Adding on to my last post about adventuring out West, don’t forget to stop by the Hoover Dam. I visited the Hoover Dam in 2015, and was shocked at the information I learned. The Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression. When the construction of the dam began, a entire city was created in order to house the workers of the Hoover Dam. Since this was during the Great Depression, many jobless men and their families move to this city called Boulder City, Nevada in hopes for a job. This city was home to 5,000 dam workers. It was named after the U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, after being originally called the Boulder Dam. It is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. This dam is over 700 feet tall, and the water is more than 500 feet deep on the lake side. The lake side holds around 10 trillion gallons of water. The Hoover Dam is on the border between Nevada and Arizona. This dam created America’s largest reservoir, and today this reservoir supplies water to people in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico. The Colorado River basin has been experiencing a drought for the past decade and a half, therefore; Lake Mead has dropped to the lowest it has been since being filled up in 1930. My tour guide at the Hoover Dam made it clear that the rumor saying people were buried alive during the construction of the dam is completely false. While it took around 21,000 men to complete the dam, no one was ever buried alive. The top of the dam is a highway, and this is the second highest bridge in America. We parked and walked the bridge and scared is an understatement. The height of the bridge is extremely tall. Overall, the Hoover Dam accomplishes its goals of flood prevention, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. It is amazing to see in real life, so stop by if you are out that way!

I advise everyone to take a trip out west! The views are so worth it! In this post, I will be talking about the Grand Canyon. I had always seen photos in history books of the Grand Canyon, and always thought they were overrated and blown out of proportion. I quickly realized I was completely wrong. The Grand Canyon is huge and the views look like a painting! While visiting, I learned that the Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, and 6,000 feet deep. At its widest point, it is 18 miles across. The erosion of the sides of the canyon are caused from the Colorado River. Something that shocked me while visiting, is that people live inside the canyon. A group referred to as the Supai live in the Canyon in a 3,000 deep hole. When vistiting I did not journey through the canyon, but took pictures from above. I am going to attach a couple of photos I took, so you can see how crazy unrealistic it looks. Take an adventure out West, and stop by the Grand Canyon! You will not regret it!

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City. This bridge is the most famous bridge in New York City. It connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It is over the East River. The Brooklyn Bridge is 1,595.5 feet and 133 ft high. The Brooklyn Bridge is famous because there had never been a bridge like this one before. When it was finished in 1883, it was the first steel-wire suspension bridge and the longest suspension bridge in the world. 20 people died while this bridge was under construction. The Brooklyn Bridge was built to provide transportation ground for cars and pedestrians between Manhattan and Brooklyn. This bridge allowed people to live in Brooklyn yet work in Manhattan. The bridge gives tourists a great opportunity to see two parts of New York at once. It also has great photo opportunities, and is a fun way to see the landscape of the city!

The Statue of Liberty is a must see while in New York. It definitely falls on the top of touristy list. In order to get to The Statue of Liberty you must ride a ferry. The ferry cost around $12, but the entrance into the grounds around the Statue of Liberty is free. You can purchase an access pass to climb to the crown. That journey is 354 steps, equivalent to 20 stories, and is recommended only for people in good physical health. The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by the French. This present was for the creation of the alliance between France and the United States during the American Revolution. The torch is a symbol of enlightenment. The Statue of Liberty’s torch lights the way to freedom showing us the path to liberty. Before air travel, ships would sail into New York Harbor and Lady Liberty would welcome their passengers. Many of the passengers on the ships would be immigrants traveling to the United States for the first time. The Statue of Liberty stands in Upper New York Bay, as a universal symbol of freedom. The height of this statue was astounding and a must see while in New York.

Wow is all I can say when thinking about my trip to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. This memorial has a significant impact on New York and the United States. While we all know what went down on September 11, 2001, this museum has artifacts that will make you realize just how terrified citizens of New York felt on that day. Last week my blog was about the 9/11 memorial reflection pool, but this week I am going to talk about the 9/11 memorial museum. The reflection pool can be viewed from outside and above ground, but the museum is underground. After purchasing tickets, expect to be in the museum half of a day. The amount of artifacts and displays will take your breath away. After the attack, it took 9 months to clean up the 1.8 million tons of wreckage from the World Trade Center site. The property damage of the wreckage estimated to cost $100 billion dollars, while the total economic damage costed around $2 trillion dollars. These facts shocked me tremendously. The collapse time of the Twin Towers were ridiculously fast. The North tower collapsed within 11 seconds of being hit. The South tower collapsed within 9 seconds of being hit. The small amount of collapse time gave workers no chance of survival or a chance to escape. This museum has shirts, shoes, briefcases, papers, voicemails, and much more displayed from workers of the towers. Videos of workers jumping from the building will forever be stuck in my brain. Employers voicemails to loved ones were recorded and playing throughout the museum, and this hit me so hard. This time was terrifying for employees as well as their families. A picture that was displayed on the wall of the museum made me realize how fast life can change. I will attach the pictures, but it shows a view of the city before and after the attack on that day. The museum also has pieces of the original tower and is displayed as you walk down the stairs to the museum, after going through security. A firetruck used during this day has a spot in the museum as well. It is crazy to look the things used that day, because the heat shaped these objects and changed the way they look. The last piece of artifact that really hit me was the “Survival Staircase”. A piece of staircase is displayed, and it is the actual steps that people used to reach safety. This was a horrible attack on our nation, and this museum displays the reality of that horrible day.

The reflection pool is such an important stop to make when visiting New York. This reflection pool stands as a memorial for the September 11^th attack on the nation.  On September 11, 2001 the World Trade center was struck by a plane that had been hijacked by terrorist.  The names of the people that were killed during this attack are engraved in the structure around the reflection pool.  This pool is lined in black granite to show that death occurred at this exact spot.  Water cascades down the four walls of the pool, and disappears into a square hole in the center of the pool. It is free to visit and walk around the memorial, so I would highly recommend stopping by to pay respect to the people who did not make it home to their families that day.  It is a very special spot in New York and gives people the opportunity to learn about tragic that happened in the United States.

My favorite place in the United States is, New York City. I have visited here many times over the past few years. I want to talk about the Empire State Building for a little. The Empire State Building symbolizes the technological skill and economic strength throughout the United States. This building was built during the Great Depression and was the tallest building in the world at the time. At the time it represented a nation emerging from a low point in history. During the construction of this building five people were killed. While visiting, I learned about this important building, and I learned that someone jumped from this building. An American book keeper, Evelyn McHale jumped from the 86th observation floor in 1947. You can visit the Empire State Building at any point throughout the day/ early evening, and ride an elevator to the 86th and 102nd floor. These are observation floors and you are able to walk around the building on a platform. The views of the city from these floors are amazing. I have visited during the day and night on my many trips, but I personally love the night time views.

The tomb of the Unknown Solider is such a intriguing and sentimental monument inside of the Arlington National Cemetery. This monument is dedicated to the deceased U.S. service members whose bodies have not been identified. Since April 6, 1948 the Tomb of the Unknown Solider has been guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Guards are guarding the tomb no matter what the weather is like. It is so interesting to sit and watch the change of guards. In the summer the guard changes happen every thirty minutes, while in the winter the guard changes happen every hour. I found some of the requirements of the guards very interesting. When a guard commits to this duty, they are required to guard the tomb for two years and they must live in barracks under the tomb. Guards cannot drink alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives, and during the first six months of duty they are not allowed to talk to other people nor watch TV. This site is a must see if you are visiting Washington D.C. or the Arlington National Cemetery.

The Jackson Square is in New Orleans, LA. If you are in NOLA you can not miss this touristy spot. This was announced a National Historic Landmark in 1960. This spot is known in the city’s history, because Louisiana was made part of the United States in 1803. This was due to the territory pursuant to the Louisiana Purchase. In 2012 the American Planning Association designated Jackson Square as one of America’s Great Public Spaces, and I couldn’t agree more. It is a beautiful area with the St. Louis Cathedral as the backdrop of Andrew Jackson riding in on a horse. Andrew Jackson’s statue is placed in the center of Jackson Square because of the honor he showed when commemorating the American victory over the British 25 years earlier at the Battle of New Orleans. I would recommend visiting this area and taking a picture with the square in the background.

The French Market is in New Orleans, Louisiana. If you are in downtown New Orleans, this is a must do! The market is around the French Quarter, so you can’t miss it! This is an open-air market of five blocks displaying shopping, music, food, and different types of arts. In 1791, it originated as a Native American trading post along the Mississippi River. French and Spanish colonists opened the market up to ships and traders from all over the world. To this day it is still a popular spot to visit. While I was there, I got a handcrafted NOLA bracelet, tried fried alligator, and ate a fried corn on the cob. It is very unique and different. I had a blast at the French Market and highly recommend making a stop there!