I had every intention of posting this yesterday and just didn't get that far.  However, I was so excited to celebrate this birthday, that I figured a day late is better than nothing.  This upcoming year, one of my themes is going to be focused on immigration and the many gifts that ALL humans add to our world.  As an introduction, I am going to be looking at the individuals connected to building the Statue of Liberty.

Two weeks ago, my husband and I held the "golden tickets" to go on an adventure up into the crown of the Statue of Liberty.  I have to admit that this was a HUGE item on my bucket list.  It was a thrill to be some of the few people that have experienced the long climb up 354 steps into her crown.  Despite the many challenges that our country is facing, I do believe that she is a symbol of optimism and hope and I want to share her wonder to my students. 

Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi is known for his design of "Liberty Enlightening the World" otherwise known as the Statue of Liberty.  She was designed to commemorate the friendship between France and the United States.  The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in October 1886.  She is 151 feet, 1 inch tall and sits on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor.  

It has been weeks since I have posted. Blame it on the start of school and my brain being on overload.  I think about it daily, but never get there.

Interestingly, I joined my husband for a documentary this evening and it happened to be on John Denver.  I have always loved John's songs with the stories he told and the melodies he carried on his guitar.  I also remember how he tragically died at an early age in an airplane crash.  As the documentary progressed, the date of his death came up and the anniversary happens to be today.  He died in 1997 at the age of 53.

Several years ago, I remember walking along the beautiful, foggy beaches of Monterey, California.  I can remember how shocked I was when my family and I came across a marker on a rock commemorating the sudden loss of John Denver.  I don't recall that I knew where he had died until our morning walk.

As a Colorado native, his songs are calling card to the beauty of our state.  He was a long time resident of Aspen, Colorado, long before it ever became the ski town it is today.  Each time I hear one of his songs, I remember how much I enjoy his music.  As I watched the documentary, I learned more about his interest in both space and NASA and the oceans with his time spent with Jacque Cousteau.

I am surprised that this commemorative rock is in my collection.  It is an obscure location, but one worth remembering.  My own personal travel lesson is to always be open to where the day might take you.  There are surprises around every corner and many are worth reflecting upon!

To learn more about the portrait and the story of Dolley, take the time to explore the links below or read the book that can be found on Amazon.

It was too hard to resist National Hot Dog Day, especially since Moffat has visited the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.  Take a look at the attached Youtube videos for more fun!  Admit it, you know the Oscar Mayer Wiener song!!!

On this day in 1963, the zip (zone improvement plan) code was introduced by the US Postal Service.  The purpose of the zip code was to improve the speed of delivery.  Mr. Zip, a friendly cartoon character, was introduced to encourage Americans to embrace the use of the extra 5 digits at the end of an address.  

Follow the link below to learn more about Mr. Zip from the National Postal Museum

On this day, June 22, 1784, a resolution by the Virginia House of Delegates is made to have a GW statue created.

Walking a bridge is one of my favorite things to do on any trip.  Two years ago, our family was able to put the check mark on the bucket list for the Golden Gate Bridge.  We had seen it several years earlier on a previous trip, but this was the year for the walk.  Public transportation makes getting to the visitors center and entrance to the bridge very accessible.  We visited in July, and the iconic International Orange columns were shrouded in the regular fog of the bay area.  The details of the bridge were the most captivating to me followed by the view (although limited) of the city behind us.  Fort Point lies directly below at the SF entrance.  When the bridge opened in May of 1937, its 4,200 foot suspension span was the longest in the world.  Today, it is the ninth longest suspension bridge.  The bridge is an American icon and year after year my students love learning about it.