A Visit to Arizona

Well, not only did I make my first official trip to Charleston, but I also flew to a place called Scottsdale with Mrs. Sponaugle in January. She was there to meet the other state teachers of the year and learn how to represent West Virginia's teachers well this year.

This is where Arizona is on a map of the USA!

The flag of Arizona

Scottsdale is a city in the state of Arizona. I was excited to visit somewhere outside of West Virginia, so I looked up some facts to share with my friends. Here are the most interesting things I learned:
- Arizona is in the Southwest region of the United States.
- It borders another country, Mexico!
- Arizona has a desert climate and is very warm and dry most of the year. There are places in Arizona that get snow, though!
- The capital of Arizona is Phoenix, and Scottsdale is very close to it!
- The Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of the seven natural wonders of the world!

Once we got to the hotel, I found a really great book that taught me more about Arizona! I love to read, because I always learn new things!

Once I learned all of this, I was even more excited! It was also my first time on a plane. I got into a little bit of trouble on the way there, though. You see, I was thought it was so neat that we were up in the sky traveling, that I climbed out of my seat and sat on the arm rest so I could see the clouds and the wing of the airplane. Well, you aren't supposed to sit like that, especially when the "seat belts" light is on. Oops - I learned my lesson. I did feel like I could have reached out and touched the clouds though, if I could have figured out how to get that window open. I think that may have landed me in more trouble.

Uh oh! Caught out of my seat during turbulence (when the plane ride is really bumpy)!

Reading up on how to be a good passenger.

Finally we landed in Arizona! The first thing I noticed was that the trees were much different than the ones in West Virginia. Palm trees have very tall trunks with scaly bark, with only a few spiky leaves at the top. That's a big change from my pine and sugar maple trees back home. I bet no bees live in them to make honey.

A "selfie" with some palm trees!

More palm trees - aren't they interesting looking?

While Mrs. Sponaugle was in her meetings, I did some exploring in Scottsdale. Don't worry; I always asked for directions and looked both ways before I crossed the street...and I was very, very careful with the camera! I learned so much to share with you. First of all, the weather felt like springtime, and the flowers were blooming like they would be in April and May! There are also these very interesting plants that grow here called cacti. Some of them have flat, thick leaves, others are round, and some are very tall like trees. They all have these funny spikes on them. I really wanted to touch one - and I almost did! - but then I thought about how bad it might hurt my paws.

I was so happy to stop and smell the flowers!

See, these are cacti...

...and this is one giant cactus!

Right before I made a better choice!

Hey, those aren't golden delicious apples!

The mountains - I must tell you about the mountains! They look very different from the ones in West Virginia. Since Arizona is mostly desert, they are very rocky and look red and dry. You have to watch your step for loose rocks and cacti along the way!

The red mountains of Papago State Park!

Camelback Mountain

Meanwhile, Mrs. Sponaugle was hard at work. I think she had fun, too, learning new things and meeting the other teachers. They came from all over the United States, and teach all kinds of subjects! She met another 5th grade teacher from Hawaii, a history teacher from Nevada, a math teacher from Alabama, a music teacher from Oklahoma...oh, my, and so many more that my little bear head can't keep straight. I wonder if the music teacher can sing "The West Virginia Hills?"

Can you find Mrs. Sponaugle in this picture?

I had a very nice time in Arizona, although I was glad to come home to West Virginia (even if it is much more snowy and chilly). I wonder how different the other 50 states are from the Mountain State. I know I will get to visit Washington, D.C., Alabama, and New Jersey this year - what other states should I add to my travels? Oh, don't worry, no matter how far I roam this year, I'll always come back home to West Virginia. You all are just too important to me!

See you later, from the Arizona Canal!

Until next time...