More from Washington State

Hi again girls and boys!

I have been going to lots of places, and seeing lots of things for a week since I wrote to you last time.
I want to show you and tell you all about it.

Aracely asked me if there are beaches here. There are, but they are not one bit like the beaches in SC.

Instead of soft sand, beaches are covered with rocks. There are other huge rocks out in the water. The water is ice cold all year round. No one goes swimming at these beaches. They ARE nice for taking a walk, listening to the sound of the waves, or walking your dog. People who want to go swimming go to a pool.

I think you know who Washington State was named after. That's right, our first president. The people here are very proud of that, and so his picture is on road signs. Where ever you drive in Washington, you see signs like this:



Nolexia wanted to know what kinds of plants grow here. The nickname of Washington is "The Evergreen State" because there are many, many forests full of trees that don't drop their leaves in the fall. They are always green. Some evergreen trees are pine trees (like the ones you planted for Arbor Day) and spruce trees and fir trees. They have needles instead of leaves. Christmas trees are evergreen trees. Here is an evergreen forest:

JaKayla wrote, "What is the weather?"  Because WA is up far to the north, the weather is colder than it is in Rock Hill. In the summer it doesn't get really hot. People wear jackets all year round.  In the winter, it is very cold, and snows a lot. This is how the parking lot looked when we woke up one morning.




Another question I found in my backpack (could not find a name on this one) asks what kids do for fun here. Just like you, they ride bikes, watch TV, play sports, swing, slide, and  play video games.

Because of the snow, mountains, and cold weather, they also get to go skiing.
 

 

These kids are lined up for a lesson in ski school. The helmets help keep them safe if they fall down. I hope that you wear a helmet if you do something that could be dangerous. The lady in the red coat is their teacher. All of the kids have blue vests on over their clothes so she can see keep track of them more easily.

That's it for now. I hope that you liked learning some things about Washington.
I am coming home soon. I will see you in your classroom later this week.

Your friend, Flat Stanley





Checking in from Washington State

Hi first graders!

I am all the way across the country, in the northwest corner of the USA. I couldn't go any farther without landing in the Pacific Ocean, or visiting another country. Look at a map. Do you know what country is next to WA ?

Let me tell you some things about my trip so far.

Gage asked how far away from Rock Hill it is. It took 5 hours to get here in a plane, so I know it is far. I didn't know exactly, so I looked at Google maps on the computer to find out. I learned that I travelled 2,884 miles from Rock Hill to get here. That is a long way!

Ashlen wants to know if there are tall buildings, and Saul and Journey asked if there are big cities. The answer is yes to both of these questions. Seattle is the biggest city. That is where the airport is, so it was the first thing I saw when we landed. Here is a picture of Seattle. I think that the lights in the skyscrapers look beautiful. What do you think?

 

When we left Seattle, we had to cross the water, called Puget Sound, but there is no bridge. The cars drive onto a big boat called a ferry, and the ferry takes them on a ride over the water. You can get out of your car, and walk around on the deck of the boat. We were on the ferry when we took the picture of  the tall buildings. Here is a picture of another ferry that was going by.



George asked if there are mountains in Washington. Yes! There are lots and lots. This one is named Mount Rainier, and it is the tallest one in the state. The snow on top never melts. Right now, since it is winter, the snow comes all the way down the slopes.

Salome wondered about what animals live here. There are a lot of deer, and they are not afraid of people at all. They come right into the town, and into people's yards. They are very pretty to look at, but some folks don't like them at all because they eat the flowers and vegetables in gardens.

Another animal is very common in the water. I haven't gone out on a boat, so I haven't seen any yet. They are called sea otters. They are furry and brown, and very cute. In the park, we saw this otter statue, and  Mr. North took my picture with them.

I am loving Washington! I'll write again after I have had more adventures.

Your friend,

Flat Stanley