Tampa Bay, FL

Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay, Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, and New Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open-water estuary, extending over 1031 square km.[1] and forming coastlines of Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties. The freshwater sources of the Bay are distributed among over a hundred small tributaries, rather than a single river.

Beginning the reversal of decades of unrestricted pollution, the bay was designated an estuary of national significance by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, for its fringe of mangrove and its prolific mud flats: more than 200 species of fish are to be found in Tampa Bay and 25 species of birds make it their year-round home. The warm water outfalls of power plants bordering the bay draw one out of every six endangered manatees to spend the winter. Equally significant though less immediately visible is the role of the Bay's waters as nurseries for shrimp and crabs, as well as less commercial invertebrates.
A view of Tampa Bay from I-275, looking south. The industrial buildings are located near St. Petersburg, Florida

Two National Wildlife Refuges are located in Tampa Bay: Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge and the refuge on Egmont Key. Most of the smaller islands in the Bay are off-limits to the public, due to their fragile ecology and their use as nesting sites for brown pelicans, herons, egrets, Roseate spoonbills, cormorants and others. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program keeps watch over the Bay's health.

Miami, FL

We met Mandarin Shmi! She was great! What a great wrap up! It was the perfect review! We talked about sports teams, transportation, economy, the Civil War, endangered animals, natural disasters, natural harbors, the maritime effect, city nicknames and so much more! Awesome!! The oranges were great!!!

Miami is a major city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Miami-Dade County. Miami is a global city with an estimated population of 404,048. It is the largest city within the South Florida metropolitan area, which is the largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States with 5.5 million people. Miami and its surrounding cities make up the fifth largest urban area in the United States. As of 2005, the United Nations estimates that the Miami Urban Agglomeration is the fourth largest in the United States, and the 44th largest in the world.

Miami’s importance as an international financial and cultural center has elevated Miami to the status of world city. Because of Miami’s cultural and linguistic ties to North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, Miami is many times referred to as “The Gateway of the Americas”. Florida’s large Spanish-speaking population and strong economic ties to Latin America also make Miami and the surrounding region an important financial center of the Hispanic world.

Miami is also home to one of the largest, most influential ports in the United States, the Port of Miami. The port is often called the “Cruise Capital of the World” and the “Cargo Gateway of the Americas”. It has retained its status as the number one cruise/passenger port in the world for well over a decade accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines.

Journal:
Mr E and I went to Disney world. Mr. E. ate too much candy and got a stomach ache. I patted him on the back and he threw up. He went to the hospital. He was there for one hour. Then he felt better and he came back.

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Orlando, FL

Ashley Disney, "Cinderella,"showed us around Orlando. It was great! There is so much to do we could never do it all. We got to smell the beach and see the shells from the beach. She said that the Gulf of Mexico beaches were better than the Atlantic Beaches. We tasted freshly squeezed OJ, which was great! We also went to the Kennedy Space Center!

The city of Orlando is a major city in central Florida, USA and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. A 2006 U.S. Census population estimate gave the metro Orlando area a population of 1,984,855 residents. It is also the principal city of Greater Orlando. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida's third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in Florida in student enrollment and has the 6th largest enrollment in the nation.

The city is well known for the many tourist attractions in the area, in particular the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is located in Lake Buena Vista about 20 miles (32 km) south of Orlando city limits via Interstate 4. Other notable area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. The region sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the country (after Las Vegas, Nevada), and is one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions with the Orange County Convention Center, the country's second largest in square footage. It is also known for its wide array of golf courses, with numerous courses available for any level of golfer. Despite being several miles away from the main tourist attractions, Downtown Orlando is undergoing major redevelopment with a number of residential and commercial towers.

Journal:
Hi, my name is Billy Bob Joe. Yesterday we met Barrack Obama and Justice Stevens. He told us a lot about D.C. He works with Barrack Obama. Oh and we met Mrs. Obama too.

Atlanta, GA

We met the "Georgia Peach" today! The ghost of Ty Cobb. It was a sort of baseball day!! We read about Hank Aaron too.

We went to the Atlanta Aquarium, we learned more about Martin Luther King Jr. and we learned about Habitat for Humanity! We loved the peanuts and peaches too!

Atlanta is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia, as well as the the core city of the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. It is the county seat of Fulton County, although a small portion of the city extends into DeKalb County. As of July 2006, the city of Atlanta had a population of 486,411 and a metropolitan population of 5,138,223. Residents of the city are known as Atlantans.

Atlanta has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence. Between 2000 and 2006, the Atlanta metropolitan area grew 20.5%, making it the fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation. Atlanta is often considered a poster child for cities worldwide experiencing rapid growth and urban sprawl.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta claimed to stand apart from southern cities that supported segregation, touting itself as "The City Too Busy to Hate." That characterization was sharply disputed by many Atlanta blacks, particularly student activists at Atlanta's black colleges and universities who from 1960 to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 waged a determined effort to desegregate public facilities through nonviolent direct action such as sit-ins and marches. Eventually, the city's progressive civil rights record and existing population of blacks made it increasingly popular as a relocation destination for black Americans. Blacks soon became the dominant social and political force in the city, though today some measure of demographic diversification has taken place. Along with St. Louis and Los Angeles, Atlanta is one of three cities in the United States to have hosted the Summer Olympic Games.

Raleigh, NC

Steven came in and told us about the "City of Oaks" today!


Raleigh is the capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. The city has a population of approximately 374,320, making it the second most populous in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the 15th fastest growing city in the United States and according to City of Raleigh Planning Department's Growth Management Division, Raleigh is the 49th-largest city in the United States.

Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill make up the three primary cities of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,565,223 as of July 1, 2006, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area portion estimated at 994,551 residents.

During the 1970s and 1980s the I-440 beltline was constructed, easing traffic congestion and providing access to most major roads throughout the city. The first Raleigh Convention Center and Fayetteville Street Mall were both opened in 1977. Fayetteville Street was turned into a pedestrian-only street in hopes it would spur business growth, but the plan was flawed and business declined.

In 1991 the two largest skyscrapers in Raleigh were completed, First Union Capital Center and Two Hanover Plaza. In addition, the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre opened and First Night Raleigh, an annual New Year's Eve celebration, was first celebrated. Two years later, the city suffered a major drought that resulted in Falls Lake, the primary source of water for Raleigh, to reach its all-time low. In 1996, the Olympic Torch spent the night in Raleigh while on its way to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia and was welcomed with a large celebration. That same year, Hurricane Fran struck the area, causing massive flooding and structural damage. The RBC Center arena opened in 1999 and is now home to the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes and NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team.

Journal:

Sam and I went to see the Hurricane's Game. It was a early game so when it was done we went to the capital building. It was filled with stuff. Some history that was my favorite and Sam's too. It was amazing and beautiful!!

I went biking with Mr. E. It was a beautiful day out. It was a 80 mile bike ride. I loved it , so did Mr. E. We got something to eat every 20 miles. It was super duper fum! It was 70 degrees out, warmer than Minnesota! We are very lucky. It was a special day to me!



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One time Jenna, Josie, Alisa, Josie J, Sydney, Emma and I were walking down the street when all of a sudden we saw people gathering around something. We couldn't believe it but we saw Barrack Obama, Michelle Obama and their two children. We couldn't see because their were many adults standing around them. But good thing their body guards were there or else it would be a disaster.

(12)

Today we went to the bike shop so I can get a bike! We went in and got me a bike. The wheels were old and weak so we tried to get the wheels off. Boom! The wheel flew around and hit Mr. E. in the head. We brought him to the hospital and he had to get stitches.

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