Mar 27, 2013 | CAPITALS
It’s Salt Lake City’s turn in CAPITALS. I’ve never been to Salt Lake City, but three things come to mind: 1. Religion 2. Winter Olympics 3. Gorgeous scenery Going with the first one (with a little of the third thrown in for good measure), I can only imagine that the city is less than bustling on Sundays. Of course the same can be said for many cities, but hey – it’s my project and I’ll make stuff up if I want...
Mar 26, 2013 | CAPITALS
Now up in CAPITALS: Lansing, Michigan. Lansing has the dubious honor of being the only capital that isn’t also the county seat (excluding states that don’t have counties). Is this useful knowledge? Of course not. I’m not in the habit of dispensing useful...
Mar 25, 2013 | CAPITALS
Up next in CAPITALS is Frankfort, Kentucky. Like the caption says, try to find it on a map. Frankfort is a city in Kentucky. That’s the extent of my...
Mar 24, 2013 | CAPITALS
It’s Helena, Montana’s turn in CAPITALS. A few years ago, 119 to be exact, there was a battle raging. It was known as the “Capital Fight” and it pitted Helena against Anaconda. The prize? Capital of the great state of Montana. Helena won, which was probably a much bigger deal at the time: today Helena is a mere #6 on the list of most populated cities in Montana and probably wouldn’t stand a chance if the capital was being picked today. Another oh-so-useful factoid: Other names considered for Helena were Pumpkinville and Squashtown. This is why you should abstain from naming cities during major...
Mar 21, 2013 | CAPITALS
Let’s inject some southern charm into CAPITALS with Birmingham, Alabama. With a nickname like “The Gump,” Montgomery should be treated like a very large, threatening man named “Tiny.” The Gump could be a friendly little city fit for a good time, or the Gump could be a city ready to knock you down just because it can. Until you know for sure, tread lightly and don’t make eye...
Mar 20, 2013 | CAPITALS
It’s time to head to the ATL in CAPITALS. Atlanta is known for many things – some good, some not so good – but one theme seems to rule them all: traffic. Atlanta has it. Lots of it. All the time. So sit back, relax, and wait for the traffic to clear on one of the 65 Peachtree-named streets. You’re gonna be there for a...
Mar 19, 2013 | CAPITALS
Next in CAPITALS: Hartford, Connecticut. If there’s one thing Hartford does well, it’s insurance. The “Insurance Capital of the World” isn’t a title most cities can pull off, but Hartford sure...
Mar 18, 2013 | CAPITALS
Let’s get creative with Oklahoma City in CAPITALS. What to call a city located in Oklahoma? No need for a list of naming options to figure this one out. Back in the day the ever-powerful naming gods decided to go old school. Classic, if you will. The only way the name could’ve been better is if it was Capital City, Oklahoma. In fact, maybe all states should go that route. What’s the capital of state X? Capital City, of...
Mar 17, 2013 | CAPITALS
Up next in CAPITALS: Lincoln, Nebraska. I’ve never actually been to Nebraska, let alone Lincoln, but I spent enough time in Nebraska-adjacent (read: corn-loving Iowa) to understand the obsession with corn. Lincoln took that love to a whole new level by naming the state’s main sports franchise after the beloved vegetable. Go...
Mar 16, 2013 | CAPITALS
Next in CAPITALS is Columbus, Ohio. With its size and central location, Columbus makes perfect sense as a capital city. Don’t let Clevelanders hear that though – many feel strongly that Cleveland should be the capital. Some even believe that it is. For the record – it’s...
Mar 15, 2013 | CAPITALS
Next in CAPITALS is Carson City, Nevada. Yes, you read that right. This one might get the award for the least intuitive capital city. What to say about Carson...
Mar 14, 2013 | CAPITALS
Cheyenne, Wyoming is up next in CAPITALS. I don’t know much about Cheyenne. Ok, really I know nothing about it, but that won’t stop me. When I think of Cheyenne – or Wyoming as a whole – I imagine the song “Home, Home on the Range” playing in the background and s’mores cooking by the campfire. Maybe a buffalo or two (roaming free…not cooking by the...
Mar 13, 2013 | CAPITALS
Up next in CAPITALS: Little Rock, Arkansas. Arkansas is not a state to boast. They could’ve chosen a name like Massive Rock or Grand Rock or Rockzilla. Instead, they were happy with the understated Little Rock. Way to aim high,...
Mar 12, 2013 | CAPITALS
It’s time to go to North Carolina in CAPITALS. North Carolina sure loves combining cities into hyphenated groups. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem (a single city). Unfortunately, they had to pick just one for the capital – too much paperwork for a long, hyphenated...
Mar 11, 2013 | CAPITALS
Holding down the middle of the country is the next entry of CAPITALS: Des Moines, Iowa. If you take this one literally and happen to speak French, you might think this is a mistake. “Des Moines” actually means “monks” or “of the monks.” However, one common explanation of the name is that it came from the Native American word “moingona” which means “river of the mounds.” The explanation I like to believe, however, is that the name comes from the tribal name “Moingoana,” derived from the word “mooyiinkweena.” Why do I like this explanation? Simple. The word “mooyiinkweena” essentially means s#!&-faces (“mounds” of a different kind). The theory is that when French explorers asked the Peoria tribe about other tribes in the area, they gave the name “Moingoana” as the name of a rival tribe. The explorers didn’t question the name, which stuck and eventually resulted in the naming of Des Moines. Whatever the explanation, the name does sound better in...
Mar 10, 2013 | CAPITALS
It’s time for the city of Charleston, West Virginia in CAPITALS. Poor little Charleston just wants to fit in. The North tells Charleston to go back to the South, and the South tells the city to go hang out with its North buddies. And so sits Charleston, a city without a...
Mar 9, 2013 | CAPITALS
It’s time for CAPITALS to venture off the map to Juneau, Alaska. The city of Juneau is one sprawling capital, larger than some states. Located in the awkward Southern piece of the Alaska that really should’ve been lumped in as part of Canada, Juneau is about as tropical as Alaska is going to get. That’s right, I just used the words “Canada” and “tropical” in the same...
Mar 8, 2013 | CAPITALS
Time to feel the island breeze in CAPITALS with Honolulu, Hawaii. Island life is rough. Every day you wake up and have to make life-altering decisions such as which beach to go to and which towel to bring. As you head to work you have to battle the bright sun, blue sky, and ocean views. Wait, where was I going with...
