Does your idea of "paradise" involve mermaids, treasure, dolphins friends, really strong and fruity rum-laced cocktails, and Hulk Hogan? If so, then welcome to Florida! The state's warm weather and sandy shores have made the state into one of the most popular vacation destinations. In fact, I'd venture to say that the touristy kitsch, originally meant to lure in those from out of town, is pretty much the defining culture of the state. The tourist attractions, which feel reminiscent of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, have become the "real" Florida. There really is no lack of offbeat and quirky kitsch to amuse during a trip to the Sunshine State. Here's a guide to our favorite quirky and offbeat tourist attractions that bring the retro fun in Florida!
Gatorland bills itself as the "real" Florida, an alternative to Disney, by embracing the state's scariest but most fascinating residents: alligators. I highly doubt that your trip to Disney would give you the chance to wrestle a real, live gator or to incite a feeding frenzy with a few hot dogs-- the night tour is especially chilling; imagine just seeing hundreds of glowing eyes peering up at you from the swamp. You can watch as professionals handle and feed the toothy critters, and it's one of the few places that will let you get up close and personal with an alligator.
Once you've experienced rookie gator wrestling (which is a can't miss photo op) and the Gator Chow show where you can feed the creatures, then you might feel brave enough to take on the Screamin' Gator Zipline. You'll be seven stories up, above the trees, soaring over the park... which means that when you look down, you'll see lots and lots of gators looking back up at you-- be especially careful going over the alligator breeding marsh, home to 130 of the park's stars. Once you've worked up a sweat getting a little too close to the gators, you can grab a snack (they actually sell smoked gator) or cool off with a stroll through the swamp and take a dip in the Gator Gully Splash Park. All throughout the park, you'll find gator-themed kitsch and hilarity... especially at the entrance, which takes you into the jaws of a giant alligator.
Weeki Wachee Springs is the best place in Florida to see real, live mermaids. Ok, maybe they're only "technically" real, but they're mermaids nonetheless. A former US Navy man fixed up the deep, clear natural spring at Weeki Wachee, adding an 18-seat theater, and then trained pretty girls to perform underwater shows while breathing through hidden air tubes. By the 1950s, Weeki Wachee was a hot tourist destination, mostly for the mermaids, but an orchid garden, jungle cruise, and more were added. The heyday of Weeki Wachee was the 1960s, with elaborate shows and standing-room-only crowds. Of course, they still feature mermaid shows today, and hundreds of girls come from all over to go to mermaid camp and to audition to be a mermaid in the shows. Weeki Wachee was even incorporated as a town (the mayor is a former mermaid, of course), with a water park, Mermaid Villa gift shop, and more.
