We stopped at our twenty-ninth state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. The girls learned that Minnesota’s state bird is the Common Loon, its state flower is the Pink and White Lady’s Slipper, and that Minnesota is called the Gopher State. They also learned that Minnesota stands for “sky-tinted water” in Sioux.
We visited our twenty-eighth state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. The girls learned that the state bird of Wisconsin is the Robin, the state flower is the Wood Violet, and the state nickname is the Badger State. They also learned that Wisconsin is a major producer of cheese, milk, and butter.
We visited our twenty-seventh state capitol in Albany, New York. The girls learned that the state bird of New York is the Bluebird, and the state flower is the Rose. They also learned that New York’s nickname is the Empire State and that part of Niagara Falls (the part we visited) is in New York, and the rest is in Canada.
We visited Niagara Falls in New York with our extended family from Buffalo. We stayed on the American side, out of ease and in the interest of time. Next time, we’ll take at least a day and make the trip through customs to enjoy the Canadian side. If you go, remember to bring your passports! There isn’t much more than a park and a few shops on the American side.
