Historic Cities Across America

I am a huge history fan. I love going anywhere that has a lot of history that I can immerse myself into. So, when I found an article on USA Today that talked about where to go in the USA for some good ole American History, I thought THIS will be my next post.

Growing up, my family always took those typical family vacations where we grabbed our tennis shoes, loaded up the sunscreen and broke out the map. My dad is a huge history person as well, so we visited all of those historic cities full of a rich past of our foundations. We went to Williamsburg, Gettysburg, Washington, DC and more. Unfortunately, I was too young to understand the significance of Little Big Top, but I admire our parents for taking us and I have those memories none the less. Ok, so one thing that I have never done is explored any part of the Lewis and Clark Trail, but that is some important stuff! Covering America from East to West, they documented their travels with there hundreds of plants, animals and tribes they discovered. I could just imagine how neat it would be to make that same journey and think of how it has all changed since then. Their books of species looked like this: I talked in the last post about Washington DC and how I loved going to all the Smithsonian Museums. I got pretty excited when I saw Abe Lincoln's hat and even the gun that shot him. ( I know that's morbid...I just really like Abe.) The museums along the National Mall vary in subjects and are well worth the visit. And because they are free, you can spend little time in it and not worry about wasting your money! Below is a photo inside the Capitol I took last summer. There is another article that offers more cities from the Travel Channel. It suggests cites like Philadelphia, Boston and New York. Maybe I would like New York if I toured the history side of it... It has a lot of history in immigration and an array of cultures. Boston, home of the infamous Tea Party, has a story deep-rooted in America's political evolution. As a final note, all the history isn't in the north! In the south, you have cities like St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans that all offer history, but of different origins. St. Augustine is very Spanish, Savannah is colonial, Charleston, I hear, is a bigger St. Augustine but less Spanish, and New Orleans has the jazz and voodoo Cajun history. In the west, Texas asks we remember the Alamo, and San Francisco is full of historic city life.

All over the US, there is rich history that is just waiting for us to explore and learn to appreciate what it is to be an American.

Tourism

I sat here wondering what to focus on this week, and I knew I wanted to do something I encounter often. Then I thought, growing up in Florida, visiting my best friend in Orlando and living in St. Augustine for the past few years, I know tourists. They swarm the streets of the city and pump hundreds of dollars into the local economy. Living almost with them, it is hard not to adjust and share your city. I have grown to accept it, but it has forever tainted the word "tourist" for me. So many angry people on what is supposed to be their vacation, lost drivers and screaming children. Now, anytime I travel, I resent looking or acting like a tourist even if I literally have no clue where we are or how to get from point A to point B.

I found an article online about the Top 25 Tourist Destinations in America and although I was peeved that St. Augustine was not on the list, I was pleased to see I had visited more than I thought would be on the list. So, here is my take on some of these so-called hot spots. And although they have rated them on their site, I am going to provide my own ratings, in no particular order.

Atlantic City Boardwalk-- I went back in 2007 with my mom and it was a blast! Yet, my same mentality of anti-tourist kicked in as I looked at all the shops with T-Shirts or trolleys selling glow sticks and hotdogs. It was a gorgeous view and I was so please to see it on the list but I don't see anyone being able to spend more than a few hours there.

Magic Kingdom-- I don't care how old you are or who you are: everyone loves Disney, and if you don't, what do you have against happiness? That's what I thought.

The National Mall-- Washington DC is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited (though Chicago is close). I spent a lot of time here entertaining myself while I waited for my brother to get out of work. I hit all the museums I wanted and could stay for as long or as short as I wanted. The first time I went, I even got to see the traveling Jim Henson exhibit! There he was: Kermit in the flesh. Also, I am incredibly directionally challenged, and I could even master the metro system. It really is a beautiful place to just unwind for a bit. Busch Gardens in Tampa-- I used to go on field trips there, and I even got a backstage media pass for their annual Howl-O-Scream. It is a nice mix of a zoo and a theme park, but if you don't like roller coasters, it probably is not the best place to go. You either have water rides, which I severely dislike, or roller coasters, which I love! Otherwise, you just walk around looking at alligators and giraffes.

Universal Studios in Orlando--I always like this theme park, but as of late, it has just gotten better. Ever since they added the to Islands of Adventure the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the park as become, well.. more magical. Nessled next to Jurassic Park, you walk through John William's epic Jurassic Park theme straight into the nostalgic and beautiful Hedwig's Theme. No idea what I am talking about? For shame. But besides that, you can go to the Hog's Head, grab a Hog's Head brew and then go walk to ride the Spiderman ride. It is more adult than Disney, which is refreshing as I grow away from my teens. Does it get much better? The Grand Canyon-- The last time I went here was when I was a senior in high school. It was December and had snowed before we got there, but began to melt as the sun rose. It amazed me how something that was literally right in front of me could seem so unreal. It was so vast that the far distance looked like one of my grandmother's beautiful paintings. I love this park because it isn't overly touristy. Sure, you can shop and ride mules to the bottom, but generally, everyone is just gazing out into the horizon. Its peaceful and truly remarkable.

Times Square-- It's overwhelming, crazy, busy, PACKED, but something everyone has to see once. Do I feel compelled to go again? Not really...

Waikiki Beach-- This is one place I am excited to say I spent a great amount of time at. I visited Hawai'i with six friends for two weeks and it was truly unforgettable. We were there over Lei Day one afternoon, which was such a fun, cultural, yet touristy day full of music, crafts, and crazily enough, flowers. The water was blue, the sand was soft and it was PACKED with people. But it is such a fun strip that you can't help but not be a tourist! And something I never thought about? Hawai'i doesn't have seagulls. They have pigeons. And a whole lot of 'em. The next stop? Great Smokey Mountains (I hope!) Until next week!...

Florida: More than Disney

As one that considers herself a Florida girl, it is always fun to explore just how big this state is and what it has to offer to the insane amount of people that are here. When people think of Florida and tourism, one would automatically think DISNEY! However, this state, in case no one knew, is huge. It takes 10 hours to drive from Miami to Pensacola alone. Therefore, Disney cannot be the only reason people to come to Florida. There is too much else going on!

So what all is here? In the last post, I discussed wildlife and that is where I will begin. Florida has a diverse wildlife population that you cannot see up north. USA Today has some photos of where to go for wildlife, and many of them are in Florida! Take a look! Just by living in Florida for 12 years, I have seen sandhill cranes, alligators, otters, bears, boars, and all that is in between.

Speaking of the Everglades, this article highlights the insanely large pythons that are there and how they are devouring (unsuccessfully) alligators. What’s interesting is that these giant Burmese pythons are not native to the area, so it sounds like someone dropped off their pets a while back. Their ability to thrive in this non-native habitat shows their uncanny survival skills and durability in harsh conditions. With the ablity of these snakes to swallow alligators, it is no wonder that Florida banned the use of these as pets.

I love nature, but I am not about to go camp for weeks just to experience Florida. So, let's go a new direction. One that I love: history! It is also home to the nations Oldest City, St. Augustine which has not only the Castillo de San Marcos, but The Fountain of Youth, Henry Flagler's groundbreaking hotels and loads of hokey yet highly entertaining ghost tours and museums.

And don't forget about the beaches! The Gulf offers clear water, white sand and an excellent place for finding shells and sharks teeth. The east coast, however, brings waves and the surf culture that comes with it. I have always lived within 30 mins of a beach, and I often forget that most people do not have that luxury! And the storms that roll in almost daily during the summers are a sight to see as well. They are dark and scary, but rarely do they ever turn too dangerous. I took this one a few years back. A fun beach trip soon had everyone running for cover:

Regardless, Florida has a lot to offer and taking a road trip through the state would be quite the undertaking!

America's Natural Beauties

I was thinking about how so many people are determined to get out of the United States and see everything that is apparently not offered in America. Well, I understand the need for travel and that what you can see outside the U.S.A. is different than what America can offer. Although I want to travel, I also want to visit everything that is quintessentially American.

Therefore, now I will highlight some of the best resources America has to offer—our National Parks. First, let me preface with this—I have been to very few. My interest in them comes for the extreme desire to visit these natural wonders and the necessary research that comes with the interest. Also, with the recent budget cuts of these parks, it is now more important than ever to spread the word of these natural beauties.

To get you excited, here is a video of some images of these parks, as created by Trip Advisor:

Perhaps the most popular park is Yellowstone National Park (and one of the top contenders on my list). It was established in 1872 and spreads over Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Visitors have the opportunity to see bison, wolves, lynx and deer and of course, Old Faithful. The beauty of places like these is that you go to observe while leaving no footprint behind.

Wildlife isn’t the only reason you should visit national parks. AOL.com's article for getting a One-of-a-Kind experience from your visit as zoned in on just why you should visit all national parks. Whether it is to see volcanoes or feel very small in such a big world, they all have something to contribute to America’s best natural beauties.

Interested? Want to keep up on what people are saying through social media? Visit a Tumblr page that only focuses on American's greatest national parks!

Quirky USA

As part of the ribbon cutting of this blog, I wanted to begin with a lighthearted topic. I have always been interested in all the quirky, weird places you can stumble upon while traveling around America. You hear tales of the world’s largest yarn ball or the oldest living tree and although they are strange and relatively unexciting, there is something compelling about them, even if for irony’s sake. So, I want to highlight some of the top places to visit that are not Disney World or a Broadway show. The first thing that caught my attention was a Giant Shoe Museum in Seattle, Washington. My initial thought was “I have been to Seattle, I love shoes and I love museums so why did I not make this stop?” Upon more research, I saw that this collection of giant shoes was not that giant at all. It is basically a wall where you put coins in and you look through slots to view the shoes. What the owner finds interesting is that he hears people complain that it is a waste of money, yet they put there quarters in anyway. Isn’t that so true of all these attractions? We cannot help but be interested! I also noticed at RoadsideAmerica.com that there was a place in Americus, Georgia created by Habitat for Humanity. It is a Slum Theme Park based off of a Third World slum and it is free for all visitors. Now, this is not quite as lighthearted as something like giant dinosaurs made from chicken wire and plaster, but an interesting concept nonetheless. This “theme park” offers a look at what other residences look like, and Habitat hopes to educate visitors on how others live, and what Habitat is working to eliminate. After visitors see the slum, they enter into a “mini-utopia” village that represents Habitat houses from 15 countries. What is neat about this spot is it is created by a credible source with a strong message. Not many of these odd places are educational, nor do they set out to make a change in the world. The last places worth featuring are these so-called “Mystery Spots.” I first saw this on television and I was intrigued. The typical laws of physics do not apply in these areas and I wanted to know why. Apparently, everyone else does too. Some say they are optical illusions with trick walls and crooked floors, and others blame “high velocity soft electrons.” The most famous one is the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, California. The official website has an official video too:

I don't know why I expected to learn why these spots are like this. I suppose if people knew the WHY, no one would come visit...

Anyone have any suggestions as to where to go? Seen anything amazingly quirky and characteristically American lately?

Next Post: Our National Parks