Highway 41...Day 7...Beach Day Sabboth

After sleeping under this awesome neon sign at Conty's (Lit up like Christmas) Motel, where I had the deluxe room with my own patio entrance to the pool (complete with tadpole),I woke up and loaded the car under the daylight version of the awesome sign, planning to head across the Everglades to Deco Miami. I stopped at the Holiday Inn Express parking lot to use the wi-fi and that's when it hit me. ROAD WEARINESS. I knew me and the car needed to spend some time apart.I decided to have a shopping, beach day and spent the morning and early afternoon walking around Naples, thrifting, antiquing and trying to get over my grudge against this city. Then in the afternoon, I headed back to Barefoot Beach and laid in the sun, swam in the ocean (salty, yummy) and watched the sunset.










Rested and refreshed, I got back in the car and headed East across Alligator Alley and The Everglades. I knew I would probably not be on this road again, so I took a swing down to Chokoloskee Island, the orginal stomping and fishing waters of the Indiana Farmers.
It was dark and I knew the Anglers Motel was gone, but the old fishing shop is still there with a few of the motel rooms attached. I'm sure I heard the spin of fishing reels, ladies giggles, fish frying and cards slapping on the table as the ocean breeze ran thru my ocean salty hair.

Got into Miami around midnight and hit the end of 41...even tho I knew I would pick it up to go across to South Beach the next day. My mouth started watering as soon as I got to the first stoplight west of Miami as the signs of DECO began to emerge. Old Deco, New Deco, abanoned deco, residential deco, industrial deco even Target Deco. Curves everywhere and my heart rising to say Hallelujah, just like some people do when they see the Grand Canyon! A short drive down the A-1 got me some nice shots of googie motels that have seen their better days, but are fantastic even if the activity in them is quite Miami Vice-ish.And The Seven Seas...Home for the night (or by the hour for some customers).

Flashback Friday

My all-time favorite Florida memory.

Highway 41...Day 6...A Sentimental journey

Even tho it took most of the day to wind my way down to Estero and Bonita Beach...I finally made it to where Mom and Dad spent their winters. It's the first time I've been here without either of them...and sunset found me at their favorite beach and quite sentimental and meloncholy in a beautiful sort of way (the same effect sunsets have on me).

I miss them.

Favorite sites of the day:
Outside my door at the Sundial Motel, I see a permanet resident that looks like a long lost relative. At check out, I chat it up with the owner and borrow a vintage post card of the place and create a page of the the upcoming "then and now" book:
The Sundial Motel (formerly The Holiday) then and now.

And more fabulous roadside art:












The pavement that I dropped the camera on...fortunatly it seems to be unharmed.






In Fort Meyers I see one of the kitschiest motels yet. Complete with every lawn ornament and symbol known to vintage Florida.
People, I'm telling you....God is in the kitsch.

This fabulous landmark, lets me know I'm in Estero and tells me it's almost time to turn right. Believe me, it's the only thing that looks familiar as Estero has turned into one continuous strip mall. : (
Mariner's Cove
10 m.p.h. ~ Bingo at the hall. ~ 7:30 am coffee clutch ~ Tackle boxes and fishermen ~ Three wheeled bikes ~ Evening card games ~ Boat docks ~ Orange blossom scent in the air ~ Lazy days ~ Shuffle board courts.

Mom and Dad's old stomping grounds.

I see them on every corner. I recognize everything, but recognize no one. I stop to see Faith, but she must be out and about. I take a drive by shot of their old trailer, but later realize I think I'm one lot off.

I take one last spin around and drive out...off to drown my sentimentalness in the ocean.

Directions to here:

"Remember everything, she said, when only memory remains." (Adam Duritz ~ Counting Crows)

highway 41...Day 5...Sarasota at Sunset

Mission accomplished at Weekie Wachee, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed south on 41.

It was all twizzlers, chips, cokes, Americana playlist on the ipod and shots of motel signs until the sun set in Sarasota and I stopped at the Sundial Motel, my home for the night.

For those of you who know how I chose my mechanic in Indy, (Mr. Bendo), here's where I'd go in Florida.




The Doors...

I'm really liking this new series.







Think "break on thru to the other side" by, of course, The Doors, as the soundtrack.




The farther south, the more mobile home parks I see, and I feel the first pang of missing those two snowbirds.







Decisions, Decisions...too much neon and googie 50's architecture to choose from.
I end up at the Sundial Motel...and am treated to ice from the owners personal fridge, vintage bathroom tile and high speed wireless internet...that was unadvertised, but greatly appreciated.









Goodnite, Sarasota.

highway 41...Day 5...bobble and the mermaids!

Here it is Folks!


It's survived the condo-ization of Florida.
It's 70 years old.
It pre-dates Mickey
It's Florida Kitsch at it's best.
It's the Mermaid show at Weekie Wachee.










If I remember my mom's story I think the last time I was at Weekie Wachee...was 1964 before I was born, as in the womb. Or maybe I made that story up? I'm not sure, but my siblings had seen the show and it's taken me 42 years, but I finally took it in...and yes, it was all I thought it would be !I'll tell you, these girls are "in shape" as Tim in Orlando told me...and not only are they in shape, but they are really talented and great athletes. And the smallness of the place is charming and it has Mom and Pop style integrity. For example, the performers (mermaids) not only give the performance, but also clean the theatre after the show. And I'm not making this up, I have video to prove it, the mermaids are "proud to be americans" and they prove it by flying the stars and stripes...need I remind you they perform underwater? You get the picture?

Yes, Weekie Wachee may be a small park and it may be struggling to survive in the shadow the new Florida, but it is ALL heart and I loved it.










A retired mermaid serves up popcorn and Mermaid Carlie serves up Florida traditional Kitsch. Ex-mermaids still come back for special shows and reunions of the "Soroity of Sirens."





Bobble and the iguana at the animal show. Mermaid Kerri on dry land.


















How Mermaids move on dry land.


Me and Mermaid Nikki.

Directions to here:

Weekie Wachee is Roadside Americana at its best.
But like many other Roadside Attractions, they are in trouble. Money is not covering their expenses and repairs needed on the underground springs and theater. This will be a big year for them as their fate will be decided at the end of the year. For more history and information on the "save our tails" campaign go here: http://mermaid.weekiwachee.com/