I thought that I would include a link to the map of the United States so that if you are learning as we are, you will see where these postcards are from! Click on the image for a larger view
NEW HAMPSHIRE!
These were the very FIRST postcards we received from the Postcard Project (6.17.10)!
The children were so excited that they each got one. How thoughtful of my friend Liz! Liz and I met in college. We lived on the same floor in an all-girl freshman dorm.
We saw each other again almost six months ago at a wedding celebration in New Hampshire and it was as if no time had passed!
Liz was the very first person to respond to my e-mail regarding this project. Thank you! The children learned so many cool and interesting facts about New Hampshire (especially the one about a special event this summer). We hope to come and visit you there again soon!
The postcard above features The Ashuelot Bridge which is 159 feet long. It was built in 1864 for $4,650! It is located in the town of Winchester in New Hampshire. This bridge is considered to be one of New Hampshire’s most elaborate covered bridges.
Dover, New Hampshire
(07.21.10) Thank you Kristin, Sam, and Brody for this cool postcard from The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire! Looks like it’s a fun place for us to visit one day! Kristin and I met in CT. She is one of my very first “Mom Friends”. Lillian and Sam took classes at Little Gym when they were tiny and we’ve remained very close friends! We love this family!!
Interesting Facts About New Hampshire:
*Of the original 13 states, New Hampshire was the first to declare independence from England, a full 6 months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence!
*Dover was settled in 1623 making it the oldest permanent settlement in New Hampshire.
(07.28.10) This delicious looking postcard came from one of Lillian and Aidan’s oldest friends, Sam. Sam was visiting his grandparents in New Hampshire and sent us this postcard which he wrote himself!! Thanks Sam! We love you!
This is a postcard of Newick’s in Dover, New Hampshire.
Looks good guys! Thanks for thinking of us while eating there…We’ll have to stop over on our trip to New Hampshire this fall!
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
(07.28.10) My friends, Kristin, Kurt, Sam and Brody have officially sent us the most postcards with a total of 7 postcards as a family!!! Thank you guys so very much! We are just so amazed and super grateful for all the love and dedication! You guys are amazing!!! THANK YOU! Here is one of the five from New Hampshire…
This is a painting of Prescott Park where the A family watched fireworks from this year while in New Hampshire.
Prescott Park was created by the terms of the last will and testament of a life long resident of Portsmouth, NH, Jose Prescott. It replaced a once run down industrial area. The park is over ten acres filled with over 500 varieties of flowers and host and Arts Festival in the summer!
(07.29.10) We received a cool lobster postcard from our little friend Brody today! Brody and Sam are brothers and is also one of Lillian and Aidan’s oldest friends from Little Gym days in Fairfield, CT. Thanks Brody! You’re writing like a big boy now!! Thank you for your postcard buddy! We love you!
Mount Washington, New Hampshire
Thank you to our good friend Nancy for these four beautiful postcards from Mount Washington! It has inspired us to go there on our next road trip! Thanks Nancy for thinking of us on this fun trip. Please keep sending us all these wonderful ideas!
“This is Marty, the Mount Washington Observatory mascot. A Maine coon cat adopted from the Conway Are Humane Society. Marty lives year round in the summit weather station on Mt. Washington. In 1913, the station measured the highest surface wind speed ever recorded-231 MPH- helping the mountain earn its title, “Home of the World’s Worst Weather.” (back of postcard)
-This is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m).
-It is famous for its dangerously erratic weather, and long held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth’s surface, 231 mph (372 km/h) (or 103 m/s), on the afternoon of April 12, 1934.[4] It was known as Agiocochook, or “Home of the Great Spirit”, before European settlers arrived. (Wikepedia)
NEW JERSEY!
Wow! We received four special packages in the mail today from Veruschka in New Jersey! Veruschka is one of my very best friends. We met in 10th grade in high school in Hoboken, NJ. I have stacks of letters and postcards from my wonderful friend that I still cherish to this day!
She has been a most faithful friend and penpal! Lillian, Aidan, Emma, and Olivia are so grateful for the handwritten letters and crafts that you sent them, Veru! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for them! We will write back very soon! Kisses!
Lillian took it upon herself to read all the letters out loud to her brother and sisters since they can’t read yet. It was so wonderful to watch them listen to her every word. They were so thrilled that letters were addressed to each of them separately. Tomorrow we write back!
(06.23.10) We received a postcard from New Jersey today! It is from Tito Ted as he is fondly called. I met Tito Ted when I lived in Lagos, Nigeria. There happens to be quite a big Filipino contingency in Nigeria and it was there that I actually learned how to speak Tagalog! Imagine that! Tito Ted coordinated musical events for our community and I happened to be one of the young performers! He currently resides in New Jersey with Tita Mac. Thank you Tito Ted for taking the time to send us a postcard of the Navesink Lighthouse in New Jersey! Your handwriting is impeccable! Are you sure you wrote it? Haha!
The Navesink Lighthouse was built in 1862 on the highest point of the Atlantic Coast, near the town of Highlands. The two beacon lighthouse was the first electrically-operated lighthouse in the country. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
DELAWARE!
Yeah! Today (06.21.10) we got a postcard from Delaware! It comes from my good friend from college, Emily. The last time I saw her was at our 10 year college reunion and she was a day away from giving birth! She and her family live in Pennsylvania but were vacating in Rehoboth Beach in Delaware when they thought of us! Thank you so much Emily for remembering us while on vacation and we are so excited by your news! Thank you little Carolina!
We look forward to meeting you and hope to become penpals when you get bigger!
Emily included a fun fact about Delaware and that is that it was the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution of the United States on December 7, 1787, making it the FIRST state of the Union.
It is the 2nd smallest state (Rhode Island wins the prize as the smallest out of 50 states) in the US and the state capital is Dover.
Thanks Emily, Craig and Carolina for thinking of us on your vacation! We look forward to learning more about Delaware this summer!
CALIFORNIA!
Monterey, California
Thank you Tita Karen for our FOUR postcards from the coast of California! We are so happy that you thought of us on your travels and that you took the time to write such interesting facts and information about the postcards you sent! We can’t wait to send one back from one of our upcoming trips! We love you!
Here is what their Tita Karen wrote about the sea otters of CA:
” Dear Olivia, Sea otters are one of the many animals that live along the California coast. It is the only marine mammal that can lift up and turn over rocks. It hunts for food by diving to the sea floor. Did you know that it can hold its breath for up to five minutes?”
Love, Tita Karen
“Hi Lilly! This is Cannery Row in Monterey, CA. It used to be home to many sardine canneries. If you visit Cannery Row today, you can spend time at the beautiful Monterey beaches. It is home to many marine animals, including the sea otter! At the end of the Cannery Row, you can visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There are seahorses, jellyfish, and even sharks! Come visit and I’ll take you!’
“Dear Emma, These are golden poppies growing along the California coast. Its natural habitat includes California, Oregon, South Washington, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Did you know it is the state flower of California? Unlike most flowers, they are drought tolerant and self seeding. That’s why they are so abundant here in sunny California!
Love, Tita Karen”
“Dear Aidan, This is a postcard from Monterey, CA. You can find many sea otters swimming around this area. If you come and visit, we can have crab on the wharf. Then I’ll take you to see some sharks, penguins, and jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Love,
Tita Karen”
Santa Monica, California
(6.21.10) We received a postcard today from Santa Monica, California! It came to us from Theo and Clementine! Their mother, Yvonne and I met each other in 8th grade while we both attended the American International School in Lagos, Nigeria.
We managed to keep in touch ever since and I am just so thankful to Facebook for making it so much easier for us to keep in touch today! Thank you Theo and Clementine for your beautiful postcard! How cool is that that you live so close to the Pacific Ocean!
California is called the Golden State and its state capital is Sacramento! It is also home to the oldest and tallest living things: The bristlecone pines (trees) of the Eastern Sierras are 4,600 years old, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is the largest, and finally, the California coastal redwoods are the tallest. If you ever go to California, you must pay a visit to these beautiful and majestic trees!
San Francisco, California
(7.16.10) Yeah! We received 6 postcards from California today! Wowsers! The first batch came from Vanessa who is Ms. Donna’s daughter! Ms. Donna is one of our favorite pre-school teachers! Thank you Vanessa for taking the time to send us postcards from San Francisco! We look forward to taking the children to ride the trolley cars one day.
Interesting Facts about San Francisco:
* San Francisco was originally named Yearba Buena, which means “Good Herb” or “Good Grass” in Spanish.
*There are two very crooked streets in San Francisco, Vermont Street and Lombard Street!
About the Golden Gate Bridge:
*This beautiful and very famous bridge was established in 1937.
*It is the world’s second longest single span bridge.
*The Golden Gate Bridge is constantly being painted and repainted, because the bridge is so long, by the time the paint crew gets from one end to another, they have to start all over again!
According to Vanessa, this is where the TV show “Full House” was filmed! How cool is that!
The children are too young to remember the show, but I remember it fondly! Maybe we’ll see if we can catch a rerun somewhere. Thanks Vanessa for that flashback! I can’t believe that I missed this whole section of San Fran when I visited it years ago.
About Alcatraz:
*Is an island located 1.5 off the shore of San Francisco.
*Often referred to as “The Rock”, this island has served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal Bureau of Prisons prison until 1963. Today it is a historic site that is operated by the National Park Service.
Thanks again Vanessa for all these cool postcards! We hope that you are having a wonderful summer!
(07.16.10) Today we received two more postcards from California and they were from my sister-in-law, Stephanie who is in CA for some army business! Thanks Tita Steph for thinking of the children and for sending postcards. The children loved the one on Sand Dollars since we just picked some up at the library but I loved the one from Morro Bay because I learned something new! Thank you!
About Morro Rock, CA
*Morro Rock is a 581 ft (177 m) volcanic plug located offshore of Morro Bay.
*The Rock is preserved as the Morro Rock State Preserve and climbing or standing on the rock or disturbing the wildlife is strictly forbidden by law.
*Morro Rock is the best known of the Nine Sisters of San Luis Obispo County, a series of volcanic plugs which line the Los Osos Valley between the cities of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.
What is a volcanic plug? Also known as a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic landform created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When forming, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of pressure if volatile charged magma is trapped beneath it, and this can sometimes lead to an explosive eruption. If a plug is preserved, erosion may remove the surrounding rock while the erosion-resistant plug remains, producing a distinctive upstanding form. Other examples include Shiprock, New Mexico, and the Pitons of Saint Lucia. (From Wikepedia)
About the Sand Dollar:
Sand dollar is the name used to describe many species of flattened, burrowing sea urchins belonging to the order of Clypeasteroida.
*The name sand dollar comes from the shape and color of the skeleton (test) after it washes up on the beaches.
*A live sand dollar is greenish, bluish, or purple.
Pebble Beach, California
(07.27.10) Today we received a postcard from this beautiful place called Pebble Beach, California! It came from my sister-in-law, Stephanie, while she was on army training in the area. The children say, “Thank you, Tita Steph!” Thanks for thinking of us during your time there. We love it!
“The Lone Cypress located on the 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, is one of the most photographed landmarks in California.” (on the back of the postcard)
*The Lone Cypress tree is a symbol of an exclusive community that is Pebble Beach. It can be found on a scenic road otherwise known as the 17-mile Drive in Monterey, California that includes the exclusive community of Pebble Beach. It is said to be about 250 years old. It still exists today, perched on a rock and held together by cables to prevent it from falling.
Monterey, California
(07.27.10) A fourth postcard from my sister-in-law Stephanie! Thank you so much for this postcard from Monterey! I am so glad that you had such a good time in CA. Thanks so much for thinking of us!!! The children are so delighted!
“Colorful Fisherman’s Wharf is the home to many fine restaurants, gift shops, and seafood markets.” (on back of postcard)
(08.06.10) Two beautiful postcards from Aunt Mary V, Uncle Carl, Charlie, and Lily! One was from Santa Barbara and the other is a map of the coast of California. We love them! We are so glad that you are getting to visit with your grandbabies Aunt Mary V! Thank you very much for thinking of us in between all the activities! Kisses and much love to everyone!
NEW YORK!
(06.22.10) Three postcards arrived today from New York City (a fourth is one the way and must have gotten lost in the post office shuffle) one for each of the children. They came from my brother Karl and his fiancee, Loretta. They are fondly known to the children as Tito Karl and Tita Loretta.
Having visited New York City many times, Aidan quickly recognized the postcard of the Statue of Liberty. We have taken the ferry there but have never climbed inside.
Our next postcard evokes such a feeling of excitement. There is a reason why they say New York City is a city that never sleeps! You can literally find restaurants open at 3AM if you’re in the mood!
One of my favorite spots in NYC, Times Square. I love it for its lights, for the tourists, Broadway, the stores, and especially the energy!
New York City is in the state of New York which is called the Empire State. NYC is made up 5 separate boroughs: Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan. New York City was the capital of the United States from 1789-1790!
Thank you very much Karl and Loretta for the beautiful postcards of NYC! Thanks for all the fun places you listed on them. We can’t wait to visit them with you soon! We love you!
(07.7.10) We received two postcards today from Lillian and myself! Lillian and I spent the day in New York City in honor of her 7th birthday. Our first stop was the Plaza Hotel where one of our favorite literary characters, Eloise, used to live (in her books at least!).
The Plaza Hotel has indulged us Eloise fans with an Eloise boutique at the bottom floor! It is a quite a sight! Pink and pink everywhere! Lillian decided that since her siblings (also Eloise fans) could not be there, that we send them a postcard. She picked all four postcards (including one to herself that I wrote) and wrote them herself. She was determined to do so herself and it was just so adorable to watch!
Interesting Facts about Eloise:
*Eloise is the main character of a series of Books by Kay Thompson.
*The first book entitled, “Eloise” was published in 1955.
*Eloise is SIX and resides at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. She is simply adorable and the children LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, her!
(07.23.10) We received two more postcards from New York City today from our friend Julieta! Julieta was one of the first people to send us mail about her home country of Argentina. Thank you Julieta! We just love New York and your postcards really made us want to take the train right back in there! Thanks for taking the time yet again to send us mail. We really appreciate it!
Long Island, New York
(07.14.10) So I visited my roommate and her twin babies in Port Jefferson, Long Island and forgot my camera! Well I can’t live without the darn thing so I had to get back onto the ferry to retrieve it. Seeing as it was such a beautiful day and children ride for free on the ferry on the weekends, I though that I would a day trip out of it and took all four of the children with me. It turned out to be such a fun time! So being that we were in a new place together, we just had to find postcards and send it to ourselves! Here are the ones we found.
On the postcard it is written,
“Located on Fire Island, just east of Robert Moses State Park. The lighthouse overlooks Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Construction began in 1857 and the lighthouse was in operation by November of 1858. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1974. Ten years later after much deterioration, The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed to restore the lighthouse. In 1986, the beacon in the lighthouse was re-lit. The Fire Island Lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
(08.17.10) This past Saturday, I was reunited with my classmates from Nigeria (whom I hadn’t seen in 18 years) in New York City at a restaurant called, Resto. It was so wonderful to see Martha, Raja, and Diana after all these years and we had a great time! I decided to take a promo card from the restaurant and had everyone sign it as a momento of the occasion! We all did and luckily Diana had a stamp on hand and we posted it on our way home. Thank you everyone for a lovely time!! I hope that it won’t be another 18 years until we see each other again! Love and kisses!
The Catskills of New York
(08.26.10) Thank you Carla for your second postcard! We love map postcards! We especially like this one of the Catskills since we have never been! Thank you very much for thinking of us. We will definitely make a trip to borrow a book on Rip Van Winkle! Kisses and hope that you had a great summer.
(On the back of the postcard) “Mountain peaks, miles of trout streams, cross country trails, downhill ski areas, and historic sites are just some of the numerous attractions that one can enjoy when visiting the Catskills. The Catskill Park is a total of 705,000 acres, comprised of public and private lands.”
PENNSYLVANIA!
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(06.24.10) We received four postcards from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today! They came from cousins, Shailyn, Samirah, Jon-Jon, Julian, Sophia, and Naomi! They are my brother Jonathan and sister-in-law, Stephanie’s children.
Thank you Steph for taking the time of your SUPER BUSY life to buy the postcards, have the children write them, take pictures of the children mailing them…This means so much to me and the children. You are so amazing and I am so touched. The postcards were so much FUN to look at! Perfect choices for each child! They loved them…We LOVE you guys!!!
These dinosaurs were part of a public art event called Dinomite Days. There were 100 decorated fiberglass dinosaurs located throughout Pittsburgh for the public to view free of charge.
Dinosaurs were chosen as the subject of the exhibit due to the outstanding dinosaur collection at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
In 2003, the dinosaurs were auctioned off for museum renovations and various charities.
(06.25.10) We received three more postcards from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today! One from my nephew, Jon Jon, and two from my sister, Jamelah.
Thank you Jon Jon for sending your cousins a postcard with the map of Pennsylvania on it! They were surprised to know that we traveled across the entire state to come and visit you! We hope to do it again one day! We love you and your brother and sisters.
Cool Facts about Pennsylvania :
*It is one of the 13 original American colonies.
*In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia.
*Philadelphia was once the capital of the United States.
Postcards from Tita Jamelah! She is my wonderful sister who also lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She chose these postcards from the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh and from a collection that is archived in the University of Pittsburgh both depicting lives of children in the mid-1800’s in the United States.
Cool Facts about Pittsburgh:
*Aside from Venice, Italy,
Pittsburgh has more bridges
than any other cities in the world! There are 720 within city limits!
*Andy Warhol, one of the most highly regarded pop artist of the 29th century was born in Pittsburgh!
*Pittsburgh is also home to Heinz ketchup, Nickelodeon, Mr. Rogers, and the inventor of the Big Mac: Mr. James Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchise owner!
(06.30.10) Another postcard from Tita Jamelah today! Same era as the ones above. This postcard depicts life in the kitchen in the 1950’s in Pittsburgh, PA. Thank you Jam! We love you!!
Philadelphia, PA
(08.11.10) Thank you to one of our favorite pre-school teachers, Miss Donna, for this very cool postcard from Philadelphia! Miss Donna was Lillian, Aidan’s, and Emma’s current pre-school teacher. Thanks so much for remembering us on your trip! We hope that you enjoyed your train ride back. See you again in a few weeks!
“Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania is known as ‘The Birthplace of America’, ‘The Cradle of Liberty’ and ‘The city of Brotherly Love’. July 4 features a magnificent fireworks display as part of the celebration of Independence Day, July 4, 1976.”
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
(08.16.10) We are just amazed at how dedicated you guys were in sending us postcards this summer! We love you guys! Thanks to Kristin, Sam, and Brody who took a trip to Lancaster, PA to visit the Amish Country. We can’t wait to visit the same places you visited next summer! Thanks so much for introducing it to us!
(On the back of the postcard) “Amish children ride in the back of the family buggy, the main means of transportation for the Amish.”
RHODE ISLAND!
(06.26.10) Today we received a card from Rhode Island! It came from our Cusa cousins, Del, Ethan, and Emily. Del’s mother, Alison, is my husband David’s first cousin! We are so lucky to have them as our family. The children may have been too young to recall a trip we took to Rhode Island to see the Cusa cousins, but we have pictures to prove it! Hopefully we will be able to make the trip again soon. Thanks Alison for taking the time our of your busy days to do this for us! Look in the mailbox for something from us soon! Kisses!
Some interesting facts about Rhode Island:
*Rhode Island is the smallest of the 50 states! Its capital is Providence.
*It was one of the original 13 colonies, but the last of the 13 colonies to become a state.
*It is called the Ocean State because it has about 400 miles (640 km) of coastline which equals lots of great beaches!
*George M. Cohen was born in Providence in 1878. He wrote “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”, “You’re A Grand Old Flag”, and other songs.
(07.12.10) Thank you Aunt Janet for this adorable postcard from Providence, Rhode Island! Aunt Janet is Dave’s Aunt. She and Uncle Al moved from Long Island to Rhode Island to be closer to Cousin Alison and the children (see post above!).
Yes, we do indeed love dogs. The children have been begging me to get another one (since we lost our pooch, Jake to cancer in September of 2009), but I don’t think our home can handle a four-legged lovie just quite yet. They were so thrilled to see this postcard though!
Thanks for taking the time to participate in our project and we look forward to seeing you again soon! We love you!
(07.15.10) Another postcard from Rhode Island today! This one came from my friend Jenn and her family. Jenn’s son was in Aidan’s Kindergarten class last year. They are currently vacationing on Block Island, Rhode Island.
Thanks so much guys for thinking of us on your fun vacation! We are looking forward to seeing you sometime this summer. Kisses!
Block Island is located about 13 miles south off the coast of Rhode Island. It was named by a Dutch explorer, Adrian Block, who decided to name it after himself.
CONNECTICUT!
(06.26.10) Yeah! We received a postcard from our home state! What a surprise it was since it came from Brian, James, and Ethan whom I thought lived in Pennsylvania this whole time! Their mother, Julie, and I met our freshman year of college. We were in an all-girls’ dorm with Liz (see postcards from New Hampshire!). What an adventure that year was! (Dad went to our college too!) Happily, Julie and I have been able to keep in touch. Thank you Julie for taking the time to coordinate this activity for the children! We are looking forward to sending our postcard to the boys! We will have to get together now that I know you live here! Geez! Kisses to all of you!
Cool Facts about our state of Connecticut:
*CT is one of the 13 original colonies and the state capital is Hartford.
*CT is home to PEZ candy (Orange), the World Wrestling Federation (Stamford),the first hamburger (1985), Polaroid Camera (1934), helicopter (1939) and color television (1948).
(07.14.10) We didn’t have anything planned that day, so we went to the library and I found a DVD entitled, “Where Does Your Trash Go?” and well after watching it in the car, we found ourselves in front of the Garbage Museum in Stratford, CT. It was such a fun and educational spot! It is actually connected to a recycling facility so the children were able to watch the recycling trucks pull in, dump the recyclables they had just collected, watch the recyclables get sucked in to the other section of the facility where glass was sifted out, then other items sorted out by factory workers. It was so amazing. At first the sight of all that trash made me a little ill, however, I was comforted by the thought that it was a RECYCLING facility and that was a GOOD thing!
(07.28.10) Thank you Carla for your postcard of Connecticut! We love educational postcards and we are so grateful that you took the time to send us a postcard about our home state of CT! Carla and I used to work right across the hall from each other in Wilton, CT when I was teaching. We have recently gotten back in touch thanks to Facebook! Kisses Carla and we hope to see you again one day soon so that we may thank you in person!
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston, Massachusetts
(06.30.10) Yeah! Our first postcard from Massachusetts arrived today (and thanks to this post, I can now spell Massachusetts without any problems!). Our postcard was sent by Tita Hazel, who is a second cousin of mine. Thank you Hazel! I assume that Hazel was on vacation there since she live in NYC. Thanks cousin for thinking of us during your vacation! We love you! Look out for our postcard in the mail!
This is a postcard of a bronze sculpture of the ducks from the famous book “Make Way for Ducklings” by Robert McCloskey. It has been a favorite site for children of all ages and can be found in the Boston Common Gardens. The children visited it many years ago on one of our several trips to Boston.
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
(07.06.10) We received a postcard today from a beautiful place called Martha’s Vineyard. It is an island off the coast of Massachusetts and can be reached by ferry. It was sent to us from Dave’s Aunt Rhonda. Aunt Rhonda, thank you very much for taking the time from your vacation to remember the children! I can’t wait to show them pictures of all their visits to Martha’s Vineyard. We can’t wait to go back to show it to them again and to visit family. We miss you and Uncle Paul and hope to see you again soon!
(07.09.10) We received two more postcards from Martha’s Vineyard today! One from Aunt Mary V who has a home in Martha’s Vineyard and is Dave’s aunt and another one from Silas, Sumner and Virginia who are Aunt Mary V’s grandchildren! Their mother Becky (Thanks Becky!) is Dave’s first cousin. We were so excited to receive more postcards from such a loved place. We have spent a few summer days at the Vineyard at Aunt Mary V and Uncle Carl’s place and we have just loved the memories we’ve made there. THANK YOU for taking the time to send us postcards! We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Interesting Facts About Martha’s Vineyard Lighthouses:
*There are five lighthouses on the island and they are: Cape Poge, East Chop, West Chop, Gay Head, and Edgertown.
*The lighthouses were built in various points on the Vineyard between the years of 1799 and 1869.
*The Cape Poge lighthouse (shown in this postcard) was built in 1801 and also housed the living quarters for the lighthouse keeper. The first lighthouse keeper at Cape Poge was Matthew Mayhew who lived there with his wife and their eight children!
Aunt Rhonda and the Cousins got us this postcard by artist Bill Ewart Jr.
Interesting Facts about Martha’s Vineyard:
*The island was discovered in 1602 and officially founded in 1642.
*It is about 20 miles long and 5 miles wide and can only be reached by boat or by plane.
(07.28.10) Wow! Looks like the Vineyard is a popular vacation spot this summer! How exciting! We received a postcard from Aidan’s first-grade friend, Ella today! Needless to say, Aidan was thrilled. Thank you Ella and Christine for thinking of us during your vacation. Sounds like you had fun!! See you soon at school!
Boston, Massachusetts
(08.11.10) Thank you Ronny, Or, and Ely for this cool card from MIT in Boston! I met Ronny in 9th Grade when we attended the
American International School in Lagos, Nigeria. Ronny is from Israel and has recently moved to Boston. Since graduating from 10th grade together, Ronny and I have kept in touch via letters, postcards, phone, e-mails and we’ve even managed to see each other twice since! Thanks Ronny, Or and Ely for taking the time out of your busy days to write to us! We look forward to seeing you again in two weeks!
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
(08.18.10) We received a second postcard today from our beloved pre-school teacher, Miss Donna! This one came to us from Cape Cod, a beautiful island and cape off the coast of Massachusetts and is a favorite vacation spot for many people during the summer. Thanks so much for thinking of us Miss Donna. The children loved the “Peek-a-boo Lobster!” 🙂 We’ll see you soon!
Provincetown, Massachusetts
(08.23.10) Thank you Shea for this beautiful postcard of Provincetown! I am so touched that you took the time out of your vacation to send to us. We will also add it to our new collection of lighthouse postcards! Thank you and I’m glad to hear that you and Noriyko had a wonderful time there!
Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
We received this postcard of Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, from our friend Carla. What a beautiful ball park! We have yet to set foot in it so this aerial view was great! Thank you so much Carla for thinking of us once again. We love hearing from you and learning about all the cool places that you visit!
This park located near Kenmore Square was opened in 1912 and has been the home of the Boston Red Sox ever since. It’s almost 100 years old as is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use.
HAWAII
(07.10.10) Yeah! We got a postcard from a brand new state today! Two postcards from Hawaii landed in our mailbox from my cousin Melanie! Melanie and my uncle and aunt were visiting Hawaii and had a great time! Thanks Mel for sending us these awesome postcards. The kids loved the turtle one and I loved the collage so you made a great decision getting us both!
Interesting Facts About Hawaii:
*The state of Hawaii consists of 8 main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii.
*There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: aeiou, hklmnpw
*Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee.
*Hawaii was formed from underwater volcanoes that erupted thousands of years ago!
*Hawaii is the 50th state admitted into the union on August 20th, 1959.
*From east to west, Hawaii is the widest state in the United States.
*Hawaii has its own time zone: (Hawaiian Standard Time) They are two hours behind Pacific Standard Time and 5 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.
Another amazing fact is that Dave, myself and the children will visit Hawaii sometime in our lifetime…:)
TEXAS
(07.10.10) This postcard is special because it is from someone whom we don’t know! My cousin, Hazel (sent one from Boston), forwarded the information about this project to her friends and this is from her friend Mona who lives in Houston! Thank you Mona! We will have to get your address from Hazel so that we can reciprocate and send you one from us! Thank you so much for taking the time to send us a postcard even though you’ve never met us. What kindness!
(07.15.10) We received our second postcard from Texas today! Yipeee! This one is from Stacey and she sent it from the capital of Texas: Austin! Stacey is another friend of my cousin, Hazel. We have never met and yets she too took the time to send us a postcard! Thank you so much Stacey for this lovely postcard of the state flower of Texas, the bluebonnets!
Interesting Facts About Texas:
*Texas is the 2nd largest state in size and population in the United States.
*It was the 28th state to be admitted into the Union on December 29, 1845.
*Texas has three cities that exceed 1 million in population: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.
(07.16.10) Our second postcard from Austin, Texas arrived today from my good friend Emily from college and her one-year old daughter, Carolina (this is our second postcard from Emily and Carolina!) They were in Austin visiting Emily’s sister. They visited the Austin Zoo, San Antonio, and a beautiful beach in Volente! Thank you so much for thinking of us on your vacation Emily! The children are in such a huge bug catching phase right now and knowing that Texas has BIG bugs and scorpions makes them want to visit it tomorrow! Thanks my dear and have a safe trip home.
ARIZONA!
(7.10.10) Aunt Rhonda comes through for us again! Thank you Aunt Rhonda (she sent us a postcard from Martha’s Vineyard last week!) for your lovely postcard from the Grand Canyons in Arizona! It sounds like you are having a wonderful vacation! We really look forward to experiencing the Grand Canyons ourselves one day! Your postcard really made us want to get there faster. We’re so glad that you ventured out on some “big rocks” to surprise Uncle Paul! Kisses and much love to you both!
Interesting Facts About the Grand Canyon:
*It took 3-6 million years to form the Grand Canyon and erosion still continues to alter its contours.
*Approximately 70 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, 25 types of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians that call the Grand Canyon home!
*The Grand Canyon Nation Park became a national monument in 1908 and become a national park in 1919. The Park covers an area of 1,900 square miles and is 190 miles long!
COLORADO!
(07.12.10) Thank you Brad and Michele for this awesome postcard of the Beaver Creek Resort in Beaver Creek, Colorado! Brad is a great friend of Dave’s from High School and I’ve gotten to know him through the years. He and Michele got married last year I believe! Thanks for thinking of us on your travels. Beaver Creek looks a little bit like Switzerland to me! Looks like lots of great can be had there and we are so grateful that you guys took the time to send us a postcard for our summer project. Kisses and love to both of you!
Interesting Facts about Coloroda:
*Was the 38th state to join the United States in 1876. It is called the Centennial State because 1876 was the centennial year of the United States!
*The capital city of Colorado is Denver.
*Colorado’s southwest corner borders Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah making it the only place in America where the corners of four states meet.
Boulder, Colorado
(07.24.10)Thank you Cousin Debbie for this beautiful panoramic postcard of Boulder, Colorado. Cousin Debbie is one of Dave’s first cousins. Deb, this postcard really gave us a wonderful feel of this beautiful city. No wonder you’re still there! We miss you and we hope to see you again soon! Perhaps one day, we’ll get to come and visit you! Thanks for taking the time to send it to us! Kisses and love to you from all of us!
“The Flatiron Mountains are a striking backdrop to the city of Boulder, Colorado, which welcomed the University of Colorado to open its doors there in 1977. The area is a recreational sanctuary for climbing, hiking, kayaking, and biking as well as other sports-providing 200 miles of maintained trails with 30,000 acres of open space. Boulder offers all the cultural pursuits of a big city with festivals, concerts, and eclectic shops and has attracted many respected scientific institutions and businesses as well.” (from back of postcard)
(08.07.10) Thank you to Danielle and Stephen for their adorable postcard from Colorado! Danielle, Stephen, and I attended college together and we all live in CT! here is a funny story about this postcard…A few months ago, the children and I discovered Meerkat Manor , a series on meerkats, at the library and we were instantly addicted! I posted it as my facebook status and Danielle responded by thanking me because now she too was addicted! Although the postcard is of prairie dogs, it reminded her of meerkats and therefore sent it to us! Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness! We love our postcard!
GEORGIA!
(07.12.10) Brad and Michele sent us yet another postcard today! This time from Atlanta, Georgia! Thanks guys for remember the children again. Sounds like YOU’RE having a great summer! We hope that we see you in CT sometime to thank you in person for your kindness!
Interesting Facts about Georgia:
*Georgia was the last of the original 13 states. It became the 4th state to ratify the Constitution but was the last to be reinstated to the Union on July 15, 1970 after the Civil War.
*Georgia is known as the Peach State and its capital city is Atlanta.
MICHIGAN!
(07.14.10) Wowsers! We received four postcards from Eric, Emily and Nora today! Emily and I used to work together first as interns at our first teaching gig in Wilton, CT and then as teachers! They have since moved and now live in Baltimore, Maryland. Thank you all so very much for the beautiful postcards from Michigan and Chicago! We were so excited at the sight of them in our mailbox! Please ask Nora to check her mailbox soon for a postcard from us! Kisses to everyone!
Interesting Facts about Lighthouses on Lake Michigan:
*Lighthouses have existed on the shores of Lake Michigan since 1832.
*There are 116 lighthouses on Lake Michigan today, 62 of which are active today!
*Nine “real” lighthouses (not just a light or beacon) are accessible to the public today.
On the postcard it is written,
“The stark beauty of the Great Lakes sand patterns and textures can change from day to day. Frequently, windstorms sculpt the sand into fantastic formations including caves and holes.” So beautiful! Thank you guys! We learned so much about Michigan!
From the back of the postcard:
“Capital: Lansing, Area: 58,216 Sq. Mi., Population: 8,875,083, Motto: “Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice” which means “If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula Look About You.” State Flower: Apple Blossom, State Bird: Robin, State Tree: White Pine. Michigan was the 26th State to be admitted into the Union.
(08.23.10) My darling nephew and godson, JonJon, sent us a postcard today from Michigan! He is five and wrote the card to his cousin Aidan. Needless to say, Aidan was thrilled. Thank you JonJon! We love you and we are so glad that you are enjoying your time with your new baby cousin!
From the Back of the Postcard:
“The Petoskey Stone is the state stone of Michigan and is commonly found along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.”
ILLINOIS!
(07.14.10) Thanks again to Emily, Eric, and little Nora for a postcard from a new state! This one is from Chicago, Illinois. They took the train from Michigan to spend the day at Millennium Park in Chicago! How cool!.
Interesting Facts about Illinois:
*The capital of Illinois is Springfield. It was the 21rd state to join the Union Dec. 3, 1818.
*It is nicknamed The Prairie State.
*The name “Illinois” comes from the Algonquin for “tribe of superior men.”
Lisle, Illinois
(08.09.10) We received four postcards today from Annie, our friend through my sister. She sent us a total of 8 postcards today! A record! The first four were sent from Niagara Falls, Canada and the next four from The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. These postcards are so cool because the back is actually interactive! It asks the children to look for animals in the Wetlands (there is an illustration on the back where animals are hidden) and the one on the Prairie asks the children what types of animals they can see in the prairie etc. Thanks so much Annie for making this experience extra educational with your cool postcards! We love them! Thanks for taking the time to send them to us!
So what is the Morton Arboretum?
Morton Arboretum covers 1,700 acres of trees and various plant types from specific taxonomical and geographical areas. It includes native woodlands and a restored Illinois prairie. It has over 4,100 different species of trees, shrubs, and other woody plants from around the world. In all, there are about 186,000 catalogued plants. (Wikepedia) What a cool place!
VERMONT!
(07.14.10) Thank you Nancy for our package today! Nancy and I met through our mutual friends, Allison and Kristin, and she is just so special! Nancy sent the children rocks from her travels and even asked the children to identify one rock (because it resembles a state!). Aidan quickly looked for it on the map and thinks that the answer is Oregon! What do you think Nancy? Is he right? She also sent this beautiful photograph from Vermont. Thank you so much Nancy for taking the time to make this experience so educational for the children!
Nancy writes:
“Looking over Lake Champlain from Vergennes, Vermont, to the Adirondack Mountains.”
We hope to see this beautiful sight again soon!
Stowe, Vermont
(08.11.10) We got two postcards from our dear friends, Anna and Lila (thanks Allison!) today from Vermont. Anna and Lila are the children’s oldest friends! We met the whole wonderful family; Rick, Allison, Anna, and Lila at the Little Gym in Fairfield when Anna and Lillian were just 2 years old? They have since moved to Vermont and we miss them very much. Thank you guys for thinking of us! We miss you and can’t wait to see you again next week.
This is a postcard of Stowe, Vermont. I have always wanted to go there as the Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies of all time, and this is the town where the Von Trapp family migrated to! So fascinating!
The Von Trapp Lodge, Stowe, Vermont
I have been watching, “The Sound of Music” for as long as I can remember and have always been fascinated by the Von Trapp Family and their history. Upon finding out that they emigrated to Vermont here in the United States, I have made it a goal to visit the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe and we finally accomplished that on our recent trip en route to Canada in September! It was beautiful and the view is just spectacular! So peaceful and breathtaking all at once. I can see why it reminded them of their home in Austria.
NORTH CAROLINA!
(07.16.10) This is our fourth postcard from Aunt Rhonda! Thank you Aunt Rhonda for this postcard from the Biltmore House in North Carolina. Thanks again for thinking of us! It sounds like you and Aunt Babs had a great time together! Judging from all the fun places all your postcards are coming from, it sounds like you are have a great summer! Thanks for letting us be a part of it. Kisses and love from all of us.
“In the evenings, the limestone facade of Biltmore House takes a on a soft lavender glow. Architect, Richard Morris Hunt, worked with George Vanderbilt to create an American version of the classic French Renaissance chateau on a working estate. It took 1000 men five years to build.”
(08.04.10) Wow! Our 6th postcard from Aunt Rhonda and Uncle Paul! This is so wonderful! It not only means that we receive some beautiful postcards, but that you guys are having a wonderful summer! Thanks again for thinking of us! We especially love that you sent us a postcard of a lighthouse since we have been learning about them! Kisses and much love to the whole family!
The back of the postcard reads, “Cape Hattereras Light 1870-Tallest in North America at 210 ft.”
(MISSOURI!
(07.19.10) Thank you Nora for this very cool postcard from Missouri! Nora is a friend of mine from high school. She recently got married and traveled the USA with her husband! They put 5,000 miles on their car! How cool is that? Thanks Nora for remembering us during this very special trip. The children and I are so grateful! We hope to take the same trip one day together as a family.
Written on the back of the postcard:
“Steamboat Arabia sank suddenly in 1856 in the Missouri River near Kansas City, after striking a submerged tree. All 130 persons survived, but over 200 tons of frontier cargo was lost including dishware, china, tools, guns, hardware, clothing, beads, buttons, French perfume, medicine and bottled foods. Excavated in 1988-89, the largest pre-Civil War artifact collection in the world has been preserved and is on display at the Arabia Steamboat Museum, 400 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64106.”
How cool is that??? Nora wrote that they found the sunken steamboat buried under a corn field in MO! Thanks Nora!
SOUTH DAKOTA!
(07.19.10) We received our first postcard from South Dakota today! Thanks again to Nora for the wonderful thought! This one came from Mitchell, South Dakota where Nora and Damien went to visit the World’s Only Corn Palace! So cool! The kids just loved this postcard! We had to go online to check out some other pics! Thanks again Nora!!!
* Was originally built in 1982, then rebuilt in 1905 and then 1921 with domes and minarets added in 1937.
*It costs $130,000 annually to redecorate the Palace. The exterior corn murals are replaced and redesigned each year with a new theme. Calvin Schultz designed the murals from 1977-2002, and since then it has been in the hands of Cherie Ramsdell.
INDIANA
(9.24.10) Thank you to our cousins Nico, Patrick and Samantha! We love the postcard that you sent us from your zoo, The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo looks like so much fun! Thank you for thinking of us while you were visiting these cute river otters! Check your mailbox next week for a postcard from us! Thanks Ate Yoly and Kuya Chris!
About the River Otter: (back of postcard) “This energetic aquatic mammal is a very skillful swimmer using its webbed hind feet and tail to steer it through the water while chasing fish, its main source of food. Otters can hold their breath for up to 4 minutes.”
WASHINGTON D.C
Thank you Mom for these awesome postcards from Washington, D.
SOUTH CAROLINA
(07.24.10) Thank you Aunt Rhonda for your FIFTH postcard this summer! We are just amazed by all the traveling you are doing this summer. Thank you so much for taking us along for the ride. This time we got a postcard from South Carolina! Yeah! We were able to cross South Carolina from our list! Hilton Head looks beautiful and we really appreciate the explanation behind the Palmetto Flag! Kisses to both you and Uncle Paul from all of us. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
MINNESOTA!
(07.27.10) Our first postcards from Minnesota arrived today! Thank you to my cousins Charlie and Cecile and their beautiful daughter, Camille. Thanks Camille for writing the postcards and thanks Kuya Charlie and Ate Cecile! Camille, your handwriting is beautiful! The last time I was in MN was at your baptism. You have grown so much since then. Thank you all for taking the time to write to us. We really appreciate it!
Interesting Facts About Minnesota:
*It’s nickname is the North Star State and the state capital is St. Paul.
*MN is the 12th largest state in the US and the 25th most populous state.
*It gets its other nickname
“Land of 10,000 Lakes” for a reason! There are 11,842 lakes over 10 acres (.14km squared) in size. The MN portion of Lake Superior is the largest at 962,700 acres!
*The state bird of MN is the Common Loon and the state flower is the pink and white Lady Slipper.
*Minnesota was the 32nd state to be admitted into the Union on May 11. 1858.
MAINE!!
(08.28.10) Yeah! Our first postcard from Maine from Kristin and Kurt who attended a wedding there just a week ago. Thanks so much for taking the time out from your weekend getaway to send us a postcard guys! We really appreciate all the effort that went into sending us a total of 7 postcards this summer! You guys are amazing and we love you dearly!!
IDAHO!
(03.04.11) Thank you to my wonderful college roommate Maya for sending us our first postcard from Idaho! This one is of the Lava Hot Springs and the Olympic Swimming Complex. We have never ventured this far west with the children but hope to do so one day! Love to you and George for thinking of us while on your trip! We love you guys!
Hey Nel – great idea! I can’t wait to send the kids one from my wonderful garden state….
Thanks Karl! We’re looking forward to it!!
So awesome!! I love these guys! MUAH!
Thanks Veru! The children are so grateful! WE love you too!
such a cute idea Ninel!
Thanks for taking the time to check it out Jen!
Hey Ninel and Cusa Cousins…I’m sooo glad you guys received our postcards…I think it’s such an awesome idea and learning experience for all you. The babies are going to be sooo excited to hear you guys received the postcards…especially Samirah who was in extreme concentration mode when she was writing her postcard!!! I love the blog and the children are going to go wild to see what they sent to you on the computer.
Love you guys,
Tita Steph and Tangara Cousins
Thank you Steph and cousins! Will be sending yours out soon! Have a wonderful weekend!
HA HA You thought we lived in PA! We’ve lived in CT for 7 years – moved here when our youngest was a baby. I’m glad you received the postcard, we were going to send one from the Cape this past week but amazingly enough could not find one that actually said the name of the town where we were staying! Anyway keep up the good work, I love reading the blog! xoxo Julie
I know! I just can’t believe it! Thank you for thinking of us at the Cape! This Project is so addicting, I was in NYC yesterday and sent the kids postcards from there and wanted to send them other ones that I saw somewhere else…I appreciate it my friend! Kisses to you!!!
my husband and i and our jeep are all thrilled to be part of your family’s totally awesome project. i had an uncle who always sent me postcards when i was little from whatever crazy place he was going to and it would make my day. i hope my handwriting is better than his. 😉
Thank you Nora and Damien and Jeep! We are so glad that you guys made it back safely! Kisses and thanks again for the postcards. Muah!
I love this project! You should have it published!What a great tool for teachers!
Thanks Kristin! You are so wonderful to say so…You know us teachers…Always thinking! Kisses and thanks so much for your participation! We love you guys!
Hello Ninel and family…what a fun and educational family project! Thank you for allowing us to participate in our own little way by sending post cards. We’ll remember to visit your blog to help us pick a place to visit for our next family vacation. Always take care.
Thanks Ate Cecile, Kuya Charlie and Camille! We love you guys and we thank you so much for the effort! We look forward to seeing you in November to thank you in person!
So, who was #100????
I just LOVE this project. Your children and you will never forget this. Every postcard is unique and a treasure. May it go on for a very long time.
Carla, it’s people who have taken the time to write and send their postcards who make this postcard project what it is…We are just so grateful for your contribution! THANK YOU!!!