Great Faces, Great Places

My husband was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota before we moved to Texas. Not living too far from the state, I had a chance to visit some of the sites and learn about some great sites also.  Mount Rushmore is one of the most famous sites. If you have never heard of Mount Rushmore it is located in the Forrest of the Black Hills and it is a National Memorial carved out of granite. The memorial's granite features include the faces of Gorge Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

Here are some interesting sites and information South Dakota is known:

• Custer State Park is the second largest State Park in America. 
• Historic Hot Springs Mammoth Site contains a working paleontology museum with the most wooly mammoth fossils.
• Badlands National State Park "Badlands National Park contains the world's richest deposits of fossils from the Oligocene epoch. Paleontologists have uncovered the remains of ancient three-toed horses, tiny deer-like creatures, turtles, a saber-toothed cat and other prehistoric animals."
• Deadwood is a city in South Dakota known for its infamous legends and outlaws, the Gold Rush, and its legalized gaming.
• Sturgis, South Dakota is known for holding the largest motorcycle rally every year with an estimated 600,000 motorists at a time.
• Native American History is rich in culture in South Dakota. It has the largest population of Native Americans of past and present. Currently there are 71,000 Native Americans living in South Dakota. 

Badlands

Mammoth Hot Springs

Sturgis Annual Bike Rally

Like No Place in Earth

 I was born and raised in Wyoming so I thought I would share some wonderful things about this westward state. Wyoming is known for many things, like its great outdoor recreation, majestic mountains, prehistoric and historic state parks, national forests, oil and coal, wool, historic outlaws, cowboys and Native Americans, dude ranches, and its abundance of wildlife.

Grand Tetons in the background

Ever hear of the Grand Tetons? Well they are one of the most beautiful mountains in the state. They are the second highest peak in Wyoming and they are located in the Northwest. It is a classic destination scene for visitors and for mountaineering. Many people visit Jackson Hole, WY. It is located in the Valley of the Grand Tetons and it is the states largest town. It is also where all of the tourists come to visit. It is close to Yellowstone National Park and it has several ski resorts surrounding the area. I grew up in a small town called Rock Springs. It is not very far from Jackson Hole and Yellowstone so I had the privilege of visiting these places often.

Wyoming has so much history. Here are some fun facts to get you a little familiar about this state.

• Native American tribes that live or lived in WY were Cheyenne, Crow, Shoshone, Sioux, and Ute
• A white fur-trapper man was known to explore the land first and discovered its hot springs and geysers
• In 1872 Yellowstone was designated the first National Park in the nation
• In 1906 Devils Tower was designated the first National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt
• First state to give women the right to vote
• First in the nation to appoint a woman governor
• Has the largest coal mine in the USA and produces 3 million tons a week
• The first JCPenny stores were started in WY
• In 1834 the first trading post was pioneered
• It is the 9th largest state, with the lowest population 
• The word "Dude" originated from the first dude ranch in WY
• A town called Kemmerer is known as the "Fossil Fish Capitol" of the world
• The state is second in the production of wool
• Has over 2000 miles of snowmobile trails
• There are more than 600 different species of wildlife in WY 

Information taken from Wyoming Facts

Everythings Bigger in Texas

Moving to Texas was a huge step for me. I grew up in Wyoming and pretty much stayed in WY my whole life. My pilot asked if I would be willing to move to Texas and I thought, well, why not? In the summer of 2012 we moved to Abilene. There is a base called Dyess Air Force Base here and that is where my pilot is stationed. Abilene is close to the north central part of Texas.

It is a different culture down here in the Lone Star State. I learned quickly when my son began playing football that football was the "sport of all sports" here. They take football seriously, and not just with the professionals. Texas is known for lots of things. Here JUST are a few things this state is recognized for:

• The size, it is the second largest state
• Dallas Cowboys NFL
• Real Cowboys
• Texas Longhorns NCAA
• Longhorn cattle
• The Alamo
• Tornados
• George W. Bush 
• Oil
• BBQ
• Whataburger
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• Willie Nelson
• Johnny Mathis
• Austin City Limits
• Texas Rangers Baseball
• Real Texas Rangers
• Texas High School Football

Being the only state to have once been its own country (hence, the Lone Star State nickname)

I really have liked the weather here. It doesn't have the four seasons like I am used to, but it gets pretty hot in the summers and it can actually can get very chilly in the winter. I have enjoyed learning about this new state and visiting other cities in Texas. Come on down to the Lone Star State and get some Texas culture!