Take a drive down memory lane 🚗 New road trip highlights Florida’s history

ORLANDO, Fla. — As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, state transportation officials are inviting residents and visitors to explore Florida with a new road trip.

It highlights historic landmarks throughout The Sunshine State. Channel 9 ‘s Alexa Lorenzo traveled some of the key stops in Central Florida.

Florida’s Turnpike was built in 1957. Interstate 95 opened that year, too.

Interstate 75 came in 1963.

And Central Florida’s centerpiece, Interstate 4, was completed in 1965.

Our interstates have surely come a long way since and the Florida Department of Transportation wants you to take a ride on them to see Florida’s history.

“This is a great milestone for our great country, so we certainly wanted to give guests and residents kind of a peek at all the many great landmarks that we have here,” FDOT’s Matthew Richardson said.

The “America250FL Road Trip” features 103 stops up and down our state -- each telling a unique story about Florida’s contributions to us history.

At the I-4 rest stop near State Road 434, you’ll learn about “The Senator,” once the largest and one of the oldest trees in the world, before it was destroyed by fire in 2012.

A clone, named “The Phoenix,” now grows in Longwood.

You can also see a sign for America’s past time, which honors the Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium.

The University of Central Florida is recognized with the Citronaut — the first mascot of Florida Technical University, which later became UCF.

From space exploration on our coast... to racing legends at Daytona International Speedway... to the home of civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune, these sites celebrate innovation, culture and the people who made an impact.

“While these are great locations for tourists to come to, it might be a hidden gem to some people who might not be so familiar with the area,” Richardson said.

With history around every corner, the America250FL Road Trip offers a chance to connect with the past, while celebrating what makes Florida stand out.

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