"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." "one reason florida orange juice is so fresh is because processing plants, like this one in lake wales, are just a short drive from the groves." "this factory is owned by growers themselves." "florida's natural got its start in 1933 as a small co-op with six members." "now it's one of the biggest orange juice producers in the country." "during the harvest, a convoy of open trailers arrives at the plant." "eight at once can back up and roll off their cargo." "inside, 2.7 billion oranges a year are turned to pulp, and their juice pasteurized and bottled." "one reason there's so much citrus in florida is because there's enough sun for it to grow nearly year round." "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." "even today, the spanish influence on st. augustine is clearly evident from the air." "in the center of town lies a vast and rambling building that was once the ponce de leon hotel... opened in 1888 by millionaire henry flagler, one of the co-founders of standard oil-- better known today as exxon mobil." "flagler wanted a spanish-style design to pay tribute to st. augustine's founders, but he chose modern construction techniques to build it." "the ponce was one of the first major structures in the u.s." "to be built from poured concrete." "before it opened, flagler sent booklets to potential guests in the u.s. and england that called st. augustine "the american riviera."" "thanks to the ponce and its glitzy neighbor, the alcazar, thousands flocked to st. augustine, turning it into florida's first major resort." "the development of the florida coast that most know today had begun." "at the time, in the 1880s, it was possible to take a train from new york all the way to st. augustine." "but this was the end of the line." "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." "his own home in palm beach was every bit as grand." "known as whitehall, this 75-room mansion cost $4 million to build and furnish-- equivalent to about $100 million today." "the house was designed by john carrere and thomas hastings, architects who would go on to design the new york public library." "even today, great wealth continues to transform this stretch of coast." "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 sl 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 1980, more than 125,000 additional cubans arrived in miami during the famous mariel boat lift, when fidel castro permitted those who wanted to flee the country by boat." "today, nearly 70 percent of the population of miami-dade county is of hispanic or latino origin, and about half of those are cuban." "these days, miami's "little havana"" "is easy to spot from the air." "that's because it's home to a brand new $600 million park for miami's baseball team, the marlins." "completed in 2012, this stadium has a retractable roof, even though the park is air-conditioned." "but while hot days in miami may not stop a marlins game, a cuban controversy almost did." "just before its maiden game, marlins manager ozzie guillen was quoted as saying he "loved" and "respected" fidel castro, which earned him a five-game suspension and the wrath of many in miami's cuban community." "but thanks to the popularity of the marlins, come opening day," "36,000 fans still turned out to see a good game, even though the marlins lost 4-1 against the st. louis cardinals." "the cuban community was not so forgiving in 1983 when al pacino came to town to shoot the hollywood classic scarface." "it was rumored that one of the film's key scenes was set to be shot in this white mansion on miami's star island." "in the film, pacino stars as tony montana, a cuban immigrant turned violent coke smuggler." "but as filming got underway, cuban americans protested, claiming pacino's character wrongly stereotyped cubans in america." "the producers were forced to pull the plug and ended up shooting most of scarface in and around los angeles instead." "there isn't much in common between the character of tony montana and the real residents of star island." "it lies between miami and miami beach and is one of the most star-studded neighborhoods in the country." "two doors down from the scarface house is the rambling spanish-style mansion of gloria estefan, hidden beneath palms." "and just down from that stands the pink former home of elizabeth taylor." "it's said that the rabbit sculpture on the front lawn was a gift from michael jackson to taylor-- a playful symbol of her hopping between husbands." "but not all of miami's many celebrities have chosen to live on islands, largely protected from the public." "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." "in florida, even theme parks have been decommissioned... like the one that's home to this giant buddha in orlando." "it lies in a former amusement park called splendid china, that the chinese government spent $100 million to build... but shut down in 2003, after just ten years, because of low attendance." "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." "from here, the panhandle's beaches stretch for more than 200 miles... right up to alabama." "but not all of the panhandle is so wild... or at least so naturally wild." "each year, hundreds of thousands of college students flock onto the white sands of panama city, the self-proclaimed spring break capital of the world." "these partygoers have been known to pump up to $220 million into the local economy in a good year." "it's all good fun until someone forgets to check ids." "that's what happened to joe francis, who made millions with his girls gone wild videos." "it was here, on panama city beach in 2003, where he picked the wrong girl-- with the wrong dad-- and ended up in jail for featuring topless underage girls in his videos." "but the spring break parties here never missed a beat." "in a few weeks, this candy-colored crowd will be gone... replaced only by the natural white beauty of the panhandle's beaches." "ensuring that the lights stay on while spring break lasts can be a dangerous job." "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."