Hi From Los Angeles, California!

This is a special trip because I got to visit a TV studio! That is the name of the building where TV shows are made. When Mr. and Mrs. North went to Wheel of Fortune, they took me along. I met Flat Vanna White and Flat Pat Sajak in the lobby. It's nice that I'm not the only one who's flat!

 

Afterwards, we went drove around Los Angeles. It is a very big and busy city - the second biggest in our country. Only NYC is bigger. It has a lot of hills. We went up to the top of one and looked down. The tall buildings look small now because they are far away.

The weather is warm and sunny all year. It looks foggy, but that is not fog at all. It is smog. That is dirty air that looks smoky instead of clear. It is from pollution made by all of the cars and other vehicles, and by chimneys in buildings. Smog is not healthy to breathe. I'm glad that our air in Rock Hill is a lot cleaner than this.

 

Besides hills, California does have a lot of mountains too, but not near Los Angeles, where we are. Search on your computer for Yosemite Park, and you will see pictures of many big California mountains.

 

It is so warm that we left our winter coats in Rock Hill because we won't need them here. It hardly rains at all. Because it is so hot and dry, special kinds of plants grows here. They are called succulents. The leaves of succulents are fat, and filled with water. They are a lot like cactuses, except without the pointy spines that stick out. The plant stores water so it will be able to live for a long time between rains. Here's a picture of a succulent:

 

 

 

California has so many beaches because it is a big state, and one side is next to the Pacific Ocean. The waves are bigger here than the ones at SC beaches.  We rode on a ferris wheel at the beach, and took this picture looking down. Even though it is December, a lot of people are there, but not too many are in the water. Most are staying on the sand.

 

 

This will be a quick trip. It is almost over. We will get home on Sunday night.  Mrs. North and I will be back at school on Monday.

 

See you soon,

Flat Stanley

 



 

Thanksgiving in Florida

Hi boys and girls,
Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving break from school?
I sure did! I just got back from my trip to Florida, and I want to tell you about my adventures.

It started with a big turkey dinner. I hopped up on the counter to get a look at the turkey as soon as it came out of the oven.

 

I'll bet it looks a lot like what you ate. Did you eat turkey too? Because Florida is part of our own country, most of the foods and traditions there are the same as ours.

 

After dinner, we went for a boat ride. Florida has lots of  lakes. This one is called Lake Padgett. I even got to help steer the  boat!

 

Florida is further south than where we live in SC, so the weather is warmer.  It NEVER snows, but it does rain a lot. It was so warm that we went to the beach one day. We collected seashells, and had a picnic. The best part was finding animals on the beach. I saw a horseshoe crab. Can you guess why it is called that? 

 

 

The first picture shows the top of its shell. We flipped it over to see the legs and body underneath.

 

Here is a sea star on the sand. Sea star is another name for star fish.

Florida has a LOT of beaches because it is surrounded by water on three sides.

 

Yes, Journey, Florida has a lot of people and houses. You know that there are 50 states in our country. Only 3 of them (California, New York, and Texas) have more people than Florida does.

Can you figure out how many states have less people than Florida?

 

Gage and Saul want to know if there are mountains or volcanoes in Florida. The answer is no to both of those. In fact, Florida is the flattest state of all.

 

I brought back something to show you. It is called Spanish moss. It is grayish green. It grows on all kinds of trees and bushes. It hangs down and sometimes falls off. Some people think it looks pretty. Some people think it looks spooky. What do you think?

 

It is an odd plant because it has no roots to get water out of the ground. It gets water out of the air.

 

On our way home we stopped in Lake City to visit your pen pals' school. Because it was Sunday, the school was closed, and we couldn't meet the teachers or children, but Mrs. North and I did stand by the school sign to have our picture taken.

 

 

I'm happy to be home again. I love to see new places and try new things, but it is always good to get back home.

 

Your friend,

Flat Stanley