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Florida is nicknamed The Sunshine State and central Florida has been dubbed the lightning capital of the USA because it has more lightning strikes than any place else in the country. Florida’s climate is equalized to some degree because every part of the state is not far from the ocean. Be on the lookout for the lighthouses as you travel along the coast of Florida.

Snow is a rarity in Florida, although on January 19, 1977, it snowed in Tampa. On the contrary, hurricanes are common here and present a severe threat between August and October, but can occur anywhere from the first of June to the end of November each year. On my first visit to Florida, I saw long lines at all the gas stations. I turned the car radio on and discovered there were hurricane warnings in the area. People were filling their tanks and heading out of the area and here I was looking forward to having some cardamom seeds tea from the Herbal Gardens, Florida stone crab and Key Lime Pie that I’d heard so much about. Oh well, another time.

Florida’s extensive coastline made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips throughout the state; today, approximately 400 airports are still in service, according to Wikipedia.

Most people are aware that alligators, crocodiles, palm trees and flamingos are common in Florida, but many may not know that the bird, the Florida Scrub Jay is found only in Florida.

Florida’s economy thrives on tourism, like Walt Disney World, Sea World, Busch Gardens and Epcot Center to name a few. One year, for our anniversary, my husband and I visited Epcot Center and loved it. It was like a mini world in Orlando. Each country represented had foods, wares and music associated with its theme. The staff person was dressed in the clothing common to that country as well. For example the person representing Scotland would be wearing a kilt or the plaids you would see when visiting Scotland. I plan to go back to the Epcot Center when the opportunity arises. By the way, I was able to feast on some Florida stone crab and Key Lime Pie on this trip – delicious! On my next visit I’ll try the Caramom Seeds Tea . I hear it’s wonderfully soothing.

Its second largest industry is agriculture. The most widely recognized product is oranges, but they also grow tangerines, grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes, celery and natural cane sugar.

Florida is very proud of its sports teams: the Miami Dolphins,Florida State Seminoles, University of Florida Gators and Florida Marlins to name a few. In addition to its sports teams, Florida boasts of these famous people born in their state: Pat Boone, singer; Fay Dunaway, actress; Dwight Gooden, baseball player; Jim Morrison, singer; Sidney Poitier, actor; Norman Thargard, astronaut; and Ben Vereen, actor.