Thomas Jefferson

Answers to July 4 Independence Day Travel Quiz

Published July 5, 2019 | By Clark Norton

Where in Asia would you find this location of Nathan’s Famous hot dogs? Answer: Malaysia. Photo from Nathan’s Famous.

Hope everyone had a happy Fourth!

Here are the answers to the July 4th Independence Day Travel Quiz from my previous post. (If you haven’t taken the quiz yet and want to, I’d suggest returning there first.) Some of these questions were tricky, others merely difficult, and a few were relatively easy, especially with True or False questions offering just two choices. The multiple choice questions seemed to give people the most trouble, based on feedback I received. Thanks for joining in, whether Baby Boomers or younger!

1. True or false: As one of the 13 original colonies, Vermont was the only one that refused to ratify the Declaration of Independence.

Answer: False. Vermont was not one of the original 13 colonies.

2. Which U.S. president was born on… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, History, Holidays, Quizzes | Tagged Calvin Coolidge, Charlottesville Virginia, Chattanooga Tennessee, Declaration of Independence, Denmark, Independence Day, July 4, Lookout Mountain Tennessee, Mars Hill Mountain Maine, Nathan's Favorite New York hot dogs, Norway, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Philippines, Thomas Jefferson, Vermont | Leave a comment

What I Learned about Charlottesville, Virginia

Published February 15, 2016 | By Clark Norton

Monticello — Jefferson’s home, which appears on the U.S. nickel coin. Photo by Clark Norton

Dear Readers,

While I’m traveling in Antarctica for a few weeks I’ll be reprising some of my most popular posts from the past three years. This one (now slightly updated) originally ran in December of 2013.

On a recent family visit to Charlottesville, Virginia, I found it to be a very livable — and visit-able — city, which I highly recommend for baby boomer travelers.

Mostly I knew it as the home of the University of Virginia and Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, both of which were designed by our third president. Those two sites alone would warrant a visit, but anyone interested in history, outdoor activities and good food would find a welcome respite in Charlottesville.

Now here are ten things I didn’t know about Charlottesville:

Montpelier, home of President James Madison. Photo by Lia Norton

Montpelier, home of… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Cities, cultural travel, Hiking, History, museums | Tagged Appalachian Trail, Ash Lawn-Highland, Charlottesville, Crabtree Falls, James Madison, James Monroe, Monticello, Montpelier, Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive, Spudnuts, Thomas Jefferson, University of Virginia, Virginia | Leave a comment

I Climbed the Statue of Liberty — or Did I?

Published July 7, 2015 | By Clark Norton

The Statue of Liberty — I remember it well. Or not. Photo from U.S. National Park Service.

False memories are an odd thing — they can seem as real, or more real, than things you’ve actually done.

I was reminded of this in doing research for my Fourth of July Independence Day Travel Trivia Quiz.

It seems that Thomas Jefferson was convinced later in his life that on July 4, 1776, an elaborate mass signing ceremony of his Declaration of Independence took place in Philadelphia. The Second Continental Congress did adopt the document that day, declaring U.S. independence from Britain.

Except the signing ceremony never happened as he remembered it. Most delegates didn’t sign the document until August 2, nearly a month later.

I’ve always prided myself on my memory, especially where travel is concerned. For instance, I can tell you that when I was ten years… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Travel Behavior | Tagged Audrey Hepburn, Joplin Missouri, Liberty Island, Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, Statue of Liberty, Thomas Jefferson | 8 Comments

Answers to the July 4 Travel Trivia Quiz

Published July 6, 2015 | By Clark Norton

Where in Asia would you find this location of Nathan’s Famous hot dogs? Answer: Malaysia. Photo from Nathan’s Famous.

Here are the answers to the Fourth of July Independence Day Travel Trivia Quiz from my previous post. (If you haven’t taken the quiz yet and want to, I’d suggest returning there first.)

Some of these questions were tricky, others merely difficult, and a few were relatively easy, especially with True or False questions offering just two choices. The multiple choice questions seemed to give people the most trouble, based on feedback I received. Thanks for joining in, whether Baby Boomers or younger!

1. True or false: As one of the 13 original colonies, Vermont was the only one that refused to ratify the Declaration of Independence.

Answer: False. Vermont was not one of the original 13 colonies.

2. Which U.S. president was born on the Fourth… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Countries, cultural travel, Holidays, Quizzes | Tagged Calvin Coolidge, Charlottesville Virginia, Declaration of Independence, Independence Day, July 4, Lookout Mountain Tennessee, Mars Hill Mountain Maine, Nathan's Famous New York hot dogs, Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson, Vermont | 2 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.