Part 2- Staying Warm in New England and Keeping Cool in India

January 16, 2011- A Winter Wonderland in New England

On my next adventure, I headed to visit Vinny's grandpa in Massachusetts.  But where did all of this snow come from?  When my journey started several weeks ago, I think there were only a few inches on the ground. Sure hope some of it melts soon, or I'll be buried in some very frosty mailboxes for a LONG time before my friends find me.  Winter camping is fun, but I prefer an insulated tent to a metal mailbox. I'll have to remember to pack a warm blanket, along with some Wheat Thins and raisins in my envelope just in case I get stranded during my travels.

Here I am upon my arrival.    Can you believe that the snow is higher than this mailbox?  I think you've broken some records with all of the storms you've had.  Did you know that you've already had over 60 inches of snow fall?  That five feet of snow would be taller than you are, and almost as tall as your teacher.

After I defrosted, I really wanted to get back outside to enjoy the snow.  Usually, I prefer cross country skiing on flat land.  But part of being a traveling man involves trying new things.  So I went tubing with Vinny's grandpa, and boy was it fun!  He took me around his town  and showed me the sights. Later, as I snuggled up indoors near his dog Sophie, I enjoyed some hot chocolate.    Do you think I put Fluff on the top, or some big puffy marshmallows?   Well, "that was easy"!

After our rest, I couldn't wait to get back outside again.   I was really having fun in the snow.  Check out what type of sled I used by looking at the lower left side of the picture!  Next time, I'll remember to wear my coat.  BRRRR.  Now I know what it feels like to be an icicle.

January 18, 2011-Let It Snow- New England -Part 2 

Next, I traveled to visit Ryan's family.  We skiied in New Hampshire in North Conway, and in Massachusetts at  Wachusett Mountain.  My new friend Brook bought a big bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken for our fist dinner together.  I was so excited to see what was inside that I leaned over, and screamed "AHHHHH" as I tumbled in!  I didn't have too far to fall, so while I was in there, I looked for some flat pieces.  No luck.  All of a sudden, I had to dodge all of those hungry hands that were reaching in the bucket and grabbing at me.  I had to build a ladder of drumsticks and climb out quickly, since I was afraid that someone would choose me for dinner.  Relieved, I did a little chicken dance to celebrate my narrow escape.  Then I hopped back in to pose for this photo.  In case you didn't notice, I love to have my picture taken.

The next morning, Ryan, Jake, and Joel took me skiing.   I had another accident when I was hit by a runaway ski. I was lucky to escape again without injury. 

 So while I was flat on my back,  I made a few snow Stanleys by moving my arms and legs in the snow.  Then I got up and dusted myself off. Later on, I did try some downhill ski racing and loved it. The chairlift was terrific too, but I had to hold on tight so I wouldn't fall off. We went up and down the mountain over and over again.  

 It was great to feel the wind in my hair as I zoomed down the slopes.  I even caught some air when I went over a few moguls.  It reminded me of that time I acted as a sail and helped my friend win that race in the regatta.  It also made me think of the time that Arthur turned me into a kite and I flew in the wind.  I started to miss Arthur.  Then, I remembered that I got stuck in a tree and he left me there.  I started to not miss him as much.  Besides, Ryan and his relatives were treating me like family. 

I wanted to try riding on a skimobile, but there was no helmet small enough to fit me.  But I still had fun checking this machine out and posing for pictures.

We finally took a break after a long day of skiing and winter fun, and headed for the lodge.  I had a quick dinner of some peanut butter (creamy, of course) on pita bread, thinly sliced carrots, and some Orange Crush to drink. We had some fun indoors as my friends tried to teach the fast way to text. Love that enV2 flat phone!  

 Later,with Auntie Donna's help, they tried to copy me, but the light was too bright and hurt my eyes.

 Then, it was time to go home for the night.   Before curling up in my sleeping bag, I scanned the room to make sure that there were no dangerous bulletin boards hanging nearby.  I tossed and turned for awhile, thinking about all I'd seen and done so far in my visit to the area. I decided that I really love New England, but can't make up my mind about which of the six states is my favorite.  Hmmm...Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.  Maine is the biggest, and Rhode Island the smallest.  They are all fairly flat, but Vermont has the Green Mountains, and New Hampshire has the White Mountains.  I'll definitely have to spend more time here so I can make up my mind. Hmmm.. Isn't Stephen sending me to visit Rhode Island?, I wondered.  Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of them all . 

[image from http://www.rfwiz.com/]

Just a few hours later, sunlight streamed through the window, waking me up.  I dressed and had my favorite breakfast of pancakes.  Ryan's family took me to the post office and sent me on my way. Thanks for the fun-filled visit!  We did so much together, that I can't even begin to tell you everything.  But now, I was headed to two new states for adventures with Cameron's grandparents: The Sunshine State, and the Sunflower State.  I'm on the road again!

January 20, 2011- Sunshine On My Shoulders

I got a break from the cold weather in the Sunshine State, which is Florida.  Did you know that Florida is one of the flattest states?  Something tells me I'm going to like it here. Sometimes, it does snow in Florida, but usually the weather is usually pretty warm.  While I visited, I got a chance to pick grapefruit from this tree. 

 Later, I posed with this alligator as he basked in the sun.

  Good thing he's not alive, or I would never get this close!  I got a good look at those sharp teeth, and knew right away what a real alligator would like to eat:  Me!  We picked up a few postcards for friends at home, and we went to the beach.  I did some surfing on top of the waves with my boogie board, and searched for some of my favorite shells, razor clams and scallops, in the sand.   

Florida is a great place.  Thousands of people travel here each winter to escape from the colder weather up north.  Some people call them snowbirds. Florida is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.  Did you know that it has the longest coastline in the lower 48 states? That's why it's so famous for its many beautiful beaches. Florida's land shape is a peninsula, which is surrounded on three sides by water: the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the Carribean Sea and the Florida Straits to the south. To the north, it borders Alabama and Georgia. 

image from [ http://www.miamibeach411.com/  ]

Florida is also the state that produces most of the orange juice that you drink for breakfast. Its warm climate is perfect for growing fruits and vegetables, like strawberries, corn, and green beans, even year-round. But I knew that my visit, like all good things, must come to an end.  I was soon ready to get back in my envelope and fly to a new location.   This time, Cameron's family was coming with me.

January 22, 2011- The Sunflower State

Not only is Kansas known as The Sunflower State, because of the towering golden beauties grown here, it is located in a part of the US known as America's Breadbasket.  Its fertile and flat soil is ideal for growing all types of grains that are used to make breads.  

I was joining the family for this leg of the the trip where we headed to celebrate

Great Grandma's 95th birthday.  A 95th birthday is a pretty special event, so I was honored to be invited.  At the party, I even had a chance to sample one of my favorite desserts, a flat sheet cake.  For some reason, sheet cakes taste so much better than layer cakes do to me.  After I helped Great Grandma blow out all of those candles, I wished her a Happy Birthday.  She offered me a balloon, but since it was a windy day, I had to politely refuse.  You know that a windy day + me + balloon = trouble. 

So, when the celebration was over, we got in the car and drove on some of those long flat highways to do some sightseeing.  It seemed like we could see for miles ahead of us.  Check out the Kansas map below.

Notice that Topeka, which is near the bottom, has a star next to it.  That's how state capitals are marked on a map.  A capital is the city in which the state's government is based.  Sometimes, but not always, the capital  is also the state's largest city.  After we got a good look at Kansas, it was time to leave on a new adventure. This time, I was headed for a visit with Reilly's friends.   I hopped into my envelope and closed my eyes.         

January 24, 2011-We're Not in Kansas Anymore

After a long nap and many miles of travel, I drowsily slid out of my envelope and landed in an enormous soft white bed.  Was I still dreaming?  Was I on a cloud? Was I in the snow?  Something told me that I wasn't in Kansas anymore.  Suddenly, I started to feel a bit itchy, and I realized that I had landed in a bed of powdery sand.  I was surrounded by it!   I slowly came to my senses and woke up.  I rubbed my eyes, and there was that sandy stuff again.

Now I remember.  I'm back in the enchanting state of New Mexico.  But where is everyone?  I called "Hello", but my voice echoed off the mountains in the distance.  "Hello, Hello, Hello", I heard.  Within a few minutes, I was greeted by Reilly's family. I was sure glad to see them!  They had just gone to pick up some snacks, because they knew I'd be hungry after my trip.  We munched on snow peas and sipped water (with crushed ice, of course) as I checked out the scenery. 

It looks like we are at the beach, but there is no ocean nearby.   We're actually in the desert.  I learned that all of this white stuff is a powdery mineral called gypsum, which eroded from the nearby San Andres mountains over the course of many thousands of years.  It's so bright that I'm glad I packed my sunglasses!  Here is a postcard from the park.  I also put a sample of the sand in a small bag to show my friends at home. 

We picked up another postcard to send our friends.  Take a look at some of the things in the picture below that New Mexico is famous for.

Later on, we traveled to the New Mexico Space Museum.  I posed for a picture near a rocket-propelled sled that travelled over 632 miles per hour.  The pilot, Col. John Paul Stapp earned the title "Fastest Man
Alive" after this trip over 50 years ago. [ Fastest Man Alive link  ] 

Wow!  Traveling 632 miles per hour is really amazing!  I don't think I got even close to that speed while I was skiing or tubing.  That's probably a good thing, because I don't think my mother, Mrs. Lambchop, would have approved. Soon it was time to say goodbye to my new friends.  I packed some extra snacks in my envelope, because this time, I was traveling to the continent of Asia with Fiona's dad.  This was going to be an amazing adventure.    My passport and I are ready to go!

January 27, 2011- Keeping Cool in India

Fiona's dad has offered to narrate this part of the story, so I get a chance to rest my writing hand and do more sightseeing.   This is a map of where we are headed.  

image from [http://www.mapsofindia.com ]

After a 14 hour flight from the United States to India, Flat Stanley and I got a few hours sleep in our hotel in Delhi – a large city in northern India and the country’s capital where it is warm this time of year (similar to the weather in Florida).  We woke early the next morning and, after a quick breakfast, Flat Stanley and I set out for a four hour trip by car to the city of Agra, which was the capital and home of the Mughal kings and queens who ruled all of South Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India) nearly 500 years ago.

Agra is home to one of the world’s most beautiful places in the world called the Taj Mahal.  Once there, Flat Stanley and I went to meet a local guide, who would show us the beautiful sites of India.  Since neither Flat Stanley nor I speak Hindi, Urdu or any of the many languages spoken in India, our guide was nice enough to speak to us in English.  He told us that the Mughal king Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  Flat Stanley and I listened carefully to our guide, who told us how the king loved Mumtaz Mahal more than anything in the world.  When she died suddenly, the king decided to build something great in her memory to show his never ending love for his queen.    

As you can see, Stanley thinks that the Taj Mahal is very cool.

The Taj Mahal took 22 years and thousands of people to build.  It is made of marble that was found in India and dragged by elephants and camels to the city.  Both animals can still be found in India.  Covering the marble of the Taj Mahal are gemstones, including carnelian which glows bright orange when touched with a flashlight.  Flat Stanley and I both said “Oh, Cool” when we saw the carnelian light up.  The gemstones were used to create complex details and patterns on the walls and ceilings, making the entire Taj Mahal shine and glimmer in the daylight – a beautiful monument reminding us of the king’s devotion to his queen.

After leaving the Taj Mahal, Flat Stanley and I had lunch at a local restaurant, where we had chicken curry, rice and roti, which is toasted flat bread.  We finished lunch, thanked our guide for the tour and said goodbye.  Once back in Delhi that night, Flat Stanley and I were ready for a good night’s sleep!  I am so lucky to have seen one of the word's most famous landmarks. 
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Thanks, Fiona's dad!  You are a great story teller.  Let me know if I can join  you on your next trip to an exciting place!


Well, who knows where I'll be headed next?  First, I'll be traveling to Canada to visit with Justin's family.  Then, I might have a chance to play "Are You Smarter than a Groundhog?". Of course, I'll be watching the Super Bowl, too.  Soon after that, it will be Valentine's Day and school vacation week. 
I have many exciting things planned.      Check back in a week for an update. 
Sincerely, Stanley