Wandering Wednesday - Arkansas

Wandering Wednesday:
State: Arkansas 25th state on June 15, 1836
Origin of name: French interpretation of the Algonquin Indian word "Ookansa" meaning "south wind"
History: Birthplace of Bill Clinton and Johnny Cash the U.S. acquired Arkansas in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
The first woman elected to the U.S. Senate was from Arkansas, Hattie Caraway in November 1932.

I only visited the Capitol building which took 16 years to build (1899-1915) This year it turns 100 years old. At the time the Capitol building was built on the site of the state penitentiary and prisoners helped in its construction. They lived in a dormitory that was left on the Capitol grounds during construction.

 If you look closely at the second image you can see a pineapple above the entry. The pineapple is an expression of welcome symbolizing warmth, welcome, friendship and hospitality. The pineapple in various forms is seen a lot in the southern states.

 I like their dome with the chandelier hanging in the center. I tried to line it up so it was centered but I failed.

 They also have a great display with their seal. I always look for the state seal in the capitol building but it isn't always there.

Wandering Wednesday - Arizona

Wandering Wednesday Arizona
Statehood: February 14, 1912 48th state
Capitol: Phoenix
History: Arizona was part of the land we fought over in the Mexican-American War. Was Originally part of the New Mexico territory and almost ended up as part of New Mexico. The most famous gunfight in the Old west happened in tombstone at the O.K corral. During World War II many military bases were constructed since there was a large amount of undeveloped land, cheap labor, and railroads this helped to revitalize the Arizona economy. If you visit one small town in Arizona it should be Oatman that place rocks!

 'standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona' (2012)

  Oatman Donkeys an old Gold mining town where the domestic Donkeys out number the population (2006)

 Grand Canyon 2006 - Arguably one of the 7 natural wonders in the World is the Grand Canyon. If you have ever stood on the edge you would easily agree. I will never forgot the feeling of stunned peace that first glance over the edge. Mere words cannot describe the scope of what you see. That first moment was made even better since it was so over cast. Visibility was limited and then the clouds lifted. It was like looking through a window at the most beautiful view imaginable.

Some Grand Canyon Facts:
Grand Canyon became a National park in 1919 at its widest it is 18 miles (4 miles at its narrowest), 277 miles long, and 6000 feet deep. John Wesley Powell led the first expedition down the Grand Canyon in 1869, he was also the first to use the name “Grand Canyon”.

My First view f the Canyon. This was late March and a bit foggy

 Oh look it cleared a little..

 Hiking was an adventure. We were a little unprepared for snow, mud, and hail

 But when it cleared up

 It was a stunning view

 We returned June 2012 and it was simply magnificent. If you visit one sight in America I dare say this is the place to go.

Lake Havasu where you can visit an actual London bridge (2012)

 Yes we drove over it!

Wandering Wednesday - Alaska

State: Alaska became our 49th state on Jan 3, 1959
Capitol: Juneau
History: Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 (for under 2 cents an acre) and is 2 times the size of Texas but most of it is not settled. Though the first settlement was in 1784. Alaska's name is based on an Eskimo word Alakshak meaning great lands or peninsula. Due to it's location some parts get periods of 24 hr sun or 24 hr night. They have over 1/2 of the world's glaciers and border 3 different seas (Artic, Pacific, and Bering), In the 1889 there was a large Gold rush which brought many people to settle into Alaska.
I took an Alaskan Cruise back in 2011 and I would Highly recommend such a trip to anyone wanting to see Alaska. Though I hope to return explore more of the depths.

Glaciers:

 Capitol Building:

Dog Sledding!

Train to the Yukon Territory

 Cruise Formals:

Wandering Wednesday - Alabama

I've decided to start this Wandering Wednesday where every week I post a different USA state I've visited. So without further ado -

Alabama:

became our 22nd state on dec. 18, 1819
Capitol: Montgomery (was briefly the capitol of the confederate states)
History: The first Confederate president was inaugurated at the capitol building on Feb 18, 1861. Also In Montgomery in 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott lasting 381 days and ending with the desegregation of the Montgomery buses. In 1965 25,000 people marched to the steps of the Alabama Capitol Building for the Black American's right to vote.
Alabama is a state full of history. Many changes took place on its soil many people fought for the rights for all people and many people opposed them. I'd like to think that thanks to the struggles in Alabama America became a better place.
The attached photos are of the Alabama Capitol building, the state seal and a statue of Helen Keller who was also from Alabama, and a Civil Rights Memorial called the Forgotten which
includes the names of 40 civil rights martyrs who were slain during that era. It was a very touching memorial. Actually all of Montgomery was touching.

Civil Rights Memorial:

Capitol Building:

 I always love looking up into the dome.

 And of course the Great State Seal

 Huntsville, Alabama. Which housed NASA's Marshall Space flight center Which is why Huntsville is also knows as "Rocket city" So of course I had to visit the Space Museum and a short hike around Monte Sano state park. I had lovely weather the whole trip.

A friend and I tried to find a park and GPS routed us to this dead end with a nice place for a nap...

We made it to the Monte Sano Park eventually