Tampa Bay Woman Finds WWII Message In A Bottle

Imagine walking on the beach and you stumble upon a beautiful piece of history. That's what happened to one woman from Tampa who was trying to clean up after Hurricane Debby hit the area. Suzanne Flament-Smith says she was walking on Bayshore Boulevard on Wednesday when she noticed just how much trash washed up. Not any ordinary litter, she kept it safe and took it home to look at it in more detail. It in fact, turned out to be a piece of history that she will cherish for a long time.

When she got home and looked closer at the bottle she noticed it was filled with sand, a stick, a weighted ball and a letter. It seems to have been written by a sailor stationed at the U.S. Navy Amphibious Training Base in Norfolk, Virginia during the final months of World War II. Flament-Smith was making Tampa Bay a more beautiful place by cleaning up trash along the shoreline when she first noticed a glass bottle. According to WTSP, it was dated March 4, 1945, “Dear Lee, received your letter yesterday. Was glad to hear from you.” It sounds like a conversation between two friends keeping up with each others lives. Flament-Smith said just minutes before she found the bottle a man stopped and asked if she had found any treasure. Next thing she knew, she picked up the bottle.

She plans on keeping the bottle in her family and maybe locating any family members who might know who the letter was written by. Flament-Smith loves to help clean up after storms and make Tampa Bay beautiful again but never expected to find something so interesting during her travels. Finding something so special will be something she will remember for the rest of her life.

It happens every year, usually multiple Florida cities rank in the top 10 for best places to live in the U.S.. U.S. News and World Report just dropped the rankings for 2024-2025 and only 1 Florida city not only made the top 10 but was ranked #1 for the best place to live in the U.S.

U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings have been popular for many years. It's a very trusted source because of all the research they do to come up with these rankings. Their mission is to help their readers make informed decisions on where they want to settle down.

The cities in the rankings are evaluated based on data from U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. News' own internal resources. The data was then categorized into 4 different factors based on American's preferences. Those factors are: quality of life, desirability, job market, and value. Now, I won't bore you with the mathematics of it all, but if you want to learn more about how U.S. News and World Report calculated these cities scores, click here for the full methodology.

It's not the first time this Florida city has made this list. But it is the first time Naples was named #1 for best places to live in the U.S.. Naples is known to be more of a retirement community, and even with threats from hurricanes, it's still not stopping people from moving here in droves. U.S. News and World Report says "the greater Naples area supplies pristine beaches, sprawling golf courses, and fine dining and shopping."

Naples wasn't the only Florida city to make the rankings. But it WAS the only Florida city to crack the top 10.

We already told you that Naples was the named the #1 city to live in the U.S., even if most of its residents only live there during the winter months.  

Sarasota has a unique charm compared to its other coastal cities. It has a very vibrant art scene, beautiful beaches, great food and restaurants. Sarasota was also considered a "retirement community" but that is changing as more young professionals make it their own up-and-coming city.

White sand beaches is the main reason why Pensacola is so desirable. U.S. News and World Report says "Year round, the city’s vibrant nightlife is balanced by an abundance of family-friendly activities and a community atmosphere."

Finally Tampa made the list! We're used to seeing Tampa higher up in these rankings, and definitely thought it would be higher based on all the people moving here just in the past year alone. The cost of living in Tampa is slightly higher than the national average, and the housing market has become so competitive in recent years. But out of all the cities in Florida, we're happy to call Tampa home.  

Situated between Tampa and Miami on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers is a growing city. If you're an outdoor enthusiast who loves humidity, Fort Myers is the place for you. The have miles of freshwater and saltwater channels for boating and fishing; trails for biking, hiking and paddling; and golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools and shuffleboard courts. 

Florida's space coast is great for retirees, families, and young professionals. So we're pretty surprised to see it ranked at #49. The median monthly rent here is about $1,400 and you can even find homes for under $300,000.

Did you know Jacksonville is the largest metro area by land mass in the continental U.S? Jacksonville has also been listed in affordable Florida cities and one of the best places to start a career.

Orlando is so massive that it's broken up into 3 different areas: Downtown Orlando, Residential "City Beautiful" Orlando, and of course, theme park capital Orlando. The cost of housing in Orlando is close to the national median sale price, although like with many markets, home prices have soared here in recent years.