In the City of Norfolk, mermaids have stood among us for 20 years as the city symbol and in the form of nearly 400 public art sculptures. This week a troupe of fin fans calling themselves “The Shell Belles” heeded the siren call and drove from Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida to bask in the magic of the merfolk.

Shell Belle Adrienne Bewley of Lexington, Kentucky wrote to me back in January detailing her plans for a “mermaid-themed girls’ trip.” She said she discovered Norfolk, my children’s *books on the mermaids as well as the Heart & Art Mermaid Walking Story Trails Downtown during her research for "the perfect mermaid trip."

She wanted my help in planning a day of walking around Downtown in search of merfolk. Rather than handing them a map I decided to dive in and volunteer to be their mermaid docent for the day.

These ladies arrived in a state of such total sparkle (all over hair, skin and clothing) that I instantly regretted my choice of boring daily attire. I should have come clad in a tutu, tiara and glitter. There’s always next time.

The Belles, Adrienne Bewley and Olivia Moore, Lexington, KY of Lexington, KY, Misty Aubrey and Suzanne Layman of Louisville, KY, Lena Sprinkle, Raleigh, NC and Liz Evans, Fort Myers, FL, met at “Sirens of the Deep” Mermaid Camp at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, FL in July of 2017.

They bonded over learning to do underwater dance routines in latex tails (as one does) and decided to “find other famous mermaid haunts to visit together.”

Norfolk on the 20th Anniversary of the mermaids was their first choice for a summer vacation together.

I’m a gardening and history buff as well as a huge fan of the Elizabeth River Trail so we took in the mermaids in context along the trail complete with my favorite eateries and a healthy dose of history, local flora and other public art along the way.

What. A. Blast. I should do this for a living.

We began with NoraFolk (the mermaid at the Chrysler Museum of Art), crossed the Hague walking bridge and headed up the cobbled streets to mermaid Mei Madeline at Pagoda Park.

We luxuriated atop the Pagoda while nibbling on a variety of treats created by Hummingbird Macarons which now nests within the first floor.

We also visited the two Poseidon sculptures that stare broodily at the Elizabeth River behind Nauticus before driving to Harbor Park to meet Artist Georgia Mason and see the Tides mermaid.

Georgia Mason and I then took them to see the Bon Secours Hospital mermaid, Larchmont Elementary School’s LeaPard.

We finished up with the FedEx mermaid at Larchmont Library.

Also included on the tour de merforce were: VisitNorfolk Tourist Information, The Mermaid Winery, Mermaid sea-fari with Virginia Aquarium, the Mermaid Factory, The Village Mermaid consignment store on Granby Street, Mermaid “Fin”ess class with Sam Barham of Spindlebeak, Chesapeake and The Chilly Mermaid ice cream shop in Virginia Beach.

In future the Belles hope to visit the Coney Island Mermaid Parade in New York; the Key West Mermaid Festival in Florida; the Lost Island Waterpark in Iowa and the Sip ‘n Dip Lounge in Montana.

While those destinations are great, there’s no place like the city that’s been home to merfolk for 20 years. We shared our mermaid shellfies on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the City’s celebration year hashtag #mermaid20. Hope all the other mermaid lovers out there will do the same so we can all float around on the Net together.

*Waterway Guide News Editor Lisa Suhay is the author of 10 children's books including, "There Goes a Mermaid: A NorFolktale," "The Mermaids and Yellow Jack" and "The Mermaid Who Came In On The Tide."