Road Rally Times€¦ · Web viewThe park consists of the Gettysburg battlefield, General Lee’s headquarters and museum and Gettysburg College. Then we drove the 30 to the 99

Road Rally Times www.lausd.k12.ca.us/district_a/resources/st_louis Tuesday, May 28, 2002 Gateway Elementary School

Day Five of the Meet Me in St. Louis Road Rally

Yahoo! Gledhill hits Texas!Gledhill visits Hillsboro, Texas

Today we are going to Hillsboro, Texas. The weather is 64 F. Don’t you think that is odd, for a state that is mostly hot but today cloudy? The population now is 7,873. As we compare Los Angeles to Hillsboro the people that make the population are diverse cultures. The elevation is varying between 400 and 900 feet above sea level; this includes level plains and rolling hills. First we started in Decatur, Texas. After, we went to Austin, Texas where we found a lot of places to visit. The first place we went to visit is the Governor’s Mansion. There we saw the grounds and the formal parlors on the first floor. The second place was the old Bakery and Emporium. We saw the giant oven and wooden baker’s spade inside.The third place we went to visit was the Barton Spring Pool. It was getting hot so we put on our bathing suits and went inside. While we were there we discovered archeologists believe that Native Americans gathered around the springs long before Austin was a town.

The fourth place we went to visit was Travis County Audubon Society. We saw rare birds and migratory patterns. The fifth place we went to was the Medway Ranch. While we were there we went horseback riding. The last place we went to was Pseudo Rock where we got to go rock climbing. Finally we finished. We had such a blast!We went this way because we wanted to see these beautiful monuments, landmarks, and National Parks!

Noble Keeps Cool in Arizona

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Today is the 5th day of our trip. We left Saint George, Utah early morning so that we could get the most out of our day. The only place open was Denny's so we ate our breakfast there. We passed southern cities of Springdale, Fredonia, and Marble canyon. We crossed the Utah-Arizona border at 5:00 A.M. The sun was not even

out yet; it was dark. Everybody was very quiet during our bus ride, even Miguel, George

and Jacob. That takes a big miracle! Our bus ride took us to our first stop, the great Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon covers 673, 575 acres of the northwestern part of Arizona. It includes 105 miles of the most colorful part of the Colorado River. It is 277 miles long and averages 10 miles in feet below the North Rim. At no other place in the world is such a vast view of time displayed so clearly. Each stratum of rock distinctly marks a period of the Earth's history from 2 billion to 250 million years ago. In 1540, it was viewed

by one of the explorers in the Francisco Vazquez de Coronado's expedition. That was our first stop in Arizona. By that time we were fully awake and giving our teachers a big headache. We went and looked down as far as we could. A boy named Hector threw a coin down the canyon; it would probably take 10 minutes to reach the bottom.After exploring the Grand Canyon, we continued our trip southbound. We passed by the Painted Desert, which is an area of badlands that displays a variety of hues. We saw the arid parts of Arizona as we strolled southbound to Walnut Canyon National Monument. It contains 800- year-old cliff dwellings built on the 400-foot-deep gorge. It was inhabited by the Sinagua Indians. This 46-acre monument was established in 1915. Some of us took our bikes and roller blades so that we could enjoy our stay in Walnut Canyon. From there we went to Montezuma Castle National Monument.

At around 12:30 P.M., we arrived in Phoenix, the capital of Arizona. It is bold and sophisticated, vigorous and vital, a medley of Mexican American, Native American and American West cultures. It




is the home of the cowboy and the cosmopolitan, cultural and industrial center of the new Southwest. We had lunch at the Hard Rock Café, it was soooo cool! The music was loud but we were also very loud. During our stay if Phoenix we went to Encanto park and enjoyed a paddleboat jaunt around the lagoon. Guess who fell into the lagoon? Yes, Franzis and Maritza, that was funny. They were wet and cold. Our afternoon was spent in the Arizona Capitol Museum, which was completed in 1900 and displays the USS Arizona which was sunk by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor. We also went to The Phoenix Zoo and the Rosson House.

Downtown Phoenix

Balboa’s Short Hop to Des Moines

We made sure we stopped by the University of Nebraska just before leaving Lincoln. The Cornhuskers have sold out every home football game since 1962!

We crossed the Missouri River as we drove into the “Crossroads of the Nation”. This wonderful city served a key role in our westward expansion, serving as a major

outfitting center for prospectors and settlers. When Lincoln was President, he declared Omaha as the point from which the United States should go westward. We visited Fort Omaha which was constructed to protect the crews working on the Union Pacific and Northern Pacific railroads.

We visited President Gerald Ford’s birthplace, Boys Town, the Omaha Children’s Museum, and the spectacular Joslyn Art Museum which featured works by El Greco, Winslow Homer, Henri Matisse, Monet, and Grant Wood among many other famous artists.

Just across the river from Omaha, we drove through Council Bluffs, Iowa. We made a quick stop at the Western historic Trails Center, where we learned more about the westward movement, with an emphasis on Lewis and Clark.

The remainder of the day was spent in and around Des Moines (the “s” is silent in each word). It’s original name was much easier to pronounce: Fort Raccoon. The Science Center of Iowa and the Des Moines Botanical Center were fun places to visit. We especially admired the State Capitol building with its domes which are covered with 23-karat gold leaf. The interior has 29 different types of marble!




Beckford Floating Around the Great Salt Lake

We wanted to get an early start so we ate breakfast at the Quality Inn and Suites. We then headed towards Timpanogos Cave National Monument driving east on the highway SR 92. The caves are on 250 acres in the American Fork Canyon. We took a tour of the cave and saw different forms of crystals, stalagmites, and stalactites. Jonathan and Aaron forgot their jackets in the car and were cold since it was 45 F. Afterwards we continued on highway SR 92 west towards I-15 north to head to Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah and the headquarters for the Mormon Temple. The Mormon Temple holds the ordinaries, sacred to the Mormon Faith. It began in 1853 and completed in 1893 and cost 4 million dollars to build. Atop the 210 foot east tower is a gold leaf covered statue of Angel Moroni. We tried to visit the governor at the Capitol building but we did not have an appointment. We could not go into the Mormon Temple because it is closed to the public. So instead, we went to a

restaurant that our teacher Mrs. Goodridge recommended, the Mediterranean Café. Everything there is home made, like the breads, soups, and pastas. The sandwiches were made with delicious, fresh, homemade bread. Angela ordered chicken noodle soup with pita bread. Afterwards, we went to the Great Salt Lake and floated on our backs. The salty water made us float without life jackets.

We then took I-15 east to I-130, to I-134 to I-145 to I-156 north so we could connect to I-80. We headed east to highway 19 going south to stop at Flaming Gorge Dam National Recreation Area. The area includes Flaming gorge, Red Canyons carved through Uinta Mountains by the Green River. We went fishing on Lake Flaming Gorge, and Samuel caught rainbow trout, small-mouth bass, and Kokanee salmon. We camped out and ate them for dinner. We took I-80 southeast to Cheyenne, Wyoming where we spent the night. Cheyenne is the capital city of Wyoming. We thought the capital building was very impressive.

SUPERIOR STANDS AT GETTYSBURG




After a wonderful night of sleep (even though Jamie and Yajaira were keeping everyone in their room up all night by telling scary stories), we woke up at an early time and had a nice breakfast at Coco’s. Then our trip began. We started at Harrisburg, PA and drove the 15 to Gettysburg in our Hummer Limo and went to lunch at the Atland House. It was great! We then proceeded to The Gettysburg National Cemetery and honored the soldiers who fought in the civil war. This cemetery contains the graves of 3,555 union soldiers. We also saw the Soldier’s National Monument, which stands, near the spot where President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. We found this interesting because we just got done studying the Civil War and this famous speech. After visiting the cemetery, we went to see a real live Civil war battle reenactment, it was thrilling. After the fun and exciting reenactment we went to the

Gettysburg family fun center and played miniature golf. Michael was at the baseball center the whole time. Before leaving Gettysburg, we decided to go visit the National Military Park, which surrounds the town of Gettysburg. The park consists of the Gettysburg battlefield, General Lee’s headquarters and museum and Gettysburg College.

Then we drove the 30 to the 99 and stopped in Altoona. We went to the Pennsylvania railroad to go on a little train ride that was founded in 1849. After that we decided to have a little fun at Lakemont Park, which is home to the worlds oldest roller coaster. We then took a drive to Wopsononock Tableland, which rises to an elevation of 2,580 feet and affords a panoramic view of the city and 6 surrounding counties. This was absolutely breathtaking. After a fun time we got exhausted. We stayed at the Blue Moon Inn and settled for the next day to come.

Dearborn Travels the Trail Backwards.

Howdy folks! We stretched and rubbed our eyes awake for our final visit in Casper, Wyoming. We found a small family run diner where Tyler demanded waffles for everybody. Kyle insisted on setting a new eating record and stuffed 7 into his tummy. Afterward, we walked to the Classic




Car show where we ooohed and aaahed at the old Chevy trucks, Camaros, and really old farming equipment. Casper is the home of Ft. Casper that was built in 1862 to protect the telegraph office. It became a stop for many of the travelers along the Oregon Trail. Continuing at a steady pace, as the old wagon trains did, we headed south on I-25 until we got to Ft. Laramie National Historic Site. This was a welcome site to the travelers of the Oregon and Mormon Trails and to Pony Express Riders.. We also found it to be a welcome site as Kyle needed to make a pit stop.

Ft. Laramie served as an anchor along the trail to Oregon and California. In 1849 it became a military post and was important in ‘The Great Sioux War.’ By 1890 the fort had outlived its usefulness and was abandoned. We saddled up in our suburban and moseyed our way into the capital city of Wyoming, Cheyenne. Cheyenne was named for the tribe of Plains Indians that once roamed southeastern Wyoming. In 1867 Union Pacific Railroad built a depot on this site. Before the railroad track even reached town, gamblers, cowboys,

speculators, shopkeepers, and real estate salesmen overran it. What an exciting time to be in town! We happened to arrive in time for the big Memorial Day Celebrations. As we drove along West 20th Street, we wondered why all the residents were lined along the street and waving to us. Naturally, we waved back. Suddenly, J.J. realized we were leading the Memorial Day Parade. As soon as we could, we turned down one of the side streets and headed toward the park where other activities were occurring. We decided this would be a good place to have a picnic lunch and fly kites.

After relaxing in the fresh air, we packed ourselves back into the suburban and rolled along Happy Jack Road, a scenic byway to Laramie. Along Happy Jack Road we discovered many little lakes and streams to fish in. “You shoulda seen the one that got away! It was thissssss BIIIGG!” exclaimed Josh. Our Suburban kicked up the dust as we rushed into the town of Laramie. Once again we screeched to a halt in front of another territorial prison. Wyoming Territorial Prison was built in 1872. Its most famous prisoner was Butch Cassidy. It is believed to be the only prison where Butch Cassidy was ever jailed. The prison was the first in the territory to have running hot and cold water. The water was stored on the roof and used a gravity-flow system where the gravity brought the water into the prison. The prisoners were able to have hot showers and flush toilets. After leaving the prison, we visited the University of Wyoming. This is the first land grant (free land from the federal




government) college. Heading toward the outskirts of town we made a historic stop. We were able to see the actual remains of tracks made by the wagons on the Overland Trail. They were fossilized and we couldn’t believe they were over 140 years old. What a rough path! Outside Laramie, we came across Vedauwoo, which gets its name from the Arapaho Indian word meaning “earth born spirits.” This area is marked by rock formations that were created during the ice age. Following along I-80 east, we spied in the distance something that looked like the head of Lincoln. As we got closer, we saw that IT WAS! It was a bust of Lincoln that designated the highest elevation on I-80. We stopped at the rest area at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument, elevation of 8,640 feet. Wow! As we headed towards the border, we went through the city of Pine Bluffs, WY. Around 1884, this city became the largest cattle shipping point on the Union Pacific Railroad. The Texas Trail crossed through. A huge sign for summer youth baseball sign-ups caught our eyes. Kyle, J.J., Josh and Tyler, excitedly begged to be able to register and play. Mrs. Promen explained that we have a deadline and we would have to pick them up on the way back from St. Louis. Continuing backwards on the trail, we saw a sculpture of Our Lady of Peace that overlooks travelers along this route. The sculpture is five stories high and took 22 months to complete. Crossing over the Wyoming-Nebraska border, we progressed to our final destination. We paralleled the Oregon Trail on I-80, into

Kimball, Nebraska. Here we stayed at the Holiday Motor Lodge with its heated indoor pool. HALF WAY THERE!

Lassen - Two State Capitols

Selma, Alabama was the first stop following breakfast in Montgomery. Selma was the second most important site for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The destruction of its shell foundry, powder mill, and navy yard were of great importance to the Union. The job was accomplished when 2/3 of the city was destroyed in the Battle of Selma. About 100 years later, Selma was a major front in the battle for Civil Rights in the mid-1960’s. Many of the buildings in the river front business district had been used as quarters for the Confederacy or as hospitals during the Civil War. We checked out the National Voting Rights Museum




and Institute. We learned a lot about the struggle for the right to vote for African Americans.

We crossed state lines into Mississippi. Meridian served as a division headquarters for the Confederacy. In 1864, 10,000 Union soldiers invaded and leveled the town. We visited the Meridian State Fish Hatchery. It was really interesting to learn how they raise fish. They raise 2 ½ warm-water spot fish every year. Next stop, Jackson, Mississippi, the capitol. We visited the capitol building. It was huge! On the tour of the capitol, we found out it was completed in 1903 in a style of architecture known as Beaux Arts Classical.

We also visited the Governor’s Mansion.It served as the official residence of Mississippi's first family without interruption since its construction in 1842. The Mansion is one of only three gubernatorial executive residences to be designated a National Historic Landmark. Next we visited the Mississippi War Memorial Building

which serves as a monument to the Mississippi men and women who have fallen in the defense of their country in all wars. It contains a Military Museum and unique cast aluminum elevator doors and panels depicting battle scenes from the Battle of Ackia, 1776, through the Vietnam conflict.

Our final stop for the night was Crystal Springs. It was a great day and we learned a lot about the Civil War. Tomorrow it’s on to Louisiana and Cajon country. We can’t wait.

Germain Hits CincinatttiDay Four

Today we went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cleveland. In Pittsburgh we went to eat. We ate chicken tenders, hamburgers with coke and coke ices at Burger King. Then we went to the restroom to wash up.

In Cleveland, we went to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. There we saw some exhibits with dinosaurs and other ancient creatures, such as armored fish. We also saw geology and astronomy exhibits through high tech interactive equipment. We saw a lot of




neat stuff. Then we went to the NASA Glenn Research Center visitor center. There we saw interactive displays about topics such as aeronautics, space exploration, the solar system, satellites and other NASA programs. It was a cool place to visit. Today was a very hard day.

Day FiveIn Columbus, we went to the Ohio State

House. This building contains historical documents, and portraits of Ohio’s noted governments and U.S. presidents. It was a wonderful thing to see. After we went to the Ohio Historical Center. We saw a historical research library and the state archives. The exhibits had archeological history and natural history. After that we went to the Wright Brothers Memorial. There we saw the memorial of the Wright Brothers and the site looks over the Huffman Prairie Flying Field on the Wright- Paterson Air Force Base where the Wrights ran an air force school. It was really cool.

In Cincinnati, we went to the Abraham Lincoln statue. There we saw the statue of Abraham and it showed us what Abraham Lincoln did. Then we went to Cincinnati art museum. We saw many different paintings from many different artists. There were also sculptures, paintings, prints, musical instruments, costumes, photographs, and decorative arts over 5,000 of them are there. It was a beautiful place to visit but we are sad that it was not a historical landmark. After that we went to William Howard Taft National Historic Site. This is where the 27th president was born. He is also the 10th chief

justice. It also shows and tells us the story William Howard Taft’s public career. Cincinnati has a lot of good sites to see. Today was really fun.

News from St. Louis…

Fifth graders return from space camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Today is the spring concert in the courtyard. Tomorrow is the Awards Day ceremony. Thursday is Kindergarten Graduation and 5th Grade Recognition. Firday is the PTO Carnival. June 4th is our last day. Summer school starts June 17th.





Documents

Road Rally Times€¦ · Web viewThe park consists of the Gettysburg battlefield, General Lee’s headquarters and museum and Gettysburg College. Then we drove the 30 to the 99