World on my postcards

The second postcard received from a friend visiting Kentucky! Very big thank you to Paige! According to Kentucky website, Maybe nothing defines the culture of Kentucky better than the state's obsession with horses.

 First postcard of 2017! Amazing surprise from a friend visiting Detroit! Massive thank you!

  The southeastern face of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest is the site of four gigantic carved sculptures depicting the faces of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Led by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum, work on the project began in 1927 and was finally completed in 1941. Over that time period, some 400 workers erected the sculpture under dangerous conditions, removing a total of 450,000 tons of rock in order to create the enormous carved heads, each of which reached a height of 60 feet (18 meters).

 California is the largest and most important wine region in the United States. Occupying the southern two-thirds of the country's west coast (Oregon and Washington make up the rest), it spans almost ten degrees of latitude and 850 miles (1370km) of coastline.

 The Navajos are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. They are the second largest federally recognised tribe in the United States with 300,460 enrolled tribal members as of 2015. The states with the largest Navajo populations are Arizona (140,263) and New Mexico (108,306). Over three-quarters of the Navajo population reside in these two states.

 Longaberger is known for its handcrafted maple baskets, so its headquarters are obviously shaped like a giant basket. Not just any old basket, though. It’s a Longaberger Medium Market Basket that’s been blown up to 160 times its normal size. The basket includes a seven-story atrium, heated handles that prevent ice formation, and two 725-pound gold leaf Longaberger tags.

 The Golden Gate Bridge was first proposed in 1872, however, the construction began in 1933.  Proposed colors  for the bridge included carbon gray, aluminum, or black, and the U.S. Navy wanted black with yellow stripes (for greater visibility). But Irving Morrow, the consulting architect (who was also responsible for the bridge’s Art Deco look), didn’t want any of those colors: The black was unattractive and would reduce the scale of his bridge; aluminum would make the towers look tiny. In the end, he was inspired by the red primer the steel beams had been coated in at the factories back east, and settled on International Orange, which complemented the bridge’s natural surroundings but also helped the structure stand out from the sea and sky.

 The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carré or the “Quarter” to locals, sits on a crescent in the Mississippi River on some of the highest ground in New Orleans.  Intimate and unique, New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood has exerted a spell over writers and artists since the time of Mark Twain, Lafcadio Hern and John James Audubon. Hollywood celebrities and software magnates have joined the residential mix, keeping the glamour of the French Quarter up-to-date, but it is the year-round local residents who keep the neighborhood vibrant.

Here are some more interesting facts about the fantastic San Francisco: The Chinese fortune cookie was invented by a Japanese resident of San Francisco.  And Irish coffee? It was perfected and popularized in the City by the Bay.  San Francisco was part of Mexico until the Mexican-American War in 1848.  During the Depression, not a single San Francisco-based bank failed.  Business was so good, the city constructed the Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge during the Depression.  The Liberty Bell once vacationed in San Francisco! When San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915, America’s most famous bell made a national train tour to be part of the fun. After the exposition ended, it returned to Philadelphia, where it’s stayed ever since.

 The Empire State Building located in New York City is one of the most famous and most recognizable buildings in the world.   When the Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931 it was the tallest building in the world and only took one year and forty-five days to build.   This building is one of the most filmed buildings in the world. It has appeared in commercials, TV shows and blockbuster movies. The Empire State building is famous for its colored light displays that mark the holidays or seasons.  There are 6,500 windows. What a lot to clean! :)

There are two Washingtons in the USA. First Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the state named after George Washington, the first President of the United States. The state capital is Olympia, and the largest city is Seattle. The second Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It is located in the District of Columbia. The district is named in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America. Washington was founded inl 791 for the purpose of serving as the capital of the United States of America. Many people consider Washington to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are many parks, wide streets and impressive buildings. In the centre of the city, there is Capitol Park, where visitors' eyes focus on the Capitol, the home of American Congress. Many visitors come to Washington to see the White House. It is the oldest public structure in ...

 The Navajo Nation extends into the states of Utah , Arizona and New Mexico , covering over 27,000 square miles of unparalleled beauty. Diné Bikéyah, or Navajoland, is larger than 10 of the 50 states in America.   Visitors from around the world are intrigued and mystified when they hear the Navajo language – so, too, were the enemy during World War II. Unknown to many, the Navajo language was used to create a secret code to battle the Japanese. Navajo men were selected to create codes and serve on the front line to overcome and deceive those on the other side of the battlefield. Today, these men are recognized as the famous Navajo Code Talkers, who exemplify the unequaled bravery and patriotism of the Navajo people. Today, the Navajo Nation is striving to sustain a viable economy for an ever increasing population that now surpasses 250,000. In years past, Navajoland often appeared to be little more tha...