Captain Fitzroy of the HMS Beagle had been in communication with an old school friend, Dr. Martina Feierabend, to the effect that she and her mother Inge would be staying for a week in central Florida near the Weeki Wachee River. Dr. Feierabend has a vacation home there and the Captain proposed to the Sailing Master that they should make sail in the Captain’s yacht to Weeki Wachee. Mr Darwin is always keen for such adventures and so the crew set off for the 6 hour journey north.
The Weeki Wachee River is on the west side of Florida and so the crew of the Beagle crossed over to the west coast on Alligator Alley and sailed up the gulf coast, crossed Tampa Bay and on to Weeki Wachee. With only a short stop or two, they made landfall by about 4:00 pm. Upon arrival, the crew were greeted handsomely with appetizers and champaign, after which the entire company repaired to Hernando Beach and a restaurant called R-Bay where they dined al-fresco as the sun set.
The next morning, warm and sunny, the crew was treated to a lovely breakfast by Tina and Inge, followed by a walk through the nearby park, which featured both sports facilities and natural features. A beautiful wetland, with all its attendant wildlife (of which Mr. Darwin took careful note) is a central feature of the park.
By late morning, the crew took leave of their dear friends, boarded the the Captain’s yacht and sailed off to return to the Beagle. It was a lovely visit and the crew thanked the Feierabends for their generosity and good company.
– but no mermaids?
Hi Kent and family, I loved Weeki Wachee (Silver Springs) as a kid. Never forget the spring of live mermaids…did you happen to run into any?
K
Hi Karla, We did see a few mermaid statues around Weeki Wachee. However, we didn’t get to the Springs on such a short trip to see the live ones. Hope you enjoy the blog.