It's No Simple Life for Mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs

     Two years ago, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie brought their hit television show Simple Life to Weeki Wachee. Just as Hilton and Richie found that the road to being a mermaid isn't simple — it takes a year of training and a rigorous final test of holding your breath for two and a half minutes — Weeki Wachee is finding it just as difficult keeping the attraction afloat. Changes in ownership, disappearing shows and tumbling attendance have all taken their toll. If there was an endangered species list for attractions, the park could easily qualify.
     The bright spot in an otherwise dreary picture is Buccaneer Bay. The adjacent water park is now open for the 2006 season and it takes just one ticket for both parks! Purchase an annual Season Pass and also receive reciprocal free or discounted admittance at many other Florida attractions, plus discounts on food at the park.
     If you need a place to stay while you're in the area, the Best Western Weeki Wachee Resort is the best kept property I've seen in a long time. The rooms are a little small, but it is clean and has a very nicely landscaped courtyard and pool area.