When I was young, we were taught patriotic songs in school such as “America the Beautiful” and ” God Bless America”
As my husband and I traveled this summer across the United States, I realized how blessed we are to live in America.
Let’s continue to teach our children these songs and the values our nation was built upon. 
Boys and Girls,
Have you ever been on a road trip? My husband, Eric, and I recently took a road trip all the way from our home in Brentwood, TN to Los Angeles, CA. While on our journey which was over two thousand miles, I was amazed by the beautiful sites we saw.
We traveled most of the time on Interstate 40 which often went alongside the Old Route 66. We did get off the busy Interstate a few times to go to some very special places.
Here is a picture of one of my favorite places we went. See if you can discover the name of this place.
Write to tell me what you find out about this place. Also, see if you can find out how many states we visited.
Hint: you may want to use an Atlas to look at the route we followed. Special tourist sites are marked on the maps.
Anytime, I travel across America, I think about how thankful I am to live in such a beautiful country. I’d love to hear about a favorite place you have visited in America.
The picture I posted last time is a trumpeter swan. Trumpeter swans are the largest swans in the world and they are native to North America. Do you know what the word, native, means? Share what you find out.
Do you know what the trumpeter swan is doing in this video?
(YouTube sometimes displays video recommendations at the end of each video. We do not endorse these.)
I have seen the Grand Canyon three times in my lifetime. Each time, I have been awed by its beauty.
This month, I am posting some of the pictures from my recent trip out west.
What a magnificent landform!
If you teach landforms to your students, you may share these pictures to show some of the landforms which can be seen along Route 66.
The following pictures were taken at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. For other pictures along Route 66 view My Kicks on Route 66.
The last week of June, my husband, Eric, and I took a road trip across the United States, traveling from Tennessee to California. For a good portion of our journey, we traveled on Interstate 40, paralleling in many places the old Route 66.
You may be too young to know about Route 66. It was one of the first highways within the U.S. Highway System constructed in 1926. Its length was over two thousand miles, stretching originally from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California.
The narrow highway was the main thoroughfare from east to west until it was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, replaced by the Interstates, one being Interstate 40.
Bobby Troupe, an American songwriter, wrote the words of the song. “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946. I found out he wrote the lyrics with the help of his wife when he and his wife were on a ten-day journey to California, where Bobby hoped to build his song writing career in Hollywood.
My husband, born in 1948, quoted the words of this popular song as we journeyed along much of the same route.
I was intrigued to find out the history of Route 66 when we stopped at a museum along the way and as I searched the Internet while Eric was driving. When Interstate 40 was built, many people who made their income with businesses along the Route 66, had to either relocate or go out of business. It was a dark time for many.
Good news! In the last several years, there has been a movement in many of the states along the route to restore parts of the old road, with signs marking “Historic Route 66”. Many communities are being rejuvenated by the tourist trade of areas designated a National Scenic Byway.
Eric and I were blessed with time to stop along the way to appreciate several of the unique places. My “kicks” are best summarized in these photos. I hope you enjoy the scenes and captions. I pray they inspire you to take time in the coming year to have your own adventure.
Anyone who has ever traveled parts of this historic westward route most likely has a story to tell. I’d love to hear your story.
Sunset in Arkansas
Countryside Scene along Historic Route 66
Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas
Boca Negra Canyon in New Mexico
Sunset at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona
For more pictures visit Grand Landforms Along Route 66.