Sightseeing in the USA
This former maximum security prison sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay on a gigantic rock.
Alcatraz
Tours are conducted daily, with ferry service from San Francisco.
Alcatraz was first a military prison during the Civil War and operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963.
Vertical lines run this way.
up and down, or from top to bottom
The straight legs on the average dinner table are vertical lines.
We moved from watching them in theaters and drive-ins to collecting them on VHS and DVD formats; now kids stream them on the internet.
movies
They’re available on various internet streaming channels such as Prime Video, the Roku Channel, and Netflix.
Official record of your school grades or a written record of spoken words, such as from court proceedings
transcript
One of the threats we often heard from our teachers was, “This will go on your permanent record.” Of course, most of it didn’t, but the threat worked.
The Barbie doll was released in this decade.
1950s
The doll was released in 1959 and was the first mass-produced doll. Her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
This string of islands off the coast of North Carolina houses the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, with its distinctive, diagonal black-and-white stripes.
Outer Banks
Orville and Wilbur Wright’s historic flight took off from the Outer Banks, and the majestic Wright Brothers Memorial is perched atop Kill Devil Hill.
This visual line separates the ocean from the sky.
horizon
The water doesn’t really meet the sky on the horizon; it’s an optical illusion. The beach is a great place to see the horizon unobscured.
They used to stop by for a visit, but now we can also communicate with them on screens and social media.
friends/loved ones
Increasingly, families communicate today via group text, ensuring everyone gets heard.
To change
transform
For example, when ice melts, it transforms into water. Another example is a caterpillar that transforms into a butterfly.
Eight squared equals this.
64
A squared number is multiplied by itself. Eight times eight equals 64 and is written 8 X 8 = 64 or 8² = 64. The square root of 64 is eight, the number multiplied by itself.
If spelunking is high on your bucket list, there’s no better place to take a cave tour than the Mammoth Cave in this state.
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, with more than 400 miles of mapped passageways.
This letter is made up of two diagonal lines that cross in the center.
X
The alphabet comprises many letters that are formed solely of straight lines. Other letters are made of curved lines or a combination of straight and curved.
This electronic communication device was once used strictly for audio communication between two parties; today, it’s a multifunction device.
phone
Today’s smartphones do everything for us but clean the house. They serve as clocks, flashlights, calendars, cameras, education centers, nutrition counselors, and more.
A violation or infringement of law, duty, principle, or command
transgression
A soldier who goes AWOL commits a serious transgression.
Ben Franklin used a kite and a key to experiment with this.
electricity
Franklin attached a wire to the top of a silk kite and connected a key to a hemp string, which was attached to a silk string and hung from the kite. Standing in a shed door, he held the silk string. Thankfully, the kite escaped a lightning strike. When he noticed the hemp string standing upright, he moved his hand near the key and felt a spark.
This city is best place in the Northeast to see Gilded Age mansions.
Newport, Rhode Island
The most famous mansion is the Vanderbilt Mansion. You can tour the mansions, but some are open only during the summer.
These equidistant lines never cross; for example, railroad tracks.
parallel lines
Above-ground electrical wires are another example of parallel lines.
This was once a time to party, club hop, and flock to the hottest new restaurant, but today many use it as a time to unwind and relax from a harried week.
weekend
Many people use the weekend to prepare for a busy week ahead by cooking entire meals for the coming week.
A medium that permits diffused light to come through without providing a clear view of the object behind it
translucent
Examples include bathroom lighting, shower curtains, and paper lanterns.
Collectively, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as these.
Jewish High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement.
This national park near Jackson, Wyoming, is named for the highest mountain peak within its borders.
Grand Teton National Park
The highest peak of the Teton Range in Wyoming is Grand Teton.
Experienced hikers in peak physical condition can navigate the steep inclines of the 7,000-foot climb to the top and back.
Some believe these imaginary straight lines connect sacred places, such as Stonehenge and the Giza Pyramids.
ley lines
Some believe ley lines are energetic and are associated with magnetic fields.
Transactions used to be completed using cash and credit or debit cards; this popular cryptocurrency is emerging as an alternative payment option.
Bitcoin
While most transactions still are completed using credit or debit cards, Bitcoin is gaining traction. Vendors such as Microsoft and AT&T are now accepting Bitcoin for payment.
A person who consistently moves from place to place
transient
A modern example is the digital nomad, or remote worker, who can relocate frequently due to the nature of their work.
“Sea cow” and “teddy bear of the sea” are nicknames for this marine animal.
manatee
“Sea cow” is the nickname for the animals in the order Sirenia, which includes manatees, dugongs, and the now-extinct Steller’s sea cows. Manatees are the largest marine herbivores and typically weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds.