Pa

Declaration of Independance written and signed here
Liberty Bell
Home of 2008 Baseball world champion Phillies

Birthplace of Daniel Boone and myself.

Home of the over 100 year old 8 hour Mummer's parade on New year's day

Home of the Just Born company...who make marshmallow peeps.

Ans so, so much more.

TEXAS..............I don't think I have to say any more...The popular saying below pretty much says what most Texan's believe.

There's no place like Texas!

And one more that describes many of us...
I wasn't born here....but I got here as quick as I could.

Me too Ruthie!!!

samkaren beat me to it. I live in the State of Corruption, Illinois. We Illinois voters are too dumb to care who's picking our pockets, *legally*!

I wonder if people that post here that live in other parts of the world feel slighted by posts like this, or is it just me?
I wonder if posters (not calling you out, Karen, just in general) don't realize that there are people that post here that DO live in other parts of the world, or do posters just not care or are not interested in what people from other parts of the world have to say regarding the topic?
I could never imagine posting a topic aimed at specifically Canadians or Australians or what have you unless it was something to do with a product one can only get there or that type of question.
To post something that effectively excludes some members from the poll offends me on some level.
I'm done now....
Suzan J

I live in a constant state of confusion!!

Good grief! Tell us about WHEREVER you are from! If you live in the US, you're just used to thinking in terms of "states".

I'm from PA, too, but obviously the other end of the state from Monica. :)

Pittsburgh Steelers - 6-time Super Bowl winners
Pittsburgh Penguins - currently going for their 3rd Stanley Cup

Home of Heinz ketchup

pierogies, hoagies

beautiful rolling hills

Suzan,

Not all posts have to be targeted for all readers.
Over the years, there have been many post titles that start out with "ARE you..." or "Do you own...".

This forum is similar to a newspaper...not all of the subjects are of interest or directed to everyone.

I live in Iowa. There are no cornfields near me since I live in town. Reiman Gardens is in my town and is beautiful. Iowa is a state full of friendly, down-to-earth folks. Instead of bragging about how much we paid for something, we brag about the bargains we get.
The Secretary Of Agriculture is an Iowan as is Mrs. Obama's chief-of-staff.

I live in New Jersey. NJ is called the Garden State. We
have beautiful beaches,amusement parks,Atlantic City,Bruce
Springsteen.

Home of "GW" and "Papa Bush". Also, LBJ. Howard Hughes.

Lots of famous Oil Tycoons.

And of course, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Texas! If you haven't guessed.

Come on everyone....we still have lots of places that haven't checked in yet.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

Arkansas is a beautiful state, full of green fields, hills, beautiful lakes and rivers. There are about six distinct areas in the state, all offering something different in the way of topography, scenery, etc.

Arkansas is largely a rural state but has enough larger cities that almost everyone is well within driving distance to them.

Arkansas' Central High School was, sad to say, the site of the integration issue in 1959. (What a thing to be known for!)

We also are the home of the new American Idol, Kris Allen. (And, no, I didn't vote hundreds of times for him! LOL)

PA..'America starts here' as our license plates used to say. We are close to everything. A few hours to the ocean, 90 minutes to Baltimore, a few hours to DC and NYC..But who would want to leave? Many people from all over come to PA Dutch country and Gettysburg and Hersheypark. It would take me longer than you want to read to make a list of our accomplishments. We had only one president and he was considered the worse one ... Although now he may be next to the last.

Michigan is a large state (not wide but very long from North to South) and is split in two distanct parts, the UP (Upper Peninsula) and the LP (Lower Peninsula). I've lived on the Keweenaw Peninsula (sticking out in Lake Superior at the very northern edge of Michigan) so can't say too much about the rest of the state, although I might throw in a stray fact or two (like the Detroit Redwings made the playoffs and are playing for the Stanley Cup (Hockey)). But I'll stick mostly to information about the Keweenaw!

Laurium (my town) is the home of George Gipp (1895-1920). George Gipp graduated from Calument High School (the school that Emi attends) and went on to play football for Notre Dame. George's last game was Nov 20,1920. He was sick at the time and played against Doctor's advice. Notre Dame went on to win the game, George developed Pneumonia, and he died on December 14th. It's said that his coach told the team, at the next game, to 'win one for the Gipper' and that's been a sports saying ever since. There's a George Gipp memorial park 2 blocks from my house. Read more about George at http://www.cmgww.com/football/gipp/facts.htm

The Keweenaw Peninsula is known as 'Copper Country'. Between the years of 1845 and the late 1960s, it was the worlds greatest producer of copper and the copper was said to be (in many cases) almost pure when pulled from the mines.

Tourism and logging are now the primary businesses in the Keweenaw.

Tourism is BIG. This is a vacation paradise and I am thrilled to be living here! Summer is good for camping, 4-wheeling, going to the beach, canoeing and kayaking, seeing the attractions (and there are many) and much much more. Winter is good for snow-mobiling, snow-shoeing, skiing (both downhill and cross country).

It's a year round bird watching paradise, with over 320 species reported here.

You can hunt bear here!

You can see hundreds of deer gathered at winter feeding areas.

Surrounded on 3 sides by Lake Superior.

Many beautiful waterfalls.

Many light houses.

Wildflowers like you wouldn't believe!

We have unbelievable amounts of 'lake effect' snow - 282.5 inches last season (2008-2009) which is over 23 1/2 feet!

We have one of the top techical colleges in the nation here, Michigan Tech.

It's just the greatest place in the world to live. Except for the winter snow :-)

The Maryland Gazette founded in 1727 is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States.
William Goddard inaugurated the first Post Office system in the United States in Baltimore in 1774.
Mary Pickersgill designed the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry during the War of 1812.
Francis Scott Key wrote *The Star-Spangled Banner* after seeing the flag still waving during a battle in 1814.
The USS Constellation docked in Baltimore is the last ship to survive from the Civil War.

Maryland is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is 195 miles long and has coast lines in both Maryland and Virginia. Its width varies from 3 to 20 miles. It is approximately 1,726 square miles.
Maryland is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay, by Pennsylvania on the north, and a small piece of Virginia on the south. On the east, Maryland is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware. West Virginia and Virginia border Maryland on the west.

FAMOUS PEOPLE:
Chris Adler actor
Spiro T. Agnew u.s. vice president
John Astin actor
Harold Baines baseball player
John Franklin "Home Run" Baker baseball player
Ken Bannister basketball player
Steve Barber baseball player
Clara Barton founder american red cross (born in MA)
Lonny Baxter basketball player
Henry Blair inventor
Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues basketball player
Charles Joseph Bonaparte u.s. attorney general, founder federal bureau of investigation
John Wilkes Booth actor, assassin
Toni Braxton singer, songwriter
Bill Callahan singer, songwriter
Cecilius Calvert 2nd baron baltimore, first proprieter of maryland colony (born in england)
Charles Carroll revolutionary war leader
John Carroll first bishop, archbishop in u.s.
Samuel Chase u.s. supreme court justice
Tom Clancy author
Robert Curbeam astronaut
Dominique Dawes olympic medalist
Stephen Decatur naval hero war of 1812
Robert L. "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. politician
Cass "Mama" Elliot singer
Mark Fax composer
Wayne Federman comedian, actor
Kathie Lee Gifford television host, singer (born in paris)
Christopher Gist explorer
Ira Glass radio, television host
John Glover actor
Robert Gordon singer
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove baseball player
Linda Hamilton actress
John Hanson first president elected under the articles of confederation
Linda Harrison actress
David Hasselhoff actor
Robert Hays actor
Billie Holiday singer, songwriter
Johns Hopkins merchant, philanthropist
Thomas Johnson first elected governor of maryland
Francis Scott Key composer, poet, lawyer - wrote the words to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Barry Levinson screenwriter, director, producer
Julia Louis-Dreyfus actress
Paula Marshall actress
Thurgood Marshall supreme court justice
Claire McCardell fashion designer
Kweisi Mfume NAACP leader, politician
Mo'Nique actreSS
William Paca politician, signer declaration of independence
Nancy Pelosi politician
Michael Phelps olympic medalist
Patricia Richardson actress
Cal Ripken, Jr. baseball player
Nora Roberts author
Dr. Peyton Rous nobel prize winner in medicine
James Rouse real estate developer, activist, philanthropist
Mike Rowe television host, narrator
James Rumsey inventor
George "Babe" Ruth baseball player
Pam Shriver tennis player
Sargent Shriver politician, activist
Jada Pinkett Smith actress, singer
Paul Reed Smith luthier (guitar maker)
Raymond A. Spruance world war II navy admiral
Michael S. Steele politician
Daniel Stern actor
Mink Stole actress
Noel Stookey singer, songwriter
Roger B. Taney u.s. supreme court chief justice
Carey M. Thomas educator, feminist
Harriet Tubman abolitionist
Jonathan Ward actor
John Waters actor, filmmaker
Edward Witten mathematician, physicist
James Wolcott journalist, social critic
Richard Caton Woodville artist
Frank Zappa composer, musician
Montel Williams television show host
We are also famous for the Maryland Blue Crab.
Deb

I live in Michigan too, but lower Michigan. I love the fact you are never more 3 hours from a lakeshore. We are surrounded by water. Many quaint lakeshore towns on all sides of the great state. Many many miles of great forests and beautiful county.

Of course Detroit is "the motor city".

Ever heard of Motown?

I live in Holland Michiga, know for the Tulip Festival. I believe it is the 3rd largest festival in the U.S..

We connected to Canada via a bridge or tunnel.

We are close to two major cities Chicago and Detroit.

BTY: DH is from the U.P, so we get up there often.

My fellow Texans have done a good job here! Remember the Alamo!!

Well said, monica. (I wasn't the least bit offended to be excluded from the latest discussion about bras and their link to breast cancer.)

Minnesota here.
The land of 10,000 lakes. In reality it's closer to 20,000.
Rochester is home of the world famous Mayo Clinic which is just 20 minutes from here.
The mighty Mississippi River begins here as a little trickle that can easily be walked across.

Ron

I've been in Texas going on 4 years, y'all. I hadn't heard this quote until I moved here, but it makes me smile. In 1835, Davy Crockett said " you may all go to hell and I will go to Texas."

Ron of course showing his modesty which is so common here in the Great State of Minnesota. Up nort where we'll let ANYBODY be governor (whether a wrestler or a guy who will vote for any tax if you call it a "fee") but can't decide on who will be our senator. Anyone care to give us a loaner?

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a popular television situation comedy in the 1970s,
was set in Minneapolis. A statue of Mary Tyler Moore was erected downtown, on Nicollet Mall, in 2002 to commemorate the program.

Some of the movies filmed here:
* North Country (2005)
* Fargo
* Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men (set in Wabasha)
* The Mighty Ducks
* Jingle All the Way
* That Was Then, This Is Now
* Untamed Heart
* Prince's movie Purple Rain featured First Avenue, considered the city's most influential music venue.
* Drop Dead Fred
* Joe Somebody
* Beautiful Girls
* Mall Rats
* 20 Bucks
* Drop Dead Gorgeous
* The Heartbreak Kid (some scenes)

Some Famous Names
* Eddie Albert, actor famous for role in Green Acres
* Louie Anderson
* Richard Dean Anderson
* The Andrews Sisters
* Lew Ayres
* C.C. Beck
* Mitch Clem
* Joel and Ethan Coen
* Rachael Leigh Cook
* Dr. Demento (aka Barry Hansen)
* Gordon R. Dickson
* Khalid El-Amin
* Kimberly Elise
* Al Franken
* Thomas L. Friedman, journalist
* Neil Gaiman
* J. Paul Getty
* Terry Gilliam, the Stateside Monty Python
* Genevieve Gorder, Trading Spaces
* Josh Hartnett
* George Roy Hill
* Jimmy Jam
* Kent Hrbek
* Doug Pagitt
* Hubert H. Humphrey, former Vice President
* Dan Israel, songwriter
* Jerry Lynn, professional wrestler for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
* Mint Condition, famous band
* Walter Mondale, former Vice President
* Prince
* Charles Schulz, Creator of the Peanuts comic
* Lili St. Cyr
* Raymond W. Rolfe, Artist
* Semisonic
* Soul Asylum
* The Soviettes, punk rock band
* Tiny Tim (aka Herbert Khaury, buried in the Minneapolis's Lakewood Cemetery)
* Vince Vaughn
* John Piper, Internationally known reformed author, theologian, and pastor of Bethlehem Baptist in downtown Minneapolis
* Mark Mallman, musician
If that's not enough, a few more people from Minnesota
Eddie Albert
Loni Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
James Arness
Tom Arnold
Soul Asylum
Ann Bancroft
Patty Berg
Bill Berry
Jessica Biel
Herb Brooks
Warren Burger
Robert Cabana (NASA astronaut)
Bob Casey (Stadium P.A. Announcer)
Joel and Ethan Coen
Rachael Leigh Cook
Morris Day
Mark Dayton
Bob Dylan,
Richard Eberhart
Tammy Faye Bakker/Messner
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Al Franken
Orville Freeman
Judy Garland
Terry Gilliam
Mary GrandPré
Peter Graves (actor)
Josh Hartnett
Mitch Hedberg
Hubert H. Humphrey
Hüsker Dü
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
Pat Jarosch
Garrison Keillor
Frank B. Kellogg
Tom Kelly
Craig Kilborn
Peter Krause
Don LaFontaine
Jessica Lange
Tom Lehman
The Trashmen
Brock Lesnar
Sinclair Lewis
Charles Lindbergh
John Madden
Roger Maris
Charles Mayo
William Mayo (Ever hear of the Mayo Brothers or the Mayo Clinic?)
William Worrall Mayo
Eugene J. McCarthy
Kevin McHale
Breckin Meyer
George Mikan
Mint Condition
Paul Molitor
Walter F. Mondale
Lorenzo Music
George Nelson (astronaut)
Gena Lee Nolin
David Oreck
Carl Pohlad
Prince
The Replacements
Marion Ross
Winona Ryder
Kathryn Leigh Scott
Flip Saunders
Charles Schulz
Seann William Scott
The Spin Doctors
The Suburbs
Phil Solem
Kevin Sorbo
Harold Stassen
Will Steger
Glen A. Taylor
Lea Thompson
Cheryl Tiegs
Vince Vaughn
Thorstein Veblen
Jesse Ventura
DeWitt Wallace
Roy Wilkins
Bud Wilkinson
Dave Winfield
Steve Zahn
(Please excuse any duplicates - filtered out the ones I noticed)

Mythical figures from Minnesota
Jolly Green Giant
Minnehaha
Paul Bunyan
Poppin' Fresh
Betty Crocker
Rocky and Bullwinkle
And a man-eating woodchipper!

Let's not forget the Iron Range, Boundary Waters Canoe Area, the port city of Duluth (and we take pride that it's sister city is Superior, WI - We don't like the Packers, but we like Superior!).

The Land of Sky Blue Water, pines, lofty balsams and a lot of great beers. Where else do you find Sven & Ole's Pizza?

Whew! Well, if I go on, it may not appear modest, but here's a little more about Minnesota.

Hmmmmm...Nevada.

Most people think "gambling" right away. However...

Nevada is a Spanish word meaning snow-clad.

Most of the state is desert but the Sierra Nevada mountain range near Reno and the Ruby Mountains near Elko has snow for half the year.

Locals use terms like The Sagebrush State, The Silver State, and The Battle Born State as nicknames for Nevada.

Nevada is the seventh largest state with 110,540 square miles, 85% of them federally owned including the secret Area 51 near the little town of Rachel.

Hoover Dam contains 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete. The dam has been seen in such films as "Viva Las Vegas", "Universal Soldier" and "Fools Rush In." And contrary to what a lot of people think...there was no one buried in it during construction.

Nevada is the only state with an entire museum devoted to the life and time of entertainer Liberace.

Area 51 is acknowledged with State Route 375,runs between Alamo and Tonopah was officially christened "The Extraterrestrial Highway" in a ceremony featuring the director and cast of the movie "Independence Day." (The company that I work for did a lot of rentals for this movie, along with the movie "Casino".)

The population of Nevada in 2008 was estimated at 2,600,167.

You can tell by the way a person pronounces Nevada, whether they have lived here for very long. NA-VAAAA-DUH is the correct pronunciation (AAAA as in Apple). NA-VAAAAH-DUH is not (VAAAAH as in when the doctor tells you to say aaaaah).

To me...Las Vegas is the hottest place that I could have chosen to live. What the heck was I thinking? I am ALWAYS hot.

What, no one has spoken up for California yet?

We have a moviestar bodybuilder for a Governator. 'nuf said.

Since I have no imagination, here goes from this website:

California's Mount Whitney measures as the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Its most famous climb is Mount Whitney Trail to the 14,495 feet summit. Wilderness permits are required.

In 1925 a giant sequoia located in California's Kings Canyon National Park was named the nation's national Christmas tree. The tree is over 300 feet in height.

More turkeys are raised in California than in any other state in the United States.

Pacific Park, on the venerable Santa Monica Pier, re-creates the amusement parks once dotting the ocean areas along the Pacific Coast. Featured are 11 amusement rides including the 1910-vintage hand-carved merry-go-round appearing in the movie "The Sting."

Alpine County is the eighth smallest of California's 58 counties. It has no high school, ATMs, dentists, banks, or traffic lights.

Fallbrook is known as the Avocado Capital of the World and hosts an annual Avocado Festival. More avocados are grown in the region than any other county in the nation.

In the late 1850s, Kennedy Mine, located in Jackson, served as one of the richest gold mines in the world and the deepest mine in North America.

An animal called the riparian brush rabbit calls Caswell Memorial State Park (near Manteca) its home. Endemic only to the state's park system, the critter lives in approximately 255 acres stretching along the area's once-vast hardwood forest.

In Pacific Grove there is a law on the books establishing a $500 fine for molesting butterflies.

The largest three-day rodeo in the United States is held on the Tehama County Fairgrounds in Red Bluff.

Demonstrations on making toothpaste from orange by-products were popular attractions at the Los Angeles County fair in 1922. The fair is held in Pomona.

Located in Sacramento, the California State Railroad Museum is the largest museum of its kind in North America.

Several celebrities are buried at Hillside Cemetery in Culver City. Included gravesites are those of Al Jolson, George Jessel, Eddie Canter, Jack Benny, and Percy Faith.

California Caverns claims the distinction of being the most extensive system of caverns and passageways in the Mother Lode region of the state.

Totaling nearly three million acres, San Bernardino County is the largest county in the country.

On Catalina Island in 1926, American author Zane Grey built a pueblo-style home on the hillside overlooking Avalon Bay. He spent much of his later life in Avalon. The home is now a hotel.

Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge contains the largest winter population of bald eagles in the continental United States.

Author Richard Dana (1851-1882) wrote the novel "Two Years Before the Mast." He inspired the name for the beach community of Dana Point.

In Atwater the Castle Air Museum has the largest display of military aircraft in the state.

The Country Store in Baker has sold more winning California State Lottery tickets than any outlet in the state.

Reputed to be the most corrupt politician in Fresno County history, Vice-leader Joseph Spinney was mayor for only ten minutes.

The Iron Door Saloon in Groveland claims to be the oldest drinking establishment in the state. It was constructed in 1852.

The Hollywood Bowl is the world's largest outdoor amphitheater.
The first person to personally receive a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood was actress Joanne Woodward. She received it in 1960.

Death Valley is recognized as the hottest, driest place in the United States. It isn't uncommon for the summer temperatures to reach more than 115 degrees.

The first motion picture theater opened in Los Angeles on April 2, 1902.

Inyo National Forest is home to the bristle cone pine, the oldest living species. Some of the gnarled trees are thought to be over 4,600 years old.

San Francisco Bay is considered the world's largest landlocked harbor.

Sequoia National Park contains the largest living tree. Its trunk is 102 feet in circumference.

Yorba Linda is home to the Richard Nixon Library.

The Coachella Valley is nicknamed The Date Capital of the world and The Playground of Presidents.

One out of every eight United States residents lives in California.

California is the first state to ever reach a trillion dollar economy in gross state product.

California has the largest economy in the states of the union.

If California's economic size were measured by itself to other countries, it would rank the 7th largest economy in the world.

Los Angeles is ranked the fourth largest economy in the United States compared to other states.

Simi Valley is the home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

It is estimated there are approximately 500,000 detectable seismic tremors in California annually.

During his engagement at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, Otis Redding stayed on a houseboat in Sausalito. While there he wrote his last song and greatest hit: "The Dock of the Bay."

The state motto is Eureka!, a Greek word translated "I have found it!" The motto was adopted in 1849 and alludes to the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada.

California is known variously as The Land of Milk and Honey, The El Dorado State, The Golden State, and The Grape State.

There are more than 300,000 tons of grapes grown in California annually.

California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine each year. YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The redwood is the official state tree. Some of the giant redwoods in Sequoia National Park are more than 2,000 years old.

The California poppy is the official state flower. The California grizzly bear (Ursus californicus) is the official state animal.

California holds two of the top ten most populous cities: Los Angeles and San Diego.

Fresno proclaims itself the Raisin Capital of the World.

The highest and lowest points in the continental United States are within 100 miles of one another. Mount Whitney measures 14,495 feet and Bad Water in Death Valley is 282 feet below sea level.

Castroville is known as the Artichoke Capital of the World. In 1947 a young woman named Norma Jean was crowned Castroville's first Artichoke Queen. She went on to become actress Marilyn Monroe.

California's Proposition 215 (1996) was the first statewide medical marijuana initiative to pass in the USA - keeping attorneys busy for years.

AND, a few of my personal favorites:

Silent film star Buster Keaton filmed many movies near Fremont, in an area called Niles Canyon.

A horrible movie called "Out on a Limb" starring Matthew Broderick (his desperate phase between Ferris Bueller and Producers) was filmed in my small town of Boulder Creek.

Iin my neck of the woods, there is an active movement, supported with bumper stickers and tee-shirts galore, to "KEEP SANTA CRUZ WEIRD".

WISCONSIN - The land of cheese-heads, Green Bay packers, brautwurst, beer, dairy cows, and manufacturing.

Wisconsin is no longer the dairy capital. California surpassed us in milk production about 3 years ago. Many diary farms have closed in the south-east part of the state from tax and housing development pressures. The taxing problem has been partly fixed lately, but the damage is already done. Dairies were taxed out of existance when developers convinced enough voters that farm land adjacent to developments should be taxed at the same rate as the development. No one thought about how much this was per acre.

Its alway a race between which state produces the most cheese, however, Wicsonsin cheese makers take home their share of prizes in international cheese making contests. Many of the old cheese recipes came from pioneer German and Swiss cheese makers who immigrated here 200 years ago.

Wisconsin is no longer the Beer capital either. We have one major brewer remaining: Miller which is now owned by an African firm with offices in London. However, there is a new trend afoot - micro brewers. A number of micro-brewers located in a basement of building with a resturarnt attached. These brewers produce only a few barrels of beer or wine per year and the output is consumed on the premises.

Wisconsin has been hurt by the downfall of GM and Chrysler. GM has closed it big SUV plant at Janesville, and Chrysler will close its engine plant in Kenosha. Many other auto related suppliers are here and are closing or cutting back. Wisconsin supplies items such as seats, batteries, and many small parts. Forty years a go, Milwaukee was known as the machine shop of the midwest. Tool and die making was king. Not so today.

Madison, WI, is noted for its University and state capital. It has been selected as one of the best 10 cities in the us to live in. It is a center of biological science and computer related studies. Several startup business based on these two disciplines are located at Madison. Think DNA and related developments.

On another earthy note, a firm near Madison produces bull seamen and ships worldwide. Yep. They artifically impregnate cows all over the world. (How do you think that California dairy herd grew so fast?)

Wisconsin has three weather regions: the north winterland, the midland winterland, and the south winterland. Just kidding! We do have a late winter with a short spring. Our summer and fall are quite enjoyable. One notable feature about our state is that it is green. Lush grass and vegtation grows everywhere. I'm always impressed by how green this state seems after returing from a road trip out west (or down south) in the summer. The change is immediately apparent upon entering this state - it is refreshing.

Before Wisconsin became a state, lead mines were being worked here. These mines were an important source of lead shot during the Civil War. Today, a few mines are open as a historical attraction.

Wisconsin provides a buffer zone, akin to a demilitarized zone, between Minnesota and Chicago.

Wisconisn does not have mountains, but does have a few very tall hills, and in many places the land is not flat. The 'kettle moraine' region undulates and provides many interesitng home sites. These moraines are leftovers from the last ice age and are only 11,000 years old, very new in geological terms. The forms we have are kames, drumlins, eskers, crevice fills, kettles, outwash valleys, interspaced by flats. A few small swamps are present. A rare bog or two may be found also.

This glacial debris sits atop a thick layer of dolomite limestone. Almost everyone in the building trades have heard of 'lannon stone', a facing material that was popular 60 years ago, but used sparingly today due to labor cost. Today, much of the limestone quarried in this region is crushed.

Part of the western portion of the state was not glaciated in recent times and its land forms differ. The streams of that region are thousands of years older than those of the glaciated part. Those older streams have had more time to from deeper gullies. That land form is called 'coulee county'.

Sixty years ago, the population held a large makeup of German, Irish, some Scotch, Dutch, Poles, Italians, English. In the last 60 years, this state has attracted people from war torn places and now we have representatives of Hmong, Laos, Thailand, Korea, and Iran to name a few. Our larger cities have growing hispanic communitites.

Did I mention baseball? In our heyday, we supported the Milwaukee Braves, but it has not been the same after they left town. We now have the Brewers who are slowly generating loyality, but we are yet a fickle bunch of baseball fans- Win and we cheer, loose and we stay away. We did give the ball team a new covered stadium. It is being paid for out of the pockets of consumers in a 4 county area around the stadium by a special sales tax of 1/2%.

Wisconsin is a land of freeways. We do not have tolls on our interstate highways.

And sadly when you say you're from NV, they automatically say "Vegas?"...when you say no, then it's "Reno?"...yep, those are the only two cities in the whole state. LOL!

NJ here...what Clubm said, but we also have

The Statue of Liberty! (and she is a beauty)

NEW YORK...

New York City was once the capital of the United States.

George Washington was inaugurated as the first president in downtown Manhattan.

Over 6 million people visit Niagara Falls each year to watch over 200,000 cubic feet of water splash over 167-foot-high cliffssome even have gone over in barrels.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island near Manhattan served as a symbol of freedom to immigrants seeking a better life in the United States.

A brewer named Matthew Vassar founded Vassar College in Poughkeepsie in 1861.

The 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair was actually held in Bethel.

New York City has 722 miles of subway track.

Chittenago was the home of L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz. It features yellow brick inlaid sidewalks leading to Aunti Em's and other Oz-themed businesses.
The "New York Post" established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton is the oldest running newspaper in the United States.

The first railroad in America ran a distance of 11 miles between Albany and Schenectady.

The Genesee River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows south to north.

On July 28, 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25 crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building.

European settlers who brought seeds to New York introduced apples in the 1600s.

Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic Parks combined.

The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big timeThe Big Apple.

I too live in the Commonwealth of PA (you'll have to read up on the difference of that vs a State...but mostly means the counties and municipalities have more control over local laws, taxes and schools)

BUT a few fun facts:

Nickname: Keystone State - During colonial times Pennsylvania was the middle colony of the original 13 colonies. It held the colonies together like the "keystone" in a window or door arch.

Background: Pennsylvania was settled in 1643. Philadelphia was our state capital during the Revolutionary War and York was the first capital of the United States.

Our geogaphic center is Centre Co: - Home of Penn State University

We have 2 counties with NO traffic lights (Forest and Perry)

Lancaster couty has more people than the entire state of Wyoming

Indiana county is the Christmas tree capitol of the world

We have 1.3 million acres of State Game land.

We have 9 million acres of farmland

PA is First Among US in:
Rural Population, number of licensed hunters, State Game Lands, covered bridges, potato chip production, pretzel bakeries, licensed bakeries, meat packing plants, mushroom production, sausage production, scrapple production

Hershey is considered the Chocolate Capital of the U.S.

The earliest successful experiment of Thomas A. Edison with electric lighting was made in Sunbury.

In 1940, Pennsylvania opened the first high-speed, multi-lane highway in the country, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which set the pattern for modern super-highways throughout the nation.

I'm with the Pennsylvania gals and I live on the Pittsburgh end with the Steelers and Penguins.....
Home of the 3 rivers
Pittsburgh has 2 inclines going up to Mt. Washington and 1 of the best views in the country...
Pa. has 4 seasons and sometimes gets them mixed up...
Top notch hospitals for transplants
Kennywood
Horseshoe Curve
And we also have our own Grand Canyon

Well being that my country is a fraction of the size of your counties, I'll talk about the whole country, rather than parish.

We're known for our pink sand, pastel coloured houses and white roofs.

But even though we're 21 sq. miles and sit on top of a volcano (dormant, I hope), we're very useful.

We're here in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean all by ourselves but we've played major roles in wars, space launches and airplane emergencies. If someone is sick on board, then they stop here. If an engine catches fire or fails, in the middle of nowhere, we'll see the runway lined with emergency vehicles waiting for it to come in. It happens more often than you can imagine.

Other than that we have had several rich and famous residents, and visitors, so there's a chance that you'll see more stars here than in Hollywood.

The state of Washington is the only state to be named after a United States president.
Seattle is home to the first revolving restaurant, 1961.
Washington state produces more apples than any other state in the union.
Washington state has more glaciers than the other 47 contiguous states combined.
Washington state's capitol building was the last state capitol building to be built with a rotunda.
Everett is the site of the world's largest building, Boeing's final assembly plant
Medina is the home of the United States wealthiest man, Microsoft's Bill Gates.
The Northwestern most point in the contiguous U.S. is Cape Flattery on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
King county the largest county in Washington was originally named after William R. King, Vice President under Franklin Pierce; it was renamed in 1986, after civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Microsoft Corporation is located in Redmond.
Before it became a state, the territory was called Columbia (named after the Columbia River). When it was granted statehood, the name was changed to Washington, supposedly so people wouldn't confuse it with The District of Columbia.
The highest point in Washington is Mount Rainier. It was named after Peter Rainier, a British soldier who fought against the Americans in the Revolutionary War.
The Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge at Evergreen Point is the longest floating bridge in the world. The bridge connects Seattle and Medina across Lake Washington.
Washington is the birthplace of both Jimi Hendrix (Seattle) and Bing Crosby (Tacoma).
The oldest operating gas station in the United States is in Zillah.
Washington's state insect is the Green Darner Dragonfly.
The world's first soft-serve ice cream machine was located in an Olympia Dairy Queen.
Starbucks, the biggest coffee chain in the world was founded in Seattle.
Spokane was the smallest city in size to host a World's Fair. - 1974
The state capital is Olympia, and the largest city is Seattle.
As of the 2000 census, the state population was approximately 5.9 million and the state work force numbered about 3.1 million.
Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone).
Washington is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west; Oregon to the south (the Columbia River forming most of this border); Idaho to the east and British Columbia, Canada to the north.
Puget Sound's many islands are served by the largest ferry fleet in the United States.
The forests of the Olympic Peninsula are among the rainiest places in the world and the only rainforests (such as the Hoh Rain Forest) in the continental United States
The first European record of a landing on the Washington coast was by Spanish Captain Don Bruno de Heceta in 1775, on board the Santiago, part of a two-ship flotilla with the Sonora.
The Lewis and Clark expedition entered the state on October 10, 1805.
The first settlement in Washington was New Market (now known as Tumwater) in 1846.
In 1853, Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory.
Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.
Early prominent industries in the state included agriculture, lumber, shipping, fishing, salmon canning and mining.
By the turn of the 20th century, Aberdeen had the distinction of being "the roughest town west of the Mississippi" because of excessive gambling, violence, extreme drug use and prostitution (the city remained off-limits to military personnel into the early 1980s).
The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during World War I and World War II, and the Boeing company became an established icon in the area.
During the Great Depression, a series of hydroelectric dams were constructed along the Columbia river as part of a project to increase the production of electricity. This culminated in 1941 with the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest dam in the United States.
During World War II, Seattle was the point of departure for many soldiers in the Pacific, a number of which were quartered at Golden Gardens Park.
In eastern Washington the Hanford Works atomic energy plant was opened in 1943 and played a major role in the construction of the nation's atomic bombs.
In 1980, the northeast face of Mount St. Helens exploded outward, destroying a large part of the top of the volcano.
As of 2004, Washington's population included 631,500 foreign-born (10.3% of the state population), and an estimated 100,000 illegal aliens (1.6% of state population).
The six largest reported ancestries in Washington are: German (18.7%), English (12%), Irish (11.4%), Norwegian (6.2%), Mexican (5.6%) and Filipino (3.7%).
Washington is home to many innovative Internet companies, including Amazon.com, Classmates.com, Whitepages.com, and Marchex.
The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state, and church membership is among the lowest of all states.
The state of Washington is one of only seven states that does not levy a personal income tax.
Property tax was the first tax levied in the state of Washington and its collection accounts for about 30 percent of Washington's total state and local revenue.
In 2004 Washington ranked first in the nation in production of red raspberries (90.0% of total U.S. production), hops (75.0%), apples (58.1%), sweet cherries (47.3%), pears (42.6%), Concord grapes (39.3%), and Niagara grapes (31.6%).
There are 140 public airfields in Washington, including 16 state airports.
Washington is home to four of the five longest floating bridges in the world: the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and Homer M. Hadley Bridge over Lake Washington, and the Hood Canal Bridge connecting the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas.
Three ships of the United States Navy, including two battleships, have been named USS Washington in honor of the state.
United Airlines was originally owned by the Boeing Airplane Company.
Popular games Pictionary, Pickle-ball, and Cranium were all invented in Washington.

another michigander...my county (oakland) one of the richest in the past, has lost that title...you're lucky if you have a job or not in foreclosure...sign of the times? our local chevy dealership closed it's door today..

State Flower--Wild Prairie Rose
Capital--Bismarck
Minot AFB--Home of the B-52's
Grand Forks--Happy Hooligans
# 1 in spring wheat, durum wheat, sunflowers, barley, pinto beans, canola, flax, peas, lentils,
Barley, Oats
Sakakawea, Custer, Sitting Bull and Theodore Roosevelt
Medora Musical
3 White buffaloes and National Buffalo Museum in Jamestown
Norsk Hostfest Scandinavian Festival--Minot, where top pastry chefs from Norway come
BIG Pride of Dakota show where all items are made in ND
Border Canada--great neighbors
Lewis and Clark
State Fair in Minot, where prices are reasonable and sometimes free.
Enchanted Highway Between Gladstone and Regent--local made very large metallic sculptures of pheasants, family, grasshoppers all free.
Peace Garden-share with our Canadian Neighbors
Devils Lake--no outlet
Good Walleye fishing
Come and see us!

Massachusetts here where the pilgrims first set foot near Plymouth Rock. We have the beautiful Berkskhire Mountains in the western part of the state and the Atlantic Ocean to the East. We are famous for Cape Cod, clam chowder, Paul Revere, John Adams, Lexington and Concord and a host of other historical sights and figures. Harvard, MIT, Massachsetts General Hospital and the Boston Pops orchestra call our state their home.

Just a few of our famous citizens include Tom Brady, Ted Kennedy, Mitt Romney, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, James Taylor and the members of Aerosmith. Boston is one of the most sports crazy cities in America for good reason. The New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins all practice and play in or near Boston.

This is one of the bluest states in the union having never voted for a Republican presidential candidate in my memory. That being said we've had several Republican governors.

Some movies made here include Good Will Hunting, Thomas Crowne Affair, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, and lots more I can't think of right now.

We have about three days of spring, too short a summer, a gorgeous fall, and an endless winter.

Interstate 95 runs north and south through Massachusetts, Route 495 circles the Boston metro area and Route 90 (the Mass Pike) runs west into New York State. There is a large biotechnology industry here in the state as well as some very large insurance companies and financial firms such as Fidelity Investments.

All in all it's a great place to live.

Florida is a state as varied as it's residents. In the southern part, The Keys, you'll find the southernmost point in the U.S. It was also the home of Ernest Hemingway. You can tour his home and see the 5-toed cats (plenty of them), that have run of the place. The Keys are very laid back and relaxed. Maybe a little too much for some.

Moving north are the Everglades, where I saw the biggest grasshopper I'd ever seen in my life. It was huge! Miami used to be "the" place for winter visitors, but it got too big, I think. Fort Myers, on the Gulf side is home to tons of winter visitors, including my DSis. Also on that coast is Sanibel Island, Long Boat Key, Anna Maria Island (my favorite) and Sarasota, winter home of Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus.

The east coast from Miami north the Cape Kennedy is pretty posh and called the Gold Coast, I believe. Haven't been there for years. Of course, there's NASA and the space shuttles launch. We can see them from our yard once they are in the air. It always gives me chills and I have to say a quick prayer to keep them safe. Of course, there's Disney World, too--and Epcot--and a lot of other stuff they've added.

The middle of the state is mainly agriculture--strawberries, tomatoes, sweet corn and lots of citrus. It's not the prettiest area of the state, but it is our breadbasket and we're pretty darned proud of it. We also grow cane and make a good amount of sugar here.

North of that is my area, and we're known as horse country. We have many huge horse farms surrounding our town and I like looking at the little foals, wondering if they'll be the next Triple Crown winner. Lots of the horses in the Kentucky Derby this year were either born/broken/trained here or just broken/trained. It's beautiful country with rolling hills and green, green grass.

North and east of here is St. Augustine where DeSoto thought he found the fountain of youth. Been there, drank the water and I can tell you he was sooooo wrong! Interesting city with lots to see and do.

Daytona Beach is home of NASCAR, but mostly known for "Bike Week", when thousands of motorcycles descend on the city and have a great time.

The panhandle is a joy all in it's own. Pristine beaches and the whitest, silkiest sand you could ever walk on. It's just beautiful to drive across the top part of the state on US 98. It must be what "old" Florida was like. Tallahassee, also in the panhandle, is our capital and is a pretty town with a breath-taking view as you go down Monroe St. (I think) and see the Capitol straight ahead.

There is so much more to Florida than I've written here. I moved here 29 years ago and never looked back. I don't know anyone famous from here except KC and the Sunshine Band and Credence Clearwater Revival--Oh and Sister Hazel. But in all probability, there weren't born here!! :-)

Kentucky, the Bluegrass state. The horseracing capital of the world. There is Keenland outside of Lexington and Churchill Downs in Louisville, never been to either, but drive by Keenland everytime I go to work. Beautiful horsefarms surround us, there's even an old racehorse retirement farm in Lexington.

Lot of green, lakes, rain. Western KY has Mammoth Cave and Cave City, which is a tourist area. Southern KY has Cumberland Falls. Our little town, Lawrencburg is home of Wild Turkey which was just bought out by some French company.

I'm from Illinois too and there is more to it than just Chicago! We have many farming communities. Corn and soy beans are one of the many crops grown here. We are known for being the home of Abe Lincoln. Near the Springfield area (our Capital by the way,NOT Chicago) are many Lincoln sites that are very interesting to visit. We alo have some pretty State parks.

So, let me tell you briefly about the reion where I currently live.
Aquitaine( a provence) France.
Bordeaux is our biggest city and I must say it is beautiful. The current mayor has really done some amazing things to clean it up and make public transport more accommadating. There is a superb tramway that is cheap and easy to use. The new riverwalk was innaugarated last weekend and it's 4 kilometers of gardens, sport parks and a water mirror (really cool). There is always some kind of animation going on and is one of the favorite weekend places to hang out for the region. There is also a port for the big cruise ships to park right at the end.

I actually live about 40 mins just south of there in a place called the "Bassin d'Arcachon" It's a bay area on the atlantic ocean. The surrounding towns are cute and touristic, I live in one of them. In my town there is a bird sanctuary that is really cool.
If you go to the other side of the bassin, called Cape Ferret, that's where all the movie stars hang out. Johnny Depp has a house there and there are many many others also. Last summer I saw Leonardo DiCaprio sunning himself on the beach!

The speciality of the region is of course seafood. Especially oysters. There are tons of ostricultures (oyster farms) around the bassin and you can buy them fresh everyday directly from them or at the open air markets.

There is much much more to tell but I'm leaving to visit my english friends so we can knit! :) If you want to know more about the region just do a search on Bordeaux or the Bassin d'Arcachon.

Karen

moving this up so others can add on if they want :)

Thanks, Nookie. I really enjoy reading about everyone's home. I didn't know you lived in France!! Is it as wonderful as I dream it is?

LOL LOL LOL Cynic!

I guess I have missed all the "GUY" festivals in Minnesota!

Mostly what I can say is, there's nothing like spending a week or two at one of the resorts on a Minnesota lake "Up-North."

Our state may be one with some of the most varying kinds of landscapeing. We have everything from the thick pine forests in the north, the rolling hills and lakes of the central, and the prairie lands in the South west, then there is the Mississippi River bluff area in the south east. We have it all, even the "Some-of-everything" BIG-CITY life of the twin cities.

OK, you might need to learn how to SPEAK Minnesotan, just so you don't get laughed at, but "It's an education, you wont soon forget!"

California transplant here. It's said that 6 or 7 out of every 9 public school students attend school in California. If we were an independent country, we would be the world's 7th largest economy, though I don't know what the recession has done to that factoid. We have a fabulous state college and university system. We are the nation's playland, with mountains, beaches, dessert and metropolitan areas, and some areas are among the most expensive places to live in the USA.