Giant Can of 7-Up

My Jacksonville friends had warned me to be on the lookout for a giant can of 7-​Up as I drove along I-​95 towards my hotel, and sure enough I finally spotted a 62-​foot tall replica can of 7-​Up sitting along the access road next to the interstate.
When I got back to the hotel, I made a few inquiries at the front desk, and learned that this landmark sits on the site of a carbonated beverage bottler, and it is kind of their «calling card» to the city. After a little digging on the internet, I discovered that this can is actually the filtered water holding tank for the bottler and that it stores about 65,000 gallons of filtered water inside. The bottler needs about five times that amount of filtered water for a normal day of production, so this thing is really like a giant Brita water pitcher — except that it’s painted green and white, with a red dot on it.
Just think about that the next time you’re stuck in bumper-​to-​bumper traffic on I-​95 trying to get into the city!

It’s big, it’s green, and it’s fizzy! Not sure why, but supersized things make me happy!

What’s with all these giant replicas of things in this city… lol! Actually they’re pretty cool I like this ginormous can of Seven-​Up sitting along I-​95 even though I don’t drive by it as much as I drive pass the huge Rex the Beach Blvd. dinosaur. It’s a huge can of soda on the the side of I-​95, that’s pretty much all my knowledge of it… I know it doesn’t even come close in comparison to the World of Coca-​Cola in Atlanta, GA, which kinda stinks bc I’d love to have one of those here or at least have the giant can of Seven Up be a tour/​brewery for the stuff… wink wink;-).

It’s huge and tacky.
Sodas are bad for your health.
Sends a bad message.
Haiku Unilocal review #10

Residents of Jacksonville have more than likely passed by this 62 foot tall 7-​Up can numerous times. It sits right off the side of I-​95 and is pretty hard to miss! When I first moved to Jax in 1997, it was a Canada Dry can. It was repainted in 2003 to 7-​Up because that’s when they added the beverage to the line-​up of sodas produced here.
For many years, I never realized it actually serves a purpose (other than being really cool, that is). It is a 65,000 gallon water tank. The treated water inside is used to produce popular soda brands: 7-​Up, Canada Dry, Sunkist, Diet Rite, Hawaiian Punch, and A&W. Each day more than 325,000 gallons of treated water pass through it.
It’s a pretty neat landmark. I hate to think of one day driving down I-​95 and it not being there. It’s been there for so long (since 1978) that it would be really weird to not see it.
If you happen to be visiting Jacksonville or just passing through, check it out. Or at least be on the lookout for it if you’re on I-​95!
One of these days, I’m going to stop and take my photo in front of it. Just so I can say I did! =)

Another local landmark that I pass by on random occasions. You can see it when riding on I-​95 between University Blvd. and Bowden Rd.
It’s not as cool as the T-​Rex on Beach Blvd, but it’s still fun to look at. If you have lived in the area for many years, you probably remember this as the giant can of Canada Dry, but 7-​Up is much cooler! I prefer 7-​Up or Sierra Mist to Pepsi and Sprite to Coke any day!
Obey your thirst!
(Note: This is my 600^th review!)