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Boston Globe

Weird and wonderful Sunshine State hot spots

Devil's Millhopper — That sinking feeling The deepest point in Florida is a water-filled sinkhole called 'the Mystery Sink,' about 150 feet around and an estimated 500 feet deep. It sits at the north end of Orange County, close to Interstate 4, and is off-limits to tourists. But for the sinkhole-curious, there's Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park ( Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Researchers have discovered sharks' teeth, marine animals, and fossilized remains of extinct land animals here. Current wildlife includes the fox sparrow, gray treefrog, and golden-banded skipper — residents of an 'incredible ecosystem rarely found elsewhere in the world,' according to the park's website. Advertisement They've added lots of features since Gatorland opened as a roadside attraction in 1949, but it's all about the alligators. They're the true stars here. It's Florida-funky, and a whole lot of fun. Gatorland Gatorland — The OG O-town attraction As Orlando's theme parks become increasingly high-tech and glossy, there's something reassuringly timeless about Gatorland ( Opened in 1949 as a roadside attraction, Gatorland became famous for shows like the Gator Jumparoo, in which the animals lunge for lunch (snatch their snacks?) — pieces of raw chicken suspended above the water. That, friends, is solid gold entertainment. Advertisement Over the years, they've added a free-flight aviary, a petting zoo, animal shows, the Screamin' Gator Zip Line and the Stompin' Gator Off-Road Adventure (very Florida, very fun). Props to this place for surviving the onslaught of Disney and Universal, and for keeping this old-school attraction going (and charging $35 per person, instead of $100+ bucks, the price of a single-day ticket at one of the biggie parks). Come for the mermaid show, stay for a swim, a riverboat cruise, or a paddle in the Weeki Wachee River. And if you want to be Ariel for a Day, sign up for mermaid camp. Florida's Adventure Coast Visitors Bureau Weeki Wachee Springs State Park — See a mermaid, be a mermaid Mermaids! Florida's got 'em. (And we're not talking about West Indian manatees mistaken for mermaids by homesick sailors, although Florida's got manatees too.) Since 1947, generations of Mermaids of Weeki Wachee ($13; Cool as the mermaids are, the water they splish-splash around in is remarkable, too. The aquamarine springs of the Weeki Wachee River are a portal to the deepest-known freshwater cave system in the country, with new passages discovered by divers in 2007. Visitors can swim in Buccaneer Bay, take a river boat cruise, or paddle the Weeki Wachee River down the spring run. Not to mention, there's Sirens of the Deep mermaid camp, and a junior mermaid camp for kids ( You might say Linger Lodge has got game — the decor here is taxidermy. You'll also find alligator on the menu. Someone at the table should order their Deluxe Bloody Mary — it may or may not include frog legs. Linger Lodge Linger Lodge — Where you bite the gator This may be the most 'Florida' place in all of Florida. Set on the northern bank of the Braden River near Bradenton, Linger Lodge ( Advertisement Some of these critters — fresh, not road kill — also appear on the menu. Think frog legs, alligator bites, and alligator chowder. Alligator is also served as an entrée; the locally caught wild meat is marinated in buttermilk and spices and served deep-fried, grilled, or blackened. The menu also features more typical Florida fare like grouper and fried green tomatoes. Their Deluxe Bloody Mary is an eye-popping concoction garnished with crab, shrimp, and frog legs, or whatever else the chef fancies. In a landscape of franchised restaurants, this one-off is worth seeking out. 'It's a slice of Old Florida, tucked away from the hustle and bustle,' says Lori Kizer of Old Town, Fla. 'And the food is tasty. It's a true escape.' Forget the Psychic Fair at Salem's Haunted Happenings — in Cassadaga, Fla., you can consult with a psychic any time. People travel from around the world to meet with this community of spiritual mediums and healers. And the fairy trail in Horseshoe Park (shown here) is really cute. Handout Cassadaga — They knew you were coming File this one under 'unique,' not weird; we don't want to disparage anyone's beliefs. Welcome to Cassadaga, the 'Psychic Capital of the World.' Dotted with charming Victorian-era buildings, Cassadaga is home to the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association ( Advertisement Delve into the mysterious realm of Cassadaga on a historic tour. Or take an after-dark tour — it's like a ghost tour, if you've ever done that — to encounter manifesting spirits. For sheer cuteness, don't miss the Cassadaga Fairy Trail in Horseshoe Park. Possum Festival — For a marsupial moment The town of Wausau in the Florida Panhandle (population: about 400) is the self-proclaimed 'Possum Capital of the World,' with more possums than people, they say. We're talking opossums (possum is the colloquial term), not the possums found in Australia. The town is home a 12-foot monument honoring the possum, an important food source in this rural area during the Great Depression. Unveiled in 1982, the monument stands along Highway 77. The folks of Wausau celebrate this furry marsupial every year, for 55 years and counting, with the Possum Festival ( We're out of space, but there's more — so, so much more! And if you encounter something delightfully, unabashedly odd on your next trip to the Sunshine State, we'd love to hear about it. Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at