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.

Indianapolis, IN

We learned about inland cities today and how they are different from coastal cities. We also talked about why it is handy to have the capital in the middle of the state. There is much to see and due in this "hub" city! "The Crossroads of America!"

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.