SW AK-054, WC 25-152 & SW FP-526 Florida, the Sunshine State

Florida is the 4th most populous of the 50 United States. The state capital is Tallahassee, the largest city is Jacksonville, and the largest metropolitan area is the Miami metropolitan area.

Much of Florida is a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. Its geography is notable for a coastline, omnipresent water and the threat of hurricanes. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, encompassing approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km).

The first postcard came from Shirley G. (24 April 2014) Swap-bot. The second came from Kathryn S. (19 June 2014) Swap-bot and the third postcard (similar to the second) came from Jessica M. (1 Sep 2015) Swap-bot.

BE-298937 Lighthouses of Florida

 

Map source - lighthousefriends.com - is herewith acknowledged.
Postcard came from Jurgen (5 August 2014) Postcrossing.

SW BV-154 SW DX-314 St Augustine Lighthouse, Florida

The St. Augustine Light is an active lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida. The current lighthouse stands at the north end of Anastasia Island and was built in 1874; it is the most recent of a number of towers built in the area. The light itself was electrified in 1936, and automated in 1955.

The antique lens was functional until it was damaged by rifle fire in 1986, and 19 of the prisms were broken. As the lens continued to weaken, the Coast Guard considered removing it and replacing it with a more modern, airport beacon. This plan was dismissed and the 9-foot (2.7 m)-tall lens was restored.. This was the first restoration of its kind in the nation. Volunteers clean and inspect the lens and works every week.

Today, the St. Augustine Light Station consists of the 165-foot (50 m) 1874 tower, the 1876 Keepers' House, two summer kitchens added in 1886, a 1941 U.S. Coast Guard barracks and a 1936 garage that was home to a jeep repair facility during World War II. The site is also a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather station.

The first postcard came from Karyn (tiggerski) (29 June 2014) Swap-bot and the second postcard came from manfa (13 October 2014) Swap-bot.

SW AI-051 US-3681912 The Florida Everglades

The Florida Everglades is the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the United States. It consists of 1.5 million acres of saw grass marshes, mangrove forests, and hardwood hammocks dominated by wetlands. It is home to endangered, rare, and exotic wildlife.

Origins of the Everglades

Water in South Florida once flowed from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee. Then it flowed southward over low-lying lands to Biscayne Bay, the Ten Thousand Islands, and Florida Bay. This shallow, slow-moving sheet of water created a mosaic of ponds, marshes, and forests. Over thousands of years this developed into a balanced ecosystem.

Wading birds such as great egrets, white ibis, herons, and wood storks were abundant. The Cape Sable seaside sparrow, Miami blackheaded snake, manatee, and Florida panther made the Everglades their home. Alligators and crocodiles existed side by side.

Draining the Everglades

Early settlers and land developers considered the Everglades to be a worthless swamp. By the 1800s, developers started digging canals to drain the wetlands. Between 1905 and 1910, large tracts of land were converted to agriculture. This “new” land stimulated the first of South Florida’s land booms. By the 1920s, visitors and new residents flocked to towns like Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Fort Myers. As they arrived, more canals were dug. Canals, roads, and buildings took the place of native habitats.

In 1948, Congress authorized the construction of a system of roads, canals, levees, and water-control structures stretching throughout South Florida. However, the alteration of the wetlands—combined with increasing population—damaged the natural system.

In the 1960s, a strong crusade to “Save the Everglades” was begun.

The Everglades Today

Today, 50% of South Florida’s original wetland areas no longer exist. The numbers of wading birds have been reduced by 90%. Entire populations of animals are in danger of disappearing. Exotic pest plants have invaded natural areas. Losses of seagrass beds in Florida Bay have been followed by losses of wildlife.

On a positive side, these days a lot of attention has been paid to the rehabilitation of the Everglades.

The first postcard of the Everglades came from ‘herlovenotes’ (2 May 2014) Swap-bot.

The second postcard of the Everglades came from Heather S. (12 Nov 2015) Postcrossing.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay

The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cable-stayed main span, and a total length of 21,877 feet (4.1 miles or approximately 6.67 km). It connects St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County. Construction of the current bridge began in 1982, and the completed bridge was dedicated on February 7, 1987. The new bridge cost $244 million to build, and was opened to traffic on April 20, 1987. It replaced an older bridge constructed in 1954 and partly destroyed in a collision in 1980.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is constructed of steel and concrete. Steel cables clad in 84 9-inch (229 mm) steel tubes (42 per pylon) along the center line of the bridge support the main span.

The Travel Channel rated the Sunshine Skyway #3 in its special on the "Top 10 Bridges" in the World. The bridge is considered the "flag bridge" of Florida.

Because of its height above the emerald-green Gulf waters, length of continuous travel, location in a warm-weather state, and modern architectural design, it is a popular spot for filming automobile commercials.

Erin ((lttleetoile) sent me this nice postcard (22 April 2014) Swap-bot Direct Swap.