Balloon - FLORIDA

Though occasionally referred to as "The Peninsula State", Florida's official nickname is "The Sunshine State". It was adopted officially by the Florida legislature in 1970. It probably comes as no great surprise that the state flower of Florida is the Orange Blossom. Florida and oranges are almost synonymous, thanks to the abundant orange groves that produce so successfully in the tropical and subtropical climate for which the state is so famous. However, the name "Florida" is Spanish for "land of flowers" . . . again, courtesy of that fabulous Florida climate. Florida also has the distinction of being the only state to be bordered by both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Florida became a state on March 3, 1845 and is our 27th state. While it is the 22nd most extensive, it is also the 3rd most populous. There are those that think the Florida state "bird" should be the "snowbird" . . . because of the vast number of Americans that reside in the north during summer, but winter in milder Florida. In spite of the obvious benefits of the location and climate, there are also downfalls . . . specifically, hurricanes -- the most recent of which (at this time) was the Category 4 storm in 2016, called "Matthew". In recent history, there was also the Category 5 disaster, Hurricane Andrew, 1992. But, in spite of the seasonal dangers, it's always "fun and sun" that attracts people to this magnificent state. It is said that every point in Florida is less than 60 miles from a beach. Whether it's a family vacation at Disney World or spring break in Fort Lauderdale, sunny, beautiful, amazing Florida is a state every American should visit at least once. This delightful design pays homage to our majestic 27th state, an outline of the state filled with iconic orange blossoms and oranges. This lovely stick balloon is delightful when paired with a bouquet of flowers but easily stands on its own.