Personal Challenge 2018 - Week 27

This is the 27th week of my personal 50-week States of the Union Challenge. Each week I research one of the 50 United States (in the order they attained statehood). I share tidbits of information about the state here on my blog and I create a card that is inspired by something about that state.

This week's state (the 27th one to attain statehood) is...

Florida

Date of Statehood: March 3, 1845

Here are some things I discovered about Florida...

Florida is the flattest state in the country. The highest point in Florida is only 345 feet above sea level. Britton Hill is in the Florida Panhandle.

Florida has more toll roads and bridges than any other state in the Union.

1,000 people move each day to Florida.

Florida is not the southernmost U.S. state in the United States. It’s Hawaii. 

The first ATM was installed in Miami in the mid-1990's, designed for rollerbladers who couldn’t go into the banks.

Pharmacist Benjamin Green invented the first-ever suntan lotion in Miami Beach some 70 years ago.

Sarasota, Florida, is home to what may be the only Amish beach resort in the world.

Florida has population of almost 20 million, making it the 4th most populous state in the United States.

Florida is the only state that has two rivers with the same name. There is a Withlacoochee in north central Florida (Madison County) and a Withlacoochee in central Florida. They have nothing in common except the name.

Walt Disney World opened in 1971, 15 years after Walt Disney passed away.

The annual attendance at Disney World is about 17 million people. That’s over 45,000 people per day on AVERAGE. Busy days will see over 100,000.

75 million Coca-Colas, 13 million bottles of water, 10 million hamburgers, 6 million hot dogs, and 9 million pounds of French fries are consumed each year at Florida’s theme parks.

Since the year 1971, approximately 1.6 million pairs of glasses have been “lost and found” in Florida’s theme parks.

By the time maintenance crews finish mowing all of the grass around the theme parks, they will have covered a distance equivalent to 18 trips around the equator.

People really, really, really love Walt Disney World—so much so that some of them never want to leave. It’s not legal to scatter human ashes in the park, but that doesn’t stop people from doing it on the sly. The Haunted Mansion is an especially popular choice.

Once a year, thousands of Floridians stand at the state line and toss dead fish into Alabama. It's the annual Mullet Toss hosted by Flora-Bama Beach Bar in Pensacola. It's just "a silly excuse for a huge beach party."

There is a 3,000 mile biking/hiking trail under construction that will connect Canada to the Florida Keys.

Florida has approximately 1,300 golf courses, more than any other state. 

The Florida Everglades are the only place on the planet where crocodiles and alligators live together.

Surprisingly enough, wild flamingos – the birds most closely identified with Florida – are actually quite rare in the Sunshine State. Though they were known to migrate there from South America decades ago, they have since become more rare. However, there is hope that they will soon be more common again. Another interesting thing about these striking birds is the fact that they get their pink color from the shrimp they eat. The more shrimp they eat the deeper pink they become.

The 3500-year-old cypress tree named “Senator” was the pride of Longwood, Florida (and the fifth oldest tree in the world). Then in 2012, a meth addict climbed inside the trunk and lit up. Senator was reduced to ashes. “I can’t believe I burned down a tree older than Jesus,” she later said.

The world’s first passenger service airline flight was flown from St. Petersburg to Tampa in 1914. 

In 1994 a 75-pound bag of cocaine fell out of a plane and landed in the middle of a Florida crime watch meeting.

Florida produces 70% of the U.S. oranges and supplies amazing 40% of the world’s orange juice.

Florida is the largest producer of watermelons in the country. It also produces the most tomatoes, strawberries and sugar.

The South Florida Museum houses the world’s largest collection of fossilized poop.

Greater Miami is the only metropolitan area in the United States that borders with two national parks.

There is a bed & breakfast, Wild Life on Easy Street, on the outskirts of Tampa that allows you to cuddle with an endangered cat of your choice for just a $100 donation to the refuge. You can choose baby bobcats, cougars, and leopards.

 In 1929 a “Bat Tower” was built in the Florida Keys to control mosquitoes. It was filled with bats, which promptly flew away, never to return.

In 1959, the United States Postal Service attempted to deliver mail by cruise missile and successfully shipped cargo from New jersey to Florida in 22 minutes. 

I also look for unusual laws in each state. Florida has its share.

In Florida it is illegal to sing in a public place wearing a swimsuit; Men are not allowed to be seen public in any kind of strapless gown; it’s an offense to shower naked, and it is illegal to skateboard without a license in Florida.

According to state law every building used or public purposes has to have outward opening doors due to the strong winds which occur during hurricane season.

If you wish to cruise around the Floridian streets on a skateboard, local laws mandate that every skateboarder must have an official license.

Parachuting is one of the most exhilarating pastimes in Florida. What’s funny, it is actually illegal for unmarried women to engage in skydiving on Sundays.

Salon owners and women can both be fined for falling asleep under a commercial hair dryer.

If you happen to leave an elephant tied to a parking meter, you’ll have to pay a prorated fee – just as you would for a car, truck, or SUV.

If highway patrol officers are more than 15 pounds overweight, they stand to forfeit their yearly bonuses.

In Cape Coral – It it illegal to park a pick-up truck in your driveway or in front of your house on the street.

In Miami Beach – No one may bring a pig with them to the beach.

Under Florida state law, it is illegal to sell your children.

I've decided to go with this bit of Florida information for my card's inspiration... There are 663 miles of beaches in Florida. Any place in Florida is at distance not more than 60 miles from the ocean.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamps: CC Designs Honey Bikini and The Project Bin Summer Fun stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Archivers Kraft and Slate Gray and Recollections Ivory CS and DP from the DCWV Travel Stack

Embellishment: Eyelet Outlet Beach Ball Brad

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