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Sunday, February 7, 2010

101 Places to See Before You're 12 - A Famous Road

I can't tell you how much fun we've had with this book since it arrived last week!  Thomas and Brennan are planning trips and local tours.  I love travel and lists, so this is right up my alley :)

What I especially appreciate about this book is that it's not a list of specific places - it's general ideas of places you should see (a lighthouse, an artist's studio, a rock art site, a battlefield).  Less pressure on mom and dad and we get to be creative.  The author does give a number of examples though to help get you thinking - all locations in the U.S. and Canada.  Many of these 101 places can be toured locally (a landfill, an old folks' home, a courthouse).  And what fun to discover we have already seen a few of these 101 Places!

A FAMOUS ROAD
We have visited two examples (listed in the book) of famous roads. 
First up, Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
We visited Memphis in August 2006 to show the boys where they were born and our old house.  We also got to visit withour dear friends - our older boys are 5 days apart and our younger ones are 4 days apart.  Unbelievable!  In these photos they are 6 and 4.

Walking down Beale - BB King's is a popular spot.  Great bbq served there!

Memphis in August - it doesn't get hotter.  The boys resting at a park on Beale dedicated to Rufus Thomas.

W.C. Handy
And of course, Beale Street has a Hard Rock.

Next up, the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  We visited D.C. in October 2008 and had an absolutely fantastic trip.  We walked the mall many, many times. 

The Mall is a walk-way connecting many of the museums and monuments in D.C.  It's actually an "open area National Park" according to wikipedia.  The Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, and Washington Monument were built in a row on the Mall.

View of the Capitol Building from the top of the Washington Monument.  You can see the Mall outstretched.

Two years prior my mom and I had attended the National Book Festival and it was held on the Mall.  You can see the Smithsonian Castle in the back.

Pretty cool to have 2 of the author's examples for A Famous Road!

From the book:
#92 - A Famous Road
Roads are sometimes called arteries because they led to the heart of a city.  And like real arteries, some roads seem to have a pulse - they have their own special energy and make a city feel alive.  What would Paris be without the Champs-Elysees?  Or Barcelone without the Ramblas?  Some day, you'll get to those famous streets, but in the meantime, check out some legendary roads closer to home.  Some are best experienced on foot, others by car.  But you're guaranteed to see something interesting.  There's a famous road in every town - have you been to one in yours?

2 comments:

Joan said...

What a fantastic idea for a young person! Heck, I now a few oldsters who need this one!

Amy@TheLemonCottage said...

What a neat book!
I think I need to look into it. Our son is 4 now, and very curious about that world.
~Amy