This week is super busy for us, as our team hails from both the US and Canada. We celebrated Canada Day in style at the beginning of the week with Olfa’s amazing pictures of the beautiful country. Now it’s time to celebrate the 4th of July, which is tomorrow!
For those who don’t live in the US, the 4th of July is the day we celebrate our Declaration of Independence from England back in 1776. It took a few years and a lot of battling to actually reach the moment where our independence was recognized officially, but that day was a huge step for us.
Over the last 237 years, our country has expanded from a tiny set of colonies to 50 states and a few territories. Counting the territories, we stretch all the way down into the Caribbean. Actually, if you count Guam, we’re all the way across the world.
I’ve had the opportunity to travel to many places in the country. I’ve been as far to the east and west as I could possibly get on the mainland, and as far south as St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, many of the places I went were before the digital age and I haven’t gotten around to scanning the pictures yet. Fortunately, I’ve had a digital camera for years, so I still have a ton of memories stored on the computer! Take a peek at some of my favorite places in the United States that I happen to have backed up digitally!
Celebrate the 4th of July with us by exploring the US in pictures!
The Poconos- My Own Backyard
The Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania are beautiful. We’re pretty well known for our ski resorts and honeymoon destinations. Tourists from New York City and New Jersey descend upon the area every weekend and holiday to escape the busy city life. The Bushkill Falls are one of our prettiest natural attractions. Called “The Niagara of the Poconos,” I wouldn’t exactly say they’re even remotely as amazing as the real Niagara Falls, but they’re still really pretty!
New York City
I’ve lived within two hours of New York City most of my life. There are so many great activities for families in New York! My favorite time to go is during the winter, when the iconic Rockefeller Tree is up behind the ice rink. It’s definitely a sight that everyone should see at least once in their lives!
Baltimore
Baltimore is another fun place for families to visit. I love their aquarium, but if you want to get amazing pictures, you have to visit the harbor. They have amazing old ships that you can tour, and the whole place is just so gorgeous. Keep an eye out, because we’re planning a great post on fun things to do in Baltimore soon!
Redwood Forest
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Eureka, California and get a close-up look at the amazing Redwood trees. To say they are huge is a significant understatement. I think you could drive a car into the trunks of these amazingly huge trees!
St. Thomas
Back in 2010, I took my son on a cruise to the Caribbean. We went along with my aunt and her family. My favorite stop was St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The beauty of the water, trees and flowers was just breathtaking. Of course, the shopping was pretty amazing too! I left with a huge backpack and a shopping bag that I bought while there filled with stuff and spent less than $200! I just wish I had one of our mini cooler sling bags back then, because it gets really hot and I had to keep buying water.
The United States really does have so many beautiful places to visit. I don’t think I’ve even hit a quarter of the places I’ve been over the years. Have you done a lot of traveling in the US? We’d love to hear about your favorite place to visit! Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Fireworks Photo Credit: Rich Etolen
