Hilary - Flat Stanley Travels from Maine to Baltimore, Maryland!

Flat Stanley arrived from his Palm Coast Adventure back in Maine just in time to travel south. Stanley began his day bright and early in Sidney, Maine. Sidney is a small town in Central Maine. It is part of the RSU 18 school department.

Flat Stanley liked going over the big bridge in to New Hampshire. The bridge crosses the Piscataqua River.The arch bridge was finished in 1971 and connects Kittery, Maine to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Flat Stanley traveled through Massachusetts.

In Connecticut, Stanley needed to get out of the car and stretch his legs. Did you know that Connecticut became a state on January 9^th, 1788? The state bird is the robin and Hartford is the capital.

In New York, Flat Stanley got stuck in traffic going over the George Washington Bridge. The bridge is double-decked suspension. It connects Manhattan, New York to Fort Lee, New Jersey crossing the Hudson River. Flat Stanley did not like traveling on the top deck. It was really high and it was a windy day.

Flat Stanley really like going through the tunnel in Baltimore. He couldn't believe he could travel under water. The tunnel goes under the Patapsco River. It opened in 1957.

Stay tuned for more travel adventures from Flat Stanley's travels with the Mercier Family!

Gibson - Flat Stanley Visits Madrid, Spain and Paris, France!

Gibson's recently visited Madrid, Spain and Paris, France.  

What an amazing trip it was!  

Madison - Flat Stanley Visits Virginia and Tennessee!

Flat Stanley had such a fun time visiting Virginia and Tennessee!  

Flat Stanley visited the Heart of Appalachia, located in Southern Virginia.  The Heart of Appalachia is rich with history, cultural expressions, and outdoor recreation.

Gibson - Flat Stanley Visits Las Vegas, Nevada!

When Stanley first arrived in Las Vegas, he was hungry, so he went grocery shopping at Whole Foods.   Then he went on a road trip to Laughlin, NV.  On the way there, he stopped to use the bathroom in Searchlight.  The wind was blowing so hard, Stanley almost lost his head.  He thought this old general store sign was pretty neat.  The landscape was mostly brown with interesting rock formations.  

Then Stanley arrived in Laughlin where there is a river and grass.  The weather was warm and breezy.  Here are pictures of Laughlin at night and during the day.  He wasn’t sure what the story was about the monkey statues, but they reminded him of the flying monkeys in “The Wizard of Oz.”  Lots of places in Nevada still allow smoking, so Stanley was very pleased to see a no smoking sign.  

In the morning, Stanley crossed the river to Bullhead City, AZ to have breakfast at the Black Bear Diner.  It reminded him of Maine.  When Stanley got back to Las Vegas, he went to the chiropractor.  He needed an adjustment after the wind nearly removed his head.  

Then Stanley ventured downtown.  He wanted to ride the Slotzilla zipline but it isn’t open yet.  From the top level, people zipline horizontally as if they are flying like a superhero!  There are still a lot of old signs downtown, and they are much more interesting than the flat screens on the Strip.  Stanley’s favorite is this cowboy.  Nevada is still the Wild West, you know.  Much of Downtown has recently be renovated as part of the Downtown Project sponsored by Zappos.  The new Container Park is a collection of tiny shops, art galleries, and eateries, all privately owned.  There is a massive tree house playground in the center, but Stan forgot to take a picture of it.  The love locks warmed Stanley’s heart.  The giant praying mantis at the entrance to the park is so cool!  At night it randomly has fire burst from its nose! 

Stanley is leaving Las Vegas and catching a flight to Spain.  He loves to travel and hopes you will get to travel someday, too.

Owen - Flat Stanley Visits Florida!

Flat Stanley flew to Crystal River, Florida and stayed the winter wearing shorts in the sun!

Flat Stanley visited with a huge manatee that lives in the Gulf and eats vegetables under water.  Flat Stanley fished in the Gulf.  Of course, he wore a life jacket.  He saw many manatees in the rivers, where they come to stay warm during the winter.  They really like 72 degree water.

Flat Stanley swam in the pool at our campground.  Many grandparents, aunts and uncles who are retired come to Florida to live during the winter.  Our friends at the campground come from all over the United States, like Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Texas.  

Flat Stanley had a wonderful time in Florida!

Flat Stanley has his life jacket on and is ready to hit the water!

Flat Stanley boating in the Gulf.

Flat Stanley enjoyed fishing in the Gulf!

Flat Stanley meets a HUGE tortoise!  

Did you know that tortoises have tiny babies in the spring. 

Manatee at Homosassa Museum.

This manatee wears hats for Easter and Christmas, too!

Flat Stanley getting ready to exercise in the water!

Flat Stanley swimming in the winter!