Category: North America

Smiles in Seattle

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My first trip to the West Coast was Seattle, Washington. One of the most notable monuments of the city is the Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, it attracted 2.3 million visitors; thats 20,000 people a day!

 

 

The Needle weights 9,550 tons! It offers a 360 degree view of the city, which includes Mt. Rainier and the Puget Sound.
This is a view of downtown Seattle and Mt. Rainier is in the background to the right. It was so clear and beautiful the day we went to the top of the Space Needle. In fact, only 80 days a year can you see Mount Rainier from this view. (Seattle is known for having many rainy and cloudy days)
Right below the Space Needle was the EMP Museum. The Museum has exhibits on contemporary pop culture. It was built in 2000 and is known for its Deconstructionism architecture.
Here I am with the costumes of Superman and the Lion from The Wizard of Oz.

 

They also had exhibits on Kurt Cobain and Jimmy Hendrix. Both artist were from Seattle.
After the museum I took the monorail to the Pike Place Market.
At the Market you can find anything and everything. From fresh flowers, to fresh seafood, there is something for everyone.

 

Rachel the Pig is a must see at Pike Place Market. She is a large piggy bank that raises money for food banks in the Greater Seattle area.

 

Across the street from the Market is the first ever Starbucks! It still has the original logo.
To end a fun filled day in Seattle, I went to the tallest skyscraper in the city to witness my first sunset. It had an observation deck with even better views than the Space Needle.
Here is the whole city, including the Needle and Puget Sound.

 

Here is a better view of Mt. Rainier.

 

And here is a snapshot of the Seattle Seahawks Football stadium. They were this years Superbowl Champions!!
Have you ever driven your car onto a ferry?! I have! Using the ferry is a popular form of transportation in the Seattle area because of the Puget Sound. It’s much quicker to take a ferry than drive all the way around the state and cross a bridge.
Waiting for the Ferry can take up to 3 hours!

 

Driving on!
Washington State is in the middle of the Pacific Northwest. It is naturally beautiful and has many National Parks. One I visited was Deception Falls.

 

After Deception Falls I ventured to Steven’s Pass.
The mountain ranges were breathtaking!
If you love Mt. Nittany, you will love Mt. Rainier. And if you think State College is quaint, you should visit Seattle. There was a lot of history and so much to see and do.
Have you been to the West Coast? Whats your favorite City? Where should I go next?!
What was your favorite part of Seattle or Washington State?!

Lancaster Central Market and Penn Square

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Today I went to the Lancaster Central Market in downtown Lancaster. As the countries oldest continuously open Farmer’s Market, I had to check it out!

 

Unlike the Farmer’s Market in State College, the Central Market is open Tuesday and Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A tradition since 1730, the current building was built in 1889 in a Romanesque style by John Berger. In 1972, the U.S. Department of Interior declared it a National Shrine because of its two towers and great light and ventilation.
Inside the market are stands of fresh meats, seafood, vegetables, fruit, flowers, desserts and Lancaster County Souvenirs.
Here I am with some souvenirs: The Real Housewives of Lancaster County glasses!

 

Here I am with some Veggies!

 

And with some fruit!

 

Can you spot me?!

 

With an Amish stand of jams and jellys.
My lunch today consisted of a hot panini and some Amish Whoopie Pies for the road!
After lunch, I went across the street to check out the Monument at Penn Square.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is a 43 foot tall Gothic Revival memorial for Americans who gave their lives in every war.
The 1744 Treaty of Lancaster between the British and Iroquois was signed in the old Lancaster Courthouse which stands on the side of the Monument.
Overall, it was a beautiful day in Downtown Lancaster with yummy food from the Central Market. I cannot wait to visit more historic sites in the area, so stay tuned!

THON 2013

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THON, short for Penn State’s IFC/Pan-Hellenic Dance Marathon, is a 46 hour no sitting, no sleeping marathon! Over 700 dancers, and 15,000 student volunteers, raise money all year for the Four Diamonds Fund, which benefits the Penn State Hershey Children’s Medical Hospital.
Any family in the state of PA that has a child that is diagnosed with any form of cancer does not have to pay an extra penny that insurance does not cover! This is great so that the families only have to worry about their child getting better.
The event takes place every year, usually in the middle of February  and this year, Penn State Student’s raised a record breaking 12.3 million dollars! That makes 100 million dollars since 1973… FTK!
Here I am with ComRadio’s dancer “A”, Breanna Jacobs 🙂

 

Hanging out in the stands!

 

The BJC is packed!

 

Performing the line dance on stage!

 

Always an amazing weekend!
Be sure to give at thon.org today!!

A trip to the ‘Windy City’

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This past weekend I was in Chicago, Illinois!
Do you know what ‘Chicago’ means?!
When the first French Canadian settlers came to the area, many Native Americans still occupied the land. It was swamp land, and did not smell too good. In their language, ‘Chicago’ meant ‘Smelly Onion!’
One of my first stops was at Millennium Park!

 

Here I am with the ‘Bean.’

 

Look at my reflection!
Underneath the ‘Bean.’

 

Here is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Also in Millennium Park, this stage is an outdoor arena that can have up to 11,000 people.

 

Next, I visited the John Hancock Building.

 

This was the first high rise built in Chicago. It is now the 4th tallest building in the city. It is famous for its cris-cross beams on the outside, which support the weight of the building.

 

The view from the 95th floor was breathtaking.

 

The next day I took a trolly ride around the city.

 

On the trolly, I was able to see the second oldest baseball stadium in the country. Wrigley Field is home to the Cubs.

 

 

After my trolly, I stopped at Lou Malnati’s for their famous deep dish pizza.

 

YUM!!!

 

The next building I went to is now the tallest in the city! I was able to go to the 103rd floor.
It is a big tourist attraction because of the ‘Sky Deck,’ where you can actually step out onto clear glass.
View from the Willis Tower. This building used to be called the Sears Tower.
On the ‘Sky Deck!’

 

Over 1,000 feet above ground!
My next stop was at the Art Insitute of Chicago. Here are some famous works of art:

 

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat

 

Bedroom in Arles – Vincent Van Gough

 

Buddha from Tamil Nadu, India
American Gothic – Grant Wood
After the Institute, I went to watch the Penn State vs. Ohio State game at a Chicago Alum Bar.

 

They had a costume contest and my favorite was a man in an Amish costume!
Those are my photos! I hope you enjoyed it like I did. Here are some other fun facts about Chicago that I learned during my trip:
-The Magnificent Mile, on Michigan Ave., is the 6th biggest grossing district in the Americas! That include North and South America.
-There are 106 miles of tracks for the Subway over the streets in the city.
-4 out of the top 10 hospitals in the nation are in Chicago. Insulin was first harvested at one of them!
-It is called the ‘Windy City,’ not because it is windy, but because politicians were ‘Wind Bags’ during the cities exhibition in 1893. A ‘Wind Bag’ means they were boastful about Chicago.

 

A trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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It all started with a plane ride!
Then I ran into a fellow Penn Stater at the airport in Baton Rouge!

 

After being welcomed by family, I went to hang out with some friends in “Tiger Country.”

 

We then went to eat! Louisiana has great food because it is a “Sportsman’s Paradise!”

 

The below food is from Landry’s. My plate had catfish and crawfish!
At Boutin’s, they had a live cajun band! Can you find me on stage?

 

For dessert, I went to Coffee Call for benyas. I got to meet the cook!

 

Yum! Hot benyas and hot chocolate is the best!

 

After a few days of eating out, I decided to help my Paw-Paw fry catfish!

 

After dinner, we all went to go see Mike the Tiger on LSU’s campus!

 

He was taking a nap the whole time!

 

His cage is a million dollar habitat across from Tiger Stadium.

 

Just like the Nittany Lion, they have a statue of him as well!

 

Before I left for home, I found a friend squirrel. He seemed a little stiff and not like my squirrel friends on campus at University Park!

 

The Nittany Lion Shrine

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Those feet where that of the Penn State Nittany Lion Shrine!You cannot go to Penn State and not have a picture with the most visited spot on campus and the SECOND most photographed spot in Pennsylvania (behind the Liberty Bell) !

The Nittany Lion Shrine:
Dedicated on October 24, 1942, the Lion Shrine was unveiled at Homecoming by the class gift of 1940.
Carved out of a 13-ton block of Indiana Limestone, it was created by Animalier Heinez Warneke and stonecutter Joseph Garatti.
In 1978, the Lion Shrine was vandalized! The Lion was hit with a blunt object and it caused his right ear to come off 🙁 Luckily, Heinez Warneke was still alive and able to match the stone and repair his ear.
Every homecoming there is an event at the Shrine with the Lion Ambassadors called “Guard the Lion Shrine.” Students, alumni and fans alike come to watch over the statue to prevent it getting vandalized. This tradition started after Sue Paterno, Joe Paterno’s wife, splattered orange paint on the shrine before a  Syracuse game in 1966.