Miami, FL

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!!

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.

Orlando, FL

You will want to read all about Walt Disney! What an amazing story!! Wild. Welcome to the city that made Florida!

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.

Atlanta, GA

Went to the Brave's game tonight and it is a wild one! It is in the tenth now after the Braves scored 5 in the bottom of the ninth to force the game into extra innings! WOW! What a night to be at the ball park!

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

We saw a sidewalk artist today. It was awesome!!


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.

Richmond, VA

City of history and heroes!! Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Maggie L. Walker! There is an inspirational story around every corner!! What a lot of fun!!

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county (Richmond County is unrelated, and located more than 53 miles (85 km) away in the northeast region of the state). Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Greater Richmond area. Surrounded by Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, the city is located at the intersections of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64 in central Virginia. As of 2006, the city's estimated population is 192,913, with a metropolitan area population of 1.2 million, making the Richmond Metropolitan Area the third largest metropolitan area in Virginia after Washington-Baltimore and Hampton Roads.

The site of Richmond, at the fall line of the James River in the Piedmont region of Virginia, was briefly settled by English settlers from Jamestown in 1607, near the site of a significant native settlement. The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737. It became the capital of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia in 1780. During the Revolutionary War period, several notable events occurred in the city, including Patrick Henry's, "Give me liberty or give me death," speech in 1775 at St. John's Church, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1779; the latter of which was written by Thomas Jefferson in the city. During the American Civil War, Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States of America, and many important civil war landmarks remain in the city today, including the Virginia State Capitol and the White House of the Confederacy, among others.

Washington D.C.

Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States. It is coterminous with the District of Columbia (abbreviated as "D.C."). The city and the district are located on the banks of the Potomac River and bordered by the Commonwealth of Virginia (to the southwest) and the State of Maryland (to the northwest, northeast and southeast). The city was planned and developed in the late 18th century to serve as the permanent national capital; the federal district was formed to keep the national capital distinct from the states.

The city was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States. The district's name, "Columbia", is an early poetic name for the United States and a reference to Christopher Columbus, an early explorer of the Americas. The city is commonly referred to as Washington, The District, or simply D.C. In the 19th century, it was called the Federal City or Washington City. Its population is about 588,292. The Washington Metropolitan Area is the eighth-largest in the United States with more than five million residents, and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area has a population exceeding eight million. If Washington, D.C., were a state, it would rank last in area (behind Rhode Island), second to last in population (ahead of Wyoming), first in population density, and 35th in gross state product.

The centers of all three branches of the U.S. government are located in the District. Also situated in the city are the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other national and international institutions, including trade unions and professional associations. Washington is a frequent location for political demonstrations and protests, large and small, particularly on the National Mall. A center of American history and culture, Washington is a popular destination for tourists, the site of numerous national landmarks and monuments, the world's largest museum complex (the Smithsonian Institution), galleries, universities, cathedrals, performing arts centers and institutions, and native music scenes. The District also includes substantial areas of surprisingly wild natural habitat, particularly along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, as well as most parts of Rock Creek Park and Theodore Roosevelt Island (located in the Potomac River).

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth most populous city in the United States and seventh most densely populated city in the U.S. It is the county seat of Philadelphia County. It is colloquially referred to as "the City of Brotherly Love", Modern Greek: "brotherly love" from philos "love" and adelphos "brother". Residents often informally call the city "Philly." The city is recognized as a strong candidate global city with strong evidence of world city formation.

In 2005, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the Delaware Valley metropolitan area, with a population of 5.8 million, was the fifth-largest in the United States and the 45 largest city in the world. A commercial, educational, and cultural center, the city was once the second-largest in the British Empire, (after London) and the social and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies. During the 18th century, it eclipsed New York City in political and social importance, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia's early rise to prominence. It was in this city that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and American independence, making Philadelphia a centerpiece of early American history. It was the most populous city of the young United States and served as the the nation's first capital in the 1790s.

New York, NY

New York City is the most populous city in the United States, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world. It has been the largest city in the United States since 1790. For more than a century, it has been one of the world's major centers of commerce and finance. New York City is rated as an alpha world city for its global influences in media, politics, education, entertainment, arts and fashion. The city is also a major center for foreign affairs, hosting the headquarters of the United Nations.

New York City comprises five boroughs, each of which is coextensive with a county: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. With over 8.2 million residents within an area of 322 square miles, New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States.

Many of the city's neighborhoods and landmarks are known around the world. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at Ellis Island, a small part of which lies within the city. Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, has been a dominant global financial center since World War II and is home to the New York Stock Exchange. The city has been home to several of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building and the twin towers of the World Trade Center, which were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

New York is the birthplace of many American cultural movements, including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and visual art, abstract expressionism (also known as the New York School) in painting, and hip hop, punk, salsa, and Tin Pan Alley in music. In 2005, nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city and 36% of its population was born outside the United States. With its 24-hour subway and constant bustling of traffic and people, New York is known as "The City That Never Sleeps;" it was first linked with "Gotham" by Washington Irving in 1807.

Boston, MA

We went on the Ghost Walking Tour today. It was very fun. What a town and what a history! We went down to Cape Code and saw the Atlantic in full swing too!

Boston, located in Suffolk County, is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the entire New England region. The city, which had an estimated population of 596,763 in 2006, lies at the center of the Cambridge–Boston-Quincy metropolitan area—the 11th-largest metropolitan area (5th largest CSA) in the U.S., with a population of 4.4 million. Residents of Boston are referred to as Bostonians.

In 1630, Puritan colonists from England founded the city on the Shawmut Peninsula. During the late eighteenth century Boston was the location of several major events during the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Several early battles of the American Revolution, such as the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston, occurred within the city and surrounding areas. After American independence was attained Boston became a major shipping port and manufacturing center, and its rich history now attracts 16.3 million visitors annually. The city was the site of several firsts, including America's first public school, Boston Latin School (1635), and first college, Harvard College (1636), in neighboring Cambridge. Boston was also home to the first subway system in the United States.

Through land reclamation and municipal annexation, Boston has expanded beyond the peninsula. With many colleges and universities within the city and surrounding area, Boston is a center of higher education[9] and a center for health care. The city's economy is also based on research, finance, and technology — principally biotechnology. Boston has been experiencing gentrification and has one of the highest costs of living in the United States.

It is Spring Break for us, see ya in a week for more adventures!

Buffalo, NY

Buffalo, is an American city in western New York. It lies at the eastern end of Lake Erie and the southern head of the Niagara River.

As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 292,648. Buffalo is the state's second-largest city after New York City and is the county seat of Erie County.

Buffalo is the economic and cultural center of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area, an area with a population of 1.2 million people. Buffalo is the largest city of both the Buffalo Niagara Region and of Western New York.

Cleveland, OH

We talked about Great Lakes shipping and iron ore. We discovered why the iron ore was shipped to the Southern Great Lakes. We smelted ore, taking a solid to a liquid and back to a solid again. Very fun discussion. We bonked too, and tried Cliff Bars.

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles (100 km) west of the Pennsylvania border. It was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location at the head of numerous canals and railroad lines. With the decline of heavy manufacturing, Cleveland's businesses have diversified into the service economy, including the financial services, insurance, and healthcare sectors. Cleveland is also noted for its association with rock music; the city is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Detroit, MI

We learned a lot today. We learned about Motown and how Henry Ford changed the world. We also learned that working on an assembly line for 5 minutes but that 5 years could be another story.

Detroit (French: meaning "at the strait") is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario Detroit is a geographical oddity as the only U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded in 1701 by the Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.

It is known as the world's traditional automotive center — "Detroit" is a center for the American automobile industry — and an important source of popular music, legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, Motor City and Motown

Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800. The Grand Rapids–Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 774,084, while the Combined Statistical Area of Grand Rapids–Muskegon–Holland had a population of 1,320,487 as of the 2006 census estimate. It is the county seat of Kent County, Michigan6. It is the second largest city in the state and the principal city in West Michigan.

During the second half of the 19th century, the city became a major lumbering center and the premier furniture manufacturing city of the United States. For this reason it was nicknamed "Furniture City". After an international exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, Grand Rapids became recognized worldwide as a leader in the production of fine furniture. National home furnishing markets were held in Grand Rapids for about 75 years, concluding in the 1960s. Today, Grand Rapids is considered a world leader in the production of office furniture.

Indianapolis, IN

We went to the Brick Yard and it was cool!

Indianapolis is the capital city of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. The 2000 Census counted the city's population at 781,870. It is Indiana's most populous city and is the 13th largest city in the U.S., the third largest city in the Midwest, and the second most populous Capital in the U.S., behind Phoenix, Arizona.

Although Indianapolis sits in the Rust Belt, like many larger Rust Belt cities it has diversified its economic base to not rely solely on manufacturing. A large part of this diversification also involves the hosting of events, especially sporting events. The labels of The Amateur Sports Capital of the World, and The Racing Capital of the World, have both been applied to Indianapolis. The city has hosted the 1987 Pan American Games, both Men's and Women's NCAA Basketball Tournaments, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the United States Grand Prix (2000-2007), and is perhaps most famous for the annual Indianapolis 500. The attendance at both the Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 makes them the two largest single day sporting events in the world, with well over 250,000 fans in attendance at each. Indianapolis has the second most monuments inside city limits, behind only Washington D.C.[citation needed]. There have also been two United States Navy vessels named after Indianapolis, including the famous USS Indianapolis (CA-35) which suffered the worst single at-sea loss of life in the history of the U.S. Navy.

Louisville, KY

We saw the biggest baseball bat in the world today!! It was awesome. We also went to Louisville University and went out to Valhalla Golf Club, future site of the Ryder Cup!

Louisville is Kentucky's largest city. It is ranked as either the 17th or 27th largest city in the United States depending on how the population is calculated. The settlement that became the City of Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and is named after King Louis XVI of France. Louisville is famous as the home of "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports": the Kentucky Derby, the widely watched first race of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Louisville has been the site of many important innovations through history. Notable residents have included inventor Thomas Edison, the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, newscaster Diane Sawyer, writer Hunter S. Thompson, and actor Tom Cruise. Notable events occurring in the city include the first public viewing place of Edison's light bulb, the first library open to African Americans in the South, and medical advances including the first human hand transplant, the first self-contained artificial heart transplant, and the development site of the first cervical cancer vaccine.

Nashville, TN

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, although its Metropolitan Statistical Area population exceeds that of Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. Nashville is a major hub for the health care, music, publishing, banking and transportation industries.

It was the advent of the Grand Ole Opry in 1925, combined with an already thriving publishing industry, that positioned it to become "Music City USA". In 1963, Nashville consolidated its government with Davidson County and thus became the first major city in the United States to form a metropolitan government. Since the 1970s, the city has experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of Mayor (now-Tennessee Governor) Phil Bredesen, who made urban renewal a priority, and fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Public Library downtown, the Sommet Center, and LP Field.

Montgomery, AL

Montgomery has an amazing history! From the Civil Rights Movement to the Wright Brothers this city is a place of change and innovation!! We went to the zoo too! And that nice cold lemonade tasted great in the 73 degree weather!

Montgomery is the capital and second most populous city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Montgomery is notable for its historic involvement during the Civil War, for being the first capital of the Confederacy, and for being a primary site in the Civil Rights Movement, including the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott.

During the Civil War, Montgomery was left virtually physically undamaged, thanks in part to the Confederate capital having been moved to Richmond, Virginia, early on in the war, in an effort to keep the war in the north. Alabama's infrastructure was, however, damaged with much the rest of the South. Once the railways had been rebuilt, the city moved its focus toward industrial growth in textiles and agriculture. On March 19, 1910, Montgomery became the winter home of the Wright brothers' Wright Flying School. The men frequented Montgomery and founded several airfields, one of which developed into the Maxwell-Gunter AFB after the Wrights began working with the government to produce planes for military use. Montgomery flourished in the years leading up to the Great Depression, having experienced steady population growth. WWII revitalized the city after the Depression, but the city continued to weather some economic hardships. During this time, however, there were some noticeable highlights: for example, Montgomery became the first city in the world to install electric street cars. Montgomery, Alabama, was a central location in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. gained national attention for civil rights issues during his tenure (1954 to 1960) as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, two blocks from the State Capitol Building. A civil rights memorial has been erected near the still-active church. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks became a civil rights heroine in the city by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. The reaction to this arrest led to the 382-day Montgomery Bus Boycott, which forced the city to desegregate its transit system on December 21, 1956. In 1965, Dr. King's nationally publicized march for justice was conducted from Selma, to Montgomery.

Mobile, AL

Mobile is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. The population within the city limits was 198,915 as of the 2000 census.

The earliest origins of Mobile began with a Muskhogean Native American people in the fortified Mississippian town of Mauvila, also spelled Maubila, which Hernando de Soto's Spanish expedition destroyed in 1540. This earlier town is believed to have been further north than is the current city, but the later Mobilian tribe that the French colonists found in the area of Mobile Bay is theorized by scholars to have been descended from this earlier group of people. It is from this latter tribe that Mobile gained its name. The city began as the first capital of colonial French Louisiana in 1702, and during its first 100 years, Mobile was a colony for France, then Britain, and lastly Spain. Mobile first became a part of the United States of America in 1813, left the United States with Alabama in 1861 to become a part of the Confederate States of America, and then back to the United States in 1865.

Located at the junction of the Mobile River and Mobile Bay on the northern Gulf of Mexico, the city is the only seaport in Alabama. The Port of Mobile has always played a key role in the economic health of the city beginning with the city as a key trading center between the French and Native Americans down to its current role as the 11th largest port in the United States.

As one of the Gulf Coast's cultural centers, Mobile houses several art museums, a symphony orchestra, a professional opera, a professional ballet company, and a large concentration of historic architecture. Mobile is known for having the oldest organized Carnival/Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States.