Richmond, VA

We met Lilly Jefferson today and she told us all about Richmond, 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.

What a day!!! We met the President of the United States!! We met his wife!! And get this, Supreme Court Justice Stevens showed us around Washington D.C! What an amazing place, you could not do this all in a day!! There are so many memorials, buildings and of course the Smithsonian.

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

We met Rocky today!! He knew so much about Philadelphia! We saw the Liberty Bell and the Museum of art. We ran up the steps and listened to "Gonna Fly Now" and "Philadelphia Freedom." We ate soft pretzels and ate Cheesesteak! What a great time!

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.

Today we were in Philadelphia, PA. We met Rocky! I asked him if he could knock me out and he did.

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New York City!

We met Sarah Langsdale today!! Star of the musical "Chicago!" What a thrill. She showed us around this wonderful city full of life, cultures and history!! (And she told us she is related to Lilly Love!)

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.

Connecticut

We met Kathearine Hepburn today! She was a very friendly ghost!! What a thrill!

Yes, a state, small but yet full of history and things to do!!

Man do we have a lot to thank Hartford for. It gave us Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, it gave us the first public park, the first public museum and the first newspaper. What a great place. I have a warm spot in my heart for Hartford! HA!

The name "Connecticut" originates from the Mohegan word quinnitukqut, meaning "place of long tidal river".[24] In fact, the exact spelling "connect i cut", was rendered by John Dixwell, Edward Whalley, and William Goffe, three regicides who came to New Haven in the 17th century, fleeing prosecution by Charles II of England. [not in citation given]

Connecticut's official nickname, adopted in 1959, is "The Constitution State," based on its colonial constitution of 1638–39. Unofficially (but popularly) Connecticut is also known as "The Nutmeg State". The origins of the nutmeg connection to Connecticut are unknown. It may have come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg (which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a very valuable spice). It may have originated in the early machined sheet tin nutmeg grinders sold by early Connecticut peddlers. It is also facetiously said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved nobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers. George Washington gave Connecticut the title of "The Provisions State" because of the material aid the state rendered to the Revolutionary War effort. Connecticut is also known as "The Land of Steady Habits".

According to Webster's New International Dictionary, 1993, a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a "Connecticuter". There are numerous other terms coined in print, but not in use, such as: "Connecticotian" - Cotton Mather in 1702. "Connecticutensian" - Samuel Peters in 1781. "Nutmegger" is sometimes used, as is "Yankee" (the official State Song is "Yankee Doodle"), though this usually refers someone from the wider New England region. Linguist Allen Walker Read reports a more playful term, 'connecticutie.' The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn."; the official postal abbreviation is CT.

Boston, MA

We went on a 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! Man what history!! There is so much to see and do here!!

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.

Buffalo, NY

We met Kevin today. He plays baseball for the Buffalo Bison. He was a great guy. The one mystery we had was why the population has been cut in half over the last 50 years, what happened?

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

What a day!! We had pancakes and we went to see iron ore get smelted in the iron works. We learned about the hundreds of inventions that have been discovered in Ohio. It is truly "The Heart of America." It is also inspiring to see how Cleveland cleaned itself up. What a city!!

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

It was a nice day in Detroit. We learned about the underground railroad and some more Michigan firsts!!

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.

We also had Jim Bassett, a former Great Lakes Sailor come in and tell us about working on the ore boats! Thanks Jim!

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

Man, did we have fun! Lake Michigan is awesome! We saw the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel! Did you know that there are no cars allowed on Mackinac Island? We even got yogurt in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids is also the Furniture Capital of the United States. The Public Museum has all kinds of furniture in it and the Myer Gardens has a butterfly display! Cool!

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.