The City I Most Want to Visit in Each State, Part 10: Virginia to Wyoming

This is the tenth post in a series. I recommend reading the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth posts before this one. Today I'll be wrapping up this series by selecting the city in Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming 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 10: Virginia to Wyoming

 

It should come as no surprise - the city I most want to visit in Virginia is the capital, Richmond. It's one of the five state capitals I haven't visited yet. There are a lot of things I want to see and do in Richmond, but my top priorities are the Virginia State Capitol and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. 

Leavenworth is a Bavarian-inspired village in the Cascade Mountains of Washington and it is the city I'd most like to visit in the Evergreen State. It looks so charming and I'm a big fan of Bavarian food. The attractions I most want to see include the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum and Blackbird Island. 

The city I'd most like to visit in West Virginia is Fayetteville. It's a very small town, with approximately 2800 people. The amount of infrastructure in such a small place is surprising, until you realize it's the gateway for our newest National Park. New River Gorge National Park is the primary place I'd like to visit. Since it's right there, I would enjoy a look at BSA's Summit Bechtel Reserve. 

Green Bay is the city I most want to visit in Wisconsin. It the oldest city in the state and is famous for being the smallest American city to have a major professional sports team. Green Bay is known as the Toilet Paper Capital of the World (!) and is where "splinter-free" (!!) toilet paper was invented. Sadly, there is no toilet paper related attraction in town; worse, the World's Largest Toilet Paper Roll is gone. When I visit Green Bay, I would most like to visit the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and Museum. 

The city I'd most like to visit in Wyoming is Jackson. Located in the scenic valley of Jackson Hole, Jackson is the primary entry point for Grand Teton National Park, which is the attraction I most want to visit. My second priority would be the National Museum of Wildlife Art. 

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That wraps up the cities I most want to visit in each of the 50 states. This was such a fun project! It introduced me to some places I wasn't previously aware of and had me really studying maps, especially  for the states where I've traveled extensively already. Not every one of the 50 places I chose is a must-visit for me, but quite a few of them are. I look forward to sharing them with you in the future!

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!

Common Loon Craft

The common loon is a beautiful and distinctive bird that lives primarily on lakes in the northern US and Canada. An expert diver, 80% of its diet is fish. The loon is the state bird of Minnesota (and the provincial bird of Ontario, Canada) and is also found in abundance in Wisconsin, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Alaska. Make a loon of your own by following this easy tutorial. Affiliate links below. 

Common Loon Craft

Materials: 

• cardstock (black, two shades of blue)
• scissors
• colored pencils
• white Posca pen
• craft glue

Steps: 

Cut out the basic shape of the loon from black cardstock. Draw your own on scratch paper first or print my shape below in the correct size to use as a template. 

Shade the loon's beak with a grey colored pencil. Use a black colored pencil to add a line to define the upper and bottom mandible. 

Color the eye orange, then add a black pupil in the center. Use an extra-fine Posca marker to add a white catchlight at the top of the eye. 

Draw a series of vertical lines along the throat and the back of the neck to make the distinctive bands. 

Use a Posca pen to make the rest of the markings on the loon: white hatch marks on its breast, curved white lines on its shoulders, and blocks of white on the wing that are bigger at the top and center than lower and on the sides. Finally, use the grey colored pencil to define the tail feathers. 

The underside of the loon is white like its chest, but I didn't bother coloring it since I knew it would be covered by the water. Also, I trimmed the loon to give it a more rounded bottom. Here's my finished loon. 

Cut three (or more) strips of cardstock to make the lake water. You want them to be a little wavy. Glue one piece to your background paper, then glue the loon on top of that. Glue the next strip so that it covers the underside of the loon, then glue the final strip over that. 

I'm glad to have made this project and learned more about this super cool bird!

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. 

The Best and the Worst of the 50 State Seals, Part 5

This is my last post 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: South Dakota through Wyoming

The state seal of South Dakota was designed before statehood, then modified in 1889 when it became the 40th state. It features scenes of agriculture (farmer, cattle), commerce (steamship), industry (smelting furnace), and natural resources (hills, river). The state motto and the year of statehood appear around the outside. This is an attractive seal. While there are some generic elements, I appreciate the details that make it unique. Question: I'm not a farmer; should he really be plowing furrows that are knee-deep?

Design: 4, Representation 3.5 = 7.5

Tennessee's state seal, most recently updated in 1987, takes a different approach to depicting agriculture and commerce than other states do: the words are literally written on the seal. Images of agriculture include a plow, wheat, and cotton. A riverboat represents commerce. Roman numerals XVI show that Tennessee is the 16th state, admitted to the Union in 1796. I don't like the addition of these words at all. It makes the seal look really crowded. And what is up with the tiny doghouse that is dwarfed by the plow and wheat? I'm assuming it's supposed to be a people house in the background. 

Design: 1.5, Representation 3 = 4.5

The state seal of Texas is two-sided and was updated in 1992. The front features a 5-pointed star in the center, representing the Lone Star State. An olive branch (peace) and a live oak branch (strength), tied together with a ribbon, surround the star. I like the simplicity and symbolism of this seal but it feels incomplete. Adding the date of statehood (1845) or the state motto (Friendship) to the empty portion at the bottom would make this design so much better, both aesthetically and in representing the state. 

Design: 3, Representation 2 = 5

Utah's state seal was adopted in 1896 and features a shield in the center. On it are a beehive (the state emblem), the word Industry (the state motto), sego lilies (the state flower), and 1847 (the year pioneers arrived in Utah). Behind the seal are the American eagle and US flags. The year 1896 is when Utah became a state. Ordinarily, I wouldn't be a fan of having national symbols on the state seal, but with Utah represented in so many ways on the center shield, I don't mind it. It's a very attractive design. The only thing I don't like are the dots on either side of the text. 

Design: 4.5, Representation 4.5 = 9

The state seal of Vermont was designed in 1788, replaced with a (better) design, and then reinstated in 1937. It includes a 14-branch pine tree (Vermont is the 14th state) rising from a forest of much smaller trees. Above the forest are several floating items: grain, a cow, and wavy lines (possibly representing the Connecticut River). Below the forest is more grain surrounding the state motto, Freedom and Unity, plus more wavy lines (possibly representing Lake Champlain). I'll say it - this design is hideous. There are so many things wrong with the design that if I listed them, I'd just end up with a list of everything on the seal. The only thing saving this seal from being the very worst is that it incorporates the state motto and 14 branches (and possibly the water boundaries) that are unique to Vermont. 

Design: 0.5, Representation 2.5 = 3

The state seal of Virginia was designed in 1776 and standardized in 1912. It is two-sided; I'm focusing on the front. It features Virtus standing on a man representing tyranny, whose crown has fallen off his head. She's holding a spear and a sword. The tyrant is holding a broken chain and a whip. The state motto (Thus Always to Tyrants) appears below the fallen tyrant. OK, I get it: this was designed immediately after the Declaration of Independence, when vanquishing the king was at the top of everyone's minds. But that was not unique to Virginia then and it certainly isn't now. Other than the state name, the state motto is the only thing that says Virginia. There is another problem with this design. 

Design 1.5, Representation 1 = 2.5

Washington's state seal, designed in the 1850's when Washington was still a territory then updated in 1889 with statehood, features a portrait of the state's namesake. This seal is distinctive, if boring. I wish the natural beauty of the Evergreen State was featured as well (or instead). 

Design 2, Representation 2 = 4

The state seal of West Virginina was adopted in 1863, when it became a state. It features a boulder with the statehood date. Two men, representing agriculture and industry, lean against the boulder. In front are crossed rifles and a liberty cap. The state motto ("Liberty out of Fidelity") appears at the bottom. Two thoughts: The miner looks like a skeleton. There are periods after State of West Virginia and Montani Semper Liberi. Why? 

Design: 2, Representation 2.5 = 4.5

Wisconsin's state seal was redesigned most recently in 1881. It features a shield with a plow (agriculture), pick and shovel (mining), arm and hammer (manufacturing), an anchor (navigation), and the US Coat of Arms. Above there is a badger, the state animal, and the state motto. Below, a cornucopia (abundance) and 13 lead bars (mineral wealth and the 13 original colonies). There are 13 stars below that. (Wisconsin is the 30th state.) I love that there is a badger and the state motto on this seal. Other than that, meh. 

Design 2.5, Representation 2.5 = 5

The state seal of Wyoming was revised in 1921. It features a statue in the center with the banner "Equal Rights" as Wyoming was the first to give women the right to vote (in 1869, while still a territory). Other banners highlight livestock, mines, grain, and oil, four of Wyoming's major industries. A rancher and miner stand on either side of the statue. At the base is an eagle and a star with 44 printed on it, as Wyoming was the 44th state. The two dates represent the organization of the territorial government (1869) and statehood (1890). This is a very nice seal. It's aesthetically pleasing and does a good job of representing Wyoming's history. 

Design 4, Representation 4 = 8

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Here are the results! For the states that are tied, I've listed them alphabetically. 

1st (tie): Arizona, Minnesota

3rd: California

5th (tie): Ohio, Utah

6th: Kansas

10th (tie): Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

16th (tie): Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota

19th (tie): Colorado, Nebraska, North Carolina

24th (tie): Florida, New Hampshire, Missouri, New York, South Carolina

27th (tie): Maine, Maryland, North Dakota

31st (tie): Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, Rhode Island

35th (tie): New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin

37th (tie): Tennessee, West Virginia

41st (tie): Kentucky, Louisiana, Indiana, Washington

45th (tie): Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Vermont

47th (tie): Illinois, Virginia

48th: Mississippi

49th: Arkansas

50th: Connecticut

This was a fun (if incredibly time-consuming) exercise. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Let me know if you agree with my rankings or if yours are completely different!

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!

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!

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 5

This is the fifth and final 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), third post (Massachusetts through New Jersey), and fourth post (New Mexico through South Carolina) before this one. 

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South Dakota

We have taken a number of excellent tours in South Dakota, but there's no question which is the best: the Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour at Custer State Park. My only complaint about the tour is that they should call it the Bison Safari Jeep Tour. During the two-hour tour, we saw many bison, pronghorns, and prairie dogs. We learned so much about the native plants and animals of the area. I'd happily take this tour again and again. 

Tennessee

The best tour I've taken in Tennessee is Old Town Trolley Tours in Nashville. This hop-on-hop-off style tour took us to the most popular locations in the city, including the Ryman Auditorium, Marathon Motor Works, Centennial Park (home of the Parthenon), the Belmont Mansion, Music Row, and the Frist Art Museum. Our guide was outstanding. 

Texas

The best tour we've taken in Texas is the Lone Star Riverboat Sunset Cruise in Austin. The tour begins with a narrated scenic cruise during the daylight, then the captain positions the boat by the Congress Avenue Bridge in time for the bat flyout. 

Utah

I've taken many great tours in Utah, but my favorite has to be the Great Salt Lake Tour. The narrated tour took us through downtown and past a lot of interesting sites on the way to the Great Salt Lake. There, we caught live sea monkeys and then had the chance to swim in the lake (we waded). Our guide was excellent and we learned so much!

Vermont

Oh how I agonized over this one! Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour or Rock of Ages Quarry Tour?! I went back and forth a dozen times. They're both so good! But I'm going with the Rock of Ages Quarry Tour. I learned so much during the tour. The smaller size and more relaxed pace (relative to the larger group and strict timeline at Ben & Jerry's) made for a really enjoyable experience. Don't miss either tour when you're in Vermont. 

Virginia

The best tour I've taken in Virginia was a ranger-led tour of Yorktown Battlefield. That was part of the April 2000 trip I took with my fellow 5th grade teachers and our students. We all learned so much about this important site from colonial times and the American Revolution. 

Washington

The best tour I've taken in Washington is one of the most unique tours I've taken anywhere. It's called Beneath the Streets and that's literally what it is: a tour of what's beneath the streets of Seattle. It was so interesting to learn the history of a place that not a lot of people know about and even fewer see. 

West Virginia

I haven't actually taken any tours in West Virginia, so I can't pick the best one. However, I can highly recommend the outstanding West Virginia State Museum. 

Wisconsin

The best tour we've taken in Wisconsin was the Milwaukee City Tour by Untapped Tours. Most tours are either driving or walking, but this was both. I loved that, as we were able to visit places that were far apart, but still get an up-close view of them. It was a fantastic tour. 

Wyoming

I've only taken a single tour in Wyoming (so far!), so I'm calling Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley the best tour in Wyoming. We really enjoyed our trolley ride and learned a lot about the fascinating city of Cheyenne. 

That wraps up my version of the Best Tour in Every State! If you have any tours to recommend, please let me know in the comments. 

Wisconsin 2022

It's hard going through all the photos from a trip to pick just a few to put on a scrapbook layout. I want pictures of us on the page, of course, but I also want images that will help us remember what was unique about that particular place. For this page about Wisconsin, I chose 12 pictures that give a decent overview of all the fun that we had and the only-in-Wisconsin things we saw. (Badgers. Lots of badgers.)

Wisconsin 2022 (affiliate link)

I often use state colors (or colors from the state flag) when scrapping, but this time I took my inspiration from one of the most memorable places we visited in Wisconsin: the National Mustard Museum. I like the mustard-yellow background paper paired with the grey and cream. I added the pops of blue to draw the eye to the title and journaling. I've never used that color combination, so it was fun to step out of my comfort zone and try something different. 

American Robin Diamond Art Ornament

I've been wanting to make a bird ornament using my copious supply of leftover drills from diamond art for a long time. I'm so happy with how this robin turned out! Don't have leftover diamonds in the correct colors? Not a problem! Substitute with what you have, buy a bunch of colors, or get just the colors that you need. Affiliate links below. 

 

American Robin Diamond Art Ornament

Materials: 

• wood slice ornament
• DOTZ Stick diamond adhesive
• pattern (below)
• diamond art drills (8001, 8318, 8356, 8443)
• dotting tools
• cornstarch / baby powder

Steps: 

Paint a thin coat of DOTZ Stick onto the wood slice, following the directions on the package. If you use too much, your ornament can crack from the moisture. 

When the adhesive is ready, apply the drills. This is the pattern I made. The stars mark the center of each axis, so the plus sign is the center of the design. 

In order to center the bird on my ornament, I put the center drill onto the center of the ornament... as best I could. The wood slices I used are quite irregular. In retrospect, I could have moved my starting drill over a hair to the left to better center the design. It didn't bother me much, so I left it that way.

Fill in the rest of the drills around that central one. 

Ordinarily, I'd suggest sealing your diamond art, but not on wood like this. Instead, rub cornstarch or baby powder over the uncovered area of the wood to eliminate the tackiness of any extra adhesive not covered by drills. 

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The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin, making this a great activity for kids (or adults!) in those states. But it's equally great no matter where you live. This interesting songbird is one of the most recognized and most widespread in North America. Pair your craft project with a shaped puzzle featuring the American Robin, then check out these fun facts about this beloved bird. 

50 State Quarters: Coloring Pages Featuring Ohuhu Markers

In 1999, the US government launched the 50 State Quarters Program. For the next ten years, the US Mint issued five new quarters each year (one every ten weeks) representing each of the 50 states, in the order that the states entered the Union. The front of each quarter had the same portrait of George Washington that's been used on the quarter since 1932. The back of the quarters featured designs unique to each state. The program was enormously popular; in fact, roughly half of the US population collected the coins. Approximately $3 billion worth of quarters remain out of circulation and in the hands of collectors. 

I was among the 50 state coin collectors. When the program began, I was teaching 5th grade. This meant handling a surprising amount of loose change - daily lunch money, Scholastic book orders paid for entirely with coins, fundraiser payments, etc. - which gave me access to more circulating quarters than the average person. When I found a new-to-me one, I swapped it out for one of my own quarters and made a point of showing the students who were interested what the new design looked like. It was great fun seeing what each state chose to represent itself. 

Indeed, the design was up to the individual states... with some limitations. They could not feature living people or state flags. Any deceased people had to pictured doing something - not just as a head-and-shoulders portrait. Obviously, any artwork needed to work as an engraved design on a metal surface less than 1" in diameter. Most states asked its citizens to submit designs, then sent a handful of those to the Treasury Department for approval. Approved images went back to the state. From those, either the governor (33 states) or the citizens (17 states) selected the winning design. The designs are quite varied. 

There are several fun "firsts" among the 50 state quarters. Alabama's is the first to feature braille on a coin. Hawaii's is the first to show royalty (King Kamehameha I). New Jersey's is the first to feature George Washington on both sides. 

The Mint has coloring pages of each of the 50 state quarter designs available for downloading. I chose four, which I colored with my Ohuhu Kaalas. The fine tip was perfect for getting into the small spaces. Relatively speaking, that is. The "small" spaces on my coloring pages are enormous compared to the engraved designs onto the surfaces of the quarters. 

Here is my interpretation of Nevada's state quarter. Because quarters aren't in color, I had some freedom in deciding how to color the design. It would be interesting to learn what the original artist envisioned. 

In the case of the New Jersey state quarter, I know exactly what the intended colors are. It was hard to reproduce Leutze's oil painting with markers, but I did what I could and took a bit of artistic license. 

The Oregon state quarter features a real place, the beautiful Crater Lake. 

I like how different Wisconsin's state quarter is from the others (which are, in turn, completely different from each other).  

I've printed out another set of state quarter coloring pages. I reluctantly put away my Ohuhus and will be using something else to color these. At least, that's the plan. I may end up back with the Ohuhus after all.