The
Sunshine State, one of the most populated states in the United States, attracts
world tourism because of the beauty of its beaches, its amusement parks, and
the charm of some villages that preserve the history of hundreds of years.
However,
many details make Florida the best place to visit.
Beaches and more beaches
When
talking about regions in Florida, it is not enough to say Panhandle or the Gulf
and Atlantic coasts.
Here,
the 8,436 miles of coastline are perfectly grouped into 10 specially named shores.
First
Coast: In addition to being the first region visitors cross when entering the
state along Interstate 95, the First Coast, which includes St. Augustine,
Jacksonville, Orange Park, and Fernandina Beach, was the first to be discovered
and settled in 1565.
Space
Coast: Your area code is 321 for a reason. It is home to the Kennedy Space
Center and Cape Canaveral, the birthplace of American space flight.
When
the space program was launched, the location of Cape Canaveral in central
Florida proved to be the perfect location because of its proximity to the
equator, allowing the rockets to take advantage of the Earth's speed when they were
headed east for orbit.
Most of
the area is within Brevard County. Major cities include Titusville, Cocoa,
Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, and Palm Bay.
Other
beautiful barrier islands include Sanibel, Captiva, Marco Island, and Estero.
Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, and Cape Coral are some of the mainland
cities.
Women's power!
Miami
is the only major American city founded by a woman. In 1875, Julia Tuttle
visited Miami for the first time, and in 1891, she moved there permanently.
Tuttle bought
a square mile of land at the mouth of the Miami River and eventually persuaded
Henry Flagler to extend his train service from Palm Beach to Miami by sending
him orange blossoms.
She is
known as the Mother of Miami.
Waterfalls in Florida
There
are 663 miles of beautiful beaches, hundreds of impressive springs, and
millions of acres of wetlands, but it's pretty hard to find a waterfall in
Florida.
There
are man-made waterfalls, including some at Rainbow Springs State Park near
Dunnellon, but there are only three natural waterfalls in the Sunshine State.
The
highest is at Falling Waters State Park, near Chipley. It plunges 73 feet into
a 20-foot cylindrical sinkhole and disappears underground.
Devil's
Millhopper State Geological Park in Gainesville features a 120-foot deep and
500-foot wide sinkhole with several small waterfalls cascading down its
limestone walls. During normal water levels, Falling Creek Falls, north of Lake
City, roar over a 10-foot waterfall, flow through a deep ravine and then
disappear into the ground.
Invention of sunscreen
A World
War II aviator from Miami Beach named Benjamin Green wanted to protect his
fellow soldiers from the sun. Green used red veterinary oil, which worked but
was heavy and unpleasant, according to the New York Times.
After
the war, Green added cocoa butter and coconut oil, and eventually invented
Coppertone.
Britton Hill, the highest point in Florida
Florida's
flat. It's even flatter than Kansas, according to Jerry Dobson of the American
Geographic Society.
It is
so flat that Florida's natural highest point, Britton Hill, also takes the
award for being the lowest state highpoint in the United States.
Britton
Hill, in northern Walton County, is 2 miles southeast of Florala, Alabama, and
is 345 feet above sea level.
