Florida's Adventure Coast is Ready for Scallops!

The Brooksville-Weeki Wachee area on Florida's Adventure Coast is renowned for having lots of fun things for visitors to do, not the least of which is to see one of the world famous mermaid shows at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. But this summer when snorkelers take to the area's coastal waters they won't be looking for mermaids; they'll be in search of scallops!

It is a long-standing annual tradition on Florida's Adventure Coast for folks to gather their own fresh seafood during scalloping season which runs from July 1 through September 24, which are the legal harvest dates for the area as set by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission. Its good family fun as adventurers don masks and snorkels, mesh bag in hand, and take to the warm Gulf Coast waters in search of the tasty bivalves. If you've never done it before, no worries. There are places that'll provide gear and give you hints on how to spot scallops and scoop them up before they scoot away. And there are restaurants where you can take your catch to have them turned into a delicious meal.

When not in the ocean seeking scallops, visitors to Florida's Adventure Coast will find the area aptly named as there's always another adventure waiting. Besides all the obvious fun in and on the water, the area has lots of colorful murals for art lovers to enjoy, especially in Brooksville-Weeki Wachee. At nearby Weeki Wachee Springs State Park visitors can picnic, take a boat tour and of course take in the amazing underwater ballet of a mermaid show. And something really fun to do is to meander on the Mermaid Tale Trail where 27 delightful life-sized mermaid sculptures are "hidden" and waiting to be discovered. Portions of the trail can be covered on foot but if you want to find all of the mermaids it's probably best to do a driving tour (you can "cheat" a little bit too and get a map showing where all of the mermaids are.) Sooner or later all of this activity is going to make you hungry and thirsty; there are lots of charming restaurants at hand (fresh scallops!) and adults will find a refreshing oasis at NJoy Spirits Distillery, where yes you can try the Mermaid Rum and take a distillery tour. Mermaids and scallops galore? Count us in!

For more information about scalloping season and other activities on Florida's Adventure Coast go here.

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