Florida Mermaid Musings

I thought a blog about haunted places nearby would be apropos for Halloween. When I began researching I was blown away by the number of haunted places in Florida! Some of those I will revisit later but for now here are eight places within swimming distance for me. Enjoy! LAKESIDE INN - MOUNT DORA Several ghosts are known to reside in the charming Lakeside Inn, which was built in 1883 and is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Florida. Two of the inn’s ghosts are young girls from the 1890s to 1920s. One is about nine years of age who wears a frilly red dress. She is believed to be Amy, a little girl who disappeared from the inn in 1892. The other is a girl around 12 who wears a blue dress and is often seen in the dining room. She’s been known to move the chandeliers and chairs. Also seen at the inn are the apparitions of a man in a top hat and a gangster in a fedora. Locals say there is a hidden speakeasy from Prohibition days somewhere in the inn.   BEEF O’BRADY’S (...

There’s a house in the neighborhood with a sizable colony. A colony is a group of feral cats that live together and share a food source. In the case of the house in the neighborhood an elderly couple puts food out every day but that’s all they do. The result? Lots and lots of cats! Without medical care they contract and spread diseases so many kittens don’t survive past a few weeks. Without being spayed female cats spend their whole lifetime being pregnant and caring for litters. The kittens are barely on their own before Mom has more little ones. I was on a mission to save these damn cats. I purchased a humane trap and began trapping and TNR’ing ferals. (TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Return, their ears are tipped so you can easily tell who’s been fixed.) I fostered two litters of tiny kittens and found homes for them. One of the litters was found on the roof   of a house. (Getting them down was an adventure all by itself.) I spent my own money caring and feeding them and they in...

It ain’t your average wine bar. Maggie’s Attic has been serving as Florida’s living room since 2003. Tucked away in downtown Mount Dora in a cobblestone alleyway, tourists often stumble across Maggie’s by accident, and are pleasantly surprised to find a hideaway to take a break from shopping and enjoy a glass of wine, a cold beer, or just the great company. A family-run business, you will likely encounter the store manager Jerome or his sister Addie, and Mama Stephanie is there almost every afternoon to greet you and talk about the latest goings-on. Locals bring their leashed furry friends and Maggie’s is happy to give them a treat, a bowl of water, and some serious snuggles. I discovered Maggie’s almost a decade ago, and have felt like part of the Maggie’s family ever since. There are no strangers in Maggie’s; everyone is welcome.   (Even mermaids!) Tourists and locals easily mingle and trade tales of their travels and adventures. Several cozy seating areas among the towe...

This is my first in a series of "Favorite Places" posts because it is truly my happy place!  Essential Therapies Garden Spa in Mount Dora is housed in a charming converted cottage. They use a blend of essential oils in their therapies and the minute you walk in the door the scent immediately relaxes you. Leave your troubles at the door, deep, cleansing breaths and on to your spa services! Essential Therapies is a full-service spa and their menu offers massage services, facials, waxing, mani-pedis, and all kinds of pampering add-ons. All of the therapists are wonderful; my personal go-tos are Faith for a better-than-sex facial (not kidding), Lauren for a deep tissue massage that will melt away your tension (Lauren has encyclopedic knowledge of holistic remedies), and sweet little Kamryn for a spa pedicure. When booking a massage service (my favorite is the Raindrop Therapy) request to arrive early for a complimentary soak in the garden Jacuzzi. What I really love about Es...