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WheresCherie.COM Quote
"Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. " -- La Bruyere

Florida

374--Florida: Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show
@ CherieSpotting Nov 14 2006 - 08:30 PST

When I grow up I want to be a Weeki Wachee Mermaid!

cherie writes: "True, there are plenty of fish in the sea, but there are only a few mermaids. Follow them, they will guide your dreams."--Chris Clark

Weeki Wachee Springs is not just another splashy Florida roadside attraction. Weeki Wachee has been doing Mermaid Shows since 1947 so next year (2007) will be its 60th Anniversary. Thank you mermaids for helping us believe in the magic of fantasy! Over the past 6 decades you have swam into the hearts of millions!

The mermaids at Weeki Wachee come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common—they are all young at heart! One a month the “former mermaids” perform on a volunteer basis. These inspirational ladies believe that: “Once a mermaid, always a mermaid”.

Did you know that Weeki Wachee Springs is one of the smallest cities in the world—with a population of 9? And the mayor is a former mermaid!

The mermaids at Weeki Wachee sing:
“We’re not like other women, We don’t have to clean an oven,
And we never will grow old, We’ve got the world by the tail!”

Accept no imitations! Come to Weeki Wachee and let the famous fairies of the sea delight and entertain you.
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333--Florida: Key West, You Can't Stop Fantasy Fest
@ CherieSpotting Nov 07 2005 - 04:50 PST

After the population of Key West was devestated by floods caused by Hurricane Wilma, not even the police can stop the town from celebrating Fantasy Fest.

cherie writes: Wilma bathed the Florida Keys with hurricane-force winds, but the most devastating damage resulted from the storm surge. A 6-ft storm surge engulfed Key West from the Atlantic while another 6-ft storm surge hit from the Gulf. The storm surge swallowed bridges, closed roads, and left residents with no other option but to canoe down the street.

Key West’s biggest event of the year—Fantasy Fest—was postponed until December. But dedicated party-goers (like us) wanted to give Key West what they needed most in their time of crisis—tourist dollars. The spirit of the local Conchs couldn’t be swayed. Hundreds of costume-clad revelers flooded the city and celebrated their own “pre-Fantasy Fest”, parading down the debris-soaked streets dressed as geeks and freaks.
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332--Florida: Key West's Unauthorized Fantasy Fest
@ CherieSpotting Nov 02 2005 - 05:19 PST

Cherie and Lisa create an impromptu "Wilma" costume. Hurricane Wilma forced Key West to post-pone Fantast Fest 2005. The locals didn't heed the warnings and held their own "unauthorized" Fantasy Fest.

cherie writes: Greg, Lisa, Brian and I were determined to get to Fantasy Fest 2005. When Hurricane Wilma tore across Southern Florida and left 70 percent of Key West underwater, we didn’t give up our quest.

Some called us crazy. But we drove to the Florida Keys even when the news reports said the highway was closed. We continued driving even when we were told that Fantasy Fest was postponed. We heard the bridges were out…we continued to drive.

I don’t know what we were looking for. As J.R.R. Tolkien said, “Not all who wander are lost.” Here’s what we found in Key West—a highly “unauthorized” Fantasy Fest. Our friends Theo and Diane welcomed us into their Key West home. In honor of the courage of the local Conchs, Lisa and I dressed as “Wilma.”
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331--Florida: Hurricane Wilma
@ CherieSpotting Oct 31 2005 - 02:13 PST

Cherie's Florida vacation gone wrong. Cherie weathers Hurricane Wilma in Broward County, Florida.

cherie writes: My friends and I were planning to sail “Scirocco” to Key West to celebrate Fantasy Fest, but Hurricane Wilma changed our plans. I didn’t want to experience my first hurricane on a boat, so Brian, Greg and I weathered Wilma at a friend’s house in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Patrick and Patsy welcomed us into their Broward County home Sunday night. Monday morning the storm hit. Wilma haunted the house like an out-of-control ghost. The windows bulged in and out like they were breathing. Outside the wind shrieked like an insane witch. Palm trees danced like Rasta-guys on acid.

I watched in awe as trees rolled across the lake like tumbleweeds. Fences were battered into splinters. Porches were mangled. Screens were shredded, signs were blown out, and 60-ft trees snapped like match-sticks. Patrick boarded up the windows, but Wilma ripped the boards down as fast as he could drill them into the cement.
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291--Florida: The World's Longest Parade
@ CherieSpotting Apr 30 2005 - 07:13 PST

Cherie celebrating the independence of the Conch Republic. I bought that frog at a thirft store a few hours before the event.

cherie writes: It’s billed as the “World’s Longest Parade” and it happens once a year on Duval St. in Key West. Celebrating the independence of the Conch Republic, the town’s biggest kooks and funkiest weirdoes strutted their stuff from the shores of the Atlantic all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

The parade ended (and the party started) at the Schooner Wharf Bar (which was named one of the 10 best bars in the world by National Geographic.)

Greg and I went to a thrift-store to buy costumes for the parade. I bought a stuffed frog, stuck it on a hat, and I was ready to go. Greg slipped on Gumby pants and wore and equally silly self-made hat. (The safety-pins we bought to assemble the outfits cost more money than the entire costumes!)

Silly stuffed toys: $1 each
Hats: $1.50 each
Gumby pants: $2
Safety-pins: $6
Riding down Duval Street in the World’s Longest Parade: Priceless.
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290--Florida: The Conch Republic, One Human Family
@ CherieSpotting Apr 27 2005 - 12:49 PST

Cherie by a Wyland wall in the historic seaport district of Key West.

cherie writes: In Key West you can wear pastel slacks (even if you aren’t gay) and paint your house any shade of orange that you choose: peach, poppy or tangerine. The local waitresses wear fishing tackle as earrings and bring you wine in a plastic cup. The bar flies either have a bad leg, a missing tooth or a lazy eye and everyone eats their dinner out of a basket.

You find characters at the local pubs who know how to make bonefishing sound exciting. “An 8-lb bonefish ripped 200 yards off my reel and gave me a fight I’ll never forget,” and old coot said to me. Then he dropped into a whisper and I found myself wide-eyed and mesmerized by his fishing stories that were accompanied by tattered pictures—the proof was in his wallet. The old fishing guy may have been charming, but I know his last hook-up was with a fish.

Local bands play at almost every Key West bar and after a few beers you find yourself buying a CD and wondering why a song like, “Stockbroker Took My Girl” wasn’t ever a top 10 hit. But there’s something peaceful in the eyes of every Conch Republic resident, all the people that never belonged anywhere, finally found a place they could call home: Key West, or as locals call it—the Conch Republic.
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289--Florida: Drag Races in Key West 2005
@ CherieSpotting Apr 26 2005 - 09:47 PST

Cherie in Key West celebrating the independence of the Conch Republic, April 23, 1982. Drag Racing in the Conch Republic is not what you think!

cherie writes: Life in Key West is never a drag. And Drag Racing isn’t what you think. In honor of the Conch Republic’s Independence Day, Key West’s favorite Queens put on their sassy-pants and raced each other to raise money for Helpline. Thousands of spectators lined the streets to cheer the girls on in the 7th Annual Conch Republic Drag Race. Key West is the only place you can watch a man sprinting down the street in feathers and sequins for a good cause.

In all fairness, racers were handicapped according to the height of their heels (with a minimum requirement of 3-inches.) One gal was disqualified because she snuck on the course with sneakers. Other Queens crossed the finish line in their own shopping-carts…but it didn’t matter. Since the money raised went to charity, the judges were willing (and eager) to be bribed.

After the Drag Race and Drag Olympics, the girls got their make-up messy with Foam Wrestling. Nothing like a stage full of bubbles to bring girls together! Here are the photos.
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the older posts:

288--Florida: Key West or Key Weird
Apr 21 2005 - 12:26
287--Florida: Ft. Jefferson--16 million bricks
Apr 15 2005 - 03:20
286--Florida: Swiming with Giants in the Deep
Apr 14 2005 - 12:09
283--Florida: Miami Beach & the Conch Republic
Mar 24 2005 - 07:11
104--Florida: Sailing on Cloud Nine
Dec 16 2002 - 02:36
103--The Florida Keys
Dec 15 2002 - 06:53
102--Florida: Gator Wrestling
Dec 10 2002 - 06:16

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