There’s a lot to learn about the United States, and most of it isn’t taught in history books. Here is the last installment of our look at some of the little-known state facts:

Ohio. The Ohio state flag is the only state flag that isn’t a rectangle. It’s believed that the designer may have been inspired by the shape of a pennant carried by the U.S. Cavalry. There’s also quite a bit of symbolism in the flag. The red circle represents the buckeye, while the white ring around it is an “O” for “Ohio.” The triangles are meant to symbolize the state’s hills and valleys. The 17 stars remind us that Ohio was the 17th state to join the Union in 1803 (although due to an oversight it wasn’t made “official” until 1953 – retroactively of course!).

Oklahoma. Oklahoma is known as the Sooner state for good reason. In 1889, when the U.S. government had planned to open approximately 2 million acres of land for settlement, many people entered the land before the land’s run designated time. These people were dubbed “sooners.” In 1908, the year after Oklahoma officially became a state, the University of Oklahoma’s football team took “Sooners” as its nickname. The nickname became so popular that the state adopted it as its official nickname.

Oregon. The world’s smallest park is located in Portland, Oregon. Mill Ends Park is a only 2-square feet, and was the creation of Oregon Journal columnist Dick Fagan. In 1948 he claimed to have spotted a leprechaun digging in that spot, and after running out of his office and catching it, made a wish for his very own park. Many years and several creative musings on the two-foot circle later, the city designated it an official park in 1976. It’s also considered the only leprechaun colony west of Ireland!

Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is home to the first drive-in gas station in 1913. While there were many places to buy gas before this Gulf Oil station opened, it was the first one designed specifically to sell gas. And the rest is history.

Rhode Island. The oldest tavern in the U.S. is the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island, which originally opened its doors in 1673. At nearly 350 years old, the restaurant is still up and running today!

South Carolina. Morgan Island, also known as Monkey Island, is an uninhabited island that is home to the only free-ranging colony of rhesus macaque monkeys in the United States. There are over 4,000 monkeys on the island. The original colony arrived in South Carolina via a Puerto Rico research facility in the 1970s, and has been used by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ever since.

South Dakota. The Crazy Horse mountain carving now in progress will be the world’s largest sculpture (563′ high, 641′ long, carved in the round). It is the focal point of an educational and cultural memorial to and for the North American Indian.

Tennessee. Tennessee hosts America’s longest-running radio show, The Grand Ole Opry. The show went on the air as the “WSM Barn Dance” in 1925. It was later deemed “The Grand Ole Opry” by show host George Hay, and it’s still on the air 95 years later.

Texas. The King Ranch in South Texas is bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. It covers 1,289 square miles, versus Rhode Island which is only 1,212 square miles. There's also a windmill farm that's about seven times the size of Manhattan.

Utah. We associate Kentucky Fried Chicken with Kentucky, but it was actually first sold in Utah! Utahans were the first to buy and get a taste of KFC. It was at the Harman Cafe in Salk Lake City that Colonel Sanders experienced his first success with the fried chicken recipe.

Vermont. Vermont produces an average of 1.2 million gallons of maple syrup every year. That makes it the largest producer of maple syrup in the country.

Virginia. The first woman-run bank in the U.S. started in Richmond, Virginia. Maggie Lena Walker was a successful African American businesswoman who chartered a bank, St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, in 1903. She was the bank’s first president and later chairman of the board of directors, providing black bank patrons a safe space to do business in the Jim Crow South. After a merger with two other banks, it survived as the oldest continuous black-run bank in the U.S. until 2009.

Washington. Washington is the biggest producer of apples, raspberries, and sweet cherries in America. In fact, 6 out of 10 apples consumed in America are from Washington.

West Virginia. The historic Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs has hosted more than half of all U.S. Presidents. During the Cold War, it was also the location of a secret bunker where Congress could operate for up to 40 days in the event of a nuclear strike – until the Washington Post exposed the facility in 1992.

Wisconsin. Wisconsin prohibited the sale and use of margarine from 1895 to 1967 to protect its dairy industry. Although the ban has since been lifted, there are still some restrictions that remain on margarine. Today, it is still illegal for restaurants to serve their customers margarine in place of butter unless the customer requests for it.

Wyoming. There are only two sets of escalators in the entire state of Wyoming. Both are located in the city of Casper, and no one is exactly sure of the reason behind the strange rarity. Outside of stairs, some think that it may be due to the cost effectiveness and efficiency of elevators.

That wraps up our fact-finding mission across all 50 states! One thing is certain – the United States is truly unique from coast to coast!

Thinking about planning a vacation? Luxury Destinations Concierge is happy to help! Give us a call at (805) 236-4437.

The United States truly is a marvel, and each state has its own traditions, history and customs that make them stand out. Then again, there are some things that are downright strange. We continue our astonishing list of weird state facts:

Louisiana. Louisiana is home to the longest continuous bridge over a body of water in the world. The Second Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is nearly 24 miles long and connects the towns of Metairie (just outside New Orleans) and Mandeville. For eight of those miles, you can’t see land at all.

Maine. There is a “desert” in Maine – a 40-acre parcel of land in Freeport, Maine that is all sand and silt. The Desert of Maine is the result of ancient glacier residue and over-farming the land which caused the soil to erode. You can actually camp in the desert, which is surrounded by the more recognizable coniferous forests.  

Maryland. Founded in 1727, the Maryland Gazette is the oldest continuously published newspaper still in existence in the U.S. In 1910, it merged with the newspaper The Capital and has been printed under that name ever since.  

Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, burritos are not legally sandwiches. In 2006, Panera Bread took Qdoba Mexican Grill to court over a leasing dispute in Worcester, MA. Panera’s lease stated that there couldn’t be another sandwich shop in the strip mall. After hearing both sides (and testimony from food experts), the judge ruled that a sandwich is made of two pieces of bread as opposed to the one tortilla needed to make a burrito.

Michigan. Michigan is the only non-contiguous state in the lower 48. It is made up of two peninsulas, separated by the Straits of Mackinac. It also is the only state that borders four of the five Great Lakes, and has the longest shoreline in the U.S. outside of Alaska.

Minnesota. In Minneapolis, you can get around downtown without ever going outside, thanks to the Minneapolis Skyway System. The covered pedestrian walkways connect buildings over 80 blocks of shops, restaurants, and other businesses so you can stay warm during the cold winter months.

Mississippi. When you buy a pair of shoes, you can thank Mississippi for it. The first store to sell shoes in pairs was Phil Gilbert’s Shoe Parlor in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1884.

Missouri. St. Louis hosted the 1904 Summer Olympics. It also happens to be the weirdest Olympics ever held. Only 12 countries participated, and the games lasted over five months due to some confusion with the St. Louis State Fair. The oddest event was the marathon. One runner was chased out of the marathon by a pack of dogs, while the "winner" hitched a ride on a car for most of the race. It was also the first time that gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Montana. Montana holds the record for the most dramatic temperature change to occur over a 24-hour period. In Loma, the temperature rose from -54˚F to 49˚F on January 15, 1972.

Nebraska. This is for those who are still truly kids at heart: Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, by Edwin Perkins in 1927, and the drink became the official state soft drink of Nebraska in 1998. There’s even an annual festival held there each August to honor the drink mix, called Kool-Aid Days.

Nevada. There is a self-proclaimed independent country located in the heart of Nevada. Founded in 1977 by Kevin Baugh, the Republic of Molossia is known as a micronation — complete with its own currency, a postal service, space program, and president. It’s population is 34 (30 people and 4 dogs), and you can visit it between April and October. While you don’t technically need a passport to enter, you might want to bring it to get stamped.

New Hampshire. For all those rebels who hate wearing seatbelts, you’ll be happy to know that New Hampshire is the only state that does not have a mandatory seat belt law. Even so, about 70% of adults still wear their seatbelts – though that is far below the national average of 90%.

New Jersey. New Jersey is the only place in the United States where it is illegal to pump your own gas. The Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act and Regulations was established in 1949 to protect the public from fire hazards sometimes associated with pumping fuel and has not been taken off the books.

New Mexico. Santa Fe is the nation’s highest capital. At 7,199 feet above sea level, it’s higher than Denver. Santa Fe is also the oldest state capital, dating back to 1610 – ten years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.

New York. New York was the first state to require license plates on cars, starting in 1901. There was a catch, however. The plates were not issued by the state but were made by the owner and were required to have the owner's initials. Plates were made of leather, felt, or metal, and no two were alike. This was inefficient and by 1909 the state started issuing its own license plates.

North Carolina. Pepsi was invented in New Bern, NC in 1893 by a drugstore clerk named Caleb Bradham. He originally named it “Brad’s Drink.” He was a doctor in training at the time and believed his syrupy concoction aided digestion. He re-named it “Pepsi-Cola” in 1898 after the word “dyspepsia.”

North Dakota. The geographic center of North America is located in Rugby, North Dakota. It's marked by a rock obelisk, about 15 feet tall, flanked by poles flying the US and Canadian flags. They even changed the town seal to an outline of North America!

Stay tuned for our last installment of little-known state facts, which are sure to amaze!

Thinking about planning a vacation? Luxury Destinations Concierge is happy to help! Give us a call at (805) 236-4437.
 

Each state has its own quirks. Whether it’s how they like their pizza or the most common pastime, each state has a uniqueness all its own. Then again, there are some things that are just downright weird. Here’s our first installment of little known facts – one for each state – that will amaze you.

Alabama. Ever wonder what happens to all the unclaimed luggage at airports? Turns out that it goes to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, the only retailer of lost baggage in the U.S. All domestic airlines send their unclaimed baggage here for resale – they process up to 7,000 pieces of luggage a day!

Alaska. Things grow bigger and sweeter in Alaska! Due to the 20+ hours of sunlight during the summer, Alaska produce can grow abnormally large. In fact, Alaska holds several Guinness World Records for the size of their vegetables – a 138-pound cabbage, a 65-pound cantaloupe and a 2,051-pound pumpkin.

Arizona. The last post office in the U.S. to deliver mail entirely by mule train is located in Supai, Arizona. Located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, the mules make the 16-mile round trip into the Grand Canyon six days a week.

Arkansas. The state is home to the largest diamonds ever found in the United States. The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas not only produced the 40.23 carat Uncle Sam diamond, it also allows visitors to keep whatever gems they may find!

California. California is home to the highest and lowest points in the contiguous states. Mt. Whitney has its peak at 14,494 feet, and, less than 100 miles away, Death Valley bottoms out at 282 feet below sea level.

Colorado. Aspen, Colorado has a law on the books that prohibits the launching of any kind of missile or projectile, which includes stones and – wait for it – snowballs! The idea behind the law was to protect local buildings from damage.

Connecticut. One of Connecticut’s claims to fame is the invention of the hamburger. Turns out that in 1900, a patron at Louis’ Lunch asked if the meat they had ordered could be “to go”, and the owner, Louis Lassen put his “ground steak trimmings” between two pieces of bread and the hamburger sandwich was born! You can still visit Louis’ Lunch and partake in the 120-year-old tradition.  

Delaware. Delaware may be the 2nd smallest state in the Union, but it certainly has a lot of chickens. In fact, their chickens outnumber the humans 200-to-1!

Florida. Brevard County added the area code 321 in 1999 as a nod to Kennedy Space Center — and the rocket launch countdown sequence that happened there.

Georgia. The largest wild hog found ever discovered was found and killed in Alapaha, Georgia. Weighing in at 1,000 pounds and measuring 12 feet in length, the creature was nicknamed "Hogzilla".

Hawaii. Hawaii loves canned Spam so much that they have an annual food festival – the Spam Jam – dedicated to it. If it’s not already obvious, Hawaii consumes more Spam than anywhere else in the U.S. – about 7 million cans annually!

Idaho. Idaho’s has a lot of rivers and waterways. If you calculated the length of all of them together (over 107,000 miles), it would stretch across the U.S. 38 times.

Illinois. Illinois is home to the pumpkin capital of the world. Why? Because the Libby’s plant in Morton, Illinois produces 82% of the worlds canned pumpkin.

Indiana. In 1897 there was a bill introduced by the Indiana Legislature to round up the lengthy decimal value of pi (generally shortened to 3.14) to 3.2, after physician Edwin J. Goodwin discovered what he believed to be a new way of solving the old mathematical riddle of “squaring the circle,” which is impossible. Obviously, it never became law.

Iowa. Since 1900, Britt, Iowa hosts the National Hobo Convention. In addition to other activities, a King and Queen are nominated and their portraits are immortalized.

Kansas. Kansas has the distinction of being scientifically declared flatter than a pancake. Scientists bought a pancake from an IHOP and tested the topography against the flatness of the state. They measured “perfect flatness” on a scale of 1 with the IHOP pancake testing as 0.957 and Kansas scoring a 0.997.

Kentucky. In 1799, the first commercial winery in the United States was established near Lexington, Kentucky. You can still enjoy wine produced by the winery (now named "First Vineyard.") It's even maintained by a descendant of the original shareholders of the winery.

Next week we’ll indulge you with additional little-known state facts that will give you a different perspective on history and life in America.

Thinking about planning a vacation? Luxury Destinations Concierge is happy to help! Give us a call at (805) 236-4437.