The City I Most Want to Visit in Each State, Part 7: New Mexico to Ohio

This is the seventh post in a series. I recommend reading the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth posts before this one. Today I'll be picking the city in New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Ohio 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 7: New Mexico to Ohio

 

We have visited a lot of neat places in New Mexico, but we haven't made it to Taos. I've heard so many good things and hope to visit someday. My top priorities are the guided tour at Taos Pueblo and the Taos Trolley Tour. 

Jamestown is a small town in western New York and the birthplace of Lucille Ball. It is home to the National Comedy Center, as well as the Lucy Desi Museum. I would travel significantly out of my way to visit both. 

The town I would most like to visit in North Carolina is Monteo, on Roanoke Island. My top priority would be visiting Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. I'm fascinated by the Lost Colony and want to know more. The second place I would visit is the North Carolina Aquarium. 

The place in North Dakota that I most want to visit is the tiny town of Dunseith (which apparently does not have a logo or seal of any kind) because it is home to the International Peace Garden. Ever since I learned about this botanical garden with half located in the US and half in Canada, I've wanted to go there. Unfortunately, it is a fair distance from other destinations or major cities in both the US or Canada. The North American Game Warden Museum is located within the International Peace Garden, so I'm not counting that as my second attraction. Instead, I'm picking Lake Metigoshe State Park. 

The city I most want to visit in Ohio is Cincinnati. There is a lot of interesting history, as well as unique foods and fun traditions in Cincy. I most want to visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

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If you have recommendations of places to go in these states, let me know in the comments! 

Perler Bead Lighthouse

My latest internet rabbit hole led me to lighthouses. I learned that there are 750+ standing lighthouses in the US, of which approximately 450 work. All are fully automated. There are lighthouses in 31 states; Michigan has the most by far. There is some debate about how to define what exactly a lighthouse is, but most experts agree that Michigan has around 129. Maine and New York each have around 65, followed by Massachusetts (52), California (45), Wisconsin (43), Washington (30), Florida (30), North Carolina (29), and Ohio (26). 

The vast majority of lighthouses are white for easy visibility. Some have colored patterns (usually black, red, or unpainted brick) called "daymarks" that provide a contrast with the sky and water for easy identification during daylight. Lighthouses come in a wide variety of shapes and styles. Rather than design a craft for one specific lighthouse, I decided to make a generic design that represents the hundreds of lighthouses in our country. Affiliate links below. 

Perler Bead Lighthouse

Materials:

• large square pegboard
• Perler fuse beads
• iron

Steps: 

Start by placing three black beads at the bottom center of the pegboard. Add five white beads on either side of the black beads. Repeat this same pattern for the next three rows up. Then add four rows of 13 white beads, then one row of 13 grey beads. 

Add two rows of 11 white beads centered over the grey row. Then make three rows with two white, two black, three white, two black, and two white. Add two more rows of 11 white beads, then 11 grey beads, then 11 black beads.

The next row up has 9 black beads. Then add three rows with one black, three yellow, one black, three yellow, and one black. The next row has 11 black beads. Add two rows of 7 black beads, then one row with 5 black beads, one row with 3 black beads, and a single black bead at the top. 

My pattern is easy to alter if you want to make a lighthouse that looks different. Just change out the colors to add daymarks, make it wider, make it taller (you'll need to use a second board), move the windows, etc. You can base your project on an existing lighthouse or design your own like I did!

The Best and the Worst of the 50 State Seals, Part 4

This is the fourth 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: New Mexico through South Carolina

The state seal of New Mexico was adopted in 1913, the year after statehood. It features a "Mexican eagle" holding a snake in its beak and cactus in its talons, based on an Aztec myth. It's shielded by the "American eagle" that is holding arrows in its talons. This symbolizes that the state holds onto its Spanish, Mexican, and Native American traditions, while being protected by the US. A scroll has the state motto, translated to "It goes as it grows." Snake, eagle, cactus, motto, date - there are some good elements here, but they desperately need a redesign. Everything about the banner bothers me: the font is hideous, the spacing horrible, and the banner itself oddly asymmetrical. New Mexico has such a beautiful and distinctive landscape. Ristras are practically synonymous with New Mexico. I'd feature those, with the current elements placed more naturally and less paternalistically.   

Design 2, Representation 3.5 = 5.5

New York's state seal was updated most recently in 2020. It features a center shield with two sailing ships on the Hudson River, symbols of inland and foreign commerce. A rising sun (with a face) casts light on the river. Surrounding the shield are Liberty, Justice, and an American eagle standing on a globe with Greenland directly below its talons. The primary and secondary state mottos ("Ever Upward" and "Out of Many, One") appear on the banner that Liberty and Justice are standing on. Once again, we have a Phrygian cap. This is an attractive enough seal, well-balanced and pleasingly symmetrical, but it feels very old-fashioned and too similar to the others that have eagles, Liberty, and Phrygian caps. I would base the entire seal on the scene that is on the shield, minus the face on the sun.  

Design 3.5, Representation 3 = 6.5

The seal of North Carolina was modified most recently in 1983. It features Liberty and Prosperity looking toward each other. Liberty is holding her pole and cap, as well as the Constitution. Plenty has grain and a cornucopia. There are hills and a three-masted ship in the background. Two dates appear: May 20, 1775 marks the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and April 12, 1776 is the date of the Halifax Resolves. The state motto ("To be, rather than to seem") is at the bottom. I'm getting tired of Liberty and her friends appearing on seals, but I'm not going to penalize any state for repetition, only not representing themselves in a way that's unique. At least there's no eagle. The design is pretty good and between the ship, ocean, hills, dates, and motto, there's an acceptable amount of representation. 

Design 3, Representation 4 = 7

North Dakota's state seal was redesigned in 1987 using all of the elements of the original seal, including: a tree with three bundles of wheat at the base (representing three branches of government); a plow, anvil, and sledge (representing agriculture and a strong work ethic); a bow with three arrows and an Indian on horseback chasing a buffalo toward the setting sun (representing Native American culture and the history of the Northern Plains); 42 stars (chosen because they originally expected North Dakota to enter as the 42nd state - it's actually the 39th); the state motto; October 1 (when voters approved the state constitution); and 1889 (when North Dakota gained statehood). Overall, the seal is fine. Not great, not bad. I don't love all the little stuff littered toward the bottom of the seal. They're not necessary. I really don't like that the arrows are pointing at the person, nor that he's riding into the setting sun. And why on earth didn't they didn't change the number of stars to the correct order of admission when the seal was updated? 

Design 3, Representation: 3 = 6 

The state seal of Ohio was most recently updated in 1996. It features a sunrise over Mt. Logan in Chillicothe, Ohio's first capital. (Fun fact: You can see this view at Great Seal State Park.) The sun has 13 rays, representing the original 13 colonies. In the foreground there is a bundle of 17 arrows (Ohio is the 17th state) and a sheaf of wheat. This is a beautiful seal and I love that it depicts a real place. I would make one change, and that is to add the date of statehood (1803) to the blue ring. 

Design 4.5, Representation 4.5 = 9

Oklahoma's state seal was adopted at statehood in 1907. The main star contains the seals of the Five Civilized Tribes: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole, all of whom have a major presence in Oklahoma. The center of the star holds the territorial seal. There are 45 smaller stars on the seal, representing the first 45 states; the largest star is Oklahoma, the 46th state. I love the concept of this seal, honoring five native tribes as well as all of the states that came before Oklahoma. However, the seal is quite busy with six seals and 45 stars fighting for attention. 

Design 2.5, Representation 5 = 7.5

Oregon's state seal was designed in 1857, two years before statehood. It has an American eagle sitting on top of a shield. The shield includes the sun, mountains, an elk, trees, a covered wagon, agricultural and mining tools, and the Pacific Ocean. A British ship is sailing away and an American steamboat is arriving. There are 33 stars, representing Oregon's place as the 33rd state. There is a lot going on in this design, but the tone-on-tone keeps it from being overwhelming. I'd remove the eagle, and the 'The Union' banner to give the other elements that are more specific to Oregon a bit more space. I'd move the 33 stars to the outer ring and fix the weird spacing of the words. 

Design 3, Representation 4.5 = 7.5

The state seal of Pennsylvania was adopted in 1791. In the center is a shield with a sailing ship (carrying goods from the state around the world), a plow (representing natural resources), and wheat (representing fertile fields and symbolizing the state's weather of human thought and action). The shield is surrounded by Indian corn, an olive branch, and an eagle. It looks to me that the eagle is standing on a either a surfboard or carrying off a baguette, but it is actually part of the wreath that appears on the state's coat of arms that was removed for the seal design. I don't hate this seal, but it could be so much more focused on what makes Pennsylvania unique. The Liberty Bell seems like an obvious choice, as does a keystone. Or Independence Hall. I'd like to see the date of admission, or two stars marking Pennsylvania as the second state, in the place of the surfing/thieving eagle or the paisley pattern at the bottom. 

Design 2.5, Representation 2.5 = 5 

Rhode Island's state seal was modified in 2020 when the state officially changed their name. It features a large anchor and the word HOPE, which is the state motto. 1636 is when Rhode Island was founded as a haven for religious freedom. I tried to determine if there was symbolism behind the odd shapes around the anchor, but they are apparently just asymmetric filigree. I'd rather see 13 stars, as Rhode Island is the only state that can put 13 of something to represent both the original 13 colonies as its own status as #13. 

Design 2.5, Representation 3 = 5.5 

The state seal of South Carolina was adopted in 1776. It contains two ovals, linked by branches of the palmetto tree (the state tree). The scene in the left oval represents the June 28, 1776 battle against the British. The words on the trees translate to "Who will separate us?" and beneath that is "Having fallen, she has set up a better one" with the date of 1776. The bottom of the oval says "Prepared in mind and resources." The oval on the right has Spes, the Roman goddess of wisdom. She holds a laurel branch and the sun is rising behind her. Above, the text translates to "While I breathe, I hope" (the state motto).  I find the idea of having two different scenes on the seal interesting. I don't like that you have to search for the state name, nor that there is so much text, but it deserves a nod for being unique. 

Design 2.5, Representation 4 = 6.5

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Here are the rankings so far: 

Arizona (10), Minnesota (10), California (9.5), Ohio (9). Kansas (8.5), Alaska (8), Idaho (8), Montana (8), Delaware (7.5), Hawaii (7.5), Nevada (7.5), Oklahoma (7.5), Oregon (7.5), Colorado (7), Nebraska (7), North Carolina (7), Florida (6.5), New Hampshire (6.5), Missouri (6.5), New York (6.5), South Carolina (6.5), Maine (6), Maryland (6), North Dakota (6), Iowa (5.5), Michigan (5.5), New Mexico (5.5), Rhode Island (5.5) New Jersey (5), Pennsylvania (5), Kentucky (4), Louisiana (4), Indiana (4), Alabama (3), Georgia (3), Massachusetts (3), Illinois (2.5), Mississippi (2), Arkansas (1.5), and Connecticut (1). 

Tomorrow I'll look at the final ten seals.

New England and Canada Cruise, Part 8: New York City and Returning Home

This is my eighth and final post about our New England and Canada cruise aboard the Enchanted Princess. I recommend reading the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh posts from the trip before this one. Because I blog about educational travel, I received complimentary admission tickets for some of the places we visited during our trip. Other places are free for everyone; we paid full price for the rest. This has no bearing on my reviews. 

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New York City and Back Home

After a wonderful week of sailing, our cruise ended in Brooklyn on Friday, September 20. Steve, Trevor, and I were headed home that day, but our flight wasn't until 7:00 pm. (Jonna was staying for an extra two days of sightseeing.) If you've ever been on a cruise, you know that disembarkation happens really early on the final day. It's not like a hotel, where check-out is at 11:00 am or noon. On a cruise ship, disembarkation typically starts at 7:00 am and ends as quickly as they can get several thousand people to shuffle ashore. And unlike a hotel, you can't store your luggage on the ship while you go sightseeing all day. Fortunately, most cruises offer a post-cruise shore excursion that fills the gap between the early morning disembarkation and a late afternoon or evening flight. 

As soon as we got off the ship, we loaded our luggage into a bus and began a 7-hour tour of New York City. Our guide was outstanding, keeping us informed and entertained every minute as we made our way to Manhattan and to Battery Park City. 

From there, we made our way on foot to the 9/11 Memorial. It is a powerful tribute to the thousands of innocent people who lost their lives on that terrible day.  

  

Each day, a white rose is placed next to the victims born on that day. Christopher Hanley was 9 days short of his 35th birthday when he died on the 106th floor of the North Tower. He would have turned 59 the day we visited. 

It was inspiring to see the Survivor Tree and the dozens of messages of love, peace, remembrance, and hope. 

We walked through the Memorial Glade, but unfortunately did not visit the Museum. Someday. We also saw The Sphere and One World Trade Center (the Freedom Tower). 

  

Next, we went to the FDNY Memorial Wall. It is dedicated to the 343 members of the New York City Fire Department who died on 9/11. 

  

We walked to Zuccotti Park, where we had time to get coffee (no thanks) or just look around. 

  

We re-boarded the bus and headed toward Rockefeller Center. Along the way, we learned about all sorts of interesting sites. Unfortunately, the bus had a wrap on it and taking decent pictures was completely impossible. That was annoying.  

Once we got to Rockefeller Center, we had an hour to do whatever we wanted. 

Our top priority was getting lunch. We ended up at 5 Acres, under 30 Rock. It was fantastic. 

After lunch, we had a few minutes watching people shop at CJ Hendry's Flower Market. The flowers were all stunning and it was so fun seeing the different bouquets that people put together. 

As we left Rockefeller Center, our guide was on Google Maps, trying to decide how to show us as many sights as possible while avoiding the streets that were closed in preparation for the parade the following day. Our driver was an absolute rock star, driving us safely and confidently as the guide called out changes from the planned route. We saw a lot more of the city, but didn't make any more stops until we reached the airport at 2:30. And with no acceptable photos from the bus, I don't have anything more to share from our tour. 

At the airport, we said goodbye to Jonna and headed to security. Things were flowing nicely until suddenly... they weren't. It turns out some yahoo five people ahead of me tried to get through security with brass knuckles. I did my best to eavesdrop and learned that TSA has to file paperwork when that happens. 

Eventually we got through and went to our gate. Terminal A at Newark is newly redone - it is really nice (spacious, clean, and comfy) and really big. Naturally, our gate was the farthest one. Also naturally, two minutes after we sat down, there was a gate change to the opposite end of the terminal. Then 15 minutes later, there was another gate change and the plane was delayed for 2 hours. Sigh. We'd arrived at the airport at 2:30 for a 7:00 flight which didn't take off until almost 10:00 pm. We had plenty of time to answer all the trivia questions on the gate sign (a nice touch!) and view the New Jersey Hall of Fame embedded in the children's play space. 

  

  

Two hours into the flight, a woman in the row in front of us collapsed. She had almost no detectable pulse. There were three doctors on board who jumped into action. Fortunately, the plane was not full, so the flight attendants moved everyone else from the row. One doctor stayed with the woman, monitoring her. Since we were only about 31 inches behind the situation, it was impossible not to hear what was going on and to see the amount of work that the doctor did during the remaining 4 hours of flight time. I would like to thank him, and all other doctors and medical professionals, who selflessly help others in situations like these. I'm guessing he'd been planning to relax and possibly sleep on what had turned into a red-eye, but instead he worked to save a life. 

In the end, our plane landed safely in Sacramento with no additional delays. There had been talk of an emergency stop, but the doctor decided it wasn’t necessary. EMS was waiting for us on the tarmac. I'm glad the woman was in good hands and am optimistic that she is ok.

Travel Adventures in Upstate New York, Part 11: West Point and Bethel Woods

This is my eleventh post about our travel through upstate New York. I recommend reading the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth posts from the trip before this one. Because I blog about educational travel, I received admission tickets and other benefits for some of the places we visited during our trip. Other places are free for everyone; we paid full price for the rest. This has no bearing on my reviews. If you see any gaps in my narrative, it is because I didn't love a particular attraction, restaurant, or hotel enough to recommend it, regardless of how much I paid or didn't pay.

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West Point and Bethel Woods, New York

When I was planning this trip, I nicknamed Friday, September 12 'War and Peace Day.' We started with the war portion: a visit to the United States Military Academy, West Point. We would be taking a 75-minute bus tour from West Point Tours, which started at the Malek Visitor Center. 

We arrived early in order to check out the West Point Experience exhibit, which allows visitors to walk through the 47-month experience of being a West Point cadet. It's absolutely fascinating. 

Our bus tour took us all around the large, beautiful campus. We made several stops for a photos and a closer look. We were under strict orders to stay close together and not to photograph cadets under any circumstances. Nor could we acknowledge them in any way, nor them us. No casual 'good morning' or 'excuse me' as they squeezed by on a path. It felt strange. 

This is the West Point Cadet Chapel. It is home to the largest pipe organ in the world, with 23,511 individual pipes.  

Such beautiful views from campus. 

This chain was stretched across that water during the Revolutionary War to prevent the British from entering. 

During our tour, we learned all about the life of a cadet. Not surprisingly, it is very strict and extremely regimented. The schedule is grueling and breaks are very rare. There is no time for anything else than being a cadet. It is the complete opposite of the college experience I had. 

Literally every single part of it sounded terrible to me, other than the fact that there is no tuition, you get a stipend for being there, and you have a guaranteed job when you graduate. A job you can't leave for at least 8 years, but a job nonetheless. (After graduation, you're required to serve 5 years of active duty and 3 years in the reserves.)

The dedication, commitment, and determination West Point cadets show is amazing to me. It takes a really unique high school student to choose (and be chosen by) West Point.

The bus tour ended back at the Visitor Center, which is next door to the West Point Museum. It's under construction, but still open for visitors. 

The West Point Museum is the oldest federal museum and dates back to the American Revolution. First used just to train cadets, it opened to the public in 1854. It has exhibits about American warfare, the history of warfare, and the history of West Point. 

I'm pleased to see that cadets are still learning from the items in the museum. 

I screeched to a halt when I saw this. Could it be?!? Over to the right? Or is it just wishful thinking? 

Yes, another moon rock sighting! I would not have guessed that West Point would be on the list of 8 Places to See Moon Rocks. 

After West Point, we headed to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. 

I underestimated how much time we'd need there. It's not huge, but it's very well done and it takes some time to see it all. 

  

They give each visitor a stylus for the many touchscreens. So smart! I shudder to think how germy those must be at every other museum. 

There are stations to conduct research and explore the Purple Heart database. 

The stories of many Purple Heart recipients are recorded in video interviews. You can select a person, then follow their story in five installments as you work your way through the museum. We chose a man from California.  

He received two Purple Hearts during his service.

You could spend all day listening to all the stories. 

It was interesting seeing how the award itself has changed over time. 

I highly recommend a visit to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. I expected to enjoy the visit and learn a lot, but I had no idea how outstanding the Hall would be.  

With the "war" portion of our day complete, it was time to move on to the "peace" section. We drove for an hour through the beautiful Catskills before arriving at Bethel Woods. 

You may know it as the site of Woodstock in 1969. 

The Museum at Bethel Woods tells the story of the most impactful 3-day festival of all time. 

The museum starts with a look at the years leading up to Woodstock.  

You learn the stories of the festival organizers and the struggles they had...

... and of the attendees, who came in numbers greater than anyone had ever imagined. 

The museum does an outstanding job of portraying the many different experiences people had at (or near) Woodstock. Exhibits look at the musical and cultural impacts of the festival, as well as the effects that the crowds, the food shortages, and the weather had on attendees, performers, and residents in neighboring areas. 

  

I learned so much about Woodstock during our visit. And every bit of it was absolutely fascinating. 

After enjoying everything at the museum, we explored the rest of the grounds, including where the stage was during Woodstock. Can you picture 400,000+ people here?

After a fun day of War and Peace but no lunch, we were eager for a delicious dinner. We found one at The Captain's Table in Monroe. I had a balsamic chicken sandwich and a mango mocktail - so good!

We returned to our hotel for our final night in upstate New York. We had so much fun exploring the region and visiting so many neat places. And we were excited to start the second leg of our trip! I'll tell you all about that tomorrow.