What better place to take a travel nursing assignment than the Sunshine State? Famous for its delightful weather and golden beaches, Florida is burgeoning with medical opportunities. Travel nursing jobs are a great way to not only gain insightful, first-hand experience, but also see majestic parts of the country. There's more to the Sunshine State than blue skies – take a look:
1. Greater Miami is the only metropolitan area in the U.S. whose borders encompass two national parks. Take a travel nursing assignment here to walk through the premier Everglades National Park and ride on glass-bottom boats across Biscayne National Park.
2. Though the first inhabitants of Florida appeared at least 12,000 years ago, the earliest written records about life in Florida didn't arise until the arrival of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León in 1513.
3. The first permanent European settlement, St. Augustine, was founded in 1565, making it the oldest city in the country. Step back in time with a visit through St. Augustine's gates.
4. Key West has the highest average temperature in the United States.
5. Florida's state reptile is the alligator. Visit the Florida Everglades to see these prehistoric creatures.
6. Cape Canaveral is the home of the country's space program.
7. The manatee, the state's marine mammal, is a plant-eating, gentle giant that can reach 14 feet in length and weigh more than a ton. During the winter months, over 1,500 manatees swim to warm bays and rivers along Florida's coast.
8. Orlando draws more visitors than any other destination in the U.S.
9. Located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Benwood is one of the most dived shipwrecks in the world.
10. Gatorade was named for the mascot of the University of Florida, where the drink was first developed to boost football players' stamina.
11. Florida is the only state that has two rivers with the same name. Travel nursing professionals can find a Withlacoochee river in north central Florida and a Withlacoochee river in central Florida.
12. Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America because the city has 185 miles of local waterways.
13. Florida boasts a total of 663 miles of beaches.
14. Benjamin Green, a pharmacist in Miami Beach, invented sun screen in 1944 when he cooked cocoa butter in a granite coffee pot on his wife's stove. What better place to develop sun screen than the Sunshine State?
15. Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida.
16. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach is the only museum in the country dedicated exclusively to the living culture of Japan.
17. Florida was acquired from Spain as a U.S. Territory in 1821 and admitted as the 27th state of the U.S. in 1845.
18. Islamorada is regarded as the Sports fishing Capital of the World. Travel nurses who like to fish and are looking for a weekend getaway can book a trip to this incorporated village, which is located in the Florida Keys.