The West - Utah

Here I am, in Utah, ready to start my trip. Utah is known for many things, like its dry deserts, pine forests, mountains, popular ski resorts, and especially it’s National Parks. Utah has five National Parks and has the third most national parks of any state after Alaska and California.

My first place to visit in Utah will be the Arches National Park. I have read that it preserves over 2000 sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arches, which is such a gorgeous site, that it is a must-see.

Another great National Park is Bryce Canyon National Park. You might think that Bryce Canyon is a canyon, but it is not. It is giant natural amphitheater created by erosion. Its view is just breathtaking.

 

My last visited park in Utah is Zion National Park. Zion has unique geography and it has many plants and animals. Zion contains mountains, forests, arches, canyons, and rivers. Well, it’s time to end my trip.

See you next time in California. :)

The West

Midwest is a wonderful place, but I am curious for more.

While in the West, I want to learn more about the gold rush and what it is like to live in the West compare to other regions.

The Midwest consists mostly of prairies, valleys, and some mountains. I wonder if the West has similar landscapes or it is made mostly of mountains and deserts. Also, I would like to know if there is any farming in the West, what people grow there, what kind of animals they raise on the farms.

I have been in the West when I was little. I visited Las Vegas and Utah when I was 3 years old. Obviously, I don’t remember much of that trip, but just like I mentioned in my previous journal, I remember the beautiful red color of the mountains.

The West region is the biggest region in the U.S., so there are a lot of places I would love to visit. I decided to visit only four states in the West. I am going to travel to Utah, Hawaii, Alaska, and California. I hope it turns out to be a fun trip. :)

Midwest - Michigan and Wisconsin

After taking a break from my Chicago trip, I am heading to one of the most unique islands – Mackinac Island in Michigan. It is famous for many things. It offers a lot of cultural events throughout a year. They have a famous “Mackinac Island Fudge” which they sell at every candy shop on the island. Though, the most interesting fact for me was that motorized vehicles have been banned on the island since 1898, with some exceptions, like, snowmobiles during winter and emergency vehicles. People travel on the island by bicycle, foot, horse-drawn carriage, or roller blades. Also, there is no camping allowed. Overall, it is a very interesting and pretty place to visit.

Since, I liked my visit to Mackinac Island and I am very fond of nature, I decided to try another place, that I was sure I would like – Door County in Wisconsin. Door County is a popular vacation and tourist destination. It has five state parks: Newport State Park, Peninsula State Park, Potawatomi State Park, Rock Island State Park, and Whitefish Dunes State Park. 

The biggest pride and tourist attraction of Door County is its cherry orchards. Most of these orchards offer "pick your own cherries" along with pre-picked containers for the lazy ones. I loved this place. Especially, it is beautiful in the spring when all those cherry and apple trees blossom.

Well, looks like it is time to wrap up and start getting ready to head out to the West region of our nation.

Midwest - My trip to Chicago

The first place I would recommend visiting in the Midwest is the city of Chicago. It is the largest city in the state of Illinois and the third largest city in the U.S. Chicago is, also, a very important historical and cultural center of our Nation.
Since Chicago is a really big city and has so many things to offer and places to see, I would say one day is not enough to see the whole city. I would set aside four days to see the most important landmarks of the city.
1^st day: I would start my first day by going to the museums. Chicago has numerous museums that are considered some of the best in the world. These include John G. Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Art Institute of Chicago, and many more.

2^nd day: On my second day I would go to Navy Pier (pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan) and take one of the architectural sightseeing tours offered there. Did you know that the nation's two tallest buildings are both located in Chicago? These are Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), and Trump International Hotel and Tower. There are so many other famous landmarks to visit, like John Hancock Center, which you do not want to miss. While at the Navy Pier I would definitely take a ride at the Ferris Wheel, which is one of the most visited landmarks in the Midwest. I would end my day by having a nice dinner at one of the fine restaurants of Downtown Chicago. If I still had some strength left in me, I would go to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the world.

3d day: On the third day I would still be in Downtown visiting the Millennium and Grant Parks. I would visit the Cloud Gate at the Millennium Park – the sculpture, shaped like a bean, designed by an artist named Anish Kapoor. Also, I would not miss the Buckingham Fountain – a Chicago landmark in the center of Grant Park. Last, I would go to the Magnificent Mile and do some purse and cloth shopping.
4^th day: To end my trip I would drive around town, have a nice walk, go to a restaurant to have lunch. After lunch we drive to Ravinia Park which is a private park, where you get to eat while listening to music.
That is the end of my trip in Chicago. See you next time in Michigan.

My first Journal

I know some facts about the Midwest from the project that we did a while ago. We live in the largest city of Midwest region. Chicago is also our Nation’s third largest city.

Lake Michigan is the fifth largest lake in the world. Lake Michigan is shared by four Midwestern states: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Most of the states of this region are flat and this makes them good for farming. Rich black soil is another factor that makes this region a leading farming region in America.

I know that the Midwest is made up of 12 states: Illinois, Indianan, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.  

Of course, there are so many other states, cities, parks, landmarks, and rivers in other regions that I would love to visit some day. I love to travel and I am always curious about new places and their history.

One city I would definitely visit is New York. It is full of history and culture. One might even say it is one of the world’s capitals. Besides, my dad proposed to my mom at the top of the Empire State Building – one of the most famous landmarks in the world.      

I have been to Florida, which belongs to a South region, so many times. I have stayed in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Sarasota, Orlando, and Tampa. I would love to visit North and South Carolina, as well. I have heard that these two states have some beautiful waterfalls, breathtaking mountains, and of course miles of beaches.

There are so many places in the West that I would love to visit. When I was little, I visited Nevada and Utah with my parents. I don’t remember much of that trip, but I can still see the gorgeous red color of the mountains in Utah. I love nature, animals, and wilderness and that is the reason my next stop would be Alaska, Colorado and Hawaii. All three states differ from each other. Alaska has the most wilderness, Colorado is one of the top skiing resorts in the world, that has luxury and wilds in one place. Hawaii is warm, inviting, with some of the most beautiful islands in the world, that also combines the luxury and wilds, including active volcanoes.          

So many places, so little time :)

I hope I get to visit all of them someday.