50 states field trips part 5

Our last leg of our trip around the United States is finally here!  There have been some truly amazing places that are not the least bit boring or traditional in what you would do on your average field trip.  We'll finish off our journey today with more of the best that our country has to offer.

South Carolina:  Old Slave Mart Museum.  Located in Charleston,  it is possibly the only known building used as a slave auction gallery in SC still in existence, the Old Slave Mart was once part of a complex of buildings known as Ryan's Mart. The complex had a brick wall enclosed yard, a four-story building that contained a "barracoon" or slave jail, a kitchen and a dead house or morgue. Slave auctions ended here in Nov. 1863. The museum recounts the story of Charleston's role in the inter-state slave trade, focusing on the history of the building and site and the slave sales that took place here.

South Dakota:  Mount Rushmore.  Probably only one of few predictable places to visit on our trip but still an amazing sight to see.  Located near Keystone, South Dakota, it is a monumental granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum. The United States Presidential Memorial represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America with 60-foot sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres and is 5,725 feet above sea level.

Tennessee:  The Chattanooga Choo Choo.  Today, trains have pride of place in Chattanooga's former Terminal Station. Once owned and operated by the Southern Railway, the station was saved from demolition after the withdrawal of passenger rail service in the early 1970s, and it is now part of a 30-acre (12-hectare) resort complex, including the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel, but in 2009 joining the Historic Hotels of America, and numerous historical railway exhibits.

Texas:  The New Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  Heralded as the largest football stadium in the country, the new Cowboys Stadium tours allow fans to get behind-the-scenes access several areas including Cowboys Locker Room, Cheerleaders Locker Room, Playing Field, Private Club, Player Interview Room and other access to be determined. All tour destinations are subject to availability and might not be available on the date of your tour.  Something for every football enthusiast to see!

Utah:  Utah Olympic Park.  Per the website:  Utah Olympic Park near Park City UT served as the 2002 Olympic venue for ski jumping, nordic combined, bobsled, skeleton and luge. Now, visitors are treated to self-guided and expert tours of the competition sites, including the world's highest altitude ski jumps and the fastest sliding track. Take the ride of your life on a bobsled at 70 miles per hour with 4 Gs of force. Try an introductory camp in ski jumping, luge, skeleton or slopestyle skiing and snowboarding. And be sure to visit the Alf Engen Ski Museum and 2002 Games exhibit.

Vermont:  The Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour.  Sorry, I totally went touristy here but everyone needs to know about ice cream!  The tour starts with a movie about how the company was created (way back in the creator's 7th grade!) and then you tour the factory before heading off to sample the goodies.  Whether you are an ice cream lover or not, there's a great cultural history lesson here!

Virginia:  The Virgina Aviation Museum.  The Virginia Aviation Museum features the spectacular SR-71 Blackbird; 36 historic, vintage aircraft; reproductions of the Wright brothers' kite, gliders and famous 1903 Flyer; early flight memorabilia; a World War II diorama that includes the Tuskegee Airmen and Women's Airforce Service Pilots; and the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame.

Washington:  Tillicum Village.  Upon arrival to Tillicum Village, you will be greeted with an appetizer of steaming clams in nectar. Inside the longhouse, watch as whole salmon are cooked over an alder-wood fire on cedar stakes in the traditional Northwest Coast Indian style. As you finish your meal, the lights dim while the myth and magic come to life in the spellbinding performance of Dance on the Wind, featuring dances in the spirit of coastal tribes. Visit their gift gallery featuring artwork of local artisans or stroll along the pristine beaches and many forested trails.

West Virginia:  Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine.  The main attraction is an actual tour that takes visitors below ground, under the supervision of an experienced veteran coal miner. Traveling 1500 feet beneath the hillsides of New River Park, visitors are carried along track, riding authentic "man cars" from the mine entrance, to old working areas of the coal mine and back. Stops throughout the tour explore the history of low-seam coal mining from the hand-loading days into the era of modern mechanization.

Wisconsin:  Miller Brewing Company Tour.  Located in Milwaukee, even if you don't like beer, it is still a fascinating and educational tour.  Similar to the Ben & Jerry's tour in Vermont, this tour includes a movie on the origins of the company, then a tour of the plant and finishes at a tasting (only if you are 21 or older!). 

Wyoming:  Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway.  Per the website:  The Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway provides travelers with a rich aesthetic, cultural and historical experience, as well as views of diverse landscapes and ecosystems. It crosses the Continental Divide between Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. The route provides a loop opportunity for visitors to these two famous National Parks, and is part of the Federal Highway system that includes other nearby scenic byways, such as the Beartooth Highway.

So there you have it.  Fifty interesting places to stop and visit as you take a cross country field trip.  If you were looking for the obvious like Graceland or Sesame Place, I hope you weren't disappointed.  Our country is full of wonderful historic and natural sites and it is a fortunate person who gets to experience them all.  Good luck on your journey!