The City I Most Want to Visit in Each State, Part 5: Massachusetts to Missouri

This is the fifth post in a series. I recommend reading the first, second, third, and fourth posts before this one. Today I'll be picking the city in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Missouri 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 5: Massachusetts to Missouri

 

 

The city I most want to visit in Massachusetts is Provincetown. While I've been to Cape Cod, we didn't make it all the way to the tip where Provincetown is located. This town is most famous for being the landing site for the Mayflower in 1620. I would most like to visit the Province Lands Visitor Center at Cape Cod National Seashore. The other attraction that interests me the most is the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. 

I am most interested in seeing Grand Rapids during my next visit to Michigan. Grand Rapids is home to the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum (although not the Presidential Library; they're typically colocated, but in this case the Library is 130 miles away in Ann Arbor, another city I'd like to visit). The other attraction I'd like to see is the Grand Rapids Public Museum. 

The city I'd most like to visit in Minnesota is Duluth. Duluth is a port city located on Lake Superior, and is the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes. Fun fact: The Port of Duluth is the world's farthest inland port accessible to oceangoing ships. When I make it to Duluth, I want to take a narrated boat tour of Lake Superior and the Duluth Harbor, then visit the Lake Superior Zoo. 

Natchez is the oldest continuous settlement on the Mississippi River and also is the city in Mississippi I'd most like to visit. The top two attractions I want to see are Natchez National Historical Park and the Natchez Museum of African American Culture. 

Independence is the city I most want to visit in Missouri. It is best known as the main starting point for the hundreds of thousands of pioneers who traveled west on covered wagons along the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails. I would love to learn more about this history at the National Frontier Trails Museum. Independence was also home to President Harry Truman; the Truman Presidential Library and Museum is my other priority when I visit. 

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Have you visited any of these cities? What else do you recommend I do there? Leave any suggestions you have in the comments!

Deer Easter Egg

For my next state symbol Easter egg, I chose a deer. The white-tailed deer is the state animal of Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, the state game animal of Oklahoma, and the wildlife symbol of Wisconsin. Affiliate links below.

  

Deer Easter Egg

Materials:

• egg (raw, hardboiled, or empty)
• acrylic paint (brown)
• brown cardstock
• scissors
• colored pencil (white)
• black paint pen
• craft glue

Steps: 

Paint the brown. While the paint is drying, cut out a pair of antlers, a pair of ears, and a tail. Make each a little longer than needed; fold back a small tab at the base. (This is where you'll be putting glue.) Use a white colored pencil to color the inside of the deer's ears. Color the edges and the underside of the tail white. 

Use the paint pen to add a nose to the pointed end of the egg. Add eyes and a mouth. Glue the ears,  antlers, and tail in place. 

Decoupage Tissue Paper Dolphin

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you like dolphins. Everyone likes dolphins, right? Three states like dolphins enough to have named them as their official State Saltwater Mammal (Florida), State Water Mammal (Mississippi), and State Marine Mammal (South Carolina). Read on for how to make a cool dolphin craft using tissue paper. Affiliate links below. 

Tissue Paper Dolphin

Materials:

• Neenah Bristol vellum
• tissue paper (light blue, dark blue, and silver)
• Mod Podge
• decoupage brush
• microtip scissors
• craft glue
• ultra-fine black Sharpie
• foam mounting squares

Steps: 

Prepare the Bristol vellum. You will need a total of two sheets: a full sheet for the light blue and a half-sheet each for the dark blue and silver. 

Cut or tear a piece of light blue tissue paper so that it is slightly larger than the full sheet. Set it aside. Tear thin strips of dark blue tissue paper. Don't cut them; you want them to be irregular to mimic the movement of the ocean. (Remember - tissue paper has a grain!) Cut a piece of silver tissue paper that is slightly larger than the half-sheet of paper. 

Pour some Mod Podge into a cup and dilute it with a little bit of water (about 3 parts Mod Podge to 1 part water). Spread a coat of the watered-down Mod Podge onto a half-sheet of paper. You want it to be moist but not puddly. It is important that it is completely covered. Carefully lay the silver tissue paper onto the moist paper. Load the brush with more Mod Podge and paint a coat over the top of the tissue paper. Use the brush to smooth any wrinkles as best you can. Don't worry about any overhanging tissue paper. 

Use the same technique to apply the light blue tissue paper to the full sheet of paper. Wrinkles are probably going to happen; gently smooth them out if possible. Don't overwork the tissue paper or you'll risk tearing it. 

To make the water, it is easiest to work on one area at a time. Paint a coat of Mod Podge onto the bottom inch of the paper, lay down a strip of tissue paper, then paint over that to seal it. Again, don't worry about overhanging tissue paper. Add Mod Podge to the next section of the paper, then add the tissue paper, slightly overlapping the previous piece. Seal it. Repeat until you've covered the entire half-sheet. 

When all three colors are completely dry, use scissors to trim the excess tissue paper from all four sides of the light blue and from three of the four sides of the dark blue. Tear or cut the fourth side in the shape of waves. Glue the dark blue paper onto the light blue. (I trimmed mine down to a square because I like squares, but you don't have to do that.)

Draw or trace a dolphin on the back of the silver paper, then carefully cut it out. Make a dot for its eye. Apply foam mounting squares to the back of the dolphin, then position it onto the paper. 

The Best and the Worst of the 50 State Seals, Part 3

This is the third 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: Massachusetts through New Jersey

The Massachusetts state seal was modified most recently in 1900. It includes the coat of arms of Massachusetts, which depicts a Native man holding a bow and an arrow pointing down. Above his head is the state crest, a disembodied arm holding a sword; this is controversial and is the primary reason Massachusetts is developing a new seal, flag, and motto. The banner below the coat of arms loosely translates to "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty," which is the state motto. The text around the seal translates to "The Seal of the Republic of Massachusetts." I am very glad to see that Massachusetts will have a new state seal. All of the choices are much better than this existing one, which depicts two weapons and little else. 

Design: 1.5, Representation: 1.5 = 3

The state seal of Michigan includes the state's coat of arms. On a dark blue shield, there is an image of a man standing by a lake with the sun rising behind him. His raised hand represents peace and the gun the ability to defend his rights. Tuebor translates to "I will defend." Around the shield are a moose, an elk, and a bald eagle. The other banners include the US motto ("Out of many, one") and the state motto ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." The date at the bottom (1835) is the year the seal and coat of arms were adopted, two years before statehood in 1837. I'd prefer that the date referenced statehood, but using the coat of arms for the seal is not a bad choice. It's too busy for my taste and there's a lot of Latin going on, but now that I've taken a careful look at 21 other state seals, I can say with confidence that I've seen a lot worse. 

Design: 2.5, Representation: 3 = 5.5

Minnesota's state seal is the newest among the 50 states, adopted in 2024. It features a loon (the state bird), wild rice (the state grain), pines (the state tree), the North Star (representing the state motto, "The Star of the North"), and water representing the many lakes and rivers in the state. The phrase above the loon comes from the Dakota people and means "Land where the water reflects the sky" and is the origin of the name Minnesota. There are 98 golden bars around the outside edge, representing the 87 counties and 11 federally-recognized tribes of Minnesota. I love everything about this seal. The design is near perfection, as is the symbolism. This is the gold standard of state seals.  

Design 5, Representation 5 = 10

The state seal of Mississippi was adopted in 2014 and features a bald eagle holding an olive branch (representing a desire for peace) and arrows (representing the power to wage war). A shield with 11 stars and stripes is on its chest. "In God We Trust" appears under the eagle. While this is an aesthetically pleasing design, it's hard to ignore the similarities between it and the US Great Seal. Other than the word "Mississippi" there is literally nothing about this seal that represents the state in any way. They could have included their own state motto instead of the national one, or put their own flag on the eagle's shield, or put the date of statehood - anything. 

Design 2, Representation 0 = 2

Missouri's state seal was adopted in 1822. In the center is the Missouri coat of arms and the US coat of arms, surrounded by "United We Stand, Divided We Fall" on a belt. The crescent represents how Missouri grows in population and wealth over time, and its status as the second state formed from the Louisiana Territory (since the crescent moon is the second phase after a new moon). The grizzly (and the two on either side of the shield) represent the strength and bravery of Missourians. The helmet signifies state sovereignty and the 24 stars the fact that Missouri is the 24th state. The state motto ("The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law") appears on a banner above the date 1820, when Missouri adopted its constitution (actual statehood was 1821). Fun fact: Grizzly bears don't live in Missouri. While this isn't the most attractive design, there are a lot of elements representing the state. 

Design 2.5, Representation 4 = 6.5

The current design for the state seal of Montana was adopted in 1893. It highlights the beauty and natural resources of the Treasure State, including the mountains that led to the state's name and the stunning Great Falls of the Missouri. The plow, miner's pick, and shovel above the state motto ("Gold and Silver") symbolize the agricultural and mineral wealth of Montana. Lawmakers debated adding people, animals, and transportation to the seal but ultimately decided that it would be too cluttered. Good decision. This is among the best of the 100+ year old state seals. 

Design 4, Representation 4 = 8

Nebraska's state seal was adopted in 1867. It shows a blacksmith at work, a settler's cabin with corn and wheat nearby, a steamboat on the Missouri river, and a train headed to the Rocky Mountains, pictured on the left. A banner displays the state motto. The date of statehood is at the bottom of the seal. Overall, this is an attractive design. It represents the state's role in western expansion, but I'm not crazy about the Rockies appearing on Nebraska's seal, since they aren't within the borders. I'd rather see Nebraska's prairie represented.  

Design 3.5, Representation 3.5 = 7

The current version of the state seal of Nevada was adopted in 1866. The main image includes mountains (with snow and without), a quartz mill, a silver mine and miner, a plow, sheaf, and sickle, a wagon, a train, a telegraph line, and a rising sun. There are 36 stars for the 36th state and the state motto sits right above the state name. While there is a lot going on here, it is well-balanced and attractive and doesn't feel too cluttered. It represents many facets of historical Nevada. 

Design 4, Representation 3.5 = 7.5

The state seal of New Hampshire was modified most recently in 1931. At the center is the frigate USS Raleigh in the harbor of Portsmouth. It is surrounded by a laurel wreath. There is a granite boulder in the foreground and a rising sun in the background. 1776 represents the date it ratified the state constitution; statehood came in 1788. I'd say this seal is solidly OK. It's not the most attractive or the most representative of its state, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it. I would have done 9 yellow rays on the sun instead of 7 to represent New Hampshire's status as the 9th state. 

Design 3, Representation 3.5 = 6.5

New Jersey's state seal was modified in 1928. In the center is a shield with three plows, representing agriculture. A helmet and horse's head represent sovereignty, speed, and strength. On either side stand Libertas (goddess of liberty, holding a Liberty Cap) and Ceres (goddess of agriculture). Below them is the state motto and the date 1776, representing the first state constitution. This is another seal that is... fine. Three identical plows seems like overkill. While the goddesses don't represent New Jersey specifically, I do appreciate the tie-in to the state motto. 

Design 2.5, Representation 2.5 = 5

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So far, we have Arizona (10), Minnesota (10), California (9.5), Kansas (8.5), Alaska (8), Idaho (8), Montana (8), Delaware (7.5), Hawaii (7.5), Nevada (7.5), Colorado (7), Nebraska (7), Florida (6.5), New Hampshire (6.5), Missouri (6.5), Maine (6), Maryland (6), Iowa (5.5), Michigan (5.5), New Jersey (5), Kentucky (4), Louisiana (4), Indiana (4), Alabama (3), Georgia (3), Massachusetts (3), Illinois (2.5), Mississippi (2), Arkansas (1.5), and Connecticut (1). Let me know your thoughts in the comments. On Monday I'll look at the next ten seals.

Standing Horse Craft for Kids

Did you know that there are 17 states which have named a horse as one of their state symbols? Thirteen states have an official state horse, including: Alabama (Racking Horse); Florida (Florida Cracker Horse); Idaho (Appaloosa); Kentucky (Thoroughbred); Maryland (Thoroughbred): Massachusetts (Morgan); Mississippi (American Quarter Horse); Missouri (Missouri Fox Trotter); North Carolina (Colonial Spanish Mustang), Oklahoma (American Quarter Horse); South Carolina (Carolina Marshy Tacky); Tennessee (Tennessee Walking Horse); and Texas (American Quarter Horse). Two more states have named a horse as their state animal, including: New Jersey (Horse) and Vermont (Morgan). Virginia has a state pony (Chincoteague). North Dakota has an honorary equine (Nokota). With so many state honoring this animal, it was the obvious choice for my next craft. 

In order to represent multiple breeds of horses for this blog post, I made my craft two sided. You can opt to make yours the same on both sides (like a normal horse) or different (like mine). Affiliate links below. 

Standing Horse Craft

Materials: 

• chipboard
• microtip scissors
• Folk Art paint
• embroidery floss
• craft glue
• binder clips

Steps: 

Create a pattern for your horse. You can draw a horse or find a photograph you like and cut that out. Trace the pattern twice onto chipboard. Cut out both horses. Paint each horse with a base coat of paint. (Remember, I made my horse two different colors intentionally.) Let the paint dry. 

Finish painting the horses. For my brown horse, that meant giving it a second coat and adding dark brown for the hooves. For the spotted horse, I added the spots and the striped hooves that are characteristic of an Appaloosa. 

Wrap embroidery floss around the four fingers of your non-dominant hand, going around 12 times. 

Use the scissors to snip below your pinkie to make 24 strands that form a tail. Glue the hair in place on ONE of the two horse pieces. 

Wrap embroidery floss around two fingers, going around 12 times. Snip that to make the mane. You'll be gluing it along the back, then folding it over toward the front. Start by putting a line of glue on the back of the horse, then lay the mane in place. Repeat as necessary until the mane and forelock are as full as you want. Let the glue dry. At this point, the mane will be sticking up. To make it lay flat, spread glue along the front side and press the mane into it. Trim as needed. Repeat the process for the second side of the horse, as desired.  

To make the horse stand, spread glue on the back side of the body, neck, and head of one horse. Do not put glue on the legs. Press the two sides together, then secure them with binder clips. (I took the picture before adding the rest of the clips. You'll want one by the throat and one over the tail. 

When the glue is dry, remove the clips and you'll have a horse that stands. I opted not to add facial features, but that's a personal choice. 

Design a Square Dance Outfit Coloring Page

There are a whopping 24 states that have named square dance as their official state dance (or folk dance). These include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The point of state symbols is supposed to be to highlight what sets one state apart from the other 49, so I'm not crazy about the fact that 24 states share a state symbol. But it's not a coincidence: starting in the 1960's, square dancers across the country petitioned to make their hobby the official national dance. Despite many attempts, it never passed (the story is fascinating) and square dancers turned their attention to state legislatures. Obviously, that was far more successful. 

Because of the popularity of square dancing throughout American history and its status as a state symbol for so many, I wanted to design a craft inspired by it. I settled on the most iconic aspect: the outfits. Students can use my coloring page to design clothing for a square dance couple standing in promenade. I opted not to add faces or hair, as if the clothes were on mannequins. Feel free to add in whatever features you'd like.  

Square Dance Outfit Coloring Page

The first thing I did before making my coloring page was to research square dance outfits. Square Up Fashions gave me a good idea of what's popular amongst square dancers. Check out some of the dresses and skirts they currently have for sale: 

I used the basic shape of the outfits to draw a very simplified couple.

I scanned and copied my drawing. I put two couples on one page (so I could try different designs) and printed it out. 

I colored in both images with my Ohuhu Honolulus, then added details with a black fineliner. The first design (purple and black) is at the top of the post. Here's one in shades of blue. 

I tried to make the two couples look as different from each other as possible, while still staying true to what square dancers might actually wear. It was a lot of fun. As is square dancing! The last time I did square dancing was at Trevor's 4th grade Gold Rush camp in 2016. I'm overdue to do some square dancing again!

Standing White-Tailed Deer

Native to North, Central, and South America, the white-tailed deer is one of the most widely distributed land mammals in the world. They are crepuscular, consume a wide variety of plant materials, and are highly adaptable to different habitats. White-tailed deer can sprint at speeds of 40 miles per hour, sustain speeds up to 30 miles an hour, and jump 9 feet high and 30 feet forward. 

The white-tailed deer is culturally important in the US (and beyond). It is the state animal of Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, the state game animal of Oklahoma, and the wildlife symbol of Wisconsin. It appears on the flag of Vermont and is the mascot of the Milwaukee Bucks. Bambi is a white-tailed deer (in the Disney movie - in the Austrian book that inspired the film, Bambi is a roe deer.)

Read on to learn how to make a family of white-tailed deer that stand on their own. Affiliate links below. 

 

Standing White-Tailed Deer

Materials:

• cardstock (tan, cream)
• microtip scissors
• colored pencils (I used Ohuhu)
• craft glue

Steps:

You will need four basic shapes to make an adult male white-tailed deer: a body, legs (2), ears (2), and antlers (2). If you want to make an adult female or a baby, you don't need the antlers. Cut the body parts from cardstock, then use colored pencil to add details: a black nose, a black eye, black hooves, black shading on one ear, and white shading around the nose, under the belly, under the tail, and inside the ear. If you are making a fawn, add white dots all over its back. 

For the adult make, fold the legs in half, then glue them to the back of the deer's body. Adjust them until the deer can stand on its own. Glue one ear to the front of the deer and one to the back, then glue the antlers in place. Use the same steps, minus the antlers, for an adult female or a fawn. 

The Best Tour in Every State, Part 3

This is the third part in my series about the best tour I've taken in every state. I recommend reading the first post (Alabama through Georgia) and the second post (Hawaii through Maryland) before this one. 

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Massachusetts

I think we've taken more tours in Massachusetts than in any other state besides our home state of California. It was really difficult to pick a favorite, but I'm going to have to go with the Cranberry Bog Tour at the Ward family farm. It was fascinating learning about the stages in growing and harvesting cranberries and trying some of the traditional equipment in the Education Barn. 

Michigan

The best tour I've taken in Michigan was the Ford Rouge Factory Tour at the Henry Ford near Detroit. It's one of the best factory tours I've ever done... and I've done a lot of factory tours. The size and efficiency of the assembly line was amazing. This photo is from the lobby; as with many factory tours, photography of the factory floor is not allowed. 

Minnesota

The Flour Tower at Mill City Museum is the best tour I've done in Minnesota. The tour takes place in a giant elevator with stadium seats. At each floor, you see artifacts overlaid with historic film. Special effects make it feel like you're really there. It's incredible. 

Mississippi

The only tour I've taken in Mississippi was the self-guided tour of the State Capitol. It's done very well, with interesting and challenging activities to do that help teach you about the architecture and history of the building and its occupants. 

Missouri

The best tour I've taken in Missouri was the Gateway Arch Riverboat Cruise. The narrated journey along the Mississippi River provides a great view of St. Louis. We learned all about the history of the city and the importance of the river in the past and now.  

Montana

The best tour we took in Montana was the Last Chance Train Tour in Helena. The open-air, trackless train took us past historic buildings in Montana, as well as a restored miners' village, Last Chance Gulch, and more. It was a great introduction to Montana's capital city. 

Nebraska

The best tour we took in Nebraska was the Bite of Omaha culinary tour. We learned so much about the Omaha food scene and stuffed ourselves with fantastic food. 

Nevada

I've taken several great tours in Nevada, but the best was the tour of the Hoover Dam that Steve and I did in 2003, during our first-ever vacation together. 

New Hampshire

The best tour I've taken in New Hampshire was the Portsmouth Harbor Cruise. Our captain taught us so much about Portsmouth, past and present, as he took us down the Piscataqua River to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It was a great tour. 

New Jersey

The best tour I've taken in New Jersey was a guided tour of the Capitol building. In addition to covering the history, our guide provided a detailed look at the art and architecture of the stunning building. The photo below shows my favorite piece of artwork on display. 

If you have any tours you recommend, tell me about them in the comments. I'll be back tomorrow with the next ten states. 

State Bird Window Clings Using Gallery Glass (American Goldfinch and Northern Mockingbird)

After making diamond art ornaments featuring two of the state birds, I thought it would be fun to use a different medium to make another pair of state birds. These window clings of the American goldfinch and Northern mockingbird are made from Gallery Glass. They're currently on the window in my craft room - that's our neighbor's tree you're seeing through my window. Aren't they cute? Affiliate links below. 

Gallery Glass - Bird Window Clings

Materials: 

• Gallery Glass leading - black 
• Gallery Glass paint - yellow, white, black, orange
• Gallery Glass workmat
• Gallery Glass toolkit (I didn't know it existed until I wrote this post, so I used a skewer)

Steps: 

Draw a simple bird shape onto a piece of scratch paper, then position it under the workmat. Use the black leading to outline the shape. Let the leading dry completely (overnight is best). 

Use the paint to flood each section, much like you would when decorating a cookie with royal icing. I used a skewer to create a variegated color in both tails and the mockingbird's wing, but it dried a solid color so don't bother with that. 

Let the paint dry completely, again overnight. When it is dry, carefully peel the birds off of the workmat. Now you have a window cling that that will stay on the window until you peel it off. 

Here's a closer look at each bird. The mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. 

The goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington. 

It would be easy to adapt this project to make literally any bird. Give it a try!

50 State Quarters: Coloring Pages Using Folk Art Acrylic Paints

I've finished four more State Quarters coloring pages: Wyoming, Rhode Island, Mississippi, and Michigan. This time, I painted each with Folk Art acrylic paint (affiliate link). Painting in the tiniest letters was a challenge, but otherwise I really enjoyed painting each coloring page. I particularly had fun making the sunset background for Wyoming's quarter.

It's been a lot of fun using different art materials to do these coloring pages. Before this batch, I've used: 

• Ohuhu Kaala markers (Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin)
• ink and colored pencil (Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Montana)
• Flair pens (Delaware, Indiana)
• Sharpies (Maine, South Carolina)
• Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 (Colorado, New Hampshire)

More State Quarters coming soon!