Fabulous Florida

We had a fun time studying about Florida. Since we live in a Northern state and Florida obviously is not, we found all the differences (which were many) interesting.

We enjoyed reading about the:

• Sea Cows (or Manatees). We had a big laugh when we read about Spanish explorers thinking they were mermaids! :-)
• Daytona 500. This is what Aaron was most interested in visiting.
• The Alligators. Did you know that they hiss when they are annoyed? If they are hissing at you I would recommend a speedy get away.
• Disney World
• All the citrus fruit that is grown.
• Sponges which grow along the coast of Florida. We read that they are an animal with no brain. Thinking about that I found it a little gross that people use dead animals to wash up with!
• The Capital building, one of the few that are skyscrapers. We found the picture to be rather odd for a capital building.
• How hot it is. A blog reader wrote about that "I live in Florida. And I can confidently tell you, its hot. And humid. We have beaches, lakes, forests and swamps. I do believe key lime pie is the state pie, but oranges are the state fruit. We have big cities and small towns. We decorate our palm trees at Christmas and wear shorts year round.Did I mention its hot?"
  
  Abbi said...
  Sarah,Thanks so much for sharing about Florida! We have really been enjoying studying about it. It has had different things that we have not come across in the other states, like sea cows, sponges and all the Hispanic and Spanish influence. I can imagine how hot is is and that does make me very thankful to be living in MN!
  
  Sarah R said...
  Well here is something interesting you may not know. If you happen to see a sea cow, don't touch it! They are sweet and very lovable, but they are a protected animal. If you are seen touching one, you will go to jail. No joke!
  

We did enjoy the food we tried as well, including Florida Strawberry Muffins.
Miami Beach Cake which I changed the recipe some but it was quite yummy. Below Jonathan is enjoying a piece. Key lime pie is a Florida specialty and we all thought it was yummy too!

I read that Pineapples aren't largely grown in Florida to sell and ship but many people have them growing in their yards. We enjoyed pineapple on our waffles one morning.

Some facts about Florida:

• Became a state March 3, 1845 (it had been under Spanish rule earlier). It was the 27th State.
• The Capital is Tallahassee
• It is called "The Sunshine State"
• The motto is "In God We Trust"
• The state song is "Old Folks at Home" by Stephen Foster which I had fun singing to the kids.
• The state flower is the Orange Blossom.
• The state tree is the Sabal palm.
• The state bird is the Mockingbird.
• The state animal is the Florida Panther.
• The state beverage is Orange Juice.
  
  
  
  What do you know and like about Florida?