John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt
Sierra Club was organized in 1892 in San Francisco, California. John Muir was the first president. Children could visit the group’s website at: http://www.sierraclub.org.
May 282024
Jul 102024
Ibex Dunes in Death Valley NPS Photo
Death Valley, California, noted a record-breaking temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913. The record still holds. Children can learn more about Death Valley National Park at: http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm. They can learn about the Park’s weather extremes at: Death Valley Weather Extremes.
Jul 172024
Disneyland opened in 1955. Walt Disney bought 160 acres of California land that had been covered in orange groves and spent $17 million on the park. Today over fourteen million people visit the park annually and spend about $3 billion.
Aug 182024
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.
Sep 092024
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. Children could visit an Internet site at: California.
Sep 172024
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.
Sep 252024
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.
Sep 302024
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.
Oct 012024
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.
Oct 022024
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.