Transcript File - Ms Hicks` Classes

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