Visit All 50 States - Check!

We completed our goal of visiting all 50 states on July 29, 2023. So it's about time that I document that accomplishment in the scrapbook!

Visit All 50 States - Check! (affiliate link)

For this layout, I combined the photo of us joining the Best for Last Club in Fargo, North Dakota with the graphic that I put on our one of the sets of matching t-shirts I made for the trip to North Dakota. I love how eye-catching the two images are together. 

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! 

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.

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. 

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!

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!

The Best Tour in Every State, Part 4

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

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New Mexico

We took fantastic tours in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque, but I think I have to pick ABQ Trolley Tour as the best one I've taken in New Mexico. It was a great mix of landmarks, culture, history, and hidden gems. There was an emphasis on TV shows and films shot in Albuquerque, which was really interesting. The whole tour was great. 

New York

My first two visits to New York took place when I was in high school (here's one of them). Both trips had were packed with non-stop tours and I have many great (albeit vague) memories of them. I have much clearer memories of the full-day New York city tour I took with my fellow teachers and our 5th grade students during Spring Break in 2000. My parents came too. I'm calling that the best tour I've taken in New York.  

North Carolina

The best tour we took in North Carolina was at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum. In addition to being packed with important memorabilia from the fight for Civil Rights, it is home to the original Woolworth's lunch counter where the famous sit-ins of 1960 began. I hated that we couldn't take pictures inside, but loved everything else about it. 

North Dakota

We spent six days in North Dakota, packing in multiple activities each day. We took exactly one tour in all that time, and it was only about 15 minutes: the narrated train tour at the Dakota Zoo. It was excellent, providing more information about the animals and the zoo itself that you'd get from just walking around (which, of course, we also did). 

Ohio

The best tour we took in Ohio was on Lolly the Trolley in Cleveland. The tour gave us a great overview of the city and took us to spots we otherwise wouldn't have known to visit. Sadly, Lolly the Trolley permanently closed in 2022 after 37 years, largely due to COVID. I'm glad we visited when we did. 

Oklahoma

The best tour we took in Oklahoma was the Bricktown Water Taxi narrated boat tour. This is the only tour on my list that matches Yelp's. The tour takes you through the mile-long Bricktown Canal. It's packed with a fun combination of interesting facts about Oklahoma City and corny jokes like you'd hear on the Jungle Cruise. We really enjoyed it. 

Oregon

I was going to name the public tour of Powell's Books in Portland as the best tour I've taken in Oregon, but then I remembered the factory tour at Bob's Red Mill. Both tours were really interesting and informative (and free!) but if forced to choose the best tour in Oregon, I'm going with Bob's Red Mill. Eat lunch at the Bob's Red Mill Store - sooo good. 

 

Pennsylvania

I've taken a lot of different tours in Pennsylvania, all of them ones I'd recommend. Hanover is the Factory Tour Capitol of the World and I absolutely loved all the tours we did there. We had a great tour of the Capitol in Harrisburg. I loved touring the Mint in Philadelphia, but I think I have to go with Independence Hall as the best (and certainly most iconic) tour in Pennsylvania. 

Rhode Island

The Discover Providence Tour was outstanding, but I'm going to pick the Providence River Narrated Boat Tour as the best tour in Rhode Island. We learned a lot about the city, but I was particularly interested in WaterFire, the high water marks, and amazing Fox Point Hurricane Barrier.  

South Carolina

The best tour we took in South Carolina was the self-guided Boardwalk Tour at Congaree National Park. The loop trail is an easy 2.6 miles and takes you through the heart of Congaree. The digital guidebook is almost as good as having an actual person guiding you on the tour. 

Tomorrow I'll finish up this series with the last ten states: South Dakota to Wyoming. 

50 State Quarters: Coloring Pages Using Kuretake Gansai Tambi

It's time to share the next four of the 50 State Quarter coloring pages. Today's states include Georgia, California, North Dakota, and North Carolina. This time I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi, which I told you about on Wednesday. Affiliate links here and below.

I enjoyed coloring this set of State Quarters using the Gansai Tambi. I love how easy it is to get deep pigmentation or a light wash depending on how much water you use. Other than swatching, this was my first time using this paint, so I was learning as I went. As with all the other paints I've used, painting in the tiny letters on the quarters was a major challenge, but that's certainly not the fault of the medium.   

Including these four, I have now completed 46 of the 50 State Quarter coloring pages. Here are the art materials I've used previously:

• Ohuhu Kaala markers (Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin)
• ink and Prismacolor colored pencils (Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Montana)
• Flair pens (Delaware, Indiana)
• Sharpies (Maine, South Carolina)
• Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 (Colorado, New Hampshire)
• Folk Art acrylic paint (Wyoming, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Michigan)
• Crayola crayons (Florida, Maryland, South Dakota, Vermont)
• Himi gouache (Iowa, New York, Utah, West Virginia)
• Derwent Inktense pencils (Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana)
• Ohuhu Pupe markers (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Washington)
• Koi watercolors by Sakura (Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oklahoma)
• Prismacolor art markers (Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Virginia)

I'm down to the last four State Quarters!

Western Meadowlark Magazine Art

Ready to see my latest bird art? I loved making it. 

 

The project starts with a coloring page of the Western Meadowlark, the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. I found this coloring page at MontanaKids.com, which is run by the Montana Office of Tourism. State websites are a great source for coloring pages and other resources. Obviously, you can use the technique below for any coloring page, or even for a design you draw yourself! 

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Western Meadowlark Magazine Art

Materials:

• Western Meadowlark coloring page
• old magazine
• craft glue (affiliate link)

Steps:

Search through the magazine and tear out blocks of color to complete your image. I found the perfect yellow throughout Visit California's Travel Guide. Tear the block of color into small pieces. For a bird, you want those pieces to mimic the shape of feathers, so aim for some longer, thin pieces (rather than squares). 

Use craft glue to adhere the torn pieces to the coloring page. I had planned to start with the bird and then do the background, but realized it would be a lot easier to do the background first and then put the bird in the foreground. So I switched. 

In the photo below, you can see that I tore out pieces for the legs but didn't glue them down. Instead, I started working on the sky. For that, tear long thin strips of sky blue. Don't worry if you cant find enough of the same color blue for such a large area. The real sky has variation. And besides, it's the background. 

After completing the sky, I worked on the fence post, then added the legs and feet on top of that. I tore the beak from the same area as the legs. I used text for the mottled color of the meadowlark's head, wings, and tail. I finished with the black bib and eye. The last step was trimming my artwork to clean up the edges. I cut mine to a square (because I like squares) but it's perfectly fine to leave it rectangular. 

It took me about 75 minutes to make this project from start to finish. It was very relaxing and I'm happy with how it turned out. 

Western Meadowlark Diamond Art Ornament

I liked my wood slice American Robin ornament so much that I made one for the Western Meadowlark. It is the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming and is easily recognized by the black V-shaped bib on its yellow breast. Beautiful! 

As with the robin, you can make this with leftover drills from previous diamond art projects, buy a bunch of colors, or get just the colors that you need. I used a variety of greys to make my bird since that's what I had on hand. Affiliate links below. 

 

Western Meadowlark Diamond Art Ornament

Materials: 

• wood slice ornament
• DOTZ Stick diamond adhesive
• pattern (below)
• diamond art drills (8001, 8318, and a variety of greys - I used 8440, 8441, and 8444)
• dotting tools
• cornstarch / baby powder

Steps: 

Paint a thin coat of DOTZ Stick onto the wood slice, following the package directions. Don't use too much or the moisture can cause your ornament to crack. 

When the adhesive is ready, apply the drills. The stars on my pattern mark the center of each axis, so the plus sign is the center of the whole design. 

In order to center the meadowlark, put the center drill onto the center of the ornament. Then fill in the rest of the drills around that central one. 

Ordinarily, I'd suggest sealing your diamond art, but since these ornaments can crack with too much moisture, I wouldn't risk it. Instead, rub cornstarch or baby powder over the uncovered area of the wood. That will eliminate the tackiness of any extra adhesive not covered by drills. 

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Have you seen the Aububon Birds stuffed animals from Wild Republic that feature a realistic call? I love them! There are over 30 different birds. This is the Western Meadowlark. 

Interested in learning more? Read about the Western Meadowlark and hear its calls at Audubon.com.