Today is National Florida Day!

Yes, today is National Florida Day, so if you - or someone you love lives in Florida, this is the day to celebrate! According to Nationaltoday dot com, this "the day was established to recognize Florida’s arrival as the 27th state in the union of the U.S." So, to celebrate National Florida Day, let's learn about some of their silly laws and interesting history. Did you know . . . 

• The parking fee for an automobile must be the same price as an elephant tied to a parking meter. (How many elephants are tied to parking meters?)
•  In Cape Coral, Florida, it is illegal to park your pick-up truck in front of your house or in your driveway. (Where should you park your truck instead?)
• You must have a license to ride a skateboard.
• Unmarried women cannot parachute out of a plane on Sundays. (I don't like this one at all.)
• Women cannot fall asleep under a hair dryer at a hair salon. (What happens if they do?)
• If you’re wearing a swimsuit in public, it is illegal for you to sing at the same time. (Seriously?!)
• It is illegal to break wind after 6:00 p.m. (Again, seriously?!)
• It is considered an offense to take a shower in the nude. (How else would you take a shower?)
• In Key West, Florida, chickens are listed as a protected species. (So, no fried chicken, roasted chicken, chicken soup, etc.???)
• In Destin, Florida, if a cat chases strangers or anyone who walks by their place of residence, they are a ‘bad cat.’

You will find more silly laws at this link. Now for some interesting facts about Florida, did you know - 

• Florida is the flattest state in the Country.
• Florida is the only state that borders the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
• Everglades National Park in South Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles co-exist in the same ecosystem.
• NASA launched its first communication satellite from Florida. Called Echo 1, scientists launched the satellite from Cape Canaveral into the planet’s orbit on August 12th, 1960.
• Whenever you’re in Florida, you’re never more than 60 miles from the nearest body of water. 
• About 14,000 years ago, the first inhabitants to live in the peninsula that we now know to be part of the U.S. were the Native Americans.
• In 1513, the Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de León, arrived in Florida and made textual records. He called the peninsula ‘La Pascua Florida’ from which the state’s name was derived. The name ‘Pascua Florida,’ which means “Festival of Flowers” in Spanish, was given because of the region’s vast and flourishing landscape.

You will find more interesting facts at this link and this link.

Happy National Florida Day!