The City I Most Want to Visit in Each State, Part 3: Hawaii to Iowa

This is the third post in a series. I recommend reading the first and second posts before this one. Today I'll be picking the city in Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa that I most want to visit, then listing my top 2 attractions in each location. 

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The City I Most Want to Visit in Each State, Part 3: Hawaii to Iowa

 

The city I am most interested in visiting in Hawaii is Kula on the island of Maui. It's a small community known for its farms and botanical gardens. There are a lot of farm and garden tours that sound really interesting. I would most like to tour the Kula Botanical Garden and then take the Haleakala Creamery Farm to Spoon Tour.

When we traveled to eastern Idaho in 2021, we didn't end up going to Pocatello because the place I most wanted to visit was closed on the days we were passing through. The next time we're headed that direction, I'm going to prioritize visits to the Museum of Clean and the Idaho Museum of Natural History.

The city I most want to visit in Illinois is its capital, Springfield. Springfield is one of the five remaining state capitals I haven't visited. There are a lot of neat things to see and do there, most of which are related to Abraham Lincoln. My top two attractions are the Illinois State Capitol and Museum and the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

South Bend is the city I'd most like to visit in Indiana. The first thing I'd do is tour the University of Notre Dame. My second activity would be the National Studebaker Museum. 

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I want to visit the Ice Cream Capital of the World. Le Mars, Iowa certainly got my attention with that nickname! Le Mars produces approximately 200 million gallons of ice cream per year, more than any other city in the world. The first place I'd go is the Wells Visitor Center, so I can learn more about how all that ice cream is made. Then I would head out on an Ice Cream Sculpture walk, to find the 55 six-foot tall decorated ice cream cones that decorate the streets of Le Mars. 

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Have you been to any of these cities? Do you have recommendations for other attractions I should visit? Let me know in the comments!

Corn Dog Craft for Kids

What do Oregon and Indiana have in common? Corn dogs! This beloved fried food is popular in every state that has a fair, ballpark, or frozen food section in the grocery store, but Oregon and Indiana have special corn dog claims-to-fame. Corn dogs were invented in Rockaway Beach, Oregon in 1939. Follow this link to learn more about the birth of corn dogs. Make sure you scroll down far enough to see the mechanical corn dog. Indiana is not the birthplace of corn dogs, but the small town of Bristol (population 1600) is called the Corn Dog Capital of the World. They produce 80% of the world's corn dogs. Bristol is also home to the annual Corndog Festival. (Note: Both corn dog and corndog are acceptable spellings.) 

Celebrate the corn dog with a fun and easy craft. Affiliate links below. 

 

Corn Dog Craft

Materials: 

• watercolor paper
• watercolors (these are my favorites)
• scissors
• craft glue
• craft sticks
• yarn (yellow, red)

Steps: 

Use yellow, orange, and brown watercolors to paint a piece of watercolor paper the color of a corn dog. When you are happy with the color, let the paint dry completely. 

Cut the paper into the shape of a corn dog, approximately 6.5" x 1.75". Obviously, exact size doesn't matter. Glue the corn dog to a craft stick. Add a squiggle of glue down the length of the corn dog, then yarn on the glue. Trim the excess yarn, then let the glue dry completely. 

Steve likes his corn dogs with mustard. I prefer mine plain, or occasionally with ketchup. 

I had a lot of fun with this corn dog craft. Give it a try!

Painted Popcorn Craft

Indiana is the largest popcorn producer in the United States. Several major brands, including Orville Redenbacher's, originated in Indiana. So it's no surprise that Indiana named popcorn as its official state snack. Illinois is also a major popcorn producer that has named popcorn as its official state snack. I love popcorn and thought it would be fun to design a popcorn craft focused on the 4th graders in Indiana and Illinois studying their state symbols rather than the preschoolers who typically make popcorn crafts. Affiliate links below. 

Painted Popcorn Craft

Materials: 

• cardstock (white and red)
• microtip scissors
• 1" circle punch
• acrylic paint (yellow and white)
• 0.4" paint pouncer
• craft glue
• Flair pen (red)
• colored pencil (brown)

Steps: 

Cut a rectangle from white cardstock, approximately 3" x 4". Cut a square that is about 3.5" then cut a wiggly edge on all sides. The easiest way to do this is to keep the scissors still and move the paper back and forth. Punch a white circle. Cut four strips of red cardstock, each about 3/8" thick and longer than 4". 

Protect your work surface, then dip the paint pouncer in yellow paint. Pounce it randomly on the wiggly cardstock. 

Without cleaning the pouncer or letting the paint dry, dip the pouncer in white paint and continue pouncing randomly until the cardstock is covered. Be sure not to cover up all of the yellow. 

While the paint is drying, glue the red stripes to the white rectangle to make the popcorn box. If you were to glue the popcorn to the box right now, it would look like this. 

Center the words POP and CORN on the punched circle using the red Flair pen. Then color around the outside edge of the circle. Glue it to the popcorn box. 

Use a brown colored pencil to lightly outline some of the popcorn kernels, following the lines created by pouncing. Add little brown triangles between some of the pieces to show where there would be shadows between kernels. Add a few small curves here and there to mimic popcorn hulls. Then use the scissors to refine the shape of the popcorn. Follow the colors, thinking about how popcorn would actually sit. When you are happy with it, glue it to the top of the popcorn box. 

I really enjoyed this project. Paint pouncing is FUN! After making it, you'd better believe that I ate some popcorn!

The Best and the Worst of the 50 State Seals, Part 2

This is the second post (of five) rating the designs of each of the 50 state seals. I suggest starting with the first post, which gives the background and explains the criteria I'm using for grading. 

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Rating the State Seals: Hawaii through Maryland

Hawaii's state seal was adopted at statehood in 1959. It features King Hamehameha, the goddess Liberty holding the Hawaiian flag, a rising sun, a phoenix, 8 taro leaves representing the 8 main islands, banana leaves, ferns, a kapu stick, and more. The state motto, written in Hawaiian, translates to “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” There is no question that this seal represents the state well with all those elements, but the resulting design is very crowded. It would be a much better design with just half the elements. 

Design 2.5, Representation 5 = 7.5

The state seal of Idaho was updated in 1957 to highlight Idaho’s main industries (mining, agriculture, and forestry) and the state’s natural beauty. The woman symbolizes justice and the virgin land of Idaho and the man is a miner; together, they protect the items shown in the shield. Idaho's state flower (syringa) is represented, as is the state motto. It represents the state well and is nicely balanced, if a bit crowded. I'd change the colors to be more harmonious. (Fun fact: Idaho has the only state seal designed by a woman.)

Design 3, Representation 5 = 8

The state seal of Illinois was most recently updated in 1869, replacing the original seal that was nearly identical to the seal of the United States. The design features a bald eagle in profile, on a rock, holding a shield, with a banner in its beak proclaiming the state motto (State Sovereignty, National Union) reading from bottom to top, with a twist in the banner that makes word Sovereignty upside-down. There is an oddly-shaped sunrise over water. I am not a fan of this design. While it no longer looks like the seal of the US, it still has many of the same elements, including a shield with 13 stars and stripes. Illinois is the 21st state, not one of the original 13 Colonies. The statehood date (1818) appears twice, which is unnecessary. There is no reason for 1868, the year the seal was redesigned (before being adopted in 1869), to appear on the seal. I hate the spacing / kerning of the text. 

Design 1.5, Representation 1 = 2.5

The most recent version of the state seal of Indiana is from 1963. It features a forest with a man felling a sycamore tree, a bison running away, and the sun setting behind some hills. The designs in blue on either side of the date are the leaves of the tulip tree (the state tree), with dots and diamonds in between them for no apparent reason. (Am I the only one who sees a chicken?) There are 14 rays on the sun (Indiana is the 19th state, so this is not symbolic). I don't hate the seal, but I don't like it either. Without the text and the date, I would have never known this was supposed to be Indiana. Many states have (or had) bison, forests, and hills. 

Design 2.5, Representation 1.5 = 4

The state seal of Iowa was created in 1847, a year after statehood. It includes a soldier in a wheat field (the predominant crop of 1840's Iowa vs. the corn and soybeans that dominate now). He is holding a gun and the US flag topped with a liberty cap. He is surrounded by symbols of farming, mining, and transportation. The ship is the Steamboat Iowa, famous for holding the speed record on the Mississippi from 1843 to 1849. An eagle at the top of the seal holds the state motto. (Fun fact: The wording describing the seal is controversial, but it remains unchanged as of January 2026.) The design of this seal isn't terrible and it represents 1840's Iowa decently. The scale of the items is weird, unless that's a child's dollhouse with a working chimney. The motto is hard to read, since you have to start with the bottom left, move above it, then across, then down. I'd like this seal more without the soldier, US flag, and (especially) the gun.

Design 2.5, Representation 3 = 5.5 

The state seal of Kansas, adopted in 1861, focuses on the history of the state. It includes a sun rising in the east, a river and steamboat (representing commerce), a man plowing (representing agriculture), a settler's cabin plus covered wagons heading west (representing pioneer life and Westward Expansion), indigenous people on horseback hunting bison, the state motto ("To the stars through difficulties") and 34 stars representing Kansas' admission as the 34th state. This is a well-balanced design that represents the state very well. I appreciate that the original inhabitants are acknowledged (and not in an adversarial way). 

Design 4, Representation 4.5 = 8.5

The state seal of Kentucky was originally designed in 1792, then simplified 170 years later to portray "a pioneer meeting a gentleman in a swallowtail coat." Many believe the man in buckskin is Daniel Boone (a pioneer in the exploration of Kentucky) and the man in the suit is Henry Clay (Kentucky senator and eventual Secretary of State), but officially they are not specific people and instead represent all frontiersmen and statesmen. The seal also includes the state motto and goldenrod, the state flower. This seal could be so much better, but at least it's not too busy. 

Design 1.5, Representation 2.5 = 4

The state seal of Louisiana was most recently revised in 2006. The seal is very distinctive, featuring a pelican in her piety, traditionally a Christian symbol of self-sacrifice. The state motto (Union, Justice and Confidence) appears prominently. While the pelican might have first been chosen to honor the state's Catholic heritage during a time of anti-Catholicism elsewhere, I'd rather see the Pelican State design a more secular seal with a pelican that isn't actively bleeding. It's not the Self-Sacrifice State, after all. 

Design: 2, Representation 2 = 4

The state seal of Maine was adopted in 1820. In the center is a shield featuring a moose, resting in front of a pine tree, between the water and the woods. Two men (a farmer with a scythe and a sailor with an anchor) stand on top of a banner, on either side of the shield. The top of the seal has the state motto ("I direct") and the North Star. This design isn't particularly attractive, but it could be dramatically improved with just a few changes. I would expand the scene in the shield to fill the entire background of the seal, then move DIRIGO to where MAINE is located and write STATE OF MAINE in large letters across the top. Right now, the red DIRIGO banner looks like a brand name on a package of pasta sauce. 

Design 2, Representation 4 = 6

The state seal of Maryland is two-sided, but since the front was never cut and thus not used as a seal, I'll be focusing on the reverse. It was updated in 1959. It features the Calvert coat of arms being held by a farmer (holding a spade) and a fisherman (holding a fish). Behind them is ermine fur and at the top is a crest with two pennants. Below is the state motto. The literal translation is "Deeds are males, words are females" but in 2017 they changed the official translation to "Strong deeds, gentle words." The poorly-spaced text around the seal translates to "With favor wilt thou compass us as with a shield" and 1632 is the date Maryland was established. This design represents the origin of the (province then colony then) state well enough, but I think there is too much emphasis given to the founder. I'd like to see more of the natural resources, industry, or something else. 

Design 3, Representation 3 = 6

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So far, we have Arizona (10), California (9.5), Kansas (8.5), Alaska (8), Idaho (8), Delaware (7.5), Hawaii (7.5), Colorado (7), Florida (6.5), Maine (6), Maryland (6), Iowa (5.5), Kentucky (4), Louisiana (4), Indiana (4), Alabama (3), Georgia (3), Illinois (2.5), Arkansas (1.5), and Connecticut (1). Let me know in the comments if you agree with my rankings. Tomorrow I'll look at the next ten seals. 

Football Helmet Christmas Tree Ornaments (or Refrigerator Magnets)

Ever since making the NFL helmet refrigerator magnets, I've been paying attention to helmet designs. I had extra wooden shapes, so I decided to paint some college teams. I turned some into Christmas tree ornaments and others into magnets. Affiliate links below.  

Football Helmet Ornaments (or Magnets)

Materials: 

• wooden football helmets
• Folk Art acrylic paint
• paintbrushes - flat and liner
• hand drill 
• Mod Podge Sealer 
• decorative cord 
• self-adhesive magnets

Steps: 

Use a flat brush to paint the base coat for each helmet you are making. When the paint is dry, you can draw your design freehand. Or, if you need a little help getting the proportions of the logo just right, print out an image of the actual helmet that is the same size as the wooden helmet. Cut around the edges, then use this transfer technique to get the design onto your wooden piece. 

Use the liner brush to paint the logo onto the helmet, then paint the facemask in the appropriate color. The facemask continues onto the body of the helmet. I painted freehand, but you can sketch it out first or use the transfer technique again. 

If you are making ornaments, use a hand drill to put holes into the top of the helmet. If you are making magnets, you don't need a hole. Seal the helmet with Mod Podge. 

Add a piece of decorative cord to hang your ornament or apply a magnet to the back of the helmet. 

Here's a closer look at each of the helmets I made (before I decided which would be magnets and which would be ornaments, which is why you don't see the holes yet): 

Indiana University Hoosiers

University of Oregon Ducks

University of Nebraska Cornhuskers

University of Michigan Wolverines

University of Georgia Bulldogs

I like the versatility of this craft. You could easily have a room full of people working on the same basic craft, but each could choose their own team and whether they want it to be an ornament or a magnet. 

12 of the Most Memorable Local and Regional Desserts Across the US

I'm a firm believer in trying the local specialties whenever we travel. And of course that includes dessert! Below are 12 of the most memorable local and regional desserts we've tried during our travels across the US. Most of these are not available anywhere else (except by mail order) and some of these are so good that it's well-worth a visit just to try them! 

Maple Creemee - Vermont; Kringle - Wisconsin; Smith Island Cake - Maryland  

Huckleberry Cheesecake - Montana; Gooey Butter Cake - Missouri; Derby Pie - Kentucky

Hoosier Pie - Indiana; Bourbon Balls - Kentucky; Chicago-Style Popcorn - Illinois

Biscochitos - New Mexico; Buffalo Berry Candy - North Dakota; Water Ice - Pennsylvania

I would happily eat any of those right now, but the two that I think about the most are Derby Pie and the maple creemee. They're soooo good! Are there any other local or regional desserts from where you live or that you've discovered during your travels? Let me know in the comments!

State Seal Glass Magnets

Today's project is a state-themed twist on a classic Mod Podge craft: glass magnets. Instead of using photos, magazine images, or ephemera for the design, use your state seal. Affiliate links below.  

State Seal Glass Magnets

Materials: 

• unfinished wood circles
• Folk Art acrylic paint - black
• flat-backed glass gems*
• state seal stickers
• Mod Podge
• self-adhesive magnets

Steps: 

Paint the wood circles black, then set them aside to dry. Center the sticker on the wood circle. Add a coat of Mod Podge to the back of a glass gem, then position it onto the sticker. Let the Mod Podge dry completely. Adhere a magnet to the back. 

When you use the magnet, pull it by the wooden part and not by the glass gem. 

*Learn from my mistake: Use slightly more expensive glass gems that are specifically made for crafting. I used the cheap ones I had on hand. Not only were they very irregular, but many of them were not crystal-clear. I tried to pick out the best ones for the project, but it's easier to use the better-quality gems to begin with. 

It's really interesting to me what each state has on their seal. Other than those states who have put their seal on their flag (ugh), I wasn't really aware of the details on most state seals. I don't think I have it in me to color all 50 state seals like I did with the state quarters, but I might pick a few of the more interesting ones and color those. 

Football Helmet Refrigerator Magnet Craft

If you have a football fan in your life, you're going to love this football helmet craft! It's fun to do as a team activity, at a sports-themed party, or to make as gifts for football players and fans. You can customize the helmet however you want. Make a replica of the helmet from an NFL, college, or high school team, or design your own from your imagination! Affiliate links below.  

Football Helmet Refrigerator Magnet Craft

Materials: 

• wooden football helmets
• Folk Art acrylic paint
• paintbrushes - flat and liner
• Mod Podge Sealer (optional)
• self-adhesive magnets

Steps: 

Use a flat brush to paint the base coat for each helmet you are making. 

When the paint is dry, you can draw your design freehand. Or, if you need a little help getting the proportions of the logo just right, print out an image of the actual helmet that is the same size as the wooden helmet. Cut around the edges, then use this transfer technique to get the design onto your wooden piece. 

Use the liner brush to paint the logo onto the helmet, then paint the facemask in the appropriate color. 

The facemask continues onto the body of the helmet. I painted mine freehand, but you can sketch it out first or use the transfer technique again. 

If you are going to be putting your magnet on the refrigerator or somewhere else where it could get wet, use the Mod Podge to seal it as soon as the paint is dry. You can skip that step if your magnet is going onto something like an office filing cabinet, where it's very unlikely to get splashed. Finally, apply a magnet to the back of the helmet. 

Here's a closer look at each of the helmets I made: 

Indianapolis Colts

Cincinnati Bengals

Minnesota Vikings

Green Bay Packers

Cleveland Browns... who famously don't have a logo 

As I was painting these, I was thinking about other things you could do with them besides turn them into magnets. Drill a hole into the top and turn them into ornaments. Link them together to make a banner. Or write names on them to use as place settings at a team banquet or party. Lots of possibilities!

Georgia and Indiana Craft Stick Flag Coasters

I'm trying to diversify the set of crafts I have made inspired by each state, so that people who visit each individual state's page have a wider variety of projects to choose from. I decided to make four more craft stick coasters, similar to the United States flag coaster and California's Bear Flag Coaster that I've previously posted. Today I'm sharing coasters featuring the flags of Georgia and Indiana. Affiliate links below.   

 

Georgia and Indiana Flag Coasters

Materials: 

• 7 standard size (4.5") craft sticks
• painter's tape
• acrylic paint (Georgia: navy, red, white / Indiana: navy)
• colored pencils
• Apple Barrel Paint Pens (Georgia: yellow, white / Indiana: yellow)
• Outdoor Mod Podge
• tacky glue
• 3 mini (2.5") craft sticks

Steps (Georgia): 

Arrange seven standard size craft sticks on a piece of painter's tape. Paint the sticks with a blue field and red, white, and red stripes. I recommend using a ruler and pencil to draw the lines and label the sections before painting. 

When the paint is dry, remove the sticks from the tape and paint the edges. They will show through in your finished coaster. The back won't show, so painting that is optional. Let the paint dry. 

Return the sticks to the painter's tape. Use a white colored pencil to draw where the stars will go and a yellow colored pencil to draw a simplified version of the coat of arms. Trace over each with paint pens. 

When the paint is dry, seal the sticks with Outdoor Mod Podge and let that dry completely. 

Arrange three mini craft sticks vertically on your work surface and add glue. One by one, transfer the painted craft sticks onto this base. 

Steps (Indiana): 

Paint seven standard size craft sticks navy blue. Be sure to paint the edges, as these will show. When the paint is dry, line up the sticks on a piece of painter's tape. 

Print a copy of the Indiana flag, sized to 4.5" x 3" (the approximate size of the finished coaster. Scribble on the back of the design with a white colored pencil. Place the printed flag, correct side up, on the taped craft sticks. Trace the basic lines of the design and put a dot where each star goes. This will transfer white guide lines to the navy-painted sticks. 

Trace over each of the lines with a yellow paint pen, then draw stars over each dot. Use a very sharp yellow colored pencil to write INDIANA near the top. 

When the paint is dry, seal the sticks with Outdoor Mod Podge and let that dry completely. 

Arrange three mini craft sticks vertically on your work surface and add glue. One by one, transfer the painted craft sticks onto this base. 

Tomorrow I'll share the other two coasters I made.