All language subtitles for flo0p-ifh.XLSUB

IT'S HOME TO MILES
OF SUN-BLEACHED COAST.

BUT ALSO, ONE OF THE WILDEST
WETLANDS IN THE WORLD,

WHERE THOUSANDS
OF COLD-BLOODED PREDATORS

STILL STALK THEIR PREY.

THIS IS THE JOURNEY OF FLORIDA.

FROM A LAND OF GRASSY WATERS

TO ONE WITH ICONIC,
CANDY-COLORED SHORES.

IT WAS AN OIL TYCOON

WHO HELPED TURN HUNDREDS OF
MILES OF MOSQUITO-INFESTED COAST

INTO THE FLORIDA
THAT MOST KNOW TODAY...

A STATE WHERE TENS OF MILLIONS
COME EACH YEAR...

FROM MVPs TO MOVIE STARS,

INCLUDING ONE WHO PULLS
HIS OWN PRIVATE AIRLINER

RIGHT UP TO HIS HOUSE.

BUT IT'S ALSO IN FLORIDA THAT
AUTHORITIES BATTLE DRUG LORDS

SEEKING TO MAKE MILLIONS

ON ONE OF THE WORLD'S HOTTEST
NIGHTTIME STRIPS.

AND WHERE THE TRAGIC DEATH OF
ONE OF FASHION'S BIGGEST ICONS

IS STILL REMEMBERED TODAY.

AERIAL FLORIDA
JOURNEYS OVER ISLANDS

THAT WERE ONCE HOME TO ONE OF
AMERICA'S MOST POWERFUL TRIBES,

ACROSS EARLY SETTLEMENTS
WHERE EUROPEAN POWERS BATTLED

FOR CONTROL OF THE NEW WORLD...

AND DOWN SHIMMERING
URBAN CANYONS

THAT HAVE LURED THOUSANDS

SEEKING REFUGE
FROM COMMUNIST RULE.

ALL THIS, SOARING
OVER THE CLEAR BLUE WATERS

OF A LAND CALLED FLORIDA.

IT'S NO WONDER THAT
FLORIDA'S STATE FLOWER

IS THE ORANGE BLOSSOM.

HERE IN COLLIER COUNTY,

THE SWEET SMELL OF CITRUS
IS EVERYWHERE.

ROW AFTER ROW OF ORANGE TREES,

REACHING AS FAR
AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

THERE'S SO MUCH CITRUS
IN FLORIDA,

THIS ONE STATE PRODUCES
NEARLY A THIRD

OF THE WORLD'S ORANGE JUICE.

BUT GETTING THESE TREES TO GROW
THEIR SWEET, FAMOUS FRUIT

TAKES A SPECIAL COLONY
OF WORKERS.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR,
BEEHIVES LIKE THESE

ARE MOVED FROM GROVE TO GROVE
ACROSS THE STATE

SO WORKER BEES
CAN POLLINATE THE TREES.

WHEN THE FRUIT IS FINALLY RIPE,
IT'S TIME TO START PICKING.

MIGRANT LABORERS ARE HIRED
BY THE THOUSANDS

TO CLAMBER INTO
THE TREES' HIGH BRANCHES

AND PLUCK THE FRUIT BY HAND.

EACH MAN IS PAID BY THE TUB,

WHICH MEANS HE WORKS QUICKLY
TO PICK AS MUCH AS HE CAN.

AND KEEP UP WITH THESE.

RACING BETWEEN THE ROWS
ARE TRUCKS CALLED "GOATS"

THAT GATHER THE FRESH FRUIT
FROM THE WORKERS

AND FERRY IT
TO TRACTOR TRAILERS...

EACH OF WHICH CAN HOLD
MORE THAN 20 TONS OF ORANGES...

ENOUGH FOR 2,700 GALLONS
OF JUICE.

BUT ORANGES AREN'T NATIVE
TO THE SUNSHINE STATE.

THEY ORIGINALLY CAME FROM CHINA,

CARRIED IN THE POCKETS
OF SPANISH SAILORS

IN THE 16th CENTURY.

FROM THE AIR, IT'S EASY TO SEE
THE GIANT IMPACT

THAT THOSE FIRST ORANGE SEEDS
HAVE HAD ON THIS LAND.

BUT TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT FLORIDA WAS LIKE

BEFORE THE SPANISH
AND CITRUS ARRIVED

REQUIRES A TRIP TO THE STATE'S
SOUTHWEST COAST.

THESE ARE
THE TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS.

35,000 ACRES OF WATER
AND MANGROVE TREES.

THEY'RE PART OF
THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK.

ONCE, THIS WATERY LAND WAS HOME
TO SOME OF THE FIRST FLORIDIANS,

A PREHISTORIC PEOPLE
CALLED THE CALUSA.

EVIDENCE OF THEIR
EARLY SETTLEMENTS

HAS BEEN DISCOVERED
IN THE WETLANDS HERE.

WOODEN MASKS, TOOLS
AND FISHING NETS,

ALL THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD,

FOUND IN ALMOST PERFECT
CONDITION IN THE MUD.

THIS RICHLY ARTISTIC CULTURE
ALSO HELD GREAT POLITICAL POWER.

THE CALUSA CONTROLLED
MOST OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA

UP UNTIL THE 1500s.

SINCE THEN, THE SANDY SHORES

WHERE FLORIDA'S NATIVE TRIBES
ONCE LIVED AND FISHED

HAVE BEEN STEADILY TRANSFORMED.

AND THERE MAY BE NO SINGLE
STRETCH OF FLORIDA COAST

MORE CHANGED THAN THIS ONE...

MIAMI BEACH.

EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT
NATURAL AT ALL.

UNTIL THE 20th CENTURY, THIS WAS
JUST A DESOLATE SANDBAR.

BUT IN 1913, A DEVELOPER
NAMED CARL FISHER

BEGAN DREDGING SAND
FROM NEARBY BISCAYNE BAY

TO CREATE MIAMI BEACH.

HE THEN ORGANIZED STUNTS

WITH GIRLS IN SWIMSUITS
AND A BABY CIRCUS ELEPHANT

TO GET PEOPLE TO INVEST...

AND FINALLY THEY DID.

HOTELS SPRANG UP
ALONG THE BEACH.

BUT NOT ALL WERE LOVED AT FIRST.

WHEN THE FONTAINEBLEAU, DESIGNED
BY ARCHITECT MORRIS LAPIDUS,

ROSE IN THE 1950s,

CRITICS TRASHED IT
AS TOO BOLD AND LUXURIOUS,

WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY IT WAS USED

IN THE JAMES BOND CLASSIC
GOLDFINGER.

RECENTLY, WHEN THE AMERICAN
INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

ASKED THE PUBLIC TO VOTE

ON THEIR FAVORITE BUILDING
IN FLORIDA,

THE FONTAINEBLEAU WAS
THE POPULAR FAVORITE.

WITH ITS CURVED FACADE
AND BEACHSIDE POOL,

THE FONTAINEBLEAU HAS BECOME
A MIAMI LANDMARK--

AND A PRIME EXAMPLE
OF AN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

KNOWN AS MIMO, OR MIAMI MODERN.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST
MODERN HOTELS AND CONDOS

THAT HAVE TRANSFORMED
THIS ONCE-DESOLATE SANDBAR

INTO A TROPICAL PLAYGROUND.

IT'S ALSO PARKING GARAGES,

LIKE THIS ONE,
KNOWN AS 1111 LINCOLN AVENUE.

THIS $65 MILLION GARAGE
WAS DESIGNED BY SWISS ARCHITECTS

FOR MUCH MORE THAN JUST CARS.

SOME LEVELS ARE 30 FEET HIGH,

TO ACCOMMODATE WEDDINGS
AND PARTIES.

THERE'S EVEN A WOMEN'S CLOTHING
BOUTIQUE ON THE 5th FLOOR.

AS NIGHT FALLS, THE LIGHTS
COME ON AT 1111 LINCOLN,

PROVING THAT IN MIAMI
A SIMPLE PARKING GARAGE

CAN BE A DAZZLING ICON
OF CONTEMPORARY DESIGN.

BUT AT NIGHT, IT'S MIAMI BEACH'S
ART DECO DISTRICT

THAT DRAWS THE MOST CROWDS.

THERE'S MORE 1920s AND 1930s
TROPICAL RESORT ARCHITECTURE

HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE
IN THE COUNTRY.

STUNNING STRUCTURES,
LIKE THE 1939 COLONY HOTEL,

LINE OCEAN DRIVE,

WHERE GLITZY CLUBS
AND THEIR WEALTHY CUSTOMERS

MAKE IT EASY TO SEE
WHY MIAMI BEACH

HAS BEEN CALLED
THE "BILLION DOLLAR SANDBAR."

BUT THE ACTION ON OCEAN DRIVE

IS JUST PART OF MIAMI'S
NIGHTTIME STORY.

JUST A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY,
LONGSHOREMEN ARE BUSY AT WORK

OFFLOADING CONTAINER SHIPS

AT THE PORT OF MIAMI'S
GIANT CARGO TERMINAL.

THANKS TO SOME OF THE FASTEST
PORT CRANES IN THE WORLD...

OFFLOADING A CONTAINER
ONTO A WAITING TRACTOR-TRAILER

TAKES MERE SECONDS IN MIAMI.

IT'S WHY THIS PORT HAS BECOME

ONE OF THE BUSIEST
IN THE NATION.

BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN A MAJOR HUB

FOR SMUGGLING NARCOTICS
INTO THE U.S.

SOME LONGSHOREMEN HERE HAVE BEEN
KNOWN TO BE ON THE PAYROLL

OF SOUTH AMERICAN DRUG LORDS--

OFFLOADING COCAINE- AND
MARIJUANA-FILLED CONTAINERS

BEFORE THEY'RE CHECKED
BY U.S. CUSTOMS...

OR BOARDING SHIPS

AND SIMPLY WALKING OFF WITH
DRUGS STRAPPED TO THEIR BODIES.

ONE FORMER DOCK WORKER,
WHO LATER BECAME AN INFORMANT,

TOLD A LOCAL REPORTER THAT HE
HAD PERSONALLY BEEN RESPONSIBLE

FOR SMUGGLING $200 MILLION
WORTH OF COCAINE INTO MIAMI.

A FREE FLOW OF DRUGS HAVE HELPED
GIVE THIS CITY A REPUTATION

AS AN INTERNATIONAL PARTY TOWN.

BUT IN DAYS PAST,

ONE OF THE BEST PLACES
TO PARTY IN MIAMI

WASN'T ON COLORFUL
OCEAN DRIVE...

OR EVEN ANYWHERE ON MIAMI BEACH.

IT WASN'T ON LAND AT ALL.

FROM A DISTANCE THEY LOOK
LIKE FISHING BOATS

AT THE EDGE OF FLORIDA'S
BISCAYNE BAY.

BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY HOMES

IN ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL
NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE COUNTRY:

STILTSVILLE.

IT BEGAN IN THE 1930s WHEN A MAN
CALLED CRAWFISH EDDIE WALKER

TURNED A BARGE INTO A BAIT SHOP
THAT ALSO SOLD BEER AND CHOWDER.

SOON OTHERS STARTED BUILDING.

MORE THAN A MILE OFFSHORE,

THESE STRUCTURES
BECAME NOTORIOUS

FOR BOOZE, GAMBLING AND
POLICE RAIDS THROUGH THE '50s.

FLORIDA GOVERNOR LEROY COLLINS

WAS KNOWN TO VISIT
THIS TINY ABODE

OWNED BY JIMMY ELLENSBURG,

THE UNOFFICIAL MAYOR
OF STILTSVILLE.

IN A NOTE TO JIMMY,
THE GOVERNOR WROTE,

"WHEN THE TIME COMES WHEN
I SAY SO LONG TO THIS LIFE,

I HOPE THE GREAT BEYOND

SEEMS A LOT LIKE
YOUR CABIN IN THE SEA."

IN ITS HEYDAY,
27 HOUSES STOOD HERE.

BUT HURRICANES, FIRE AND TIME
HAVE TAKEN THEIR TOLL.

NOW JUST SEVEN REMAIN.

FLORIDA'S JOURNEY FROM A LAND
OF WILD SHORES

CONTROLLED BY POWERFUL
NATIVE TRIBES

TO ONE THAT'S NOW KNOWN
AS A TROPICAL PLAYGROUND

WITH UNIQUE COASTAL COMMUNITIES
AND A COLORFUL NIGHTTIME STRIP

BEGAN FIVE CENTURIES AGO.

IN 1513, A LEGENDARY SPANISH
EXPLORER NAMED PONCE DE LEON

FIRST SET EYES
ON FLORIDA'S COAST.

DE LEON IMMEDIATELY LAID CLAIM
TO THE NEW LAND FOR SPAIN

AND NAMED IT LA FLORIDA,
SPANISH FOR "PLACE OF FLOWERS."

BUT SOON FRENCH SETTLERS WERE
VYING FOR A PIECE OF FLORIDA.

SO IN 1565, SPAIN SENT
A BATTLE-TESTED OFFICER

NAMED PEDRO MENENDEZ DE AVILES

WITH 2,000 MEN ON 11 SHIPS
TO KICK OUT THE FRENCH.

MENENDEZ LANDED
ON FLORIDA'S NORTHEAST COAST

AND ESTABLISHED A SPANISH COLONY

THAT HE NAMED ST. AUGUSTINE
AFTER THE CATHOLIC SAINT.

FOUNDED 42 YEARS
BEFORE THE JAMESTOWN COLONY

AND 55 YEARS
BEFORE PLYMOUTH ROCK,

ST. AUGUSTINE IS THE OLDEST

CONTINUALLY OCCUPIED EUROPEAN
SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA.

IT NOW LIES BETWEEN JACKSONVILLE
AND DAYTONA BEACH.

THIS 70-TON STAINLESS STEEL
CROSS MARKS THE SPOT

WHERE MENENDEZ KNELT
UPON HIS ARRIVAL

AND KISSED A SMALL WOODEN CROSS

GIVEN TO HIM BY
HIS EXPEDITION'S CHAPLAIN.

CONVERTING THE NATIVE
COLUSA INDIANS

BECOME ONE OF HIS MANY MISSIONS.

BUT OTHER EUROPEANS
WERE THE BIGGEST THREAT.

SOON AFTER HIS ARRIVAL, MENENDEZ
TOOK CONTROL OF THE AREA

AND SLAUGHTERED A GROUP
OF FRENCH SETTLERS

HERE AT MATANZAS INLET,

AFTER THEY REFUSED TO CONVERT
TO CATHOLICISM.

THE SPANISH STRONGHOLD
AT ST. AUGUSTINE,

A FORT CALLED
CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS,

WEATHERED MANY AN ATTACK
FROM EUROPEAN ENEMIES...

INCLUDING A MAJOR
BRITISH ASSAULT IN 1702.

IN 1763, SPAIN WAS FINALLY
FORCED TO GIVE UP THE FORT,

AND FLORIDA, TO THE BRITISH,

BUT REGAINED CONTROL
DECADES LATER.

IT WAS THEREFORE FROM SPAIN,
NOT ENGLAND,

THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
FINALLY PURCHASED FLORIDA

AFTER THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

HUNDREDS OF MILES OF COASTLINE,
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MIAMI,

STILL REMAINED
LARGELY UNDEVELOPED...

AND VERY WILD.

DENSE FORESTS AND MILES OF SWAMP
LINED THE BEACHES.

THE ONLY WAY TO SEND MAIL
DOWN THE COAST

WAS TO GIVE IT TO MEN
WHO WALKED IT DOWN THE BEACH.

KNOWN AS THE "BAREFOOT MAILMEN,"

THEY TRAVELED ON FOOT
DOWN THE SHORE.

EN ROUTE, THEY ENCOUNTERED
BLAZING SUN, STORMS, MOSQUITOES

AND OTHER
MORE DANGEROUS CREATURES!

ONE MAILMAN, JAMES HAMILTON,
DIED ON THE JOB,

MOST LIKELY DEVOURED

BY ONE OF FLORIDA'S MANY
HUNGRY ALLIGATORS.

THE BAREFOOT MAILMEN
ENDED THEIR SERVICE IN 1892,

AND JUST FOUR YEARS LATER

TRAINS WERE STEAMING
ALL THE WAY DOWN THE COAST.

THE EVER-AMBITIOUS DEVELOPER
HENRY FLAGLER

KNEW THAT THE FURTHER SOUTH
YOU GO IN FLORIDA,

THE SUNNIER AND WARMER IT GETS.

SO HE BEGAN LAYING TRACK

AND BUILDING WHAT WOULD
COME TO BE KNOWN

AS THE FLORIDA
EAST COAST RAILWAY.

THIS WAS NO TRAIN TO NOWHERE.

WHERE FLAGLER'S TRAINS STOPPED,
HE BUILT LAVISH HOTELS,

LIKE THIS ONE IN PALM BEACH.

THE PALM BEACH INN, WHICH
WAS LATER RENAMED THE BREAKERS,

WAS A GRAND WINTER RESORT

OVERLOOKING THE ATLANTIC
FOR MEMBERS OF THE GILDED AGE.

A FIRE FROM A GUEST'S
CURLING IRON

DESTROYED THE HOTEL IN 1925,

BUT IT WAS REBUILT AND IS STILL
OWNED BY FLAGLER'S DESCENDANTS.

NEARBY, JUST FEET FROM THE WATER
ON JUPITER ISLAND,

STANDS THE RECENTLY FINISHED
HOME OF TIGER WOODS--

COMPLETE WITH ITS OWN
3 1/2-ACRE GOLF COURSE.

FEW DETAILS ABOUT THE HOME'S
BUDGET OR INTERIOR DESIGN

HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC.

BUT ON HIS BLOG,
WOODS HAS REVEALED

THAT HE HAS A SPOT
ON THE SECOND FLOOR

FROM WHERE HE CAN DRIVE
GOLF BALLS ONTO HIS GREEN.

FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD
THEIR OWN GOLF COURSE,

AIR-CONDITIONED CONDOS
LINE FLORIDA'S EASTERN SHORE,

LIKE THESE ON POMPANO BEACH,
JUST NORTH OF FORT LAUDERDALE.

THESE BEACHGOERS,
LIKE MILLIONS ACROSS THE STATE,

ARE CONTINUING TO ENJOY
THE FRUITS OF THE LABORS

OF THE STATE'S EARLY PIONEERS.

IN THE 1890s,
JUST A FEW FAMILIES LIVED HERE,

FORGING A COMMUNITY
OUT OF THE SWAMP

AND BATTLING HORSEFLIES,
HURRICANES AND ALLIGATORS

TO EKE OUT A LIVING.

THEY HELPED TRANSFORM FLORIDA
INTO A WINTER PARADISE

AND PAVE THE WAY
FOR THE BUILDING

OF FLORIDA'S BIGGEST AND
MOST LOVED EASTERN CITY: MIAMI.

SOARING OVER BISCAYNE BAY,
DOWNTOWN MIAMI

HAS ONE OF THE MOST MODERN AND
ICONIC SKYLINES IN THE WORLD.

SHIMMERING TOWERS
OF COLORFUL GLASS

DESIGNED BY SOME OF THE WORLD'S
BEST-KNOWN ARCHITECTS.

IT'S A CITY OF EXTREMES
OF POVERTY AND EXCESS,

THAT'S RIDDEN GREAT CYCLES
OF BOOM AND BUST.

SOARING PAST TODAY'S
GLASS-COATED SKYLINE,

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT MIAMI

WAS ONCE THE FOURTH POOREST CITY
IN AMERICA.

BUT DURING THE SAVINGS AND LOAN
SCANDAL IN THE LATE 1980s,

ONE S&L HERE EVEN BUILT
A NEW HEADQUARTERS

WITH BATHROOM FIXTURES
PLATED IN GOLD.

THE CITY'S PROXIMITY
TO LATIN AMERICA

HAS MEANT THAT MIAMI'S FORTUNES
HAVE LONG BEEN TIED

TO THE ECONOMIC HEALTH

OF COUNTRIES LIKE BRAZIL,
COLOMBIA AND ARGENTINA.

TODAY, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
CALLS ITSELF

THE "GATEWAY TO THE AMERICAS,"

AND NOT JUST
FOR ECONOMIC REASONS.

THIS IS HOW MANY MIAMI RESIDENTS
FIRST ARRIVED IN THE CITY.

AS SOON AS DICTATOR FIDEL CASTRO
TOOK POWER IN CUBA IN 1959,

A STEADY STREAM
OF CUBAN REFUGEES

STARTED LANDING HERE IN MIAMI.

FOR MANY, ONE OF THE FIRST STOPS
IN TOWN WAS THE FREEDOM TOWER,

OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS THE CUBAN ASSISTANCE CENTER,

WHICH OPENED IN 1962.

THIS FORMER NEWSPAPER BUILDING

WAS USED TO REGISTER
NEW CUBAN ARRIVALS,

EARNING IT THE NICKNAME
THE "ELLIS ISLAND OF THE SOUTH."

IN THE EARLY 1990s,

ITALIAN FASHION DESIGNER
GIANNI VERSACE

FELL IN LOVE WITH MIAMI BEACH

AND PURCHASED A 1930s VILLA
JUST STEPS FROM THE SHORE...

COMPLETE WITH ITS OWN
OBSERVATORY.

ONE REASON VERSACE WANTED
TO LIVE RIGHT ON MIAMI BEACH

WAS BECAUSE HE LOVED
TO WALK ITS STREETS.

BUT ON THE MORNING
OF JULY 15, 1997,

VERSACE RETURNED
FROM A NEARBY CAFE

AND WAS WALKING
UP HIS OWN FRONT STEPS

WHEN A MAN APPROACHED
AND SHOT HIM TO DEATH...

A MURDER THAT SHOCKED
AND CAPTIVATED THE WORLD.

THE KILLER LATER TOOK
HIS OWN LIFE

AND HIS MOTIVE FOR KILLING
VERSACE REMAINS A MYSTERY.

THE DESIGNER'S FAMILY
SOLD THE MANSION,

WHICH BECAME A BOUTIQUE HOTEL

AND WAS LATER PUT ON THE MARKET
FOR $125 MILLION.

TODAY, THE VERSACE HOUSE
IS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS

THAT MORE THAN
13 MILLION VISITORS

COME TO MIAMI EACH YEAR.

BUT THIS CITY HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN

THE MOST POPULAR PLACE
IN FLORIDA.

IN 1890, THAT HONOR BELONGED

TO A LITTLE ISLAND
OFF THE FLORIDA COAST.

LYING AT THE END
OF CHAIN OF ISLANDS...

SPRINGING OFF THE STATE'S
SOUTHERN TIP...

IT'S A PLACE CALLED KEY WEST.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND,

WHEN THE SPANISH FIRST CAME
TO FLORIDA'S KEY WEST

IN THE 1500s,

THEY FOUND
THE SUN-BLEACHED BONES

OF CALUSA INDIANS
SLAIN IN BATTLE,

AND NAMED THE PLACE BONE KEY,
OR "CAYO HUESO,"

WHICH SOUNDED TO ANGLO EARS
LIKE KEY WEST.

FROM THE 16th THROUGH
THE 19th CENTURIES,

BLACKBEARD, JEAN LAFITTE
AND OTHER FAMOUS PIRATES

PLIED THE WATERS
AROUND THIS KEY...

LAYING IN AMBUSH
FOR TREASURE-LADEN SPANISH SHIPS

ARRIVING FROM CENTRAL
AND SOUTH AMERICA.

BUT PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS
RESIDENT OF KEY WEST

HAS BEEN ERNEST HEMINGWAY,

WHO BOUGHT THIS HOME
ON THE ISLAND

IN 1931 AT A TAX SALE.

HEMINGWAY LIVED HERE
WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO SONS

UNTIL 1940,
WHEN HE MOVED TO CUBA.

TODAY, MANY IN KEY WEST
ARE JUST HERE FOR THE RIDE...

AND MANY OF THEM GET HERE

THANKS TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST
ENGINEERING PROJECTS

IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

BY THE TURN OF THE 20th CENTURY,
THE NOW AGING HENRY FLAGLER

WAS STILL DREAMING OF EXTENDING
HIS EAST COAST RAILWAY

FROM MIAMI ALL THE WAY DOWN
THROUGH THE KEYS.

TO DO IT, THE TRACKS WOULD
HAVE TO SKIP LIKE A PEBBLE

ACROSS 128 MILES
AND MORE THAN 34 ISLANDS

TO REACH THE LAST
IN THE CHAIN...

KEY WEST.

FLAGLER EVEN WAS WILLING
TO SPEND MUCH OF HIS OWN FORTUNE

TO BUILD IT.

IN 1905, CONSTRUCTION STARTED,
AND SOON 4,000 MEN WERE AT WORK

DIGGING OUT THE SEABED AND
BUILDING PILING AFTER PILING

TO SUPPORT THE DECKS
FOR THE RAILS ABOVE.

THERE WAS NO GREATER CHALLENGE
DURING THE PROJECT THAN THIS:

THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE--

THE LONGEST OVERSEAS SPAN
IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME.

THE DANGERS FOR THE MEN
WERE MANY.

IN 1906, A YEAR AFTER
CONSTRUCTION STARTED,

A HURRICANE STRUCK, KILLING
MORE THAN 100 WORKERS.

BUT FINALLY, IN 1912,

SEVEN YEARS AFTER CONSTRUCTION
HAD STARTED

AND $20 MILLION LATER,

FLAGLER ARRIVED IN THE FIRST
TRAIN TO REACH KEY WEST.

WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES,

THE 82-YEAR-OLD TYCOON
WHISPERED TO A FRIEND,

"NOW I CAN DIE HAPPY.
MY DREAM IS FULFILLED."

FLAGLER DIED THE NEXT YEAR,

AND IT WASN'T LONG
BEFORE HIS RAILWAY DID, TOO.

ON LABOR DAY 1935,

A TRAIN TO KEY WEST
PULLED INTO THE STATION.

BUT THAT EVENING
A CATEGORY 5 STORM,

NAMED THE LABOR DAY HURRICANE,

SWEPT ACROSS THE KEYS,
DESTROYING MILES OF TRACK.

IT WOULD COME TO BE KNOWN
AS THE STORM OF THE CENTURY.

FLAGLER'S COMPANY,

ALREADY IN FINANCIAL RUIN
FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION,

WAS UNABLE TO REBUILD
THE TRACKS.

NO OTHER TRAIN
EVER MADE IT DOWN THE KEYS.

THE STATE OF FLORIDA
BOUGHT THE TRACKS

AND TURNED THEM INTO
A ROADWAY FOR CARS.

LATER THE ORIGINAL ROUTE
WAS ABANDONED ALTOGETHER

WHEN AN ENTIRELY NEW HIGHWAY
TO KEY WEST WAS CONSTRUCTED...

WITH 37 NEW BRIDGES.

TODAY SECTIONS OF FLAGLER'S
ORIGINAL RAILWAY LINE

STILL PROVIDE THE PUBLIC
WITH EVIDENCE

OF THE RICH HISTORY
OF THE FLORIDA KEYS.

AND THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE HAS
MADE HOLLYWOOD HISTORY, TOO.

IN THE 1994 FILM TRUE LIES,

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER,
HANGING OUT OF A HELICOPTER,

TRIES TO RESCUE A CHARACTER
PLAYED BY JAMIE LEE CURTIS

AS SHE HURTLES
IN AN OUT-OF-CONTROL LIMOUSINE

TOWARD A GAP IN THE BRIDGE.

HE FINALLY PULLS HER TO SAFETY

JUST AS THE CAR PLUNGES
INTO THE ABYSS.

MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO,
IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN A BRIDGE

JUST TO REACH
THE FLORIDA MAINLAND, TOO.

THAT'S BECAUSE FLORIDA WAS ONCE
ITSELF AN ISLAND--

A TINY LANDMASS THAT GEOLOGISTS
CALL "ORANGE ISLAND."

BUT OVER THE LAST ICE AGE,
AS GLACIERS EXPANDED,

SEA LEVELS DROPPED
AND ORANGE ISLAND GREW.

IN FACT IT GREW SO LARGE,

IT WAS ONCE THREE TIMES THE SIZE
THAT FLORIDA IS TODAY.

THEN EVERYTHING REVERSED.

THE GLACIERS OF
THE LAST ICE AGE MELTED,

AND MUCH OF FLORIDA
ENDED UP UNDER WATER,

AS OCEAN LEVELS TOPPED OUT

100 FEET HIGHER
THAN THEY ARE NOW.

WHEN THOSE WATERS
FINALLY RECEDED,

THEY LEFT BEHIND ONE OF
FLORIDA'S GREAT TREASURES:

THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK.

THE PARK IS A JUST A SMALL PIECE

OF THE ENTIRE EVERGLADES
ECOSYSTEM.

THESE GIANT WETLANDS
ONCE COVERED

MUCH OF SOUTHERN
AND CENTRAL FLORIDA--

AND EVEN SURROUNDED THE STATE'S
LARGEST BODY OF FRESHWATER...

LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

LUCKILY, FLORIDIANS HAVE PLENTY
OF COASTLINE FOR SWIMMING

BECAUSE LAKE OKEECHOBEE IS
NO PLACE TO DANGLE YOUR TOES.

IT'S HOME TO MORE THAN
20,000 ALLIGATORS.

MOST OF THEM STAY
WELL CAMOUFLAGED

IN OKEECHOBEE'S COOL WATERS.

BUT EVEN THESE COLD-BLOODED
CREATURES ENJOY A SUN BATH.

WITH SO MANY ALLIGATORS
IN THE EVERGLADES,

THOUSANDS COME HERE
FROM AROUND THE WORLD

JUST FOR A CHANCE TO SPOT ONE.

THESE AIRBOATS ACT
LIKE HOVERCRAFT,

SKIMMING OVER SHALLOW WATER AND
SAWGRASS ON A CUSHION OF AIR.

IT'S A THRILLING RIDE FOR SURE.

BUT IT'S POSSIBLE TO VISIT
THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

AND LEAVE THINKING THAT
ALL'S WELL IN THIS WATERY LAND.

OFTEN, WHERE THE TOUR
ROUTES END,

VAST STRETCHES
OF SCRUB DESERT BEGIN.

THIS WAS ONCE THE WET AND WILD
EVERGLADES...

NOW THIS LANDSCAPE LOOKS MORE
LIKE NEW MEXICO THAN FLORIDA.

THE REASON IS
THE EVERGLADES ECOSYSTEM

HAS SLOWLY BEEN DYING...

AND HUMANS, NOT NATURE,
ARE TO BLAME.

IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY,

THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED THAT
THE EVERGLADES WERE A PROBLEM.

FLOODING DESTROYED CROPS

AND MADE CENTRAL AREAS
OF THE STATE HARD TO FARM.

MUCH OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA
WAS SO SOGGY

THAT SETTLERS COULDN'T MOVE IN.

SO THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED
TO CONTROL THIS ECOSYSTEM.

IT BUILT THE TAMIAMI TRAIL
AND CANAL--

A ROAD AND WATERWAY WHICH RUN

FROM EAST TO WEST
ACROSS THE STATE

AND LITERALLY CUT THE EVERGLADES
ECOSYSTEM IN TWO.

BEFORE THE CANAL,

THE EVERGLADES ACTED
LIKE A GIANT RIVER OF WATER,

WHICH FLOWED SLOWLY
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.

BUT THE TAMIAMI TRAIL
BLOCKED THAT FLOW--

AND STARTED CAUSING
THE EVERGLADES,

ONCE KNOWN AS PAHAY OKI,
OR "GRASSY WATERS,"

TO DRY UP AND DIE.

TODAY, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS
TRYING TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK.

THEY'RE RE-ENGINEERING SECTIONS
OF THE TAMIAMI TRAIL

TO TRY AND LET WATER
FLOW NATURALLY

THROUGH THESE WETLANDS AGAIN.

AND ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC
SEASONAL SIGHTS

IN THE SKIES OVER FLORIDA
MAY SOON DISAPPEAR,

TO HELP THE EVERGLADES'
SURVIVAL.

A TOWER OF SMOKE HEADS FOR
THE SKY OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA.

IT'S BEEN LIT BY WORKERS

ON SOME OF THE LARGEST SUGAR
PLANTATIONS IN THE WORLD.

SUGAR CANE IS FLORIDA'S
BIGGEST CROP AFTER CITRUS.

THIS FIELD IS READY
FOR HARVESTING.

BUT BEFORE IT'S CUT,
WORKERS BURN THE CROP

TO STRIP THE LEAVES
FROM THE CANE.

IT'S SO DRY
IT LIGHTS IN SECONDS.

BUT THESE RAGING FLAMES
WILL BURN OUT

ALMOST AS FAST AS THEY WERE LIT.

IT CAN TAKE JUST 15 MINUTES
TO BURN 40 ACRES.

EVEN BEFORE THE FLAMES SUBSIDE,

HARVESTERS MOVE IN
TO CUT THE CANE.

THEN IT'S TRANSFERRED TO TRUCKS
THAT CARRY IT TO NEARBY MILLS.

ENORMOUS AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS
LIKE THESE

HAVE HELPED DAMAGE
THE EVERGLADES.

PESTICIDES AND
AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF

HAVE DESTROYED THE HABITATS
OF BIRDS AND FISH.

BUT ODDLY ENOUGH,
THE LARGEST SUGAR MANUFACTURER

IS NOW A PART OF THE SOLUTION
TO FIX THE PROBLEMS.

U.S. SUGAR CORP,

THE LARGEST PRIVATE LANDOWNER
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA,

HAS SOLD PORTIONS OF ITS LAND
TO THE STATE,

WHICH MANY HOPE WILL HELP
THE EVERGLADES TO RECOVER.

IF ALL GOES TO PLAN,

BURNING FIELDS LIKE THESE
ACROSS THE REGION

COULD SOON BE FLOODED AGAIN

AND HOME TO A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM
OF PLANTS AND CREATURES.

THE EVERGLADES MAY BE FLORIDA'S
MOST FAMOUS NATURAL WONDER...

BUT EAST OF ORLANDO IS A PLACE

THAT'S LEFT MILLIONS AWESTRUCK
AROUND THE WORLD:

CAPE CANAVERAL...

HOME OF THE KENNEDY
SPACE CENTER.

NO PLACE IN AMERICA HAS CAPTURED

THE AWESOME POWER
OF HUMAN INGENUITY

MORE THAN THIS ONE.

HERE AT PAD 39A,

APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUTS
NEIL ARMSTRONG, BUZZ ALDRIN

AND MICHAEL COLLINS

LIFTED OFF TO THE MOON,

AND 82 SPACE SHUTTLES
HAVE SOARED INTO SPACE

OVER THREE DECADES.

TOWERING OVER THIS STUNNING
STRETCH OF COAST

IS NASA'S VEHICLE ASSEMBLY
BUILDING, OR VAB,

THE LARGEST SINGLE STORY
STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD.

INSIDE ENGINEERS ASSEMBLED
EVERY SINGLE SPACE SHUTTLE.

ONCE EACH SHUTTLE
WAS READY FOR LAUNCH,

IT ROLLED OUT OF THE VAB...

DOWN THIS 130-FOOT-WIDE PATH...

KNOWN AS THE CRAWLERWAY.

SHUTTLES WERE MOUNTED
ON GIANT CRAWLER-TRANSPORTERS

THAT ROLLED ALONG
AT LESS THAN 1 MILE PER HOUR.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE CRAWLER
AND ITS SPACE-BOUND CARGO

ALL WEIGHED
NEARLY 17 MILLION POUNDS.

TRACKS FROM THE LAST CRAWLER
TO MAKE THIS JOURNEY

ARE STILL VISIBLE
IN THE GRAVEL TODAY.

EVERY TIME A SHUTTLE HEADED
TOWARDS THE LAUNCH PAD,

MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD
ANXIOUSLY AWAITED LIFTOFF.

CAPE CANAVERAL IS ALSO
WHERE AMERICA'S ASTRONAUTS

RETURN TO EARTH
AND A HERO'S WELCOME.

TWO BLACK STRIPS ON THE MIDDLE
OF THE TARMAC

IDENTIFY THEIR TARGET
TOUCHDOWN SITE.

THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
ENDED IN 2011,

AND THE ONLY VISIBLE SHUTTLE
AT CAPE CANAVERAL TODAY

IS THIS ONE,

A FULL-SIZE REPLICA
FOR JOURNALISTS AND VISITORS.

WITH THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM CLOSED,
NASA IS NOW LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS

TO PUT ITS HISTORIC
INFRASTRUCTURE TO USE.

CHANCES ARE
THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

WON'T END UP FACING
THE SAME FATE

THAT ANOTHER FLORIDA
LAUNCHING SITE DID IN THE 1970s.

THIS IS THE HM69
NIKE MISSILE BASE,

JUST 160 MILES
FROM CUBA'S SHORES.

ONCE 12 NIKE HERCULES MISSILES
STOOD AT THE READY HERE,

IN ABOVE-GROUND MISSILE BARNS.

A NIKE HERCULES COULD BE ARMED
WITH A NUCLEAR WARHEAD

AND TRAVEL MORE THAN
2,700 MILES PER HOUR.

ALL AROUND THE BASE WERE GUARDS,
BARBED WIRE, AND ATTACK DOGS.

THE NIKE MISSILE PROGRAM
WAS CLOSED IN 1975,

AND THIS BASE WAS DECOMMISSIONED
FOUR YEARS LATER.

FLYING LOW OVER FLORIDA
IS A CHANCE TO DISCOVER A STATE

WITH SEEMINGLY ENDLESS
SURPRISES.

LIKE THIS ONE: AN AIRLINER
PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY

OF ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S
GREATEST STARS: JOHN TRAVOLTA.

HE'S THE ONLY PRIVATE CITIZEN
IN THE U.S.

TO FLY HIS OWN BOEING 707.

AFTER HE TAXIS IN
AND SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINES,

TRAVOLTA CAN STEP
FROM THE COCKPIT

AND HEAD RIGHT INTO
HIS LIVING ROOM.

HE DESIGNED HIS OWN HOUSE

IN THE STYLE OF
A 1950s AIRPORT TERMINAL.

IT'S LOCATED ON A NEW
LUXURY AVIATION ESTATE,

CALLED JUMBOLAIR,

THAT HAS THE LARGEST PRIVATE
RESIDENTIAL RUNWAY

IN THE COUNTRY.

JOHN TRAVOLTA IS ONE OF NEARLY
19 MILLION OTHERS IN FLORIDA

WHO CALL THE STATE HOME
YEAR ROUND.

BUT NEARLY 86 MILLION
MORE PEOPLE

FLOCK TO FLORIDA EACH YEAR.

MANY COME HERE TO ORLANDO...

FOR A THEME PARK THRILL RIDE
LIKE THIS ONE:

THE HOLLYWOOD RIP RIDE ROCKIT
AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS...

OR TO VISIT THE WORLD'S
MOST FAMOUS MOUSE.

BUT MOST COME TO FLORIDA
TO ESCAPE THE HARSH WINTERS

OF PLACES LIKE NEW YORK
AND COLORADO.

A LUCKY FEW OF THOSE LIVE HERE

IN PORT ROYAL
ON THE STATE'S GULF COAST.

IT'S HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST
EXPENSIVE PROPERTY IN FLORIDA--

AND HAS STREETS NAMED
WITH PIRATE THEMES,

LIKE TREASURE LANE AND RUM ROW.

THIS AREA WAS ONCE CONSIDERED
USELESS SWAMP,

UNTIL A SAVVY DEVELOPER
IN THE 1940s

DECIDED TO SCULPT IT
INTO 700 HOME SITES

AND MILES
OF NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS.

HE WAS KNOWN TO TAKE
POTENTIAL BUYERS AROUND

IN HIS ROLLS ROYCE
AND 70-FOOT YACHT

SO HE COULD CAREFULLY HANDPICK
THE COMMUNITY'S NEW MEMBERS.

"MONEY ALONE," HE SAID,
"WON'T BUY A LOT IN PORT ROYAL."

BUT WHILE PORT ROYAL
MAY BE MANMADE,

NATURE HAS MADE A COMEBACK.

RESIDENTS STEP
OUT OF THEIR HOMES

AND PADDLE PAST WILD
MANGROVE FORESTS,

JUST AS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING
ON THE FLORIDA COAST

FOR CENTURIES.

BUT NOT ALL WINTER RESIDENTS
OF FLORIDA

COME TO ENJOY THE STATE'S
NATURAL WONDERS.

SOME, LIKE THIRD-BASEMAN
ALEX RODRIGUEZ,

COME HERE TO TRAIN.

THIS IS STEINBRENNER FIELD,

SPRINGTIME HOME
OF THE NEW YORK YANKEES.

EVERY MARCH, 15 MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL TEAMS

DESCEND ON FLORIDA
FOR SPRING TRAINING,

ALSO KNOWN
AS THE GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE.

IT GIVES ESTABLISHED STARS
LIKE A-ROD A CHANCE

TO GET THEIR TIMING BACK

AND ROOKIES A CHANCE
TO MAKE THE TEAM.

GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER FIELD,
HERE IN TAMPA,

IS A DIRECT COPY
OF THE ORIGINAL YANKEE STADIUM,

DOWN TO THE MILLIMETER.

BUT WITH ONLY 11,000 SEATS,

FANS CAN GET RIGHT UP CLOSE
TO THEIR FAVORITE PLAYERS.

YANKEES CAPTAIN DEREK JETER
HANGS HIS CAP NEARBY...

IN A HOME REPORTEDLY APPRAISED
AT $12 MILLION--

TWICE THE PRICE OF ANY OTHER
HOME IN THE COUNTY.

THE SEVEN-BEDROOM,
NINE-BATH MANSION HERE IN TAMPA

HAS RECEIVED ITS SHARE
OF ATTENTION AND RIDICULE

OVER ITS EXTRAVAGANCE.

BUT WHILE MAJOR LEAGUERS
COME TO FLORIDA

TO TRAIN FOR THE MAJOR LEAGUE...

OTHER FLORIDA ATHLETES
ARE HOPING THEIR TRAINING

WILL GET THEM
OUT OF THE STATE

AND INTO THE BIG TIME.

IT WAS HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF FLORIDA AT GAINESVILLE

THAT QUARTERBACK TIM TEBOW
TOOK COLLEGE FOOTBALL BY STORM,

WINNING A HEISMAN TROPHY

AND TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
FOR THE FLORIDA GATORS.

BUT THIS SCHOOL IS ALSO FAMOUS

FOR ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION
TO THE SPORTS WORLD.

IN 1965 AN ASSISTANT COACH
AND A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS

DEVELOPED A NEW SPORTS DRINK
THAT THEY NAMED AFTER THE TEAM.

THE NEW HYDRATING DRINK,
CALLED GATORADE,

PROPELLED THE GATORS INTO THE
SCHOOL'S FIRST ORANGE BOWL WIN.

SINCE THEN IT'S BECOME
THE OFFICIAL SPORTS DRINK

OF MORE THAN 70
DIVISION ONE COLLEGES.

NORTHWEST OF GAINESVILLE,
ON THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE,

LIES THE POLITICAL HEART
OF FLORIDA:

THE STATE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE.

A NEW STATE HOUSE
WAS BUILT HERE IN 1845

AFTER THE SPANISH CEDED CONTROL
OF FLORIDA

TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.

THE 22-STORY
EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING

WAS COMPLETED IN 1977.

IT WAS IN THIS CAPITOL COMPLEX

THAT THE NATION KICKED OFF
THE 21st CENTURY

WITH ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE
POLITICAL EVENTS IN HISTORY.

ON NOVEMBER 7,2000,

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA,
BECAME GROUND ZERO

IN AN UGLY BATTLE
FOR THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.

WITH THIS STATE HOLDING
THE LARGEST NUMBER

OF REMAINING ELECTORAL VOTES,

FLORIDIANS HAD THE POWER

TO DECIDE THE OUTCOME
OF THE ELECTION.

THAT NIGHT, MAJOR NETWORKS

PREMATURELY ANNOUNCED
GEORGE W. BUSH THE WINNER,

ONLY TO RETRACT THAT STATEMENT
SOON AFTER.

THE VOTE COUNT WAS
TOO CLOSE TO CALL.

A RECOUNT IN FLORIDA LEFT BUSH
WINNING BY JUST 537 VOTES...

AND UNCOVERED IRREGULARITIES

THAT PUT THOUSANDS MORE BALLOTS
INTO QUESTION.

BITTER LEGAL BATTLES ENSUED,

MAKING ONCE-OBSCURE VOTING TERMS

LIKE "BUTTERFLY BALLOT"
AND "HANGING CHAD"

HOUSEHOLD WORDS OVERNIGHT.

HERE, INSIDE THE FLORIDA
SUPREME COURT,

JUDGES FINALLY VOTED TO ALLOW
MANUAL RECOUNTS OF THE BALLOTS.

BUT ON DECEMBER 12, 2000,

THE U.S. SUPREME COURT BLOCKED
THE FLORIDA COURT'S DECISION.

THE NEXT DAY,
AL GORE CONCEDED DEFEAT.

IT WAS THE THIRD TIME IN HISTORY

THAT AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT
LOST THE POPULAR VOTE

BUT STILL HAD ENOUGH
ELECTORAL VOTES

TO WIN THE HIGHEST OFFICE
IN THE LAND.

WHEN THE 2000 ELECTION
WAS FINALLY OVER,

TALLAHASSEE WAS QUIET AGAIN...

JUST LIKE THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE
HAS ALWAYS BEEN.

JUST ABOVE THE BLUE-GREEN WATERS
OF FLORIDA'S PANHANDLE,

A FLOCK OF BROWN PELICANS
HEADS WEST.

THESE BIRDS CAN STAY
IN THE AIR FOR HOURS.

WITH A FEW SIMPLE FLAPS
OF ITS WINGS,

A PELICAN CAN GLIDE
FOR MORE THAN A HUNDRED FEET.

ONE REASON THEY FLY
SO LOW OVER WATER

IS BECAUSE THE AIR BETWEEN THEIR
WINGS AND THE WATER'S SURFACE

GETS COMPRESSED...

AND GIVES THE BIRDS LIFT,
TO HELP THEM GLIDE FOR LONGER.

THIS FLOCK IS FLYING

OVER ONE OF THE STATE'S
MOST DISTINCTIVE LANDSCAPES...

A PLACE KNOWN
AS THE FORGOTTEN COAST,

THE WHITE BEACHES
OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

THIS WHITE SAND IS ACTUALLY
FROM THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.

OVER MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

RIVERS CARRIED QUARTZ
AND GRANITE SILT

OUT OF THOSE MOUNTAINS

AND DEPOSITED IT HERE,
ALONG THE PANHANDLE.

AFTER THE CIVIL WAR,

FLORIDA TRIED TO SELL OFF
THE PANHANDLE TO ALABAMA

FOR A MILLION DOLLARS,

BUT ALABAMA NOT SO POLITELY
REFUSED...

SAYING IT HAD NO USE

FOR A "SANDBANK
AND A GOPHER REGION."

TODAY THAT SANDBANK
IS A FLORIDA TREASURE.

MUCH OF THIS COAST
HAS REMAINED UNDEVELOPED...

AND TRAPPED IN TIME.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANHANDLE
LIES APALACHICOLA BAY,

PROTECTED FROM
THE GULF OF MEXICO

BY THE ISLANDS OF ST. GEORGE
AND ST. VINCENT.

THIS BAY IS ONE OF THE ONLY
PLACES IN AMERICA

WHERE FISHERMEN CALLED "TONGERS"

STILL HARVEST OYSTERS
THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY--

USING SMALL BOATS
AND RAKE-LIKE TONGS

TO SCRAPE THE SHELLFISH
OFF THE SEA FLOOR.

90% OF FLORIDA'S OYSTERS
ARE HARVESTED HERE--

ENOUGH EVERY YEAR TO BURY THE
FLORIDA GATORS FOOTBALL TEAM

UP TO THEIR WAISTS ON THE FIELD.

A LINEMAN FLIES
THROUGH THE AIR...

JUST DOWN THE COAST
IN APALACHICOLA.

BUT HE'S NOT ON A RESCUE MISSION

FOR A STRANDED JET SKIER
OR A BEACHED PORPOISE.

HE'S ACTUALLY
JUST GOING TO WORK...

ON THE PANHANDLE'S POWER LINES.

DANGLING BELOW A HELICOPTER,
THIS DARING WORKER

IS CHECKING CONNECTIONS
ON A HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER LINE.

EQUIPPED WITH A BAG OF TOOLS,

HE HAS EVERYTHING HE NEEDS
TO MAKE IMMEDIATE REPAIRS.

IT TAKES GREAT SKILL TO PILOT
HELICOPTERS FOR POWER LINE WORK.

ONE SUDDEN MOVEMENT,

AND A LINEMAN CAN BE RIPPED
FROM HIS LINE...

OR SENT CRASHING INTO THE WIRES.

ALL THE DOORS ON THIS HUGHES 500
HAVE BEEN REMOVED...

HELPING THE PILOT SEE
WHAT'S HAPPENING 100 FEET BELOW.

IT'S A PERFECT JOB FOR THOSE

WHO SAVOR A CHANCE
TO SEE THE WORLD FROM THE AIR...

AND TAKE AN AERIAL JOURNEY
ACROSS THE SUNSHINE STATE.