Sunken Gardens
I was browsing through Groupons the other day and came across one for the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg. It looked kinda fun and since we had nothing else going on, we decided to get the Groupon and check out the gardens. It isn’t what you think as the name might imply. The gardens aren’t under-water and you don’t need your scuba gear to see them. It is a botanical garden that is 10 feet below the sea level. The area used to be a lake, but it was drained and turned into a garden in 1903 by a guy named George Turner Sr. The people in the area loved it, and by the 1920’s he was charging a nickel for admission. By the 1930’s it became a very famous commercial roadside attraction and the admission price went up to 25 cents. Then, in 1999, after rumors of a nudist colony buying it, the city of St. Petersburg stepped in and bought the gardens.
On the day we went (a Sunday), there was ample parking, and we were even able to easily snag a spot in the shade. We followed the signs to the ticket counter, were handed admission stickers to wear and a guide map, and then we were on our way. Before we got to the main circle loop through the Sunken Gardens, we passed through a lush area filled with Koi ponds, fountains, and palm trees. It was definitely a beautiful entrance.
After a short stroll we came across a bird exhibit with beautiful macaws, cockatoos, Amazon parrots, and flamingos. There were signs up informing us of the birds’ favorite words to say, but most of them were too sleepy to be bothered by tourists saying “hello” twenty times in a row. Paquita, an Amazon parrot, on the other-hand was quite entertaining and liked to introduce herself to everyone that walked by. And, if you were female she would whistle at you! ha!
We then spent around an hour strolling through the rest of the gardens. Some other interesting spots included a waterfall, an alligator snapping turtle camouflaged with algae growing on it, a Japanese garden, a butterfly garden, and a cactus garden.
Although the gardens were beautiful and it was a fun afternoon activity, I was happy that we didn’t pay the full admission price and instead used a Groupon. The reason being that it was just too freaking hot to thoroughly enjoy the gardens. Although most of the garden was in the shade and we stopped and rested on benches under foliage covered canopies, I was absolutely drenched in sweat by the end of our stroll. Maybe the lesson here is to NOT go to an outdoor garden when the heat index is over 100F.
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