tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270Sat, 05 Oct 2024 02:06:03 +0000lighthousesNew EnglandLewis and ClarkScotlandRoad FoodwinterFloridaFrank Lloyd WrightMexican FoodBill BrysonCoiGarrison KeillorKentuckyMinnesotaSan FranciscoSpokaneWashingtonWilla Catherbookstrain2009AbitaAlabamaAlaskaAllentownAnn PancakeArizonaArkansasBruce SprimgsteenCYACalatravaChicagoColoradoConnecticutDFWDelawareDisneyDoumar'sDuke World of EnergyDuluthEllen FosterElvisFallingwaterFaulknerGehryGreat Allegany PassageGreat Alleghany PassageGreen BluffHawaiiHotel MonteleoneHurricane GustavHurricane IkeHurricane KatrinaIdahoIllinoisIowaJamestownJo-FranJohn DenverKansasLa MarLake SuperiorLaura Ingalls WilderLimon RotisserieLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMickey's Dining CarMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNew BuffaloNew HampshireNew MexicoNew OrleansNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaO'NeillOSFOklahomaOmahaOregonOuter BanksOxalis SoupPennsylvaniaPeruvian foodPetalumaPhiladelphiaPittsburghRhode IslandRoute 6Route 66Royal Gorge BridgeSanta FeSanta Fe TrailSioux FallsSmithfield hamSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaSturgisTennesseeTexasThomas JeffersonTwainVermontVirginiaWeddingWest VirginiaWilliam IngeWisconsinWright Brosalpacabaseballbearsclamscoal mininghikinghorseracingmapsmoosemoviesoperapotatoesquiltingquizred wolveswitcheshttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Elaine)Blogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-2868159649762116871Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:12:00 +00002009-01-02T07:15:02.671-08:0050 States in '08 is old news! You can continue to follow at www.everywherefromAtoZ.blogspot.com.http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2009/01/find-me-in-future.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-5382154705652650764Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:24:00 +00002009-01-01T10:47:32.144-08:002009I was amused to see that's Dictionary.com's Word of the Day for today, Jan. 1, 2009 is wanderlust. Wanderlust: a strong desire to wander or travel, drives my life. My car may be old, my kitchen may desparately need a remodel but I can guarantee the first priority for spending in my household is travel. Fortunately my husband & I see eye-to-eye on this one, only the cat seems to dissent.Seeinghttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2009/01/wanderlust-continues-in-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-1944415054165478854Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:50:00 +00002008-12-31T17:47:39.307-08:00ArizonaFrank Lloyd WrightMexican Food Hip Hip Hurray!!!! This is number fifty!!! My final state in the year long odyssey was Arizona. John accompanied me, completing his 28th state visit with me this year. Below is his narrative of our journey to the Grand Canyon State:Sunday December 7, 2008Place: SFO to PHX then Peoria and ScottsdaleRemarks: Elaine and I left home at 7 AM and left the truck at Park SFO. We boarded Southwest http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/12/50-arizona.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-8290616556387614318Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:23:00 +00002008-12-29T13:33:00.112-08:00Duke World of EnergySouth CarolinaOur Thanksgiving was going to be spent with family in Georgia, so I of course, felt it was a perfect opportunity to take a day trip to South Carolina to conquer my 49th state of 2008. John, Daniel & I headed northeast early in the morning towards the Palmetto state’s “Upcountry”. Upcountry is a six-county region in northwest South Carolina. We had a 150 mile drive to get to the state line.Ourhttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/12/south-carolina.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-4858634348968253997Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:34:00 +00002008-12-28T17:54:39.126-08:00AbitaHotel MonteleoneHurricane GustavHurricane IkeHurricane KatrinaLouisianaNew Orleans My much delayed post of our fabulous visit to New Orleans is an excerpt for John’s journal. Enjoy! (Thanks J!) Wednesday October 1, 2008Place: New Orleans, LouisianaRemarks: Touch down in the Crescent City was 5:30 pm and we hailed a taxi to our downtown Hampton Inn. Room 701 overlooking the streetcar line on Carondelet Street was very comfortable. The 14 story building dates from 1903 http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/12/42-louisiana.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-924200052286537774Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:22:00 +00002008-12-06T14:28:50.725-08:00KansasLaura Ingalls WilderWilliam IngeThere’s no place like Kansas. How can one contemplate Kansas without conjuring up images of Dorothy and Toto and friends? I’ve never read the L. Frank Baum book but I couldn’t begin to guess how many times I’ve seen the classic movie. As a child I used to run outside the room when the evil flying monkeys filled the screen. Coincidence that Miss Able, the first monkey in space, is from http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/12/48-kansas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-2322566167491450118Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:41:00 +00002008-12-01T11:51:30.470-08:00Frank Lloyd WrightOklahomaOn April 22, 1889, the first day homesteading was allowed in Oklahoma, 50,000 people swarmed into the territory. Those who tried to beat the noon starting gun were called “Sooners,” hence the nickname. In 1890 Oklahoma was divided into Indian Territory and the Oklahoma Territory. On November 16, 1907 the two territories were combined to create the state of Oklahoma.The Oklahoma quarter http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/12/47-oklahoma.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-5640377079749126031Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:59:00 +00002008-11-29T17:13:19.421-08:00HawaiilighthousesHawaii is far from everywhere: It’s 2390 miles from California, 4900 miles from China, 3850 miles from Japan, and 5280 from the Philippines. When I’m asked what I did in Hawaii I pause and do my best to muster up a response that doesn’t portray me as a complete slug. I relaxed: lounged by the pool, read books and magazines, went for long walks, drank mai tais. Hmmm… that’s about it. Travelinghttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/11/46-hawaii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-7679887438593080937Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:57:00 +00002008-11-23T10:37:41.139-08:00lighthousesOK…I must confess that I wasn’t too impressed on my visit to New Jersey.  I know that there are many positives about the state but I just didn’t see them.  In NJ an average of 1030 people live within each square mile.  That population density can foster a need to be brash and obnoxious to make yourself heard.  Maybe that explains it.   I arrived via ferry (www.CMLF.com) to Cape Elizabeth fromhttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/11/45-new-jersey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-7468663890640999779Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:27:00 +00002008-11-16T09:38:20.291-08:00DelawarelighthousesI had a rather ignominious start of my visit to Delaware, home of our (at that time) Democratic vice presidential candidate.  It was raining.  No, not raining… dumping sheets of water blasted by gusts which pushed vehicles skittering across the road.  Windshield wipers thawk, thawk, thawked on hyperspeed and I still couldn’t read the exit signs.  It was a dark and rainy night and I really wanted http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/11/44-delaware.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-4889607427764522941Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:10:00 +00002008-11-09T10:07:52.799-08:00AlaskabearstrainI departed SFO in bright sunshine for my trip to Alaska.  It was forecast to be nearly 80 degrees in San Francisco and nearly 22 degrees in Anchorage.  Hmm…  something is wrong with this picture.  Russian naval Captain Alexei Chirikov and his Danish partner, Vitus Bering, landed in Alaska in 1741 and were greeted by a  native population of Eskimos and Aleuts.  In 1880 the population was 33,426 (http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/11/43-alaska.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-2709326793206030558Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:09:00 +00002008-11-01T17:28:05.292-07:00MichiganNew BuffaloKnown as the Great Lakes State, Mitten State, Winter Wonderland, and Wolverine State;  Michigan is clearly visible from space according to Jerry Linegar, an astronaut from Michigan who spent time on Russia’s Mir Space Station.  His Russian co-workers were able to identify the Great Lakes and Michigan nestled along their shores.  Michigan is the only state that borders four of the five Great Lakeshttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/11/41-michigan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-8504680214794693184Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:21:00 +00002008-10-31T16:39:10.315-07:00Ann Pancakecoal miningJohn DenverWest Virginia“Almost heaven”…  West Virginia certainly is beautiful.  The infamous Hatfields and McCoys hail from the Mountain State.    The feud started in the Tug River Valley in Aug. 1882 when Ellison Hatfield was killed by three McCoy brothers.  Supposedly there was a stolen hog involved but court records indicate a long standing dislike between the families as early as the Civil War.    West Virginiahttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/10/39-west-virginia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-5650724783943896289Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:56:00 +00002008-10-21T18:11:20.372-07:00baseballPhiladelphiaWhile confirming arrangements for my next trip I found that hotel reservations were not as simple as I expected.  It finally dawned on me that for the third year in a row I find myself travelling shoulder to shoulder with baseball fans and media flocking to the World Series.  This is particularly ironic because while I enjoy going to an occasional game every few years, I really don’t care about http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/10/oh-no-not-world-series-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-170511177992411250Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:51:00 +00002008-10-20T18:53:34.143-07:00The Indiana quarter features an Indy car.  The 2.5 mile oval Indianapolis Motor Speedway is could accommodate Vatican City, the Roman Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, Churchill Downs and Wimbledon’s Centre Court.  It’s the world’s largest spectator sporting facility with more than 250,000 permanent seats.  Today the Indy 500 is billed at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.  You can check it out and http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/10/40-indiana.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-163877817406353340Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:22:00 +00002008-10-01T13:34:58.725-07:00Great Alleghany PassageMarylandOf Maryland’s 23 counties, 16 border the tidal shore. So, to, do the state’s largest city, Baltimore and its capital, Annapolis. The Atlantic shoreline is only 31 miles. When you include the shoreline along the rivers and bays you get a whooping 3,190 miles. Every the contrary one, I opted to visited Maryland’s mountainous western arm. Cumberland, an industrial city sitting on the North branch ofhttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/10/38-maryland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-7518562378040415798Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:52:00 +00002008-09-30T12:05:40.409-07:00AllentownFallingwaterFrank Lloyd WrightGreat Allegany PassagePennsylvaniaPittsburghPennsylvania is the source for so much American history. It was founded by the peace-loving Quakers yet the first shots of the French and Indian War were fired here and the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought at Gettysburg. Philadelphia was the first city in America to guarantee religious freedom, establish a bank, stock exchange, hospital or zoo. Pennsylvania was the first state to http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/37-pennsylvania.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-9156143649669788111Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:21:00 +00002008-09-23T12:32:10.963-07:00Ellen FosterlighthousesNorth CarolinaOuter Bankspotatoesred wolvesWright Bros The Wright Brothers’ achievements forever changed travel. The world would be a much smaller place if on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina the Flyer didn’t make its first successful flight. This monumental event is so much more that just the Tar Heel State’s feat, but it happened in Kitty Hawk, NC and they rightly claim the glory. The two most popular tourist destinations of thehttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/36-north-carolina.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-5816577627333511838Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:01:00 +00002008-09-19T18:18:53.554-07:00Doumar'sJamestownSmithfield hamThomas JeffersonVirginia Virginia may be known as the Mother of Presidents but it was three famous ships that won the place of honor on the Virginia Quarter. Most of us can readily come up with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria but these are the OTHER three ships. The Discovery, Susan Constant and Godspeed left London on December 20, 1606. Five months later they reached Jamestown, Virginia. For those whose version of http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/35-virginia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-3108979630835179858Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:01:00 +00002008-09-16T06:01:00.575-07:00La MarLimon RotisseriePeruvian foodSan FranciscoThe following is an email I received two weeks ago. I can't wait to try Limon Rotisseire too! Now we also have La Mar opening opening this weekend. The La Mar in Lima was a true highlight of my Nov. 2006 visit there. What an abundance of terrific Peruvian dining options!"I send this to you because you love good food, or want to try Peruvian food, or both. I had a delicious meal tonight! I http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/deliciousness-new-peruvian-dining-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-3801624577756337161Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:14:00 +00002008-09-15T13:49:06.470-07:00Green BluffSpokaneWashington Last weekend my mother & I were in Spokane, WA visiting my grandmother. One of the items on Grandma's agenda was to drive up to Green Bluff to buy a case of peaches for here to put up for the winter. I was happy to oblige because I always enjoy Green Bluff.Green Bluff Growers is an association of small family farms and food stands located about 15 minutes north of Spokane, nestled at the http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/peaches-at-green-bluff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-8720401955253672839Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:15:00 +00002008-09-14T07:19:17.059-07:00http://happytofly.com/I was amazed to see an ad for a product called Happy to Fly.Here’s the copy: “Let’s face it. Travel today is a real hassle. Whether you are just fearful of the idea of flying – or stressed to the max because of delayed and canceled flights, lost luggage, and standing in long security lines with your shoes in a plastic tray.Travel may not get better. But you can feel http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-to-fly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-6182418721043276227Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:00:00 +00002008-09-05T15:12:13.350-07:00quizThe only letter of the alphabet that does not appear in any of the U.S. territory or state’s name is “Q”.Those great minds at Mental Floss offer this Quiz. It's not as easy as you might think!http://www.mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=359http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/altered-states.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-2828706015905570574Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:41:00 +00002008-09-04T20:00:09.670-07:00ColoradoMexican FoodRoyal Gorge Bridge Last week the eyes of the world were on the Kennedy, Clinton & Obama show in Denver, CO. I was grateful that I was safely out of there the week prior to the Democratic Convention & Circus. I can’t help hoping that the very nice women who greeted us at the Antonito visitor center had a fabulous time. She was exactly the visitor center personae that I enjoy: knowledgeable, helpful, http://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/09/33-colorado.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035467869953713270.post-553515544492532126Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:22:00 +00002008-08-27T08:31:41.923-07:00FloridaThis is too good to skip...better be careful when you come in for a landing, John!http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_lifestyle_animal/2008/08/are-those-catfi.htmlhttp://50statesin08.blogspot.com/2008/08/2-tortoises-4-catfish-aliigiator-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Elaine)0