It’s About Time! Florida Naming A1A The Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Entertainment Blogger

“Strollin’ Down The Avenue
Known As A1A”

– Jimmy Buffett, Trying To Reason With A Hurricane Season

It took his death to make it happen, but apparently the Florida state legistlature is renaming its scenic coastal highway, A1A, after Jimmy Buffett. To be called the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway, it goes for some 340 miles along the eastern coast of the Sunshine State from Jacksonville to Key West.

Buffett helped make the road popular by his lyric in the song “Trying To Reason With A Hurricane Season” and naming his third major album, A1A, after it.

So what took so long?

It should have been named after him when he was alive.  When he could have made videos about it. Wrote another song about it. Played a concert on it.

Realizing things to move lowly in politics, it took five months for the legislature to get moving on it. At least it was something both the Democrats and Republicans could agree on, so that counts for something.

While they are at it, the ought to rename Key West after him, too. After all, he is responsible for the it being such a popular tourist destination. It already has a nickname, the Conch Republic. Why not Jimmy Buffettville? Or heck, Margaritaville. Instead, Margaritaville gets a license plate.

A1A is actually the coastal version of U.S. Highway 1; the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys is designated US1. A1A is the beach highway while U.S. 1 goes through the towns, and it’s slow moving and not always scenic. Might as well be on A1A – er, the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway – with Buffett tunes playing in a convertible, of course.