Tag Archives: history

50 States Road Trip – Maine

Maine is the most north easternmost state in the province of New England and is well known for its rocky mountains and jagged coastline. With dense forests and awe-inspiring waterfalls, its natural beauty rivals that of countries such as Norway and Scandinavia. The state experiences a range of weathers, from cold and brisk in the winter to fairly warm and humid in the summer.current state

Puffins

There are a number of Puffin nesting places along the coast of Maine, as well as on various smaller islands just off the Maine Coastline, including Western Egg Rock and Seal Island. However by the early 1990’s, these  numbers had dwindled to just a single pair of puffins living south of the Canadian borders.

Atlantic_Puffins,_Scotland

Local lighthouse keepers made efforts to preserve these birds and now there are around 150 pairs of puffins living on the Matinicus Rock Island, and the number is still growing. Take a trip out to the coastline of Maine to catch a glimpse of these beautiful birds.

 

Eartha

Maine is also home to the world’s largest 3D scale model of our revolving earth. A massive 41.5 feet in diameter, it was given the title of the ‘World’s Largest Revolving/Rotating Globe’ by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999 and still holds the title to this day. It took two years to build and represents the Earth as we would see it from space.

Stephen King

The world famous horror, sci-fi and fantasy novelist Stephen King was born and grew up in Scarborough in Maine, and many of his horror novels and short stories revolve around various towns in the state. A special tour guide SK-tours will provide a tour around all the sites in and around the city of Bangor which feature in the author’s many horror stories.

Bangor is better known in the Stephen King world as its fictional name; Derry, and the tour visits up to 30 sites including places where Stephen King used to live and work, as well as various sights and informational spots that inspired him to create various stories. The tour lasts around 3 hours. Alternatively you can always hire a car in Bangor and make your own way around the various sites.

Next Stop

We head south in continuing our road trip to the state of Massachusetts, well known for Cape Cod and the city of Salem, known for its infamous Witch hunts.

50 States Road Trip – New Hampshire

Located in the New England region of the United States, New Hampshire was named after the southern English country of Hampshire and is the 5th smallest of the 50 states of America. As one of the 13 founding states of the original United States of America, New Hampshire’s history is vast and long. However for tourists visiting the state, New Hampshire is more famous for its large ski mountains and recreational activities.

current state

Winter Sports

New Hampshire is well known for its many different winter sports, including skiing, snowmobiling, hiking and mountaineering, as well as its beautiful sea coast. A number of hiking trails are available on its large ski mountains, and fans of snowboarding will find New Hampshire a great place to go to practise in the winter.

Isle of Shoals

White_Island_Light,_Isles_of_Shoals,_NH

Hop aboard for a unique cruise around this cluster of 9 tiny islands located just off the New Hampshire coast. The tiny islands are just picturesque as you cruise around them on a guided tour, plus some of the larger islands such as Star island even have accommodation available for those wishing to live their own isolated paradise for a day or two.

Chutters Candy Store

Who doesn’t love sweets? With the world’s longest candy counter and a huge selection of both traditional sweets and the latest trending flavours, Chutters candy store in Littleton will have anyone feeling like a kid again.

With 112 feet of large glass jars with a huge range of flavours from everyday to   those exotic, limited edition flavours, you’ll find something for everyone in Chutters.

Whale Watching

whale-watch During the warmer months, visitors to New Hampshire and the locals get the exciting opportunity to be able to see various different species of whales as they migrate to the coast of New Hampshire and Maine in order to head out to the major feeding grounds along these coasts. Keep your wits about you as you try to identify Humpback whales, Finback and Minke whales swimming and playing about the water. You can try to see them from the coast or head out on a whale watching tour where you can get closer to the action.

Next Stop

We grab a hired car Maine to head slightly north onto the next state in our 50 states road trip, to the state of Maine, which is the home state of esteemed horror writer Stephen King, where many of his novels and short stories actually take place.

Most Sacred Sites in the World

Temples, Shrines, Mosques, Churches; sacred places have an eerie calmness unlike nothing else seen on this earth. In visiting some of the most sacred places in the world you may find out something new about a religion you previously had no interest in, you may be inspired to try something new, you may discover things about people you didn’t know before. Religion is a heavily influential thing present in most if not all modern and ancient societies, but religion has also built some of the most beautiful buildings we can see today. Here at Penguin we take a look at some of the world’s most beautiful sacred religious locations.

Meiji Shrine – Tokyo

meiji-shrine-gate

Built 100 years ago and dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken, the Meiji Shrine is located in one of the central areas of Tokyo, but is surrounded by dense, beautiful forest land. It is an ideal location to sit and meditate in peace away from the busy business life of modern day Tokyo, but it has all the modern amenities of being only 10 minutes away from a subway station. The huge archways built in the Meiji Shrine are over 40 feet tall and are carved from solid wood.

Notre Dame Cathedral – Paris

Considered as one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and known for its beautifully sculpted arches and stained glass windows, Notre Dame was first completed in 1345 and currently contains the official chair of the archbishop of Paris. The cathedral has 10 bells, all named, the largest of which weighs over 13 tons.

Western Wall – Jerusalem

Located at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount, the Western Wall is one of the most sacred sites recognised by those of the Jewish faith, second only to Temple Mount itself. It is a place where the thousands gather in their masses to pray and worship. It is often speculated how the giant stones of the western wall were made, but nothing is certain. Men and Women must worship and pray at separate sections of the Western Wall.

Lotus Temple – New Delhi

lotus-temple

Serving as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent, the Lotus Temple is so named for its flower-like design. The beautiful temple has won countless architectural awards. The temple is open to all regardless of religion or faith, and the Baha’i laws decree that the House of Worship is designed to be a gathering place for people of all religions to worship God without restrictions. Although Choir music is permitted, no musical instruments can be played inside the lotus.

Is there a temple or shrine that you would love to visit? Penguin car hire can help you get there with a hired car!

50 States Road Trip – Wisconsin

Pack your travel bag, because Wisconsin is a relative treasure trove of hiking trails, adventure parks and fantastic locations ideal for fishing and camping holidays. Whether you love living in the great outdoors, or you just like visiting it on occasion, Wisconsin has so much to offer. Aside from the numerous hiking trails and camping locations, Wisconsin has a couple of other gems for those travellers looking for something a little different.

wisconsin-map

Cave of the Mounds

One of the most famous caves of America, Cave of the Mounds is a National Natural Landmark, created over hundreds of thousands of years to become the natural wonder you can go and see today. It is referred to as the ‘jewel box of America’ out of the major natural caves, due to its intricate and unique formations.

cave-moundsGuided tours of the cave are available all year round, and because the interior of the cave is always warm, the cave is a popular destination to take the family in the winter. Guests can wander around the intricate butterfly and prairie gardens, as well as participating in their own fossil dig. The gift shop of Cave of the Mounds contains rock and fossil specimens from all over the world, making it an essential tour stop.

Cheese and Wine

Wisconsin is a state famous for its dairy produce, its cheese in particular. With over 100 cheese factories, visitors are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to eating delicious cheese. For a unique experience, try the Cedar Valley Cheese Store where you can sample some 300 varieties of Wisconsin cheese.

Hire a car and drive south for around 20 miles where you will find the Cedar Creek Winery, a historic mill built in the 1860’s. This mill creates several award winning wines, made with a variety of spices and fragrances, ideal as an accompaniment to the beautiful cheeses of the Cedar Valley Cheese store, or on its own.

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee-Art-Museum

A giant art museum that holds over 30,000 stunning pieces of art. Located by Lake Michigan in Milwaukee this art museum is visited by over 350,000 people a year, and has a self states mission to ‘collect and preserve art, presenting it to the community as a vital source of inspiration and education’. The museum has also been praised for its extensive collection of individual architecture.

Various pieces of historical architecture include the 1957 War Memorial Centre by finnish-american architect Eero Saarinen and the Quadracci Pavilion created by Santiago Calatrava in 2001, a Spanish architect.

Next Stop…

Still heading East on our journey through the 50 states of America, we travel into Michigan next time, home to the largest crucifix in the world. Detroit, which is the state of Michigan’s most populous city, is also known as the car capital of the world.

50 States Road Trip to start the New Year

As we say goodbye to 2013, the sun rises on a brand new year, and we look forward to bringing you all a fun filled year full of travel facts and useful information. We hope you’ll continue to choose penguin for all your travel needs and we are really excited about what 2014 will bring to the table!

So, how about a road trip across the USA?

With 50 states, over 3000 miles of open road and countless landmarks, all you can eat steakhouses and beautiful sunrises, the land of the free has so much to offer to both experienced country hoppers and new travellers. We here at Penguin hope to give you something memorable to do in each state of America, just to see how much culture and tradition you can experience while travelling right from the icy plains of Alaska all the way through to the jagged, rocky coastline of Maine.

map-usa-america-flag

The New World

Situated in the Western Hemisphere and covering more than 25% of Earth’s land mass, The United States have a population of nearly 1 billion. Although the Native Americans have settled in The Americas since 40,000 BCE, the modern USA as most people know it was colonised in 1500 from the voyages of Christopher Columbus and became independent on the 4th July 1776.

In a little over 500 years, the USA has grown rapidly to become one of the world’s most powerful and leading continents, paving the way in both technology and culture. However America still pays homage to its humble roots, and is very proud of its heritage, as is shown in its landmarks. From the countless war memorials situated across America to its truly recognisable Hollywood sign in L.A California, America is known for its loud, wild and often beautiful land marks.

Hollywood_Sign

What to look forward to

In the coming weeks we will be taking you across America, having a look at some of its iconic views, vistas and points of interest, historically, culturally and geographically, to see what makes America, and road trips across the continent, one of the most beautiful places to visit in the modern world. Whether you are hitchhiking, camping, or on a road trip across America in a hired car, be sure not to miss our upcoming blogs where we go into more detail at what to see when you’re travelling through all 50 States of the USA.

Get your cameras readycamera-and-batteries

As although a lot of these sites have already been documented, no doubt through professional lenses, it is always better to be there and experience the sights for yourself. Make sure to take spare batteries for these are experiences you don’t want to miss!

Where to start?

Normally lists for the 50 states of America are done alphabetically, so we’re going to do something a little different. Starting right in the North West with Washington, we are going to travel in a snaking motion, going across and then down as we visit each state in turn, finally ending up in sunny Florida in the South East.