Travel Photo Thursday
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Sadly, it is true that you can’t go home again. Even more sad, you can’t even travel to the same spots you loved in the past.
In case you missed the classic Florida attraction, Cypress Gardens, before it became a Legoland theme park, we’re taking a little nostalgia trip today. I visited Cypress Gardens in 1998. It was a not-to-be-missed attraction on my first trip to Florida, since I had grown up with newsreel shots of those beautiful girls on water skis.
Cypress Gardens was started more than 75 years ago, and built it’s reputation on beautiful girls–both in Southern Belle Costume and in swim suits as they performed in water ski shows.
You can click on the pictures to enlarge them a bit, if you wish.
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- Acrobats on Water
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- Famous for their teams of skiers
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- The famous pyramid
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- Cruising the Canals through the Gardens
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- Otter Sculpture in gardens
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- The Ibis and the Squirrel in the Garden
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- The Rotating Platform is still in use at Cypress Gardens of Legoland.
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- Southern Belles on the lawn of the garden. This view remains today.
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- The Southern Belles are now sculpted of lego blocks at Florida Legoland
Today’s Florida Legoland, from what I’ve seen in pictures on line, has made some major changes. Instead of girls in beautiful Scarlet O’Hara dresses, visitors are greeted by southern belles fashioned form Lego blocks. And instead of beautiful girls and broad shouldered muscle men performing on water skis, Lego characters entertain on the water. The park is mostly thrill rides and stores to sell Lego products.
However, they have preserved at least some of the original gardens, including the large revolving platform at the height of the trees and the gazebo and landscaping of the iconic shot with girls on the lawn.
As for the ibis and the squirrel. I have no idea what they are thinking about the changes…..if they stuck around to see.
This photo gallery has been my contribution to Travel Photo Thursday. Go to Budget Traveler’s Sandbox if you would like to see a fascinating array of photographs from around the world. Just peruse the main photo essay and then click on the names of the photographers at the bottom. These photos are all my own, and were scanned from the old slides.
A couple of bonuses to go with my own photos:
See comparison shots of before and after Legoland at Yesterland.
And here is a video from 1957–the show had not changed much when I saw it in 1998.
Vote for my article on WorldTravelist.com, sharing the best travel content on the web.
About the Author:
A freelance writer who loves to travel. When she is not traveling she is reading about travel. When she is not reading or traveling, she is sharing with the readers of A Traveler's Library, Reel Life With Jane and other websites. Also co-author of a biography, Quincy Tahoma, The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist. Contact Vera Marie by e-mail.
Vera Marie Badertscher – who has written 676 posts on A Traveler's Library.
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Tags: amusement park, Cypress Gardens, Florida, gardens, Legoland, travel photos, water skiing
I’d like to go back to Florida, last time my trip was ruined by a psycho chick and hard alcohol!
currybadger would like you to read..Home Cafe (Thai Food)
It’s so true about not being able to go back. Things change so rapidly and the territory becomes so unfamiliar. Glad you have some good memories though.
Johanna at ZigaZag would like you to read..3 Places you just have to try for Lunch in Busselton WA Australia.
Along with the now-defunct Circus World, Cypress Gardens was on our list of regular attractions when we’d visit our grandparents in Florida as kids. And as a child who wasn’t too thrilled by thrill rides, I gotta say I enjoyed the more relaxed pace of the Gardens!
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Casey would like you to read..Where to Eat During Miami Art Week
Thank goodness you got to see Cypress Gardens, before it morphed into Legoland. Seaworld at the Gold Coast in Queensland had a similar water-ski show, which was first replaced by jet skis and now also with jet packs. I actually saw the water-ski girls when I was a child but have no photos of them.
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budget jan would like you to read..Fantastic Friday Photo – Which Jetty