ATTRACTIONS
ADVENTURE
Tiki Time in Tavares Exploring Lake Dora aboard a floating tiki bar is a fun, cool attraction to enjoy with friends, family, colleagues. STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL
≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL
tyle magazine covers a lot of fun attractions throughout Lake and Sumter counties, and cruising on Lake Dora on a floating Tiki bar is one of the coolest ways to enjoy the waterways. DeeAnn Squire, Jessica Remillard, and Sara Squire are the owners of the familyowned and operated Cruisin’ Tikis Lake Dora, which they started in January, and they invite residents and visitors to come aboard. Up to six passengers can sit comfortably around the tiki hut bar boat to savor their favorite foods, snacks, drinks, and playlist, all while enjoying scenic views during a relaxing boat ride on the Dirty Merty.
Yes, Dirty Merty is the vessel’s name. “My mom’s name is Marie, and her nickname is Mert,” explains DeeAnn. “My dad called her Merty, so my daughterin-law, Sara, who is one of the owners, said how about we call the boat the Dirty Merty?” “People love it,” DeeAnn says of being aboard the handcrafted Tiki boat, which is part of the Cruisin’ Tikis franchise based in Fort Lauderdale. Each Tiki vessel is built to specifications of the American Boat and Yacht Council and is steered by a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain. “We’ve had a bachelor party, a bachelorette party, and birthday parties. We had a guy bring his wife, daughter, and granddaughter for his wife’s 80th birthday, and we even had a 15-year-old say that it was
