The Safety Dance

Safety Harbor, a small Florida town located on the west side of Tampa Bay, has a familiar history. its location was originally home to indigenous people known as the Tocobaga Indians. The first European to set foot there was said to be Panifilo de Narvaez in 1528, followed shortly thereafter by De Soto in 1539. The first European to settle there was Frenchman Odette Philippe, who was also the first person to grow grapefruit in the Sunshine State and may have been responsible for launching Tampa's cigar-making industry as well.

My history with the sleepy little city near Clearwater began in 1999 when I attended a party to celebrate the end of the millennium at a fantastic house owned by local artists. When I returned almost ten years later, I discovered very little had changed (rare by Florida standards.) Although there is a new large commercial project at the end of Main Street by the spa, the town retains its old Florida charm and has a funky energy that really appeals to me. Main Street is lined with mom and pop restaurants and interesting shops, surrounded by modest houses on oak draped streets. My wife and I have friends who own a home there and are making the transition from a life in Orlando to living in Safety Harbor full time. After my latest visit, I can fully understand why.

Yard of the "Whimzy" or ""Bowling Ball" house, decked out for the year 2000

Original log cabin

Detail of Post Office mural

Philippe Park

Historical images from the State Archives of Florida

"Where Healing Waters Flow"

Black Friday was one of the best days of the year for me. It started in Anna Maria Island (future post), continued at the St. Pete Shuffle and ended at the historic Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. I don't think I've ever stayed at a spa before, but the rates were very affordable and the location is within walking distance of my friends' home. And did I mention that its historic?

According to the history published by the spa, the site contains five springs discovered by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto in 1539. Reportedly De Soto thought he had discovered the famed Fountain of Youth and named the site Espiritu Santo Springs, or "Spring of the Holy Spirit."

Seminole War veteran William J. Bailey was the first American to own the springs in 1855 and by the start of the next century Safety Harbor was known as the "Health Giving City". In the 1920s James Tucker developed the springs further building the Safety Harbor Sanitorium, two pavilions and a hotel on the site. The five springs became categorized by the ailments they reportedly healed; they were the Beauty Springs (for healing skin problems), the Stomach Springs (for internal digestive issues), The Kidney Springs, the Liver Springs and the Pure Water Springs (delicious drinking water that was bottled.)

The first swimming pool for the spring water was built in the thirties under the direction of new owner Dr. Alben Jansik. Famous guests during this period included Houdini and drugstore barons F.W. Grant and Russ Kresge. A series of other owners further developed the property into a resort and full service spa in the mid-20th century. In 1964 it was recognized as a historical landmark by the US Department of the Interior.

As historical properties goes, this property seems very contemporary as the interior has undergone extensive renovation through the years. The lobby is very plush and when we checked in a loud rock band played from a club on the floor beneath us. The octagonal room that at one point had a spring directly beneath it, is now a fancy banquet room, complete with a hand painted mural overhead. Adjacent to that the History Hall with several large displays depicting the sites glorious past.

Our room was very comfortable and although we didn't have the opportunity to take advantage of the any of the Spa functions, I would like to try out some of the facilities on a future visit. On the day we were there, they offered spinning, water aerobics and Pilates classes plus Qi' Gong, T'ai Chi and Energy Medicine. There is a $16 resort amenity fee included in the cost of the room, but even with that additional expense I still thought the room rate was reasonable.