TRAVELING THURSDAY….GROWING UP IN FLORIDA

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Patricia Pickens

I GREW UP IN FLORIDA…..IN THE TIME OF DISNEY WORLD, BUSCH GARDENS, TIKI GARDENS, SUNKEN SPRINGS, SILVER SPRINGS, CYPRESS GARDENS, SIX GUN TERRITORY AND THE AQUATARIUM. THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHERS I MAY NOT HAVE MENTIONED. IT WAS A GREAT TIME IN FLORIDA DURING THE 60’S AND 70’S.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER ANY OF THESE!!

AQUATARIUM, I THINK I HAVE THIS POSTCARD TOO!!

Unless you visited Florida during the 60’s and 70’s, some of the names of these places have no meaning whatsoever. However, if you were there, well, there were some pretty cool attractions. After Disney World came along in the early 70’s, many of these attractions could not sustain. If you visit the site I have linked here, www.lostparks.com, many of them are listed. In fact, the front page of that website, I have that very postcard. That is what I was doing part of the day today. I have a large box filled with old postcards. I was amazed how many were from my childhood.

I know , everyone who lived in Florida had a beach in their back yard….or at least that is the general feel when I used to tell friends, ” I grew up in Florida “. They would exclaim, ” Really ” ? This is a myth! We had to drive to the beach, even though it was a few short miles.I was actually six miles from the beach, Coquina beach ( Bradenton Beach ) , Anna Maria Island. Coquinas are those little creatures that swirl around in the sand when you dig a hole. They will bury themselves after you disrupted their, sleep, or whatever coquinas do down there. I guess it was pretty cool to be able to go to the beach whenever you wanted. We had miles of beautiful beaches, all built up now with condos. I remember when there were none.

Below are some postcards from my collection.

Silver Springs had the famous glass bottom boats. I remember going there when I was about 8 years old. Busch Gardens, Anheuser-Busch Pavillion and Sand Dollar card

Here are some of Bathing Beauties, Weeki Wachee mermaids, Cypress Garden Aquamaids and Silver Springs model. The booklets I have are still intact. Some from the 60’s.

The Skyway bridge is what connected you across the bay from Bradenton to St. Petersburg. I was in tenth grade when it was hit by a barge in a storm.

Skyway Bridge, Aquatarium and vintage card from 50’s.

The Skyway bridge once they built the second span, it has always been scary for me to drive across this bridge. Miami Beach before it was covered in buildings and the fabulous Don Cesar hotel on St Petersburg beach.