Women’s Air Derby took place in 1929. Also called the Powder Puff Derby by Will Rogers, this race was the first women-only flying competition. Twenty pilots left Santa Monica, California, on either August 18 or 19. They made eleven stops before they finished in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the women completed the competition. Louise Thaden won the race in the heavier airplane competition, landing in Cleveland on August 26, 1929. Phoebe Omlie won the lighter airplane competition.
California Flag
Sequoia National Park in California
California became the thirty-first state of the United States in 1850. It is about third in land area but first in population. It produces so many goods that it is actually about the sixth largest economy in the world. One of its concerns is that it lacks water to sustain both population growth and agricultural needs. Sacramento is the capital, and the nickname is the Golden State. The state motto is Eureka, meaning I have found it. It has had eight major earthquakes since 1900.
First Successful Transcontinental Flight Started in 1911. Calbraith Perry Rodgers left Sheepshead Bay, New York, on September 17, 1911. After making 70 stops, mostly crash landings, he landed in Pasadena, California, on November 5, 1911. Although the trip took 50 days, Rodgers was flying for only 3 days, 10 hours, and 14 minutes. About all that was left of the original plane was the drip pan and the vertical rudder.
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park was created in 1890. Located in central-southern California, the park encompasses over 400,000 acres. Known for its magnificent sequoia trees, the park is also home to Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. Children can visit the park’s website at: Sequoia. Children could compare the sequoia to other types of trees.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam (originally Boulder Dam) was dedicated in 1936. The dam, located at the border of Nevada and Arizona, captures water from the Colorado River. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, it was a marvel at the time and remains an amazing structure. The dam created Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States. The dam controls flood waters and provides hydroelectric power to Nevada, Arizona, and California. It is also quite a tourist attraction. Children can learn some SUPER facts at: Hoover Dam.
Roosevelt and Muir at Yosemite
Yosemite National Park was established in 1864. Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Big Tree Grove combined to make the national park. Located in central California, the park encompasses over 700,000 acres. Over three million people visit the park annually. Children could visit the park’s website at: Yosemite National Park. The site presents some excellent multimedia presentations, and a great presentation on Moonbows is: Moonbows.
Do you see the two red dots at the bottom? Each dot is a hiker!
Redwood National and State Parks were created in 1968. Located along the northern coast of California, the parks encompass over 100,000 acres and preserve the remaining giant redwood trees. Children could visit the park’s website at: Redwood.
Chuck Yeager and the Glamorous Glennis
Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager in 1947 flew a BellX-1 airplane, the Glamorous Glennis, at Mach 1.07 over Muroc Dry Lake Bed in California. He successfully conducted the first faster than sound flying experiment.
Felix Baumgartner in 2012 jumped from a hot-air balloon at a height of 24 miles to freefall to earth. He reached a speed of 843.6 miles per hour (Mach 1.25), becoming the first person to break the sound barrier without a vehicle.
Cliff Swallow Courtesy of Marlin Harms
Swallows leave Capistrano, California, for the winter. They fly to Argentina, but they will return March 19th.
Spruce Goose flew its first and only flight in 1947. Howard Hughes designed and flew the 25 million dollar plane made of wood. Originally called Hercules, the plane flew for about one mile at an altitude of 70 feet over Long Beach Harbor, California. Today the Spruce Goose is an exhibit at the Evergreen Museum. Find more information and examine photographs at: Spruce Goose.