Did You Know...? Route 66 starts in Chicago. The city’s first known settler was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a black man. Chicago is the Windy City because of Chicagoan bragging about the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago (1885). Engineers reversed the flow of
Did You Know? Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park saw the bloodiest two-day battle of the Civil War (36,000 casualties). The tilt on the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway maxes out at 72.7%. The Tennessee Aquarium is the world’s largest freshwater aquarium, holding 1.1 million gallons of water. “The Chattanooga Choo
Did You Know? Charlotte is home to 90% of all NASCAR team shops. Charlotte doubles for Washington, D.C., in the TV drama, “Homeland.” The first gold found in America (1899), a 17-pound nugget, was used as a doorstop for three years. Charlotte hosted the first NASCAR stock-car race in 1949.
Did You Know ... ? Charles Towne Landing was the first permanent English settlement in the Carolinas (1670). The real Catfish Row in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” is a place in Charleston called Cabbage Row. The opening shots of the American Civil War (1861) were fired at Fort Sumter, in
Did You Know? When seeking statehood, Nevada telegraphed its constitution (16,543 words) to D.C. for $4,313.27 in 1861 dollars. The nearby Comstock Lode was the world’s largest silver find. John Wayne’s last movie, “The Shootist” (1976), was filmed in Carson City’s historic district. The architect’s fee for the Nevada State
Did You Know ... ? Ben & Jerry’s opened its first shop in a rundown gas station in Burlington, in 1978. Ethan Allen, of Green Mountain Boys fame, lived in Burlington for his last 12 years. About a quarter of Vermont’s population lives in Chittenden County, for which Burlington is
Did You Know? Former Buffalo mayor, William Fargo, cofounded American Express (1850) and Wells Fargo Bank (1852). Once in history, an ice jam stopped the flow of Niagara Falls (March 1848). Buffalo’s Statler Hotel was the first U.S. hotel with a closet, telephone, private bath and running water in each
Did You Know….? Branson’s tourism business dates back to 1907. Eighty-two percent of the town’s visitors arrive in their personal vehicles. Branson boasts around 58,000 theater seats, more than are in New York's Broadway district. The first theater was built on Highway 76 (Branson’s Strip) in 1967. Branson is within
Did You Know? In spring, it can cost up to $36,000 to open the high-altitude Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Actor Robert Redford was a janitor at The Sink restaurant and bar before he made it big. The city’s east-west Baseline Road sits at the 40th parallel
Did you know...? The Boston Marathon, mother of all city marathons, was first run in 1897 with 15 racers. Boston hosted the first baseball World Series (Boston Pilgrims vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates) in 1903. The African Meeting House was the first church built by free blacks in the U.S. (1806).
