This adventure began with a stop by The Floribbean, a great restaurant on St. Pete for a quick lunch before heading to the sunken garden.
Now, if you are in to Caribbean food, this is the place for you. Meghan and I have been to the villages in the Caribbean, we have eaten authentic cuisine, and this place definitely ranked up there with the food we ate while there. It had a cool vibe, everyone was friendly and helpful, plus it was exceptionally clean. Meghan and I found their prices to be very reasonable and they give you a ton of food. They have a large selection food menu, as well as a large drink menu. So if you find your self in St. Pete, go give this place a try...your tastebuds will be happy with you!
We left the restaurant and headed to the Sunken Gardens, paid our admission and was eager to explore St. Pete’s oldest living museum.
Fun Facts:
*In 1903 the Sunken Gardens were built down inside an ancient sinkhole.
*By the 1930’s they had become a very popular roadside attraction.
*At its deepest point, the gardens are 15 feet below the street level.
*This 100 plus-year-old garden is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region, more than 50,000 tropical plants, and flowers to be exact (that’s a lot of flowers and plants!!!)
Once inside and you take your first step onto the very well maintained path, you are instantly transported to a place of tranquility. The large canopy of trees made me pause and wonder if this is what it would be like to walk through the Amazon Rainforest; the water features and waterfalls encouraged my thoughts even more. My imagination was easily enticed.
While strolling through, you will be entertained by the many different species who call the gardens home - turtles, fish, exotic birds, such as Macaws, Laughing Kookaburras, and the ever lovely Chilean Flamingos-
Two flamingos, George and Lucy, who have been at the garden since 1956 once shared their home with 15 other feathered friends. Sadly they were the only two left from their flock. That was all too change on May 1, 2016 when the gardens welcomed 20 young Chilean Flamingos to join George and Lucy. All by the fundraising efforts of The Flamingos Forever Committee who raised the money to purchase the new flock and from their achievements a nonprofit organization, Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation, was formed to support special projects at the Gardens. (You can find their Facebook page in the links below.) These birds are elegant and beautiful to see and worth the visit...
It took us a little over an hour to meander through the gardens, we were both equally impressed and would most definitely come back.
I will leave you with these thoughts...as I walked through these amazing gardens, I was impressed by the fact that someone who had to be a forward thinker and visionary planted every single plant and built each of these structures knowing that for years to come, these plants would grow and create an environment that would draw people in to walk the same paths that for over 100 years have been walked by many others. Hoping I am sure, that with each new generation, someone would continue the dream, by caring and nurturing it along to the next phase before handing it off like a baton in a race, tucking it securely into the competent hand of the ones who will continue to carry it on and see it to the finish line. I hope it continues to thrive for a 100 plus more years.
If you visit the sunken garden, respect it, relish in the history, stay on the paths, refrain from climbing on the plants or structures, and as always, be respectful and kind to the animals.
Masks are required for admission
Admission:
Effective February 1, 2020
• Adults: $12
• Seniors (62+): $10
• Children (2-17): $6
• Individual Membership: $50
• Family Membership: $100
Parking:
Free
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To be continued...
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Seth & Meghan
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