Today Beth, NaNa and I took a little field trip. Our destination was Sarasota Jungle Gardens, which is located around 30 minutes from Anna Maria Island. Although it was just a short drive it was like turning the clock back. Florida has been a tourist destination since Ponce de Leon discovered the "Fountain of Youth" over near St. Augustine. The white sand beaches that make up most of the 1,350 miles of coastline have always been an attraction. We've also had, for as long as I've been roaming the planet, a number of "tourist attractions" throughout the state. When it comes to "tourist attractions", you can divide Florida's tourism history into two distinct time periods, PM (Pre-mouse) and AM (After Mouse). Having lived through a bit of both I can attest to the differences between the two.
The Florida tourist attractions back in the pre-mouse days were small (by todays theme park standards) and plentiful. As you made your way south through the Sunshine State there were attractions like Silver Springs and Six Gun Territory in Ocala. Weeki Wachee Springs (home of live mermaids!), Cypress Gardens (famous for it's water ski show), Lowry Park Zoo, Sunken Gardens, Bok Tower and Gatorland in Central Florida and the Seaquarium and Serpentarium in Miami just to name a few. Then the mouse arrived!
I remember stopping by the Disney Preview Center with my mom and dad sometime back in 1970 and getting a sneak peak at what was to come in the next few years. I was around 12 years old and couldn't wait until it opened. I think in my young skull I was thinking "there is no way I could ever visit some place as far away as California" (where Disney Land is located). Now Disney World is going to be just up the road, who needs California anyway? Once the Disney World theme park was announced I lost interest in all the attractions that I had previously enjoyed, as well as those that were on my "wish list" to visit. Soon I'd be zooming across the galaxy on Space Mountain, spinning in circles until I turned green on some oversized tea cups, riding on a flying elephant and more, all at the happiest place on earth...……..Walt Disney World!
Walt Disney World Preview Center
Miraculously some of the little guys of yesteryear have survived and I'm so glad they are still with us. Today's visit to Jungle Gardens made me realize just how special these little jewels from the past were, and still are today. It was a combination of stepping back in time and a trip down memory lane all for one low admission price.
Jungle Gardens opened in 1939. It sits on ten acres which at one time may have qualified as being in the "jungle" but which now sits in the middle of a neighborhood. There's a small sign at the entrance that could easily be missed if you weren't paying attention. Beth and I used to make occasional trips here when Ben was little and before Sarah arrived on the scene. It was an easy stop just off Highway 41 between where we lived in Port Charlotte and Beth's parents (NaNa and PaPa) house out on Anna Maria Island. At one point we were even season pass holders, which probably set us back fifteen or twenty bucks back in the day.
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
Ben is now thirty so it's fair to say that today's visit was our first in over a quarter of a century. I was pleased to see that not only had it survived but other than a fresh coat of paint, that it remained pretty much unchanged as best as I can remember.
Parking was free and plentiful. As a matter of fact, just for kicks I counted the cars in the parking lot as we were leaving. There was a grand total of nineteen. Given the number of "guests", I'm pretty sure that included staff cars as well. (A little explaining on the crowd size, and a "Visiting Florida Tip") The first two weeks of December are a great time to visit Florida. The weather is usually very pleasant and the crowds are small. I know todays crowd reflected the time of year and the fact that it was a Monday, otherwise they would have closed their doors years ago.
You enter the gardens through a small but well stocked gift shop. We got a kick out of seeing some cool looking small shells that have been glued together to look like animals. They were selling for a buck (they would probably sell at Disney World for around $15). If we had a house to put them in I'm sure we'd be the proud owners of some of them (just what every home needs). Once inside you can enjoy the wonders of a bird show, a reptile show, feed live alligators with a pair of what must be the worlds longest forceps, get close to numerous animals that are housed in decent sized habitats, walk through the Garden of Christ which tells the story of the bible from birth to resurrection in 8-10 small displays, and walk the path around and through a palm forest and much more. All this fun can be had for less than $20, but being big spenders we are now once again proud annual pass holders. The cost for an annual pass, about the same as the cost to park your car and buy a coke at Disney World.
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| Parrots can live up to 70 years in captivity. Even though we hadn't been here in over 25 years we may have seen some of these guys before. |
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| We were the only humans in the picnic area, but we were joined at the table by this guy |
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| Fluttering our way through...……... |
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| Bravely wrestling a concrete alligator |
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| Along the path...…...a nice stroll |
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| Real ones, not the ones you buy at Wal-Mart |
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| If I was an artist I'd title this picture "Reflecting on Flamingos" |
We easily got the price of admission worth of fun out of our visit and look forward to going back soon. Especially since we missed both the bird and reptile show. Even living life in the fast lane, you gotta pace yourself!
Disney, Universal, Sea World...……..they're great! But don't forget the classics!
Classic Florida Attractions You Can Still Visit
