Back in 2004 I was at Disney World for a week with the wife and 2 kids and, needing a break, I insisted on taking them to Weeki Wachee State Park for a day. It was old American cheesy and we enjoyed it quite a bit and it was a nice antidote to Disney World and Epcot Center.
As a kid growing up in Florida, you used to be able to swim in most fresh water rivers and ponds north of Lake Okeechobee. The reason, gators were considered nuisance wildlife, and like hogs were year round hunted. Then they became a protected species in the 70’s and exploded across the state over the next 30 years. Now I wouldn’t go into fresh water that’s not close to a spring head like blue springs. It’s a shame, because now we have lot’s of gators, and if they really cared about the ecology of Florida, the legislature and Governors would have restricted subdivisions, high rises and gated communities along the waterfront and allow more hunting of gators.
Off the shores of Weeki Wachee,
Of the shining River-Water,
Sat Fagerstrom, thieving boater,
Eating potato chips and drifting,
O’er the water drifting, floating,
To the purple clouds of sunset.
Fiercely the police approaching
Sped their way along the byroads,
Set the streets on fire behind them,
As policemen, when pursuing,
Burn the rubber of patrol cars;
And the moon, the Night-sun, eastward,
Suddenly shining on the river,
Followed fast those crumbs of potato chips,
Followed on the Weeki Wachee,
With her glare on Fagerstrom snacking.
Can't imagine why not...