The Sandbar, Home of the Indoor Hurricane!
In 2001, Sandbar founder Peach decided to create an Indoor Hurricane attraction for The Sandbar in Lawrence, Kansas. She enlisted the help of manager Dave and her brother Patrick to design an elaborate mix of wind, rain, and lightning throughout the bar. The staff created a fake storm warning newscast video and recorded an original Sandbar song that everyone dances to on the bar after the show.
The indoor hurricane runs every night at 10 p.m. at The Sandbar in Lawrence and Ottawa, KS. A customer is chosen to be the mermaid, and they don a sparkly green costume and stand on the bar. The mermaid reads a poem, the newscast plays, and then the hurricane blows in. The storm lasts for a couple minutes, and then the Sandbar song plays and the crowd sings and dances.
The Legend of The Sandbar Hurricane
Once upon a time, there lived a strong and might fisherman named James Arthur Tuttle. Known to his friends as Jimmy, he sailed the seas of the Atlantic Ocean, enjoying the fishing and the beauty of the islands.During a week out on the seas near Bimini, Jimmy and the crew of the Bahama Mama were caught in a terrible, disastrous storm. The storm was unpredictable and horrendous in strength. The crew did their best to keep hold of the ship, but to their demise, the ship went into a spin. No one knows how it happened, but the Bahama Mama and her crew ran up on a Sandbar off the coast of Key Largo.
The next morning, Jimmy woke to a vision of beauty staring down at him. Her name was Kayla and she was a mermaid. She had pulled Jimmy out of the soon-to-collapse ship and brought him to safety on the shore of Key Largo. Something about the mermaid stirred Jimmy as he never was before, and he felt immense and deep love for Kayla the first time he cast eyes on her.
As the other members of the crew began to wake up, Kayla told Jimmy she must go. Jimmy said "No, I must see you again!" Kayla, feeling as captivated as Jimmy, said she would meet him at the Sandbar the next evening at dusk.
Now, Kayla was not just any old mermaid; she was the daughter of the king of the sea, King Neptune. Her father watched his daughter return from the rescue and knew she was in love. He just couldn't let this happen! His daughter would not last outside the water, and he knew Jimmy couldn't join them in the sea. Knowing that any parental influence would only make it worse, the King waited and watched as Kayla left the next evening, longing to see her love.
King Neptune waved his might scepter and caused great currents. Around and around he waved, causing great winds and a hurricane so strong there was no way for the lovers to meet. The legend claims you can still hear the cries of Kayla for her lover shortly before every hurricane at The Sandbar.
