Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Florida

When I first heard about Weeki Wachee Springs State Park I knew right away we had to visit.

Sierra has loved Mermaid since she was very little so visiting here was a must.

Posing with a mermaid statue. Sierra was quite
concerned that she wasn't wearing a top.

We arrived just before 11:00 so we hurried into the underwater theatre for their first Mermaid show. There are three shows daily. The 11:00 and 3:00 are the same and the 1:30 is called Fish Tales which we missed.

While everyone was getting seated there is a TV screen to watch the mermaids sing.

When the curtains open it looks as if you are looking into an aquarium. It however is the head water for the springs.

Our 11:00 show was called The Little Mermaid but it was slightly different then the Disney version. Sierra was quick to point out the fact that Ariel had different coloured hair and tail. The show was very good despite this fact and we all enjoyed it a lot. Here are some pictures of the mermaids.

After the show the girls got their picture with a mermaid.

 Next we headed to Discovery Point to see the reptile show.

Family selfie while waiting for the show

We saw a Florida King Snake, a Gopher Tortoise, and I think a red belly cooter.

The girls also got to pet the alligators tail which was pretty cool.

Then we headed to the playground to burn off some steam.

Now everyone was hungry so we headed to the Galley for lunch.

Sierra loved the mermaid lanterns around the restaurant.

After lunch we decided to take the boat tour and on our way there we met many peacocks including an albino one.

We arrived at the Wilderness Cruise Entrance with about 20 minutes to spare so Sierra read about the mermaid legend of Weeki Wachee and they climbed on some rocks while we waited.

Then it was our turn for the boat tour. This tour was included with the price of admission and was a fun 20-25 minute ride on the spring. We didn't see as much wildlife as we saw at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs park HERE, but it was still a fun little trip.

Boat tour selfie

An Anhinga

 I did manage to get a great picture of this Great Blue Heron. The resident alligator was hiding and there were no manatee and only a few birds. There were lots of fish in the water.

And lots of water snakes were seen.

Here another boat awaits a busier day. You can see Buckaneer Bay in the back ground.

Buckaneer Bay is a water park that is included with your price of admission to the park. If it was warmer it would have been a great deal at $13 an adult, $8 for children and 5 and under were free. However with the water park not usable due to the temperatures; which takes up about half the park, we really felt that it was an expensive outing at $42. The park is quite small and without the water park we were finished in less then 3 hours.

That being said we would have no problem paying $42 to come and have use of the water park as well.

You are not permitted to wear any mermaid tails in the lagoon which was disappointing news to Sierra but not so disappointing that she doesn't want to return some day.

In the lagoon area there are many turtles and fish swimming. I'm not sure what Sierra was more excited about...the water park or swimming with the turtles.

Overall we had a fun day. The mermaid show was very good and I highly recommend it. We also enjoyed the rest of the park but we personally would not come back again while the weather is cold unless they were to offer a winter discount. We do look forward to a day in the future where we can return to this park on a warm day and try out the water park.

On our way out we saw this water snake up close. I was happy to be standing up above him on a bridge and out of his reach!

We arrived in Crystal River...

As we were leaving Tallahassee the alternator went in the truck so by the time it was fixed (and we paid the $1100.00 to fix it!) we were on the road late. We made it to Rock Crusher Canyon in Crystal River after dark but were happy to be at a new park. Here we are all set up this morning.

We have stayed at this park before (see my past review HERE) and we really enjoyed staying here. This time we are in a way different area then before and we had no idea this park was as big as it is. This site is a bit smaller then the one we had when we were here last time but still spacious enough, lots of natural trees and for the same cost as our last RV park we stayed in. We think this place is amazing!

Tallahassee RV Park REVIEW

While visiting our friends in Tallahassee we stayed at Tallahasse RV Park at 6504 Mayhan Dr. It is a quick pop off of the 10.

Value 2.5/5
 It's $46 a night currently to stay here but we have Good Sam's which brought the cost down to $41. The park is very clean but for the money to stay here we did not feel like we got our values worth.

Site Quality 4/5
Our site was level, full hook ups, and picnic table provided. Sites were long enough for big rigs but very narrow with little space for your chairs even. We felt like sardines when we had neighbours beside us.

Facility Fun 1/5
There was a small pool here but that is about it. The girls could not ride their battery operated kids Jeep around the park. No playground here either, but they were allowed to ride their bikes. Not really a family friendly park. Camp fires not permitted.

Natural Surroundings 3/5
Beautiful trees in the front, and trees throughout the park. Large field area for pets. Lots too close together though.

Bathrooms 4/5
The bathrooms were a bit older but they were kept very clean. Two shower/toilet rooms for the park. Both had a much appreciated heater to warm up the room.

Staff 4/5
The staff were very helpful when we had to replace our alternator the morning we were supposed to leave. They called the next people coming in to find out their expected arrival time and make sure our late departure wouldn't affect them. We didn't have much other contact with them.

Location 5/5
This was a great location. Each access to 10 for those of you just passing by for the night (and there were many one night stop overs at this park). Neighbours were continually changing. We picked this park based on location. It was less than minutes from our friends house so it was perfect for us. It is also within walking distance to a grocery store, 10 minutes to Walmart, Costco, nature trails and Parks. Also about 20 minutes from down town Tallahassee.

Overall 3/5
I am sure if we did not have young children this place would have been great. However with young kids it wasn't very family friendly as it basically only provided the pool. It was open but unheated so very cold. Without a playground, being able to ride their Jeep around would have been appreciated but they have a park rule that you must be 16 to ride even a motorized kids scooter. Washers and dryers available in laundry room for $1 and $1.50. Clubhouse for watching TV with friends, or sitting and using your laptops, and chatting with neighbours. Wifi is free within the park however your ability to connect can be very limited. This was quite frustrating to the girls as we do not have data plans while in the US.

Our site 43. You can see one RV on the right.
When one was on left it came basically up to our table. Very tight.

A view of the spaces across from us

Looking towards our camp site from up the road, near the wash rooms

Wash rooms. Laundry and clubhouse, seen in the background

One of the wash rooms

Pool area. No change rooms or showers here.

Pet area in the field