The sun. Those puffy tropical clouds that open with occasional dramatic drenching bursts.
The free-form family hours of swimming, scalloping, boating or just keeping cool. All are late summertime scenes. Here are some ways to wrap the day and enjoy pretty cloud-painted evenings.
Wind down from your summer days with a spectacular Gulf of Mexico water view. Sink your toes into the sand at Pine Island/Alfred McKethan Beach Park while sipping a cold drink from Willy’s Tropical Breeze Café.
For quiet relaxation, cast your line into the mirror-like water at Jenkins Creek Fishing Pier or stroll through the natural areas at nearby Bayport Park or Linda Pedersen Park.
Before the sun goes down, grab a table at a Hernando Beach waterfront restaurant for a delicious meal and maybe some live music. For an added bonus, savor your own fresh-caught scallops or fish at one of our You Catch it. We Cook it establishments. Bring your fish or shucked scallops on ice and have them cooked up with a side or two.
For a unique way to experience a sublime Florida’s Adventure Coast evening, step aboard a sunset cruise. Keep an eye out for birds, turtles, dolphins and other wildlife.
Book a sunset cruise with one of these knowledgeable charter captains.
The Chinsegut Conservation Center is host to a 2000-member colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats, whose contribution to natural pest control is tremendous; a single bat can eat up to 3,000 insects in one night! About 10 minutes after sunset, just as the sky fades to dusk, the bats begin to vocalize and leave their bat houses for an after-dark feast. Check the calendar for periodic Bat Watch and Night Hikes at Chinsegut Conservation Center, usually scheduled for 8:00pm.
Besides the Weeki Wachee Mermaids, Florida’s Adventure Coast is home to dry-land stage performers with great talent. Two community theaters deliver entertainment for all ages. Check the calendar for plays and performance times.
Stage West Community Playhouse
Check under the hood and kick shiny chrome-centered tires at the weekly classic car cruise-in every Thursday at the Hardee’s Restaurant in Weeki Wachee. Meet up with other car enthusiasts and browse the sprawling array of magnificent muscle cars. Arrive by 5:00pm to enjoy the view.
After dark but under bright lights, speed around the go-kart track, racing your friends. Try mini-golf, laser tag and more at Adventure Coast Fun Park, where the whole family is sure to have a blast. Adventure Coast Fun Park is open until 10:00pm on weekday evenings and 11:00pm on Saturdays.
Visit one of Florida’s most haunted places, if you dare. The May-Stringer House welcomes the brave and curious for ghost tours after dark on Friday and Saturday nights. This historic Victorian home, circa 1856, is a museum by day and a place of paranormal activity at night. Tours begin at 8:00pm.
