Current:Home > ScamsThe trip to Margaritaville can soon be made on the Jimmy Buffett Highway-LoTradeCoin
The trip to Margaritaville can soon be made on the Jimmy Buffett Highway
View Date:2024-12-23 21:52:25
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Iconic Florida singer Jimmy Buffet named one of his albums “A1A” in honor of the coastal highway that winds through about 340 miles (545 kilometers) along the state’s Atlantic Coast, and now Florida is about to return the honor.
State Highway A1A will become the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway as soon as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the bill the Senate sent to him Tuesday with a unanimous vote.
“As Jimmy once said, ‘It’s a sweet life living by the salty sea’ and we could not think of a better way to honor him than by memorializing him along Florida’s coastal highway,” said Democratic Sen. Lauren Book, who sponsored the bill.
Buffett, who died in September, wrote songs that drove tourists to the Florida Keys looking for sun, sand and relaxation. Key West earned the nickname “Margaritaville” after his song about wasting away by the sea looking for a lost shaker of salt.
Parts of A1A are already designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a national scenic and historic byway. It begins in Fernandina Beach near the Georgia border and passes through the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, on its way to Key West, offering incredible ocean views for those who don’t need to rush south on Interstate 95.
On Monday, the Legislature also sent DeSantis a bill that includes the creation of a specialty license plate with the word “Margaritaville.” Proceeds from license plate sales will go to a charity founded by Buffett, Singing for Change, and will benefit Florida nonprofits that help victims of hurricanes and other disasters, Harrell said.
DeSantis’ office didn’t immediately respond to an email asking if he’d sign the highway designation, but the governor did honor Buffett by ordering flags to be flown at half-staff after his death and asking Floridians to celebrate him by “raising their margarita glass and enjoying a cheeseburger here in paradise to wish the ‘Son of a Son of a Sailor’ well.”
veryGood! (6597)
Related
- Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee
- Dozens arrested after protest blocks Philadelphia interstate, police say
- Jared McCain shuts out critiques of nails and TikTok and delivers for Duke in March Madness
- Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' becomes Spotify's most-streamed album in single day in 2024
- Will Trump curb transgender rights? After election, community prepares for worst
- A mom's $97,000 question: How was her baby's air-ambulance ride not medically necessary?
- Easter weekend storm hits Southern California with rain and mountain snow
- Gambler hits three jackpots in three hours at Caesars Palace
- The NBA Cup is here. We ranked the best group stage games each night
- 2 killed, 3 injured during shootings at separate Houston-area birthday parties
Ranking
- Rafael dissolves into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after hitting Cuba as a hurricane
- With Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers' Big 3 of MVPs is a 'scary' proposition | Nightengale's Notebook
- Brittany Mahomes Appears Makeup-Free as She Holds Both Kids Sterling and Bronze in Sweet Photo
- States move to shore up voting rights protections after courts erode federal safeguards
- DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
- Elaborate scheme used drones to drop drugs in prisons, authorities in Georgia say
- Riley Strain's Tragic Death: Every Twist in the Search for Answers
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hey Siri
Recommendation
-
32-year-old Maryland woman dies after golf cart accident
-
1 year after Evan Gershkovich's arrest in Russia, Biden vows to continue working every day for his release
-
Kia recalls over 427,000 Telluride SUVs because they might roll away while parked
-
These extreme Easter egg hunts include drones, helicopters and falling eggs
-
Agents search home of ex-lieutenant facing scrutiny as police probe leak of school shooting evidence
-
Your doctor might not be listening to you. AI can help change that.
-
LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey subjected to harsh lens that no male coach is
-
Transgender athletes face growing hostility: four tell their stories in their own words