Hey everyone! Justin here. Today is a very special day because I'm going on my...
annual hot air balloon ride! My family takes this trip every year, it's become a tradition we have.
A tradition is something that people do over and over again.
Traditions are an important part of culture in a society or a group of people. And culture means
all the traditions, beliefs, and ways of life of a group of people. Another important part of the
culture in an area are the landmarks. People will go seeing landmarks in different places and
experience the local culture there at the same time. Some landmarks are famous around
the United States and even around the world! Let's take a look at some of them together, huh?
Welcome to another Operation Exploration, where we will explore... regions of the United States!
In this video, we're going to be exploring some of the landmarks,
food, and culture from the Midwest region of the United States. The midwestern states that
we're going to be talking about today are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Maybe you
live in one of these states and already know some of the things we're going to talk about today!
For crying out loud! That's a Midwest phrase. All right, well I'm ready to get up in the air and get
exploring! Hey, do you want to come along with me? Yes! Alright, great! Let's get going.
First stop, the Windy City, Chicago, Illinois, located along the Great Lakes shoreline.
Chicago is the third largest city and metropolitan area - which is the city and the suburbs around
it - in the United States. The metro population is almost 10 million people! This vibrant city
is well known for blues and jazz music, comedy and shows, shopping and dining, sports, architecture,
universities like the University of Chicago, and cultural attractions like the Skydeck
Chicago of Willis Tower, Chicago Botanic Garden, Grant Park, the Chicago Lakefront Trail, and Cloud
Gate designed by artist Anish Kapoor. At 66 feet long, you really can't miss this giant mirror!
Speaking of clouds, let's float on over to Indianapolis, the capital city of Indiana.
Indianapolis, often called the crossroads of America as it is the crossing point of four
major interstate highways, in the Hoosier state of Indiana. Indianapolis is a very
busy city with some important sports teams. Here's the Lucas Oil Stadium where the famous
Colts play football. It's also got some major sporting events, like the Indianapolis 500.
Indianapolis also has some cool places, like the Indianapolis Union Railroad Station
complete with historic clock tower, the Mall and National Headquarters of the American Legion,
and Monument Circle - home of the popular Indiana landmark the Soldiers and Sailors
Monument made out of limestone. This is Indiana's official memorial for all the Hoosiers that served
as soldiers during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War,
the Civil War, the Frontier Wars, and the Spanish-American War. That's a lot of wars!
I think they really deserve the tribute. Okay, one more stop in Indiana.
If we bend on over to the south bend, we will come upon the prestigious
Notre Dame University, complete with its famous Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.
Speaking of football, let's fly over to Iowa whose nickname, the Hawkeye State, is also the
state football team name - the Iowa Hawkeyes! And now, let's take a look at the capital city,
Des Moines. The meaning of the name Des Moines is unclear - the American Indians who inhabited there
first were called "Moingona" which is similar, but no one really knows for sure. As for the
state nickname and football team name, most people will tell you that the Hawkeye State got its name
from the Native American warrior Blackhawk, and probably also from the character of Hawkeye from
James Fennimore Cooper's novel The Last of the Mohicans, which inspired several movies.
Des Moines is the largest city in Iowa, and also the annual site of the Iowa State Fair,
home of Living History Farms, a 5,000 acre farming museum, the Des Moines Art Festival,
one of the world's most respected festivals surrounding the 4.4
acre John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and sometimes Ragbrai, a huge Iowa
cycling event that attracts cyclists from all over the country. Des Moines-eans,
uh, people who live in Des Moines, call this place "the bread basket of the world."
The state is also the top pork producer in the country. This combination leads to one of their
claim to fame comfort foods - the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. Okay, now I'm getting hungry.
Okay, quick before I have to stop and get a snack, we are off to Ohio, the Buckeye State, to see a
little about the famous city, Cincinnati. Hmm, do you think we could stop for a bite to eat here?
Cincinnati, the Queen City as many call it,
is unique in that its culture is a mixture of the Northeast,
South, Midwest, and Appalachian Mountains blended with a German heritage. Please? Oh no, I'm not
asking for anything, in Cincinnati that means "what" or "excuse me?" Anyway, onto landmarks.
Cincinnati is home to the John A Roebling Suspension Bridge,
the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, declared a national historic landmark in 1977,
the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the second oldest zoo in the country and
one of the world's most important thanks to their success in breeding animals in captivity,
and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which recognizes the significance of
Cincinnati where thousands of slaves escaped to freedom in the Underground Railroad.
And there are also plenty of art museums and exhibits here too,
like the Taft Museum of Art, one of the finest art museums in America,
located in the Baum-Longworth-Sinton-Taft House, another national historic landmark.
Before we leave Ohio, let's visit Cleveland. It's known as the Rock and Roll Capital because
of its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Forest City because of the historically
forested nature in the city, and for the Cleveland Clambake, consisting of clams,
steamed chicken, sweet potatoes, and corn. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Ohio is called the
Buckeye State because of its buckeye tree and its football team, located in Columbus, Ohio.
Okay fellow explorer, time to take flight to Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit, known for its coney, a hot dog with chili, mustard, and chopped fresh onions,
is the biggest city in Michigan, which borders four of the Great Lakes - Superior, Huron,
Erie, and Michigan. Detroit is a big city with plenty of museums, parks, and landmarks,
like the Renaissance Center. Seven interconnected skyscrapers with the world's largest rooftop
restaurant, accessible by a glass elevator ride. And it's also home to the Motown Museum House,
which tells you the story of the pop and soul music that started right here in Detroit.
Goodbye Michigan, and hello Missouri! Let's sit her down in Kansas City. Yeah, that's what I said!
Kansas City is on the border of Kansas, but it's in Missouri. Kansas City, nicknamed the Heart
of America because of its central location, is the largest city in Missouri, and oddly enough,
there's a Kansas City in Kansas right next to each other. Kansas City is also nicknamed the City of
Fountains because it has more fountains than any city in the world next to Rome.
It's got over 200 of them. Kansas City is also famous for its barbecue. It boasts its own unique
dish - burnt ends, which are the overcooked ends and edges of a brisket.
Okay, before we leave Missouri, we have to stop by St. Louis, the Gateway to the West,
the largest metropolitan area in Missouri filled with culture. It boasts the Gateway
Arch, the tallest man-made monument in the world. People say that this beautiful city
is second only to Washington, D.C. in terms of free activities you could do there. Plus,
you get to check out these cool views of the Mississippi River.
We are off once again in our trusty balloon to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Bordering the western shore
of Lake Michigan. Milwaukee, the biggest city in Wisconsin, is often called the Cream City because
of the cream-colored bricks that were first discovered and made here in the 19th century.
Milwaukee is a melting pot, constantly celebrating diversity, like here at the Puerto Rican Family
Festival, or at the Africa World Festival, which celebrates Africa and African American culture.
Up, up, and away! Where to? So glad you asked. The key word here is two, as in two cities, or twins.
The twin cities of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Minneapolis and Saint
Paul are known as the Twin Cities. They are side by side in Minnesota and share
similar cultures and atmospheres. The Twin Cities have plenty of amazing landmarks and attractions,
like the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, located in the Walker Art Center. This sculpture garden
has plenty of works of art, including the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry. Also found in Minneapolis
is the beautiful 55-foot tall Minnehaha Falls, located in the Minnehaha Regional Park.
You know, for some reason this waterfall makes me want to laugh out loud.
Next up, we have the Mall of America, the largest indoor shopping complex in the country,
complete with its own theme park and aquarium. Amazing!
We are on our final part of this adventure to take a look at the amazing Dakotas. We won't be landing
for this one, because these landmarks are huge. South Dakota and North Dakota have some amazing
landmarks. You can learn more about some of them in the other Midwest region lessons. From the
Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the Badlands to the famous Mount Rushmore to Tatanka, telling
the story of American Indians and bison in this area, to the Knife River Indian Villages National
Historic Site. The Dakotas are a fascinating place to visit and to end our Midwest adventure.
What an amazing adventure! I hope you had as much fun as I did learning about the culture
and landmarks of the Midwest region of the United States. Be sure to check out some of our other
Operation Exploration lessons to learn a bit more. And in the meantime, remember to always be clever!