New York History and Travel

We've just re-launched our New York Travel section here at Travel Highways and History and also have some excellent detail on the very interesting History of New York, which for you movie buffs was not nearly as tied up in the violent gang related bloodbaths depicted in Francis Ford Coppola's film "Gangs of New York". Although there were gangs around the Five Points area, the level of malice and organization in the film appear to be historically.... exaggerated to say the least. Here's a better historical background of the Five Points.

For most travelers the words "New York" conjure images of one of the world's largest and busiest cities. Wall Street massive wealth starkly contrasted with the poverty of other areas, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge, and much more.

However New York is much more than a city. The State of New York is fairly large by East Coast standards and offers a diverse landscape of ocean, mountains, and farmland. Long Island contains long stretches of sandy beaches. The Adirondack mountains in Northern New York are one of the USA's most pristine wilderness areas, set aside long ago as a natural preserve. The Catskills are not as rugged as the Adirondacks and are known more for the resorts catering to New York's early elite as for their natural beauty. Farming is bigger in New York than most realize, with many dairy farms, an active apple orchard industry, and farming Sugar Maple trees for the sap that is boiled down to make Maple Syrup. As a child who grew up in Northern New York one of my very fondest memories was heading out to the forest to watch the grizzled old men collect sap in buckets hanging from the sugar maples. The sap was the consistency of sugar water but was then boiled in large, open vats and stirred gently until it became a thick amber syrup. I still remember the taste of the warm samples, scooped out of the vat into tiny paper cups for the "tourists".

Washington History and Travel

Washington State offers the traveler dramatic scenery but also a wonderfully diverse cultural and historical landscape. From the Pacific Coastline to the Space Needle in Seattle to the high desert of eastern Washington this huge state offers the traveler a virtual cornucopia of Pacific Northwestern experiences they won't soon forget.

The Washington State History site , historylink, is a great resource to learn about Washington History.

Washington Cities and Towns A-B

Washington Cities and Towns C-F

Washington Cities and Towns G-L

Washington Cities and Towns M-P

Washington Cities and Towns Q-U

Washington Cities and Towns V-Z

Washington Travel

US History

Washington State

The area now called Washington State has been inhabited for over 11,000 years.

The first people in the region were likely the descendants of Asians who had crossed a land bridge to North America at the end of the last ice age.

At the time of the Europeans' arrival, there were two major native groupings. One was located on the Columbia Plateau to the east of the Cascade Mountain Range and included such tribes as the Cayuse, Nez Percé, Okanogan, Palouse, Wenatchee and Yakima. Those Indians were semi-nomadic and sometimes had difficulty feeding themselves during long periods of adverse weather. The other group lived close to bodies of water — major rivers, Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. They included the Chinook, Clallam, Clatsop, Makah, Nisqually, Puyallup, Quinault, Salish and Snohomish.

More Washington History

Washington Travel

Got History?

Here at Travel, Highways, and History we'd like to hear from you about your local or regional history. If you have historical information or stories you'd like to see at the site go ahead and post them at the comments of this blog or email to: jhunkins@gmail.com and we'll work to get that information in the right parts of our site.

We're also very interested in what types of information you'd like to see here at the website. We've got some of the most detailed US History information anywhere online, and are now combining that with a lot of travel and city information from our other websites. Coming soon are pictures, hotel reviews, weather, and more news feeds.

If you have a blog about your local region or city let us know and we'll help spread the word. There is no better source for travel information than a local, and we'd like to see a lot more locals blogging about travel and history in their region.

Kilauea Lava, Hawaii

Kilauea Lava, Hawaii
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

On the western edge of Hawaii's big island past and present collide on a regular basis as lava from Kilauea's current eruption slowly makes its way to the sea. This 2005 photo is taken near the "Chain of Craters" road in the national park which has been destroyed by a series of flows over the past few decades.

Unlike explosive "pyroclastic" volcanos, Hawaii's Kilauea tends to release lava and gas very slowly, allowing visitors to step to within a few feet of flowing hot lava. The intense heat prevents you from getting too close or falling in. Hot lava quickly cools and "skins over" and can be walked on within hours.

Crab Boats in Crescent City Harbor, California

Crab Boats in Crescent City Harbor, California
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Dungeness Crab season usually begins around December 1, and brings a flurry of fishing activity to the the Northern California, Oregon, and Washington Coasts.

Here in Crescent City (photo taken last year) boats wait for the announcement that will allow them to go set their hundreds of crab pots. After a few days they'll pull the pots and hope for a good Crab harvest.

1943: A "Wiper" in Clinton Iowa giving a giant H class locomotive a bath of live steam

Originally uploaded by The Library of Congress

In Clinton, Iowa Viola Sievers cleans a massive steam engine as part of the US WWII War Effort. Taken by Jack Delano and part of the US Library of Congress War Photo Collection.