Historic Washington, DC

Hi Puzzlers,
We have heard so many stories about our puzzlers using the resort, states and historic puzzles to plan their vacations we thought you would like to hear about our very own Jill’s trip to Washington, DC.

Jill and her daughter headed out to Washington, DC with our puzzle in hand. Jill reports that the puzzle was extremely handy for mapping out their route of must-sees. “We were able to tell from looking at the puzzle what sites we could walk to and which would require public transportation.” WOW! We thought our puzzles were just fun and educational but it appears the people at Rand McNally may have some added competition!

Among Jill’s list of must-sees was Union Station. Union Station opened on October 27, 1907 and is thought to be one of the best examples of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture. During this time period train travel was the primary mode of transportation, even for the President. Construction of a Presidential Suite began in the early 1900s and in 1909 President Taft had the honor of being the first President to use the suite. Through the years many kings and queens were officially welcomed here. Among the many were King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, King Albert I of Belgium, King Prajadipok of Siam, Queen Marie of Rumania, and King Haasan II of Morocco. Jill says to take an official tour of the city; she took a trolley tour, “It is a must if you haven’t been there before”.

The Lincoln Memorial was the first stop on her tour and she was quite impressed with the memorial beginning “larger than life”. Pictures cannot prepare you for how you will feel standing next to this enormous memorial. Next was the Arlington Cemetery, which leaves one feeling awed, looking at how large it is. A whole day was spent in the Museum of American History, which was highlighted by seeing all the first ladies inaugural gowns. At the Museum of Natural History she got to see the Hope Diamond! Yes it was HUGE! “But I found the other jewels to be more appealing because of the different colors and stones and they were just as large.”

Jill says she would definitely go back, and that one-week was not enough time to see everything!

Jill also recommends dining at the Old Ebbitt Grill .

Thanks for sharing, Jill!

Happy Puzzling!

Bowling

Hi Puzzlers,
I am happy to report to you that my Nanny’s bowling league took first place this season! Nanny and the gang are in their mid-to-late 70’s so I feel this is inspiring news. In the early 80s I played as a spare on a team but never fully caught the bowling bug, though millions of people worldwide over the last 5000 years have. Bowling has become a great American pastime. It is a sport of the people and of kings.

Bowling is one of the oldest sports in history. Ancient artifacts, similar to items used in today’s bowling, were unearthed from an Egyptian tomb dating back to 5200 BC. “Ancient Polynesians rolled stones at objects from a distance of 60 feet - the same distance as from foul line to headpin.” Some claim bowling originated in Germany around 300 AD and was used as a religious ceremony for determining the absence of sin. German monks introduced the “game” to the masses and it flourished as a “customary test of faith.”

By the 14th century, bowling, in its many forms, had become so popular it began to interfere with the national archery defense practices in England, causing King Richard II and King Richard III to ban the game from 1327-1399. “During the regime of King Henry VIII, the game gained popularity and was played as a symbol of nobility and social status.”

“In 1841, Connecticut banned ‘bowling at the game of ninepins’ because of widespread gambling. Other states followed suit. It is popularly believed that today's game of tenpins was devised to circumvent the laws against the game of ninepins. Bowling has been banned throughout the world for the "evil it leashes on society."

Over 100 million people in more than 90 countries play the game, making it one of the most popular and universally loved sports in the world.

Happy Puzzling!

Happy Father's day

Hi Puzzlers,

Father’s Day is Sunday June 20th and we would like to wish all the Dad puzzlers a Happy Father’s Day!

Sonora Smart Dodd came up with the idea of having children honor their father’s after attending a church service honoring Mother’s Day in 1909. Sonora’s father raised her and her five siblings after her mother died during childbirth. She wanted a holiday that honored fathers like her own father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was left to raise his family alone and did so with loving compassion.

“So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day.”

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

Author is unknown

Happy Father’s Day!

Artist Robert Duncan

Hi Puzzlers,

We would like you to meet our newest artist Robert Duncan. That's him in the front row with his wife Linda and their family.

Robert Duncan was born in Utah and began painting at age eleven. He spent summers as a boy on his grandparents' ranch in Wyoming where his grandmother gave him his first set of oil paints. It was there that he grew to love the country, the open spaces, and the rural lifestyle. Robert has painted professionally for about 25 years. He studied at the University of Utah and worked as a commercial artist before his full-time dedication to the fine art of the American West. Robert was elected into the Cowboy Artists of America at a young age and won two silver medals in their annual exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum - a dream come true. Robert, his wife Linda, their six children, and a lively assortment of farm animals live in the little town of Midway in Northern Utah.

I decided years ago to paint the things that I cared most about. That decision has brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction and I'm especially grateful that my family has been such an important part of all of this."

"I grew up in the suburbs, but every chance I got, I would sneak out to nearby fields to watch the birds or play in the creek, and the summers I spent on my granddad's ranch really taught me how much we all need Nature in our lives. But change is all around us. The family farm is disappearing at an alarming rate. Development and sprawl cover fertile fields by the minute. I want my grandchildren to be able to walk through a field and hear a meadowlark call. We don't all have to live on a farm, but to pass by and see the cows grazing or just to know that there are wild places being kept wild makes our lives better. In a way, my paintings are a call to think about the things that have touched our lives and hope that we might all be willing to do our part to save these things for future generations."

Happy Puzzling!

Hot Air Balloons

Hi Puzzlers,

June 11-13th there will be a hot air balloon festival here in North Conway NH and I’m so excited to go and see them. I have always been mesmerized by their colorful, grand stature. What’s truly amazing to me is the fact that they can fly with just hot air.

British balloonist Julian Nott speculated that the Nazca culture of Peru could have used hot air balloons some 1500 to 2000 years ago to help design the famous Nazca ground figures and lines. Using the materials that were available at that time, balloonists determined it would have been possible for a hot air balloon to fly.

The first officially documented hot air balloon flight took place on September 19, 1783. The balloon was made by the French brothers, Jacques and Joseph Montgolfier, in the town of Alchemy located in southern France. The hot air balloon was fueled by burning straw, wool and dried horse manure and on board were a rooster, a duck and a sheep. After experimenting for a while Jacques took the first tethered ride on October 15, 1783.

With the approval of King Louis XVI, the first passengers/pilots of a free flight in a hot air balloon were Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurnet. Originally, King Louis wanted “condemned criminals” to take the first flight but Francois and Pilatre where finally granted the honor on November 21, 1783.

The balloon ascended 500 feet and then landed in a vineyard a few miles away. Upon landing, the “local farmers raced towards it with pitchforks, ready to attack this strange object from the sky. To prevent the farmers from destroying the balloon, Pilatre and Francois offered them a bottle of champagne, as thanks for allowing them to land in their field. Today, in memory of that first courageous flight, champagne (or an Australian sparkling wine) is often drunk after a hot air balloon ride.”

So cheers to the hot air balloon festival and puzzling!