Our catch phrase is on its way.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

My father drove us down to Florida in March of 1955. First we visited the family of one of Dad’s friends in Tallahassee, Florida. After that we drove all the way down to Miami. The highways were all two-laned. There were not any multi-lane expressways chopping the state – and its wildlife – into bits and pieces. I remember noting that in Tallahassee the ground was still rather solid. But as we drove south toward Miami, the ground became pure sand. It was so soft! Also, of course, was the distinction in vegetation between Illinois and Florida. There are no native palm trees in Illinois as there were in Florida. And the vast stretches of cornfields of Illinois were not to be seen in Florida -- with its vast stretches of orange groves. The Everglades were completely unspoiled, with not a cattle ranch in sight. When we got down to Miami, we were greeted by a clean, peaceful city. How unlike the congested Miami of today! The beaches were uncrowded and there were no huge rows of high-rise hotels along them! Everything was very relaxed. Unlike the Florida of today (with a population of close to 20 million), the Florida of 1955 had only 3.9 million people. There were as yet no Cuban or Haitian refugees. Nor were there any huge numbers of retired people or New Yorkers. Especially in the north, the people spoke with a strong southern accent. In the south, the accents of the people were more like those of Midwesterners. My family and I had lot of time to talk about life and to relax during those two weeks. We never went to restaurants. Rather, we would pick up some items at grocery stores or roadside stands and then enjoy them at the various roadside picnic areas that could be found everywhere! And no, there was no Disney World! The big attraction for tourists was the “Cypress Gardens”, where you could watch people performing on water skis.

Steve Walker, Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

EarthSaver

Steve Walker

Our catch phrase is on its way.