If You Don't Know, Now You Know

     Florida is a gorgeous state with tons of attractions to go visit, miles upon miles of beautiful beaches, and tropical weather perfect for getting away from the dreaded cold of New Jersey in the winter. If summer is your favorite season, then Florida is definitely the place to visit. I have family and friends that live in Florida, so I come down and visit them regularly and have always enjoyed being in Florida. I'm excited to be able to take a trip down there for our marine biology class and get some field experience that I'm sure I'll learn a lot from. If you've never been to Florida and this is your first time coming down, there are a few things that I think you should be aware of from my experiences I've had.

1: Spontaneous Thunderstorms

    Normally the weather in Florida is beautiful and sunny but during the summer months, Florida has this thing it likes to do which is to have afternoon thunderstorms almost every other day. It's a normal occurrence because of the weather patterns and the sea breezes but it can take some visitors by surprise. The good news is that usually as fast as they form, they disappear and within an hour or two everything is dry again. This is why its a good idea to keep a raincoat handy incase you get caught off guard by one of these storms.

2. The Florida Official State Bird, the Mosquito.

    When visiting Florida, the mosquitoes can be a nuisance if you are not expecting them to be there. Florida is ranked as having some of the largest mosquito populations of all the states. The summer months have the highest numbers, as one might expect, but that doesn't mean that you still can't enjoy being outside. Wearing some long sleeve shirts and pants and/or bug spray will keep these critters at bay. 

3. The Alligators

    Pretty much anywhere you visit in Florida you will come across alligators. They can be dangerous if you try to mess with them but most of the time they just are doing alligator things like sunbathing on the side of the road or swimming in some ones inground pool or spa. I've had them pop up at my feet while fishing in a lake before and it definitely took me by surprise but it never bothered me. The main thing is to just give them their space and leave them alone and view them from a safe distance.