Wacissa and Watermelon

My hometown is small.  Not small in the sense that there's only one Publix but small in the sense that we don't have a stop light, the Winn Dixie is the "nice" grocery store, and you know someone isn't from around here when they try to go to the bank after 12 o'clock on a Thursday.  It's the county seat of a largely rural north Florida county and according to people in the state for Lovers, we pronounce the name incorrectly.

An old home on the outskirts of town.

A small but very mighty town.  Mighty because in the span on 48 hours during the third weekend of June you can experience some of life's greatest things.  The Wacissa River and the Watermelon Festival.

Festival is actually a two week affair that kicks off with a BBQ dinner and bed races.  This is a real thing and if you've never seen one, you're not living life right.  Strap the smallest (but adult) person in your group onto a twin bed with wheels and barrel down the road.  Pageants, rodeos, and fashion shows follow for the next two weeks.

The third Saturday of June is the culmination event of Festival.  The morning kicks off with a parade that is entertaining no matter your age.  There's a children's play in the historic Opera House that has certainly come into its own since my days of gracing the stage.  Antique cars are just as plentiful as the funnel cakes and carnival games.

The Honorable Mayor (aka Dad) moving the parade along!

Festival at its heart is a celebration of the bounty of the summer season.  It's a time for eating too much the best dang watermelon in the world on your back porch and saying a prayer of thanks it was a beautiful, muggy Florida Saturday.

If parades and funnel cakes aren't your thing, grab a boat and head to the Wacissa River.  A spring fed river home to wild animals and a few wild humans, you're guaranteed to cool off in the heat of summer.  No trip down the river is complete without a swing into Big Blue or at least a jump off the floating dock.  We met the man who put the floating dock on the spring 30 years ago this past trip which was really neat.

Always a refreshing 72 degrees!

The absolute best part about a day on the Wacissa (and I got to spend two!) are the people you see.  Everyone from a baby on the shore to an older couple birding can enjoy the river.  If you grew up within a 30 mile radius, you'll probably run into people you graduated high school with or your middle school computer teacher.  You'll hear a few foreign accents - this past trip it was an Australian couple and German speaking group.  And best of all, you'll be around people who appreciate Wild Florida as much as you.

So if you ever need a break from the big city or hectic life, let me know.  I'd be happy to take a trip and show you my town.

Father's Day trip down the river!