florida, midwest, southwest, california, pacific northwest
TRANSCRIPT
Florida, Midwest, Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest
Florida
A peninsula in the extreme southeastern corner of the USA
4th most populated state
Lots of retirees, lots of ‘snowbirds’
Many Cuban and Puerto Ricans
About two-thirds of the population was born in another state
Florida was the first part of the USA to be visited by Europeans
In 1513 the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon came
Spain controlled it, then Britain (who divided it into East Florida and West Florida)
Then Spain got it again, who sold it to the USA for $5 million
In the 1830s -40s the government tried to kick out all of the Natives in Florida
Very low, flat state The Everglades=
an enormously wide, very slow-flowing river encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula
Called the “Sunshine State”, is usually very warm there and never snows
Hurricane Season lasts from June-November
They grow about 70% of all the citrus fruit in the USA
Its beautiful beaches
South Beach – right in Miami’s downtown, full of people and excitement
Key West – good for snorkelling
Clearwater Beach – might spot some dolphins
Caspersen Beach – you WILL find fossilized shark teeth in the sand
Blue crab Other seafood like
conch, spiny lobsters, scallops
Cuban sandwiches Key Lime pie
Miami: most Caribbean cruises leave from here, if you fly to the Caribbean you probably transferred here
Tampa Orlando Jacksonville
The most visited attraction in the world, 52.5 million visitors annually
It includes 24 themed resorts, 2 water parks and 4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom)
Not to be confused with Disneyland in California
About 70% of Americans have been to one of the Disney parks
Go check out the unique architecture in Miami’s Art Deco district
Obviously, go to Disney World
Drive through the Florida Keys and relax in Key West
Swim with manatees Go watch rockets
launch at Cape Canaveral
Watch NASCAR racing at Daytona Raceway
Midwest
In the northern central part of the USA
It consists of: Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Called ‘America’s Heartland’ Tornado Alley: an area in the Midwest
that gets the most tornadoes Prairies, pioneers, and farms Baseball and breweries Weird roadside attractions
Carhenge in Nebraska
The Basket Building in Ohio
The Corn Palace in South Dakota
World’s Biggest Muskie in Wisconsin
Jolly Green Giant in Minnesota
World’s Biggest Ketchup Bottle in Illinois
World’s largest frying pan in Iowa
World’s largest weathervane in Michigan
World’s largest rubber stamp in Ohio
The Great Plains – prairie landscape of flat grasslands
Some mountainous regions like the Ozarks
The first Europeans there were the French explorers
Was owned by France as part of the colony of ‘New France’, so it was in the same colony as most of Canada at the time
This was the land of pioneers in covered wagons
Pork Cheese Swedish pancakes Polish pierogi Chicago-style deep
dish pizza Kansas style BBQ
Chicago: the 3rd biggest nin the USA, called the ‘Windy City’ and ‘Second City’
Indianapolis: the Indy 500 races happen here
Detroit: home of Motown music, once a thriving town is now partly abandoned, the city filed for bankruptcy
Milwaukee: known for it breweries
St Louis: famous for its huge Arch landmark
Ride the weird, round elevator up the St Louis arch to see the view from the top
Go see Mount Rushmore
Explore Chicago Visit the Rock n Roll
Hall of Fame in Cleveland
Southwest
In the central and western part of the southern USA
It consists of: Nevada Utah Arizona New Mexico sometimes
Colorado
It has several different landscapes: Rocky desert with
cacti, mesas and buttes
Flat prairies and grassland
Rocky Mountains
Phoenix: the largest city in the Southwest
Denver: in the Rocky Mountains, known for good skiing
Las Vegas: famous for its gambling, hotels, and shows
Was once owned by Spain, was once part of Mexico
Gold and silver mines drew fortune seekers, and practically overnight the lawless mining towns of the Wild West mushroomed
Gorgeous national parks
Deserts and cacti Mesas, buttes and
weird rock formations
Large Mexican and Native populations
Chili (each state has its own version)
Fajitas, burritos Quesadillos,
nachos Enchiladas Guacamole
Stand in 4 states at once at Four Corners
Be in awe of the Grand Canyon
Discover the ancient ruins in Mesa Verde
Ride in a balloon over the New Mexico desert
Go crazy in Las Vegas for a weekend
California
In the Southwest corner of the USA, on the Pacific coast
California is huge and has many different landscapes Sandy beaches Mountains like the
Sierra Nevada Deserts like the
Mohave Desert Giant redwood
forests in the North Lush agricultural
lands
First owned by Spain, then Mexico, then the USA after the Mexican-American War
The California Gold Rush in the mid 1800s led to widescale immigration and an economic boom
Los Angeles: the 2nd largest in the USA, many celebrities live there
San Francisco: many landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard street
San Diego Sacramento
Sushi Organic
ingredients Fusion cooking
(joining together 2 different styles, such as Korean/Tex-Mex
Dungeness crab
It is the most populated state
Produces over half of all the USA’s fruit
Surfing, beach culture
Earthquakes Hollywood and
celebrities
See the Walk of Stars and the Hollywood sign
Drive through a tree in Redwood National Park
Explore beautiful Yosemite Park
Go on a tour of Alcatraz
Explore the wineries Take a trolley ride
through San Francisco
Pacific Northwest
In the Northwest corner of the USA
Oregon and Washington
Tall, snow-capped Rocky Mountains
Lush, temperate rainforests
Rocky coastline
The Spanish and the British fought over it
There were even some Russian explorers who sailed down the coast and settled there
Explorers Lewis and Clark were the first Americans to cross this area all the way to the ocean in 1804
Seattle : the largest in the region, Grunge music was born here, both Nirvana and Pearl Jam were from here
Portland: lots of microbreweries and food carts, they pride themselves on being a little weird
Seafood like salmon and shellfish
Game meats like moose, elk
Wild mushrooms and berries
Food carts that sell unique fusion food like Japanese hot dogs and Korean burritos
Near constant rain
Grunge music Environmentalism An easy going,
creative vibe Food trucks Great coffee Very Democratic
area
Watch fresh fish get thrown around in Pike Place Market
Ride to the top of the Space Needle
Go whalewatching and see some orcas up close
Hike through a dense rainforest
Relax in a coffeehouse and listen to some new music