Roaming in the Land of the Free…

1.Twitter

Now if you thought that Twitter was the best social media platform, the most private ever, wait till you hear this

Apparently over in the US, the Library of Congress is keeping an archive of every tweet ever tweeted

Why?

For posterity!

See one of the missions of the Library of Congress is to collect memoirs of America and to amass narratives that will have research value

Currently, it houses millions of hard copy books and historic documents, and its online archives amass millions of additional works produced by Americans for more than two centuries.
Now it wants to be keeper of the nation’s brief internet messages as well

Haha! Good luck archiving all 400 million tweets sent by Americans each and every day!

 

2. Five Jewels in the Crown

Thanks for listening to Expat Radio 963XFM.   

Now what’s your idea of a perfect vacation?

Live theater under the stars?

Camping amidst pristine wilderness and breathtaking vistas?

Canoeing around remote islands…

Then how about sitting comfortably at the water’s edge with a good book in hand?

Then you know what?

It sounds like you need a trip to Door County, Wisconsin

The county offers nearly 300 miles of spectacular shoreline and five majestic state parks

also known as “five jewels in the crown” where there’re myriad recreational opportunities to choose from

From hiking and camping to snowmobiling

Or if you prefer to be surrounded by nature and watch performances under the stars together with your family and friends

A visit to the Northern Sky Theatre is a must

No worries, ticket prices are very reasonable and camping grounds are within walking distance from the theatre.

But book early though… to avoid disappointment

 

3. Canyoning (known as CANYONEERING IN U.S) – Zion National Park 

Thanks for staying with me here on Globetrekker.

On your next vacation, if you’re hoping to do something different, something more challenging… like route-finding, rappelling or abseiling, problem-solving, climbing, scrambling, swimming and hiking all at the same time

You might wanna consider canyoning? Or what they call canyoneering in the US

And… Zion National Park happens to be one of the best places for canyoneering

Located near Springdale, Utah

Zion’s unique array of plants and animals will have you spellbound

With dozens of canyons to explore, some barely wide enough for you and I to squeeze through,

the park offers opportunities that range from trips for beginners to experiences requiring a permit and advanced technical skills

While you’re there… remember to check out the famous Kolob Arch perched high on the canyon wall with a majestic curve like a condor’s wings nestled deep within Zion National Park’s Kolob Canyons District

 

4. Universal Orlando Resort 

Now if you’ve just come away from the Harry Potter set in Southern London’s Leavesden and you can’t stop talking about it

You might wanna check out The Wizarding World of Harry Potter nestled within Universal Orlando Resort!

There are two main attractions including the Diagon Alley and Hogsmead

And the way to enjoy the best of both worlds is to get the park-to-park admission ticket to ride the Hogwarts express

to travel between the two lands

From the new Gringotts ride to the store fronts and interactive wand areas, Universal did a great job with the little details to make it true to life!

But what if you’re not that into Harry Potter?

There are other thrilling rides that you could go on as well like the Rip Ride Rocket and The Mummy

Or if you prefer slower rides, there’s E.T, Disaster and Men in Black

For something more fun, you could get on the Despicable Me and the Simpsons motion rides

And if you don’t wanna wait in line?

Then get thee express pass to enjoy priority access to all your favourite rides!

 

5. Christmas

It may seem like Christmas is a much celebrated festival in the United States, but that wasn’t always the case

In fact, the joyous religious holiday was banned in America for several decades by Christians themselves
The original war on Christmas was waged during the sixteenth and seventeenth century by Puritans or Protestant Christians who believed that people needed strict rules to be religious and that any kind of merry-making is sinful

So Christmas was actually banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681
Although it took many years after that for people to start embracing and believing in Christmas again

Christmas as we know it today, isn’t complete without mistletoe, eggnog and candy canes

 

6. Guinness World Record

Star wars fanatics have every reason to idolize Steve Sansweet

The 70 year old owns the world’s largest collection of star wars memorabilia

He’s none other than the chairman and president of Rancho Obi-wan – a refurbished chicken ranch turned into a non-profit museum that houses the memorabilia

He has amassed an estimated 300,000 unique items in the museum in Northern Carolina, USA

As of May 2014, over 92,000 items have been accurately audited and cataloged

He estimates that the cataloguing process will take many more years to complete as his collection continues to grow

 

7. Twinkies

Now if you’re a fan of thee iconic American snack cake Twinkies or “Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling”

James Dewar invented it at the Continental Baking Company in Schiller Park, Illinois, in 1930
And when bananas were scarce during World War II

Twinkies had to substitute its original banana cream filling for vanilla

And as if they weren’t ridiculously good enough already, the Texas State Fair started the fad of deep-frying them
So whether Twinkies are dumped in hot oil or eaten straight from their packaging

These ladyfinger shaped snack cakes that are pierced three times to inject the filling… taste so good!

And they bring back such fond memories of recess time as well!

But do take note though, that they do not have infinite shelf lives

Contrary to popular belief, they actually expire in just 25 days

 

8. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 

If you’re gonna be in Alburquerque, New Mexico, USA this October

Do make time to drop by and be part of the world’s largest hot air balloon festival

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta spans 9 days and is usually in early October

Just picture over 500 multi-coloured hot air balloons up in the sky all at the same time

It’s quite a sight, I tell ya!

No wonder the Balloon Fiesta is easily the most photographed event in the world and the largest annual international event held in the United States

Just imagine 54 football fields put together – that’s the size of Balloon Fiesta’s launch field!

At any one time during the festival, it’s not uncommon to find 100,000 spectators gathered on the launch field to observe inflation and take off procedures

The best part is… when you and I walk the fields… we become part of the attraction as well
So be part of the Balloon Fiesta this October and watch your dreams take flight!

 

9. Baseball

Thee United States is so big on football that sometimes it’s easy to forget just how popular baseball is as well

Fact is, baseball was first declared a national pastime or “national game” as early as 1856 after a baseball craze hit the metropolitan area

Fast forward to today, baseball is still a very popular sport in America along with hockey, boxing and football

Never mind that football has overshadowed baseball and is currently deemed America’s most favourite past time, it may not stay that way for very long

Word is, football will no longer be popular by 2050

History shows that America’s sports agenda is very fluid and just because one sport is dominant today doesn’t mean it will remain on top forever

Anyway, coming back to baseball

If you haven’t watched the 2013 American biographical film, “42” about Jackie Robinson, a black American playing professional baseball on a white team and how he broke baseball’s shameful color barrier

Then… maybe that’s one inspirational movie you could catch this weekend!

 

10. S’more (appears to be a contraction of some more)

Would you like S’more? (laugh)

Thanks for joining me here on Globetrekker

Hope you’re enjoying the music so far …more songs you could sing along to coming your way

Meanwhile speaking of S’more which appears to be a contraction of some more is actually a simple and traditional American campfire treat that’s very popular in the United States

S’mores consists of a roasted marshmallow plus a thin slice of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham crackers
This camping favourite is best prepared over an open flame, and is not really recommended for the stove top
although “baked s’mores” is a decent alternative, nothing beats a real s’more when you’ve got a fire to toast and roast the marshmallows
National S’mores Day is celebrated annually on August 10th
And according to the Slate online magazine, “the first known s’mores recipe appeared in 1927 in a Girls Scout handbook Trampling and Trailing with the Girl Scouts”

 

Trailer

Hey, it’s Lynette Tan your Globetrekker host on XFM963

Can you imagine 500 colourful hot balloons up in the sky all at the same time?

Or picture over 300 miles of spectacular shoreline and five majestic state parks resembling “five jewels in the crown”?

So many picture perfect fun facts about America as we celebrate the 4th of July –

US Independence Day all this week.

Stay tuned also for familiar favourites from the likes of Elvis Presley, Carpenters and the Supremes

So remember our little date from 12 to 1pm on Globetrekker and

Experience Home Closer on Expat Radio 96.3XFM