trail, which begins near the public boat launch and winds toward the small beach area. Look closely and you’ll spot schools of fish in the shallows — and, if you’re lucky, a dolphin or two feeding just offshore.

Walking Path Video

On my most recent visit, the experience felt almost cinematic. A dolphin glided along the seawall, its familiar upturned mouth appearing to offer a friendly hello.

Simply exhilarating!

📌 Location

Philippe Park
2525 Philippe Parkway
Safety Harbor, Florida

Located along the shores of Old Tampa Bay, just minutes from downtown Safety Harbor.

🕒 HoursOpen daily: 7:00 a.m. to sunset. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
💰 Admission : Free entry. Boat ramp parking fee may apply.
🌿 Don’t Miss

The prehistoric Tocobaga Temple Mound (panoramic bay view). Waterfront walking trail. Shaded oak canopy picnic areas.

🧺 Bring

Water and sunscreen. Walking shoes. Fishing gear (with license). A picnic lunch. A camera for sunset
Wandering With Amazing Butterflies In Key West
They flutter and fly, sometimes with reckless abandon. Who knows where they’ll land—on your head, your shoulder, even your beard?

The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory is a joyful, immersive escape. I wandered through its indoor tropical oasis in the heart of Key West with a wide smile the entire time. Hundreds of butterflies drift freely around you—50 to 60 species from around the world—sharing a lush, climate-controlled glass habitat with vibrant tropical birds and other fascinating creatures.

The landscape inside is a living watercolor: orchids, palms, flowing water features, and warm tropical light.

Even better, you can witness the butterfly lifecycle in real time at the Conservatory’s live chrysalis exhibit—a magical window into nature’s transformation.

Key West is an ideal haven for butterfly lovers. Tropical South Florida hosts more than 160 breeding species, and another 200 species migrate through. The Keys nurture both resident tropical species and seasonal visitors.

The Conservatory helps guests understand the importance of protecting butterfly habitats. Some species, like the endangered Miami Blue, face steep challenges from habitat loss, storms, pesticide use, and invasive predators. Fortunately, scientific programs—including captive breeding and reintroduction efforts—are offering hope.

Butterflies do more than dazzle us with their colors and graceful flight. They pollinate plants, support food webs, and remind us that nature’s smallest wonders often leave the biggest impression.

So step inside, slow down, and let your imagination take flight.

Video Tour

🎫 If You Go
- General Admission: $17.50
- Local (Monroe County): $15.00
- Seniors 65+: $14.50
- Military: $14.50
- Children (4–12): $12.50
- Ages 3 & Under: Free
📍 1316 Duval Street, Key West, Florida
🕒 Open daily, typically 9am–5pm (check schedule for seasonal times)
Good Morning, Key West!

Key West, Fl

October is the perfect month to head to the southern most point in the United States: Key West. The sweltering summer heat and humidity is gone. Nothing but warm and breezy days and cool nights. Autumn is here in the Florida Keys!
Flesh‑Eating Bacteria On The Rise While Temperatures Soar: My Jersey Shore Memories Meet Current Heat Crisis

As a kid, I spent summers at the Jersey Shore playing on the beach and body surfing in the ocean. It was fun and healthy—except for the annual pain from sunburn. (Back then, skin cancer awareness wasn’t really a thing.)

I believed the ocean had healing powers because that’s what my parents told me. Any cut, scrape, or blister—and there were plenty—was exposed to saltwater. Our mother always preached, “Take off the Band-Aid and play in the ocean. It’ll heal faster.” I took that childhood wisdom and filed it in my adult first-aid kit.

Then came the wake-up call.

I moved to Florida’s Gulf Coast in 1984 to take a news reporting job at a local TV station. That first summer, a story broke about a man infected with what was called “a rare flesh-eating bacteria.” It sounded like something from a Hollywood horror movie. No one had ever heard of it.

Steve Geiger Photo/WTVT Reporter

CDC Photo Vibrio vulnificus Bacteria

CDC Screenshot Skin Infection

Another JAWS summer.

He had been swimming in the Gulf with an open wound. It became infected. Though antibiotics stopped the spread, doctors had to amputate a limb to save his life.

Fast forward to 2025.

What was once rare now feels alarmingly routine. So far this summer, Florida has reported 11 confirmed cases of Vibrio vulnificus—the scientific name for flesh-eating bacteria. Four people have died. And summer is only halfway over. Based on recent trends, things may get worse.

Florida saw a spike in 2024 after torrential rains from two hurricanes dumped stormwater runoff into the Gulf, turning it into a petri dish. When the Gulf hits 90 degrees—which is typical in peak summer—bacteria thrive. That year: 82 cases. 19 deaths. Death can come fast, often within 48 hours of infection.

This isn’t just a Florida problem.

Other Gulf Coast states are reporting infections—and fatalities. Some beaches now post signs warning of contaminated water. Beyond the Southeast, a brutal heatwave in 2023 led to 7 deaths in mid-Atlantic beach states from Vibrio infections.

And the Pacific Coast, with its colder water, isn’t immune. California and Washington recently issued health advisories warning of elevated Vibrio levels at local beaches during the July 4th weekend.

You don’t even have to swim.

Just walking or wading with an open wound can be enough for the bacteria to enter your body. We’re clearly in different times than when I was a kid. Back then, the ocean was carefree.

Now, it’s complicated. More people are in the water than ever before, thanks to booming beachfront development. Climate change is warming oceans and fueling more intense hurricanes, which dump contaminated stormwater into coastal waters.

Gee, I wish I were a kid again—when the ocean felt like a cure, not a risk.