New Fun Travel Game: "What State Are You In?"
A travel game with movie tie-ins, plus reader reactions to a recent roots trip to Hayward.
Now that Memorial Day weekend is behind us, it is time to kick off the informal start of summer with a light, breezy, fun, summer-ish travel game called “What State Are You In?”
Rules are simple. There are ten challenges, each accompanied by a photograph of a tourist sight or landmark from a state in these United States. There will be a few facts pertaining to the sight, and clues may be buried in the pictures. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify what state the landmark is located in.
Multiple choice, with three possible answers; only one is correct. To raise the entertainment value of the game, several landmarks have movie tie-ins.
Ready to kick off the happy season? Let’s go. Answers at bottom.
This public square is in a romantic Southern city with oak trees draped in Spanish moss; its name is Chippewa Square. Another name for it might be Forrest Gump Square. This is where the feather floated down from the air onto the bench where Tom Hanks was sitting in the opening sequence of Forrest Gump.
What state are you in? a) Alabama b) South Carolina c) Georgia
This video (18 sec.) is of one of the grand landscapes of the West. It is a panoramic view from the top of a mountain. Do not miss the flags at the end of the video. They may reveal something.
What state are you in? a) Colorado b) South Dakota c) Idaho
Jack Nicholson won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Randall Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, based on the novel by Ken Kesey. This poster appears at an airport in the state in which location shooting for the movie took place.
What state are you in? a) California b) Oregon c) Washington
In a remote valley, an artist created this metal elephant sculpture and a host of other giant creatures. Many tourists travel from a nearby population center to see the sculptures as well as the famous spring flower blooms that occur there.
What state are you in? a) Arizona b) California c) New Mexico
The Parry Lodge sits on the main street of a little town that bills itself as “Little Hollywood.” So named because many old-time western movies and TV shows were shot in and around the red rocks of this area: Gunsmoke, Death Valley Days hosted by then-actor Ronald Reagan, Grizzly Adams, The Outlaw Josey Wales. During shooting, stars and crew stayed at the Parry. John Wayne gave them the money to build the swimming pool at the motel.
What state are you in? a) Arizona b) Utah c) New Mexico
This regal lady, carrying her poodle, is Maria Callas, a famous opera star of her time. Her time was in the 1960s when she and other celebrities flew long-gone Trans World Airlines. (“Fly the Finest” was TWA’s slogan.) This photograph was hanging on the wall of an airport hotel in the gateway city that served as TWA’s national hub.
What state are you in? a) Illinois b) Missouri c) New York
This river in a popular university city in the west is a surfing hot spot for locals and tourists. Even so, the state is better known for its snow skiing than its surfing.
What state are you in? a) Montana b) Washington c) Idaho
Pulp Fiction’s John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson are preserved in a museum that celebrates, among other things, movies. The state also has a rich tradition of gangsters.
What state are you in? a) Nevada b) New York c) Illinois
Buffalo Bill Cody’s influence in the 19th century American west was vast. He was a frontiersman, Indian fighter, showman. This statue is located in an NBA city in a state that identifies with cowboys.
What state are you in? a) Texas b) Wyoming c) Oklahoma
When you step off a plane at an airport in the friendly confines of this city, this beloved major league baseball announcer, now sadly passed, greets you.
What state are you in? a) Illinois b) Missouri c) Ohio
Let me hear ya, everybody! When I do these quizzes, it is a fine line between making them too hard or too easy. Thanks for being such good sports. You will find the answers after we hear from some readers about my recent roots trip to Hayward, California to visit an old church:
Jeff Brinkhaus: “Interesting story, Kevin. I had to dig back in my visual memory of that part of downtown Hayward. When you mentioned Sorenson's Mortuary, I immediately recalled the First Methodist Church across the street. Over my many years up and down B Street, I never did venture inside, but definitely recall the beautiful, mostly glass front. Good to find you writing on Facebook. Hopefully this expands your readership exponentially.”
Elizabeth Higgins: “Great read, thank you. I remember peering in through the front glass doors of the Methodist Church.”
Dan Crouch: Good stuff, Kevin! I forgot that you and I both grew up as Methodists. My mom also sang out above the rest of the congregation with lots of volume in her alto voice. (I always felt she was a little too proud of her singing voice—she wasn't big on humility.) I had an excellent Sunday school teacher for the 6th grade, Carol Floyd. She put together a ‘comparative religions’ unit and took our class to the local Catholic church for mass, to a raucous Pentecostal ‘holy roller’ service, and to a synagogue in Ventura (because Santa Paula didn't have one). I still remember the rabbi's sermon having a theme on the question of forgiveness for the Germans, which resulted in a discussion of the Holocaust when we were back in our class—not too shabby for a bunch of 12-year-olds!”
Elaine Baker: Loved your piece of Hayward memories! I love how the groomsmen were lined up perfectly by height. It’s funny to think my son worked in Hayward for my father for a few years until Grandpa Ray finally retired.”
And now the answers:
1. Savannah, Georgia 2. South Dakota, in the Black Hills, from atop Black Elk Peak, named after the Lakota Sioux spiritual leader and still a sacred ground to local tribes 3. Oregon, at the Portland airport 4. Borrego Springs, California. The nearby population area is San Diego 5. Kanab, Utah. 6. St. Louis, Missouri 7. Boise, Idaho 8. Mob Museum, Las Vegas, Nevada. 9. Cowboy Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 10. Chicago, Illinois.
Fun! And love that opening quote.