Latest news with #Yoda-like
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Skip Florida's rollercoasters & instead opt for swim with gentle giant manatees or kayak along west coast Crystal River
Crystal River has recently been recognised as the manatee capital of the world A CRYSTAL BALL Skip Florida's rollercoasters & instead opt for swim with gentle giant manatees or kayak along west coast Crystal River IRISH tourists' love affair with Florida is a long-running romance which shows no sign of abating. It is, of course, our grá for the gargantuan theme parks that draw so many of us there - but there is so much more to the Sunshine State if you're willing to travel a little further, and dig a little deeper. 5 Karl enjoyed a trip to the Crystal River in Florida Credit: Not , clear with picture desk 5 The area is home to the West Indian manatee Credit: ©CGrant13/ 5 The Old Courthouse had him thinking of Doc and Marty Our small group had the chance to visit Crystal River in Citrus County, which is tucked away along with the towns of Inverness, Homosassa and Floral City on Florida's west coast and straddling the Gulf of Mexico – and it is a total joy to visit. One of the main reasons this area — often called 'Florida's Soul', about an hour's drive from Tampa — is hugely popular with both US and international tourists is because it's the home of the West Indian manatee. And yes, you get to swim with them. These gentle giants are slow-moving herbivores that while away their days munching on the sea grasses so abundant in the shallow, crystal-clear springs in the area. These cuties can reach 3.5 metres in length, sport unique paddle-shaped tails, and have many nicknames — we'll start with Sea Cows for now. There is no doubt they are the undisputed rock star attraction of the area. So much so, in fact, that Crystal River has recently been recognised as the manatee capital of the world. Swimming with these 'Chubby Mermaids' (nickname No.2) is a true bucket-list experience, so we donned our wetsuits, boarded our boat with Salty Siren Tours and entered the shallow water to carefully attempt to find them. Before we knew it, there she was — a huge, grey, plump mass floating gracefully and serenely below me, nudging off my belly as she sauntered about the river bed below, seemingly unconcerned with my presence. My first encounter with a 'Floaty Potato' (the nicknames are endless, I assure you) took my breath away, but as she was joined by more, including what appeared to be her young calf, I almost reached a state of Zen — staying as still and passive as possible and just enjoying the languor of being in their Yoda-like presence. You can learn endless titbits of information about this curious creature and all the other species that call these springs home, and how the ecosystem of the entire area was revived in the National Wildlife Refuge close by. 'FULL ON SUMMER VIBES' Crystal River has full-on summer vibes oozing from its pores, and although off the beach, sand-lovers can still enjoy that experience at Hunter Springs Park — where the man-made white sandy beach on the edge of the spring attracts locals in spades. You can even spy the manatees while dipping your toes or relaxing on your sun bed there. Also highly recommended is kayaking or paddleboarding around Kings Bay, a 600-acre natural wonder which boasts over 70 crystal clear springs. With the fun-loving and knowledgeable Scotty and Lena of Water's Edge Adventures as our guides, we opted for a leisurely paddle around Three Sisters Springs — hopping out of the kayak for a refreshing dip at the halfway stage of our saunter. Apart from being where the manatees like to hang out, the towns around Crystal River are also draped in stunning, colourful murals at various spots, and the architecture is classic small-town USA. The bars, restaurants and colourful little stores in the area's towns evoke the Hollywood-tinted image of what I imagined these hamlets always looked like in small-town America. No more so than in Inverness, and the Old Courthouse had me thinking of Doc and Marty scorching a trail along the main street in a DeLorean in Back To The Future. EXCITED INNER CHILD While in Inverness, you can hire a bike from the super-helpful Trek Bikes and cycle the 47-mile Withlacoochee State Trail — named as one of the most beautiful greenways in Florida — or perhaps do the shortened version (that I did) which still takes in the Depot District and the downtown area as you glide along the purpose-built trail. The flat ride was both energetic and relaxing, eye-catching and good for body and soul. No trip to Florida would be complete without a ride on an airboat — a mode of transport synonymous with the area for as long as I can remember. Variously called a fan boat, plane boat, swamp boat and bayou boat — these things are seriously fast and nimble (as well as incredibly noisy, but fear not — ear protectors are provided). I was again in touch with my excited inner child as we boarded our vessel with Ozello Boats and blazed along the mangrove islands and shallow flats of the Gulf of Mexico, keeping a sharp eye out for the dolphins, juvenile sea turtles and variety of exotic birds and fish that call the Gulf home. A full-on thrill-ride, no doubt. Something that would surely delight the small ones is a jaunt around Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park — one of Florida's most visited state parks. Showcasing a huge variety of the local fauna, the 'animal ambassadors' here were all rescued somewhere in the state after being orphaned or injured, and it gives you and up-close look at American eagles, Florida panthers, bobcats, whooping cranes, alligators and, yes, manatees, among a host of others. TOP QUALITY HOOCH Afterwards, why not repair for a tincture to the neighbouring Homosassa Distillery, where you can sample the exquisite spirits made on site in their unique cocktail lounge. To say the owner is passionate about his work is putting it mildly, and I doff my cap to any man this enthusiastic about his endeavours — especially when it comes to making top-quality hooch. Our base for our stay was The Paddletail Lodge, named after the manatees which you can often spot floating by from the hotel's waterfront Tiki Bar & Grill, which ticks all the boxes for a relaxing stay in this unique location. As for food — well, you know America isn't going to leave you wanting. Excellent breakfast choices in Crystal River are The Breakfast Station (make sure you're hungry!) or the boutique Amy's on the Avenue, while lunch overlooking the marina in Bayside Kraft Kitchen is hard to beat. Another option is Seafood Seller & Cafe — there's a good reason why this place is always busy. The cool vibes of KC Wine & Bistro and the views of Kings Bay at Waterfront Social should definitely be on your shortlist for dinner here. BANG FOR YOUR BUCK In Inverness, java lovers should head to Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters in the morning and try Twysted Vyne for lunch or dinner, where you might even get to hear the next big thing playing tunes in this Florida favourite. Crump's Landing on the water's edge in Homosassa provides another excellent choice for dinner — and the sunsets are spectacular. But an absolute must-visit for lunch is Wild Sassa — you'll enjoy some of the finest seafood tacos imaginable and a spectacular wild shrimp quesadilla at this famous and colourful food shack, and get plenty of bang for your buck, too. But it's all about those manatees here, so next time you visit Florida maybe skip the rollercoasters and spend time with these roly-poly cuties instead. And when you get to swim with a Sea Potato, tell them I said 'hi'. Their closest relation is the elephant, so there's a good chance they might remember me. 5 No trip to Florida would be complete without a ride on an airboat Credit: FACTBOX GO: Crystal River, Florida FLY: Several airlines, including Aer Lingus, fly to Tampa from Dublin. DO: Swim with the manatees with Salty Sirens Tours, Hire a kayak with Race through the mangroves on an air boat with EAT: There are so many great places to eat, but some highlights are Wild Sassa ( Crump's Landing ( and Bayside Kraft Kitchen ( STAY: The Paddletail Lodge ( For more, visit
The Guardian
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Maiden Voyage review – women's round-the-world sailing musical runs aground
This intrepid tale of a sailing team atop the high seas spumes with good intentions. It is an against-the-odds story of the first all-female crew to attempt an ocean race – the Round the World Whitbread race of 1989-1990 – even as a sexist press scoffs at them. Skipper, Tracy (based on Tracy Edwards, played by Chelsea Halfpenny), leads the eight-strong team, singing all the while. The production's sails are raised in an opening scene featuring a projection of waves (good work by video designer Jack Baxter), the set itself the boat's helm. But the endeavour quickly runs aground. The problems are multifold: the songs composed by Carmel Dean contain plenty of harmonising but they are hollering in volume, blandly hymnal, often unmelodious bar the odd, tuneful number such as Approaching Australia. Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein are strained and expositional, as is her book. Characters speak in unconvincing ways. 'I really need a scoop,' a journalist tells the team as he interviews them. 'We've been at this for six months and no one wants to back a female team,' Tracy tells her friend, Jo (Naomi Alade), as if she doesn't know this fact. The songs repeatedly, needlessly, remind us that these are women at sea. Alade is a strong singer but some others wobble. Under the direction of Tara Overfield Wilkinson, the action on the yacht feels beached, from interpersonal tensions, too briefly brushed across, to the drama of the competition. At the team's most treacherous flashpoints in the water, the ensemble do little more than sway or pull at rigging. It's way too tame, you never feel the danger. Characters remain frustratingly unknown and actors appear wooden, perhaps as a result. The team is differentiated by little more than their accents and nationalities (nine in total, we are told). Even Tracy seems barely coloured in, with Halfpenny wearing a one-size-fits-all look of concern through the show. Her friendship with King Hussein of Jordan (Shahaf Ifhar) and his patronage is under-explained too. He bestows a Yoda-like wisdom but what does he know about competitive yachting? There is reductiveness in his portrayal: thickly accented, he speaks of 'my people' and compares Tracy's endeavour to Bedouin life. Meanwhile, the cartoonishly drawn all-male press who brand the team as 'tarts' and 'cows', sound like they have had elocution lessons from the Artful Dodger – and borrowed some of his wardrobe too. The cast changes into swimming costumes to celebrate the team's triumphant moment in the contest. It is based in fact but rather than emanating empowerment, it is discomforting, with sexist newspaper headlines projected behind them. All of it is off-kilter, over-simplified, and rather too premature a production to stage. At Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London, until 23 August
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Spaceballs' returns for a sequel with Mel Brooks, 98, as Yogurt. Will Barf make a cameo?
'Spaceballs' returns for a sequel with Mel Brooks, 98, as Yogurt. Will Barf make a cameo? Brooks wrote, directed and played two roles in 1987 'Star Wars' spoof 'Spaceballs' with John Candy as Barf The Schwartz is still strong in comedy legend Mel Brooks − and now, returning with even greater power. Amazon MGM Studios announced that Brooks, 98, will reprise his role as the Yoda-like Yogurt in a new "Spaceballs" movie. The sequel to the 1987 cult classic "Star Wars" parody will be released in theaters in 2027, according to a June 12 release. Josh Greenbaum will direct the film from a script by a top team that includes "Frozen" star Josh Gad (also a producer), Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Plot details and more casting news are being kept under wraps. According to the release, the film has been described (by those who have not yet read the script) as "A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film." Confused? The ONLY important thing is that "Spaceballs" is back and Brooks will play Yogurt, the keeper of the power known as The Schwartz (which is definitely not The Force). Yogurt predicted this reunion on-screen 38 years ago in the comedy that critics panned, but which lives on like a joke-telling Force Ghost. "God willing, we'll all meet again in 'Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money,'" Yogurt said at the time. It was foretold! In a video with the announcement, Brooks, looking spry in a "Spaceballs" sweatshirt, said, "After 40 years, we asked, 'What do the fans want?' But instead we're making this movie." He ended the video with a universe-resonating, "May the Schwartz be with you!" Comedy Renaissance man Brooks directed, wrote and played two roles in the original "Spaceballs" — Yogurt and President Skroob. Rick Moranis starred as the Darth Vader-wannabe Dark Helmet, Bill Pullman was the Han Solo-esque Lone Starr, and Daphne Zuniga was the Princess Vespa. "Spaceballs" also featured the legendary late John Candy as Barf: a half-man, half-dog sidekick. Will Barf return somehow? We can only wait and see. Deadline followed the Amazon newsblast by reporting that Pullman and Moranis would both return for the sequel. Is the 'Spaceballs' sequel a good idea? When will it blast off? Clearly, Amazon MGM has high hopes, setting the movie up for a 2027 release. It will be a much-awaited appearance of a comedic giant as Brooks has talked for years about a new "Spaceballs." We'll just call it before filming even starts: What this crazy world needs now is Mel Brooks and "Spaceballs 2."
New York Times
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Brewing Tea in a Cozy Game Can Be Tiring
Wanderstop, a chill but cheeky experience with characters who exude dry humor, appears to be about harvesting and making tea. But it is also full of musings about fatigue and burnout. In other words, is the daily grind worth the harm it can do to the psyche? Cozy games like Animal Crossing, Nintendo's funny animal series, became extra popular during the stress of the coronavirus pandemic, and the new studio Ivy Road is trying to change the nature of the genre. In Wanderstop, you're not just tending your garden in a Voltaire sense. You're trying to understand, relate to and fix a character who is on the verge of a breakdown — or has already had one. It's a cautionary tale for those who toil too much and too hard. Alta, a female warrior, has lost her mojo by laboring too strenuously to make it to the top. Exhausted, she faints in the forest. She can no longer even lift her huge sword to fight. To clear her mind, Alta begins managing a far-flung tea cafe. Creating the steamy brews requires dutifully ascending a wooden ladder to release water into an extravagant tea machine. With a bellows, she stokes the fire 30 or so times until the water boils. Then, with a neatly animated kick, she opens a giant kettle to toss in tea and fanciful ingredients. Brilliantly rendered, the device recalls Willy Wonka's Great Gum Machine. Alta, with a mahogany-colored apron and little patience for customers, has long followed the strict, militarized rules of elite competition. But here, there are no timed objectives, just an anything-goes attitude. Nonetheless, the argumentative Alta remains drained. Boro, the portly, baldheaded tea master, proclaims, 'What a surprise that a person pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion would collapse!' His Yoda-like philosophy comes off as overwhelmingly needling rather than meaningful, his concern mired by condescension. Alta is easily addled and stressed. Beyond her desire to return to the top fighter ranks, she carries a heavy guilt regarding her father. Powerless, she feels lazy, stupid, angry and a failure, to use her words. There's a meta aspect to these feelings. Davey Wreden, the game's director, felt similarly after working for too many hours on versions of The Stanley Parable (2013), which became so popular that it was an inspiration for 'Severance.' The art here is admirable. Lush garden acres of smudgy colors surround the cafe, inviting contemplation. Collectible tea grows on its outskirts, and there is a small temple featuring a being's somehow-soothing oval head. Hues change from variations of purple and green amid running brooks to pink and white. It's all suitable for sitting on a bench, watching the world go by while plump and playful pluffins waddle near their coop. Alta and her customers eventually offer moments of revelation. But they're too few and far between. A goofy knight (with a cursed foot that emanates purple mist) who yearns to be thought of as cool by his son, as someone to be respected, is a compelling enough story beat that comes too late. It was difficult to sympathize with the characters' tales of despair, however witty. The wry, eccentric humor that worked well in the sterile office setting of The Stanley Parable seemed at odds with this world of breezy bucolic environments and magical hybrid teas. Working in the farm-like setting and making tea wasn't always peaceful. Commanding exclamation points appeared over customer heads when they required tea or wanted to make a minor point. It made me believe I needed to jump to customer needs. I also wondered how, if Alta was physically and mentally beaten down, she could cut down a lawn's worth of thorny bramble snarls with the caffeinated speed of Sonic the Hedgehog. By the time those around me began to open up and become nicer, I didn't want to engage anymore. The point was to learn that working at one's own pace is rewarded with individual enlightenment, cup by cup. But I felt more like a therapist, trying to be patient with my patients as I urged them to spill the tea.
CBS News
12-02-2025
- General
- CBS News
More cute than harmful, bat-eared fox on the loose at a Palm Desert zoo
An insect-eating furry critter with large Yoda-like ears is on the loose at a zoo in Palm Desert. Guests at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens are asked to be on the lookout for the "very clever" bat-eared fox, who escaped from a holding facility at the zoo Monday evening. Zoo staff has been searching for the small, approximately 10-pound female fox, which poses no threat to humans as she eats only insects. Bat-eared foxes can be distinguished by their large ears, gray fur around the belly and darker fur on their feet, ears, and tail tip. They are primarily nocturnal and as one could imagine, with such dominating ears, they have an incredible sense of hearing. The Living Desert animal care team believes she's on the grounds, likely in one of the gardens munching on small insects. If anyone spots the little fox, they are asked not to approach the animal, but to call zoo staff at (760) 346-5694.
