Traveling to Big Thicket, Day 1

We passed through 8 states on the first day of our trip.

Here are a few facts about each one.

1. Massachusetts, “The Bay State”, is my home state.
2. The capital of Connecticut, “The Constitution State” is Hartford. The mid-sized city is also “The Insurance Capital of the World”, because many insurance companies are headquartered there.
3. We left New England and entered New York, “The Empire State”. While NY is the 27^th largest state by land area, it’s the 4^th largest by population, thanks to New York City.
4. Pennsylvania, “The Keystone State”, is the 5^th most populous state, with Philadelphia being its largest city.
5. Maryland is sometimes called “Little America" or “America in Miniature” for its diversity, both in its diverse ecosystems and its people.
6. West Virginia, “The Mountain State” — called this because of the Appalachian Mountains in the central and western parts of the state — broke away from Virginia during the Civil War in 1863.
7. Virginia, “Old Dominion”, is the birthplace of 8 US presidents, more than any other state. Their motto "Virginia is for lovers", first adopted in 1969, adorns billboards on the highway.
8. Tennessee is called “The Volunteer State” for the many men who volunteered to serve in the War of 1812.