Huntington, West Virginia

    The adventure continues as we travel through West Virginia.  On our way across the state, we noticed some really beautiful scenery.  We saw the Great Creek Mounds, the Appalachian Mountains, and many majestic waterfalls.  The great outdoors have loads of fun things to see, but they also have many fun things to do, like whitewater rafting and mountain climbing.  Other fun activities include the state fair and the pumpkin festival.  But West Virginia is known for more than these fun activities.  They are also the top producer of coal and the golden delicious apple was first grown in West Virginia.  Mother’s day was also invented in West Virginia. 

    Another thing you should know about West Virginia is that many famous people were from West Virginia like Brad Paisley, Jennifer Garner, and Mary Lou Retton.  The movie We are Marshall was also filmed in Virginia. 

    Virginia’s state animal is the black bear and the state fish is the brook trout.  Kids in West Virginia schools are lucky that they get to learn all of these fun facts.  But when they need to take a break, the children enjoy spending recess playing kickball, tetherball or another activity that they like.  West Virginia sounds like a pretty cool state.  I sure want to visit, don’t you?  I bet anyone would have a great time there.

New Prague, Minnesota

    On our trip, someone had to make a bathroom stop, so we stopped in a city southwest of St. Paul called New Prague. Something that Minnesotans like to do are to go to Mall of America, which is the biggest mall America! Did we mention that Mall of America has an amusement park in it?!? They also like to visit to the Valley Fair and the State Fair, go camping, and play in the snow. The Minnesota Zoo is another popular place to visit. On the playground, they like to play kickball, football, play on the playground equipment, Chinese jumprope, and walk and talk.  They were the first school to tell us about a merry-go-round on their playground! In their PE class, they just started softball.

    Some other fun facts are that their baseball team, the Twins, got a new spring training girl, and she is a pitcher. Speaking of sports, the Metrodome, their football stadium, had its roof collapsed because of the immense snowfall. Did we tell you that they beat their snowfall record this winter? While we are in the weather business, we will tell you that they are a warm and cold state, unlike us who are able to swim all year round. (It is sweltering hot here!) Something else we want to tell you is that they are called the North Star State.  Minnesota was an interesting place to visit, but we’re off to tour another state!

Falmouth, Maine

    Whew! I’m tired. While we’re here, let’s go grab a bite to eat. When we got there, I asked the waitress what the MAINE dish was. Wait a second! That’s the wrong kind of main! Just kidding. We are in Maine, and let me tell you, they have pretty awesome stuff here. Come check it out! They have the Baxter State Park, breath-taking mountains, Arcadia National Forest, and stunning beaches. Doesn’t that sound fun?

    Now its times to get down and dirty diggin’ up all the facts about Maine. Did you know that Maine speaks a bit of French, because French was the group of people who got there first? They have tons of pine trees and moose, and lavender lolly-pops, they have lobster!  That’s a MAINE course!

    Now we’re done with the smarts, and it’s time for the sun things! Maine loves to go skiing, pick blueberries, and swim when its sweltering outside.  When it’s bone-chilling outside, they play in the snow!  That is some fun in the sun!

    Recess time! Let’s go see what Maine loves to do. They play football, tag, oo-oo-ah-ah monkey bars, foursquare, kickball, and chomp-chomp sharks and minnows! Here’s a fun fact for you: 90% of the US toothpicks are made in Maine! Well I’m done with my Maine course now, so adios or au revoir. (That’s goodbye in French!)

Albuquerque, New Mexico

    Our next destination we set was to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Along our journey there we stopped and saw the Rio Grande River, visited the Balloon Festival, traveled on the Sandia Mountain tramway, drove on Route 66, and visited the National History Museum. It was a wild adventure, and I was happy to learn about it a little bit more without having to travel it.

    We learned that their state tree is the pinon, and the flower is the yucca. The bird is the speedy roadrunner, Santa Fe is their capital. Their nickname was “The Land of Enchantment.” I saw that it was very gorgeous when we took that trip. The chilis there were delicious also.

    We stopped by a school and saw some kids playing their favorite games, such as kickball, tag, basketball, football, mystery games, and soccer. Boy, those kids sure were active! When school got out, they loved to do things like going to the zoo, see the blinding, white sand dunes, play and see sports, and eat at a wonderful pizza restaurant. We wished we could stop by and taste it, but we needed to go and see the rest of the states!

Burlington, Massachusetts

    Our next stop was to Burlington, Massachusetts. When we got there, we asked them why people should visit their state, and they said that there are history museums and zoos.  They also told us about Martha’s Vineyard, a popular summer tourist destination.  The sandy beaches of Cape Cod are another beautiful site to see.  Massachusetts sounds like a wonderful place to visit.

    After all of those wonderful reasons to visit their state, we asked them about some facts.  They told us that they had a state cookie, the chocolate chip cookie!  That is a state fact we haven’t heard before. They also told us that there state flower was the Mayflower.  Do you know why it’s their state flower? The Mayflower, the ship, landed in Massachusetts. They have some other interesting state facts like the Morgan Horse as their state horse and the cranberry as the state berry.  Those are some very clever state facts.

    They told us some fun things to do when you visit. You can take a swan boat ride, explore to the Boston Children’s Museum, and visit to the Museum of Science, Boston.  They also told us that the Boston Tea Party took place there.  Many historical events have taken place around the Boston area.  Can you believe all of those places are in Massachusetts?

    When we asked them what they like to do at recess, all of the kids wanted to answer.  When some of the kids came up, they said that they like to jump rope, play tag, play hopscotch, and to go on the swings.  Massachusetts loves their sports teams, too.  Go, Red Sox!  See you in New Mexico!

Monroeville, Indiana

    As we were on our way to our next state, we wanted to stop by and say hello to some of our friends in Monroeville, Indiana. They wanted us to lodge in their state, so they told us some reasons to stay. They have great sports teams like the Pacers and the Colts.  They were very proud of their sports, particularly basketball, because they are known as the Hoosier state.  Vacation spots like Jones State Park also sound like a great place to visit.  They also told us about the Indianapolis Children’s Museum.

    They told us facts, too.  They have a minor league baseball team named the Tin Caps, after Johnny Appleseed.  David Letterman is also from Indiana.  They even mentioned that they have a goldfish farm in their state.  (The pictures from Google were awesome!)  These facts made us green with envy!

    They told us kids there at recess  play volleyball, football, basketball, frisbee, jump rope, hang out, and sometimes dodgeball. We insisted that they tell us more, so they did. They mentioned something about a climate that it is constantly changing.  The best part? In 1972, money fell from the sky and landed on a big field of crops!  We truly wish we could stay longer but there are 26 states waiting for a call.  See you again on our next adventure!

Fredericksburg, Virginia

    On our next stop across the United States, we found shelter in Fredericksburg, Virginia due to the snow. While we were there, we stopped in a classroom close by, and they told us a few reasons why we should stay in their state. First, they told us that we could visit historical sites and see the beautiful scenery like the Blue Ridge Mountains. While we were there, they said we could also go to the beautiful Virginia beaches.

    If you like history, you will love the fact that we are going to tell you. First of all, Virginia was actually named after a queen and it was one of the first thirteen colonies. It was also first English settlement along with being the birth place of America. If you are bored of history, here are some fun things to do. Virginia has tons of amusement parks along with sailboats, ski resorts, and lots of hiking.

    Virginia also has battlefields, the Pentagon and strange mix of animals. It has deer, birds, rabbits, moles, frogs, horses, and squirrels. If you like wildlife, history and adventure come to Virginia.

Williston, Vermont

    Today we went to Williston, Vermont and learned some new and exciting facts. First, we learned some cool reasons why we should visit their state. Vermont is home to Ben and Jerry's famous ice cream. They make delicious maple syrup.  They have great skiing, and many people fish in Lake Champlain.  Last but not least, they have Lake Iroquois. Those are some reasons why you should visit the great state of Vermont.

    Second, we learned some wonderful facts about their state. The first fact is that Montpelier is their capital.  They told us about the legend of a monster in Lake Champlain.  They have great skiing resorts, and last, they are called the Green Mountain State. If you want know some more facts, you should visit Vermont.

    Third, we learned some thrilling things to do in their state. They include making snow forts, diving in the lakes, swimming, fishing, sledding, skiing, snowboarding, biking, playing baseball, and visiting museums. Those are just some fun thing to do in Vermont.

    Last, we learned about what kids in Vermont like to do, and we found out that they play soccer, play in the snow, play wall ball, tag, and swing. Before we left, we learned a couple more things about their state, and we found out that Snowflake Bentley was born there. That is all we found out about Williston, Vermont, so stay tuned to hear more about the next state!

Sandy Springs, Georgia

    On our way across America, we took a breather in Sandy Springs, Georgia.  We learned some historic facts.  Georgia was named after King George II.  Margret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, lived there.  Atlanta was also the headquarters of the civil rights movement and 1996 Summer Olympics.  They also told us that the Fox News Headquarters.  Those were some historic facts about their State.

    We figured that we should give you a little break from history class and tell you about some fun things.  The world’s biggest aquarium is in Atlanta, Georgia.  The Coca-Cola museum lets you try different types of coke from all over the world. They have lots of sports teams, like the Falcons and the Braves.  They can alsovisit six flags.  There is also a place where they can go mine for gold. Those are a little portion of some fun things to do in their state.

    Those are some fun things and historic facts but now its time for some stunning outside animals and landscapes. Here is what we found out. They have rabbits, deer, and turtles. They have granite mountains and gold mines.  (You should take a peek at Stone Mountain!  The Confederate leaders are carved on the side.)  That’s all we found, but I'm sure there is more animals and outdoor stuff.

    We wished we could stay but we have lots more states to visit, so see you in the next state!

New Hyde Park, New York

    Our next stop was in a cute city called New Hyde Park in New York. The kids there like to hike, play sports, ski, and go fishing in the great outdoors. Some other activities include movie theaters and shopping.  The movies in New York come out in theaters earlier than other cities. At recess, they play board games, computer games, and dominos due to the fact that they must stay inside if it is cold out.  For a couple months of the the year, they do go outside to play outdoor sports and swing.  New York sounds like a pretty snazzy city!

    New York is a vacation destination because of the shopping centers and museums, like the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The beaches in Nassau County and the boardwalks like Coney Island were also some of our favorite destinations!  The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building are other popular venues to visit. New York City is over-populated.  Did you know that over 9 million people live on Long Island alone?  That is 3 million more than the entire state of Arizona!  When Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, they could see the smoke from their school.  New York is also known for its varying landscapes of cities, mountains, and farms.  And who can forget the famous Broadway plays!  Doesn’t New York appear to be fantastic?

     Something else that we thought was pretty cool was that the kids over there can speak eleven different languages including English.  Some of the languages include Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Arabic, Greek, Farsi, and Punjab.  We can barely speak one and a half! They’re basically telling us is that New York is a great place to visit.  Stay tuned for more adventures!

Medford, Oregon

    Our very next stop was Oregon, Medford, Oregon to be exact, which is a hour and a half from the ocean. There are only 30 miles from California. This was the very first state that we interviewed in the west, so we were very excited. We found out that this state is quite historic with Crater Lake, which is the deepest lake in Oregon, Mt. Ashland, Table Rock, and their beaches, rocky and cold.

    After all of that information, we were inspired to let them go on and continue. The next facts were very fascinating, like, in 1859, their state became part of our country. With the Douglass Fir as their state tree and the Western Meddler as their state flower and their nickname is the The Beaver State, Oregon is  a beautiful piece our western states.

    Then, they explained some fun things about their state, such as hunting, fishing, hiking on table rock, camping, ice-skating, and hokey. They are definitely a sporty state! We would vote “yes” in agreement with their sporty description, because they were really prepared when we asked them about what they enjoy doing at recess. When they replied that they play board games, two square, four square, wall ball, and jumprope. They have the University of Oregon, and they said that it is really rainy with animals like moose, elk, deer, antelopes, bunnies, and snakes as their animals. That was are superb trip to Oregon!

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

    Here we are at Pennsylvania also known as the Keystone State, because it is the middle of the thirteen colonies. In case you didn’t know, the fifteenth President, James Buchanan, was born there! Also, the Liberty Bell is in Pennsylvania right at this minute! That is one old bell. Did you know that Pennsylvania actually means Penn’s Woods because it was founded by William Penn? Then after that, here is some more history for you. Ben Franklin was born there and supported Pennsylvania in the very first courthouse.  Pennsylvania has some fascinating history, don’t you think?

    Now that we are done with telling you all the history that makes you smart, now it is time for you to go and see their exquisite mountain views and hiking trails. If you want to know what people in Pennsylvania do in nature, well, you have come to the right place. They love to take nature walks, go camping and hiking, and they love to ski.  The outdoor scenery of Pennsylvania is breath-taking!

    This is some things they are known for. We found out that they have a Hershey Park and Ski Resorts! Okay, enough talk about Hershey chocolate, because it is making me jealous. Would you like to know what Pennsylvania does in their spare time? They like to play basketball, four square, soccer, and “by bally,” they play volleyball! That is all for Pennsylvania, because we have all kinds of other states to pen.

Petal, Mississippi

    Along our journey around the United States, we made a pit stop in Petal, Mississippi. We learned about some fun things to do and some reasons to visit their state, like the good southern food, the great school districts, shopping, swimming, fishing, and finally, mud riding. Mud riding is when you take something motorized, (obviously not a car) and go riding on the slimy, disgusting mud. We also learned some more things like the entertaining water parks, go-cart racing, and the famous Mardi Gras festival. The Mardi Gras festival is when you can go eat fantastic food and celebrate the beginning of Lent.

    We also overheard some historical facts, like Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.  It was one of the states that was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Coke and Pepsi were both invented in Mississippi, and finally, a lot of their beaches closed last year because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

     The final things we learned from Mississippi were the things they like to do at recess. We learned that they play football, amazingly, the boys do flips, and when their homework is not completed, they get recess detention. Unfortunately, that’s all we had time for in Mississippi, so we had to leave and head back to our home in Arizona. That’s all until next time.  Bye!

P.S. Thank you for the post on your website!

New Orleans, Louisiana

    We have traveled all across the states, and we have finally reached Louisiana.  One of the first things we noticed while we were there were the animals.  Some of the ones we saw included alligators, swamp animals and a variety of birds including the brown pelican.  I’ll bet that some of those animals were also lucky to live by Florida’s beautiful golf coast.  Others might have seen some of Louisiana’s lush white magnolias.

    The animals probably see some pretty neat things, but so did we.  We saw everything from basketball, football, hunting, fishing and horse racing to music festivals and jazz parties.  We also went sailing and hot air ballooning.  But I have to say, the most interesting thing of all had to be Mardi Gras.  There was a huge parade with a ton of floats.  I t was so amazing!

They also had a lot of food.  Louisiana is even famous for some of its food, including jambalaya and gumbo.  Jambalaya and gumbo are similar because they are both spicy soup-like dishes, but gumbo is thinner and usually has seafood as a meat, while jambalaya is thicker and can have almost any kind of meat.

The great state of Louisiana is not known only for its food.  It’s also known for its sugar cane, cotton, and swamps.  Another thing it is famous for is the oil spill that affected the state.  Something else I bet you didn’t know is that Louisiana is divided into parishes instead of counties.  This comes from its French background.  I thought that was pretty interesting.

Another thing we learned is that children in Louisiana enjoy playing many games at recess.  Some of the games included basketball, football, Chinese jump rope, and sharks and minnows.  Chinese jump rope is sort of like regular jump rope only you have to do different jumps in a certain order with a rubber band-like rope.  Sharks and minnows is a tag game.  One person is a shark who tries to tag all of the minnows.

That sure sounds like fun, doesn’t it?  We sure thought so.  I bet you want to go, too.  Maybe you will some day.  If you ever do, I guarantee you will have a blast!

Chicago, Illinois

    Our next stop was Chicago, Illinois, the third biggest city in the U.S. Since we are talking about what they are known for, we might as well start our story there. The first thing we discovered was that there is a tower called the Sears Tower with is over 1,000 feet.  It has been renamed as the Willis Tower.  (You should try to find a picture of the glass lookout deck.  So cool!) You can see Lake Michigan from the top because it borders Illinois. The very last famous fact we unearthed from the class was that the president Barack Obama was from Illinois.

    Speaking of presidents, Abe Lincoln was born in Springfield, IL. They have a zoo  called Lincoln Park Zoo, which was named after Lincoln himself. Then, to give us a little more information, they let us know about a fire that happened from October 7th through the 10th in 1871.  The Great Chicago fire destroyed four square miles.

    We found it very interesting that this school did not have any recess.  We discovered that they have a shorter school day to make up for it.  Despite that, students in Chicago still love their sports.  Their favorite team was the White Sox, but Chicago is also home to the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks.

    Finally, the students told us about several museums and tourist attractions in the city of Chicago.  The Museum of Science and Industry hosts many exhibits about outer space, farming technology, and other science related topics.  The Shedd Aquarium, one of the biggest in the US, is home to dolphins, sharks, and turtles.  The Field Museum has exhibits in chocolate, gold, and early Americans.  It is also home to Sue the Dinosaur, their most famous exhibit.  If you want to learn more about Chicago, stop by to see for yourself!

Lakeland, Florida

    On our way around the United States, we stopped at Lakeland in the humid state of Florida.  Speaking of humidity, Florida’s weather is around 75 degrees with many mid-day storms that help keep everything emerald-green.  The water that is not used for the plants finds its way into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.  Another body of water near Florida is Florida Keys.  The pictures of it are breath-taking with blue-green water all around.  Not only is Florida known for its beautiful oceans, but also for the citrus fruit and sugarcane that grow plentifully there.  We found out that another thing the state of Florida is known for is the Everglades that take up most of the south part of the state.  The Everglades are a swampy area with 10,000 islands!  There sure are a lot of interesting things in Florida.

    Not only are there interesting things to see, but there are also a lot of fun things to do.  Some places to visit are Fort Myers, Disney World, the Daytona 500, museums, and the Space Center.  Other pleasurable activities include surfing, beach volleyball, swimming, snorkeling, and water parks.  Kids in Florida like to play many types of tag at recess like zombie tag, tree trunk tag, and freeze tag.  They also enjoy playing a variety of sports all year long.  We’d love to stay in Florida, but after all, we do have fifty states to visit.

P.S. A big thanks to the students in Lakeland, FL for providing props and screen-sharing pictures to help us get a better view of their state!