Florida isn’t just another state, sometimes it seems like a whole other country. I actually had the opportunity to live there for a few years: say what you want about the Sunshine State, but it’s never boring. As much as my family and I enjoyed the glitz of Orlando’s theme parks, you only have to go a few miles outside of the city limits to find the “real Florida.” a little hard to describe, but you’ll know it when you see it…just get off the highways and keep an eye out for the fruit stands on the side of the road.
One of my favorite places in Florida was Christmas, a small town about halfway between Orlando and Cape Canaveral on State Road 50. There’s barely 1000 people living here, but the place still has an awful lot going for it. My personal highlight was the Fort Christmas Historical Park, a reconstructed fortification from the era of the Seminole Wars, but between the alligator farms and the airboat tours there’s something for everyone. The local post office, as unlikely as it may seem, is what really put Christmas on the map though. People from all over the state bring their holiday cards here just to decorate the envelopes with that prestigious “Christmas, FL” postmark. And yes, the postal staff receives more than their fair share of kid’s letters to Santa. I never wanted to ruin the magic by looking into how the process actually works, but I’ve heard that every letter the post office receives will actually get an answer. It’s a true Christmas miracle!
Christmas is a must-stop on any trip through Central Florida, and after my first visit I just knew I had to set one of my books here. Like a lot of places in the Sunshine State, the town of Christmas almost seems stranger than fiction. But don’t take my word for it: if your travels ever take you through this part of the world, be sure to stop in and see for yourself.
GE in Schenectady (their zipcode is 12345) used to respond to kids’ letters to Santa as well.
Awesome! Last year, my kids wanted to submit their wish lists by text message…