Pink flamingos – do YOU bring along these kitschy symbols when you camp?
Do you know anything about the history behind the birds?
Here’s what I’ve been told. Correct me if I’m wrong. (Oh, somehow I know you will!)
Early in the 20th century, there existed a hot, humid, swampy wasteland.
People called this frightening, uninhabitable place “Florida.”
Pink flamingos! This one is often found loitering in the shadow of our camper. CLICK THE PHOTO to be magically transported to our spirited discussion on Facebook!
No one really wanted to live in “Florida.” Even visits needed to be well timed, because in the summer? Well, everything melted.
Then one day, a brilliant new invention called “air-conditioning” arrived on the scene.
In the 1940s, “air-conditioning” was sold to the masses via window mounted units.
Suddenly, Florida was a lot more appealing!
The sunshine state became quite bearable, even in the summer. People from northern states flocked to vacation in Florida.
On their vacations, they saw exotic birds called “flamingos.” The birds were tall, elegant, and adorned with striking pink plumage.
When the vacationers returned to their northern homes, many wanted to make a not-so-subtle statement about where they’d been.
So they proudly displayed pink flamingo lawn ornaments in their yards.
Somewhere along the line (presumably in the 1950s) the flamingos were adopted by “snowbird” RV campers who wintered in Florida.
The rest is history.
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