Category: United States

When California joined the United States as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, it was seen as a land unlike any other place in the country. Massive trees that reached to heaven, mountains filled with gold to make men millionaires, deserts that stretched hundreds of miles, beaches with beautiful vistas, and so much more.

Let’s take a look at some of California’s natural wonders that make it “The land of milk and honey”.

Presidio Park, San Diego

While California has been inhabited for thousands of years, Spanish explorers  in the 1500s wanted to settle, farm, and develop the land. The first permanent European settlement in California, and on the west coast of the US, was in present-day San Diego. The Presidio of San Diego served as a base for religious and cultural expansion.

While the original structure no longer exists, the area on which the Presidio once stood has been turned into a lovely park and declared a National Historic Landmark.

There’s no better way to start a journey of California’s highlights than at the San Diego Presidio Park, where you can enjoy the beauty of the land, the bay, and the city all at once.

Yosemite National Park

One of the most breathtaking areas in California is on the east side of the state, in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Gorgeous granite cliffs, ancient rock formations, stunning waterfalls, and amazing forested valleys reward any visitor. John Muir and others worked to protect the unique area, and it was set aside as first a state park and then a national park.

Half Dome on the south end of the park is one of its most recognizable features. The smooth granite looks like a dome cut in half, and was for a long time believed to be impossible to climb. These days, routes have been anchored into the side of the rocks, making it so popular that at times in the summer, it’s actually crowded!

El Capitan

On the north end, El Capitan is another granite formation that attracts visitors from around the world. The 3,000 foot monolith juts out of the valley below, beckoning  talented and adventurous climbers from around the world to scale the steep face.

Lake Tahoe

Just a few hours north, a short drive in California terms, is world-famous Lake Tahoe. The large alpine lake draws global visitors who want to see one of the largest lakes in the world, surrounded by picturesque vistas, varied wildlife, and lots of outdoor activities.

Now partly a national park on California’s side (and dotted with casinos on Nevada’s side), Lake Tahoe has a reputation as an upscale and trendy place to visit, whether it’s in the summer for water and mountain activities, or in the winter for amazing skiing, complete with breathtaking lake views.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert is otherworldly, a desert landscape named after the unique tree whose branches reach out like arms, with bushy leaves like arms and fingers. The tree’s roots can reach 30 feet or more under the ground, and trees can survive in the desert for more than a thousand years.

The national parks is larger than the state of Rhode Island, which emphasizes just how big California is, as the second-largest state in the Union.

Big Sur

California is known for its beaches, and Big Sur is the largest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States. People love to drive on Route 1, checking out the views of the coast, and enjoy the smaller cities and towns along the way. Andrew Molera State Park is a beautiful, undeveloped, rocky beach area.

Bixby Creek Bridge

Big Sur doesn’t just include the gorgeous beaches, but rocky mountains and deep valleys along Route 1. Bixby Creek Bridge is an architectural marvel, at 290 feet above the ground below, and with the ocean stretching out forever, making it both a little intimidating to cross, and unforgettable.

Redwood National Park

California is home to not one but two of the biggest trees in the world! Redwoods, a form of sequoia that have adapted to the foggy, coastal climate, stretch up to almost 400 feet high! They are the tallest trees in the world!

Redwood National Park and Redwood State Park have set aside thousands of acres of forests along the coast, protecting the ancient trees from further deforestation. Tourists flock to the area to view these natural wonders, as well as enjoy the rocky coastline that is so different than the sandy, hot beaches of southern California.

General Sherman, Sequoia National Park

A few hundred miles east are the other famous California trees: the giant sequoias of Sequoia National Park. General Sherman is considered the biggest tree, because it has the widest trunk and is the largest living single-stem tree in the world.

Other trees of this size have been felled by storms and people, so having a national park to protect the plants is an important development. It allows people to view and enjoy the remarkable, ancient trees for years to come, and allows them to grow, thrive, and do their part to keep our planet healthy and green.

Tourists come from around the world to marvel at the living phenomenon, and appreciate the variety and wonder that nature has created.

California has a reputation for being bigger and better, with more people, more land, more celebrities, more of everything. And this list certainly proves that the state has a lot to be proud of, with some of the most amazing natural marvels in the 50 United States.

The Revolution wasn’t the last time the US and Britain fought against each other in a war. The War of 1812 took place on US soil, over territorial expansion on the North American continent. Let’s take a deep dive into the last time a foreign power invaded our capital city, when the British invaded Washington, DC on August 24-25, 1814.

USS Constitution, Boston, Massachusetts

The war broke out in 1812 as the US expanded its territory into areas formerly claimed by the United Kingdom. While the battle was fought on territory from Canada in the north to New Orleans in the south, it was also fought on water, between warring sea vessels.

The USS Constitution, built in the late 1700s, was one of the most effective American ships during the War of 1812. She defeated five British ships in battle and captured countless other ships.

The ship was so popular that she was preserved and earned the nickname Old Ironsides because she regularly avoided destruction in battle.

These days, visitors can see the oldest ship still afloat, in the Boston Harbor, close to where she was built more than 300 years ago.

Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.

On the southern tip of the capitol city, Fort McNair, was designed to protect the city from an invading force. In August 1814, the British were advancing through Maryland, defeating untrained and poorly organized militias along the way.

Soldiers at Fort McNair abandoned their post, and British troops were able to take Washington, D.C. on August 24. According to reports, before the American soldiers left, they hid much of the gunpowder in a well. An unsuspecting British soldier tossed a match into the well, causing a horrific explosion and killing at least 30 soldiers. This incident was the greatest loss of life for the British in the city.

The fort was later used as an ammunition factory in the Civil War, and another explosion of gunpowder killed at least 21 female workers. These days, the fort is home to the National Defense University, the headquarters of the local military, and the residence for several high-ranking service members. Needless to say, they don’t store gunpowder there anymore.

US Capitol Building, Washington, DC.

British troops were given permission to sack Washington, D.C., and loot the city. They were also given permission to burn public and important buildings as retaliation for previous actions taken by American soldiers.

At the time, the building was home to Congress, as well as the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. The building was looted and damaged, and then soldiers set it ablaze. Burning from both the southern and northern wings, the damage to the structure was significant. The library was incinerated, and beautiful decor was ruined.

The fire didn’t destroy the building, and it was redesigned to be bigger and more impressive after the war ended. Today, the Capitol building is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.

White House, Washington, D.C.

The British soldiers even had permission to burn the White House, which was considered a serious act of war. Knowing opposing forces were coming, President Madison and his family evacuated the city right before troops arrived. His wife, Dolly, and several enslaved people who worked in the White House, rushed to save valuable and sentimental items from the White House.

The evacuation was so rapid that the invading troops actually sat down and ate dinner prepared for the President and his guests. After sacking the building and taking what items they wanted, soldiers set the executive mansion on fire, with added wood to ensure it would burn entirely.

Portrait of George Washington

One of the items preserved from the fire was the famous portrait of George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart. The original, ironically, was gifted to a former Prime Minister of England, but three impressive copies remained in the US. One, rescued that fateful day, is still displayed in the White House.

In 2009, then-president Obama held a ceremony honoring the people who saved an iconic piece of American history, as well as other valuable items that day. It was a meaningful event for the descendants of enslaved people to attend the White House under such different circumstances.

Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

While American soldiers had burned much of the shipyard and the vessels in it, the invading British soldiers made sure to destroy the Navy Yard even further, rendering it useless in the war. Several important ships and many structures were ruined, negatively impacting the military’s ability to plan and prepare for future battles.

However, the site has been restored and upgraded, and still serves as a headquarters for military functions in the nation’s capital.

Just hours after the devastation began, a massive storm hit the city, with intense winds, rain, and even a tornado. The storm, which many now suspect was a hurricane, was so intense it put out fires at many of the burning structures around the city. It was so bad, it caused the British leaders to retreat to their ships, many of which had been damaged in the storm.

An act of nature did what American soldiers could not do that day–defeated the British and forced them from America’s capital city.

These events were certainly the low point of diplomatic relations between the two countries, but time has healed any wounds left by the war, and the United States and United Kingdom are now the closest of allies.

NASCAR is a favorite American pastime, a fun spectator sport where you can cheer loudly, drink a lot of beer, and check out cool engines and fast cars. NASCAR is the most popular stock car racing organization, with several racing series taking place throughout the year, including the most famous and prestigious Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Races are held at different venues across the United States, and with sites in 39 states, you’re never very far from a NASCAR experience.

If you find yourself with a need for speed, these tracks will not let you down.

Darlington Raceway

Located just outside Darlington, South Carolina, the raceway has a grand reputation in NASCAR. It’s track is a unique egg shape rather than a more symmetrical and traditional oval. Legend has it that the shape comes from the builders being required to leave a nearby minnow pond undisturbed. The odd design makes the track more challenging, and has earned it the nickname “The Track Too Tough to Tame”. When a racer hits the wall, they’ve earned their “Darlington stripes”.

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Charlotte is one of the biggest hubs in NASCAR, and its amazing track lives up to the reputation North Carolina has as the home of NASCAR. The track is 1.5 miles and the stadium holds nearly 90,000 spectators and has the second largest video board in the world. The speedway hosts the Coca-Cola 600, one of the most important races of the series, and hosts over 380 events a year.

Bristol Motor Speedway

The Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee is a short track and just one half mile, which makes for a very different racing and viewing experience than at other NASCAR tracks. The short track also leads to more “paint swapping” as cars are packed tight on the track, and lots of drama from drivers dealing with different issues than on tracks with longer straightaways. Nicknamed “Thunder Valley” due to the loud volume of the cars racing in the venue, it holds more than 160,000 spectators and is the fourth largest sports venue in the United States.

Talladega Superspeedway

Located just north of Talladega, Alabama, this is the longest track in NASCAR at 2.66 miles. It has a current seating capacity of 80,000. Because of the long track and straightaway, vehicles can reach higher speeds than on other tracks, and the NASCAR speed record was set here in 2004, at 216 mph. For a time, vehicles were going so fast that their tires would burst, unable to handle the pressures of such speed. There is a “Talladega curse” that some attribute the many accidents and tragic injuries and deaths at the site to. The superspeedway was ensconced in pop culture in the 2006 film “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby” starring Will Ferrell.

Daytona International Speedway

No article on NASCAR would be complete without talking about the Daytona International Speedway, home of NASCAR’s headquarters and the premier race, the Daytona 500. Daytona is famous for many things, including the tragic death of racing legend Dale Earnhardt in the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

The track is a 2.5 mile “tri-oval” which is a hybrid triangle-oval shape with six turns. Like Talladega, which also features the tri-oval, drivers on the Daytona speedway must use restrictor plates to limit the top speeds in order to avoid high speed accidents.

Martinsville Speedway

Often ranking high in list of NASCAR’s best tracks for fans, the Martinsville Speedway just south of Martinsville, Virginia is the shortest track in the Cup Series, and one of the oldest. At just over one half mile and with very low banking in the turns, this classic “paperclip”  oval track requires significant skill and attention to hard braking at the turns and smooth accelerations in the straightaways. The speed record for one lap is just over 18 seconds, which is insanely fast!

Here’s a view of turn four, which shows how flat the track is!

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is probably most famous for its Indy car race the Indy 500, but it is also famous for the Brickyard 400, a premier NASCAR Cup race. It is the largest capacity sports arena in the world, holding over 400,000 people in stadium, infield and other seating. The facility is over 100 years old, and has witnessed the development of auto racing from its chaotic early days to the present high-tech experience.

The Brickyard 400 is part of the NASCAR Cup series and is generally raced in late summer. The race has had the highest attendance of all NASCAR races and second highest purse for the winner, second only to Daytona. In spite of the historic nature of the 2.5 mile track and Speedway, the Brickyard race has been met with some setbacks in recent years due to scheduling issues, poor spectator views and oppressive heat during the summer race. Nonetheless, it has quickly become a mainstay in the NASCAR tradition.

Since NASCAR has facilities in 39 of the 50 states, you’re never far from an awesome experience. So, check your calendar, see where the closest speedway is, and zoom over to see some fast cars just as soon as you can.

Hollywood movies are magical because they take the viewers to amazing places without leaving their seats, spinning alternate realities for audiences of places that often don’t even exist.

But, there are some places that do exist in real life, and you can visit them all across the United States.

Rocky

The iconic 1976 movie of a nobody boxer turned hero who goes the distance against the tough Apollo Creed was a knockout hit and turned Sylvester Stallone into a movie star. It also turned the Philadelphia Museum of Art into an international sensation when Rocky, training hard for the fight, used the 72 steps to prove he could take on the challenge.

The steps are now often referred to as the “Rocky Steps” and visitors from around the world stop at the museum just to walk up the steps, never entering the museum itself.

Thelma and Louise

This 1991 film features two housewives turned unintended outlaws who end it all in a dramatic drive over the edge of the Grand Canyon. In addition to earning both Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis Best Actress Oscar nominations, it was the breakout role for Brad Pitt.

The famous Grand Canyon scene was filmed at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah, and park tourists can look up the exact location online and visit it, though there are no official markers, for various reasons.

Jaws

Just saying the name of the movie gets the adrenaline flowing. Steven Spielberg set the thriller in a fictional New England town where a great white shark is menacing the town. The film was largely filmed on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, a sleepy fishing and resort town in Massachusetts.

Since the filming, the island has had a significant and sustained increase in tourism, but guests of the island will immediately recognize sites from the movie, since little has changed in the more than forty years since the original film’s release.

Ghostbusters

An instant sensation, Ghostbusters is a goofy supernatural comedy that takes place in New York City. As the trio of ghostbusters need a new business location, they take over an abandoned fire station. The station is the real life home to Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8, a part of the New York City Fire Department. The building’s exterior was used in the film but interior shots were done mostly in California. Nonetheless, the site is a quirky but popular tourist site in the city.

It is also known for its firefighters being among the first to respond to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001.

A Christmas Story

A cult Christmas classic, A Christmas Story tells the tale of a young boy who wants an air rifle for Christmas, but is told by every adult that “you’ll shoot your eye out, kid”. This film is a holiday tradition, largely because it provides an idealized view of Christmas through the eyes of children and portrays the dynamics of a realistic if not ridiculous American family.

The movie was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1983, and has the perfect home to portray an all-American family. The home, so integral to the movie’s plot, has been turned into a museum dedicated to the movie, and you can even buy souvenirs including a Major Award Leg Lamp and a full body bunny suit!

Hunger Games

The second installment of The Hunger Games focused on the tributes’ living quarters, which was an elaborate and breathtaking facility in Panem.

In real life, many of the scenes were shot at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

The hotel’s breathtaking atrium and glass elevators were the perfect location for the pivotal scenes in the movie. Several other scenes were filmed in and around Atlanta, providing any fan days of touring and reliving the exiting scenes from the movie.

Field of Dreams

The 1989 tale of a man compelled to build a baseball field in his corn field in Iowa is now a sports classic, bringing back feelings of nostalgia for one’s youth, relationships with loved ones and memories of childhood dreams left unfulfilled.

The farms where much of the movie was filmed, including the house and baseball stadium, have been preserved as a tourist destination. Admission is free and guided tours are provided with a reservation. The local community is very involved in preserving the magic of the story and there are often interactive experiences available for visitors to the site.

Whether you’re a die hard movie fan or just happen to be in an area where any of these movies were filmed, you should take the time to visit the sites. It will be a fun experience, especially if you sit down to watch the movie again after seeing it in real life!