Anna Across America - Annapolis, Maryland

Our tour takes us to Annapolis, Maryland, a city oozing with character and historic significance.

The Maryland State House (at left) is the oldest state capitol in America with lawmakers meeting here since 1779.

The State House is a site of national importance as well.  The Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War, was signed at the capitol and the Continental Congress met here as the young American nation was being formed.

The capitol is topped by the country's largest wooden dome constructed without nails.

At the foot of Annapolis' historic downtown is City Dock, the gateway to Chesapeake Bay.  The harbor is teeming with all manner of vessels -- from sailboats to water taxis to multimillion dollar yachts.

A vibrant downtown, in this city of 39,0000, is home to restaurants and pubs, shops, cozy bed and breakfasts located in historic homes, and St. John's College where Francis Scott Key learned to pen a poem or two.

....and The Naval Academy

Annapolis is synonymous with the United States Naval Academy, located just beyond downtown at the confluence of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay.

Founded in 1845, the Naval Academy's 4,300 students are known as Midshipmen.  Entry into the Naval Academy occurs primrily by appointment from members of Congress or the Secretary of the Navy.

One of this country's most prestigious schools of higher learning, it is not surprising that its alumni reads like a Who's Who of American History.  Among Naval Academy alumni are more than 50 astronauts (seven of whom went to the moon), 73 Medal of Honor recipients, 46 Rhodes Scholars, two Nobel Prize winners, and one president (Jimmy Carter).

Join us for a closer look at Annapolis and the Naval Academy

http://youtu.be/hcX0U6ekjqU

 A retired F-18 Hornet used by the Navy's Blue Angels honors pilots past and present near the academy's football field.

The elite air acrobats from the Navy  are featured yearly in Annapolis, primarily during commencement week.   Because of last year's sequestration and scheduling issues in two prior years, the Blue Amgels returned to Annapolis for the first time in three years back in the Spring.

Below is a video featuring these incredible flying fortresses and the talented pilots who guide them.

http://youtu.be/0hMpOHa6wOA

Anna Across America - Charlotte Motor Speedway

 NASCAR race fans have been flocking to Charlotte Motor Speedway since 1960.

The track, located in the Charotte suburb of Concord, is considered the home track of NASCAR since many of the sport's teams are based around the area.

Charlotte Motor Speedway has been the setting for a number of movies including Days of Thunder, Speedway (starring Elvis Presley), and, oddly enough, Talladega Nights.

Charlotte Motor Speedway features a 1.5 mile quad oval track on which drivers approach speeds of 195 miles per hour.

The speedway has a seating capacity of more than 146,000.

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The Pepperazzi goes to great lengths to capture the photos featured in this blog, even if it requires the occasional trespassing.  This photo was made by circling the track's perimeter, finding an open gate, and snapping a shot before being escorted out by track personnel.

Anna Across America - Miami

Let's take a trip to beautiful Miami, Florida where sun-drench days give way to nonstop nightlife.  But it's not all about the party in Miami.  The city is a major center for finance, commerce, fashion, and international trade.

Miami is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world with 50 percent of its population born outside the United States.

Beginning in the 1990s the city began experiencing a renaissance of sorts which has dramatically changed the city's worldwide perception....and downtown skyline.    People flocked to Miami again to work, play, and live.  Today, Miami ranks third behind New York and Chicago for downtown residents.    The gleaming skyscrapers on the bay at left are among a few of the multimillion dollar residences in downtown Miami.

Peppermill:  Miami resident and Grammy-winning entertainer Pitbull (Armando Christian Perez) has been a dedicated pitchman for the most original soft drink ever.   http://youtu.be/afFT0r6SlOM

 A symbol of Miami's history as a city is the Freedom Tower.   This downtown landmark was built in 1925 and headquartered a Miami newspaper.

It became well known in the 1960s as the "Ellis Island of Cuban Refugees" who were fleeing Castro's communist takeover.  The government  used the building to process the immigration and to provide medical and dental services.

The building was restored in the late 1990s and converted into a monument to Cuban refugees along with a museum, library, and meeting halls.

It was here that more than 200,000 people came to pay their last respects to Cuban entertainer Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa.  Known as one of the most important influences in the history of Cuban music, Cruz once teamed up with Latin American singing sensation Paulina Rubio in a Dr Pepper commercial.

http://youtu.be/tmfEdR0IWTM

....and South Beach

One of the more famous thoroughfares from the Anna Across America tour is Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.

Ocean Drive is the center of Miami Beach's historic Art Deco district, the largest collection of this architectural style in the world with more than 800 preserved buildings.  The 1.3 mile street overlooking the beach is lined with boutique hotels, cafes, shops and venues hosting South Beach's famous nightlife.

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Miami native Gail Edwards, an actress who appeared in numerous TV shows including Blossom and Full House,  was cast in this Clio Award-winning commercial for Dr Pepper.  Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/baChXz9OKOw

Anna Across America - Mall of America (Minneapolis)

The Mall of America, located near Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the most visited mall in the world with 40 million shoppers annually.

Opened in 1992, the Mall of America has a gross area of 4.8 million square feet or 96.4 acres - enough to contain seven Yankee Stadiums (obligatory baseball reference).  Tourists from around the world converge on the mega mall and its 530 stores on four levels.  Minnesota's tax-free shopping on clothes is a big draw.

Here's a fact that only you and I know:  Despite Minnesota's frigid winters, the Mall of America does not have a central heating system.  There is no need as skylights, LED lighting in stores, and believe it or not shopper's body heat keep the mall's temperature around 70 degrees on even the coldest of days.

In the center of the Mall of America is a seven-acre amusement park.  Nickelodeon Universe features rollercoasters, thrill and family rides as well as attractions for all ages.

The mall is built on the former site of Metropolitan Stadium where baseball's Minnesota Twins and football's Vikings called home.  A plaque in the amusement park commemorates the site of home plate, from which Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew once launched a 520-foot home run.

Anna Across America - Concord, New Hampshire

Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire, one of the original 13 states.  The State House at left, which opened in 1819, has the distinction of being the oldest of its kind where the legislature occupies its original chambers.

This staunchly independent state is known for its motto "Live Free Or Die", a philosophy somewhat counter to its New England brethren.

http://youtu.be/hnTVNZojojU

New Hampshire also figures prominently in American politics as having the first presidential primary.   Candidates of all political persuasions descend on the tiny state which can portend the viability of a presidential hopeful from the outset of the race.

Attention Dr Pepperazzi:  Last call for photo contributions to the AAA blog, which is scheduled to wrap up its 10-month run in September.

Anna Across America - Fort Myers, Florida

The Fort Myers area in south Florida is a mecca for those who enjoy its beaches and outdoor activities while not minding the heat and humidity.  The heat can quickly turn into thunderstorms in Fort Myers, which leads the nation in days in which thunder is heard (89).

JetBlue Park at Fenway South is the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox.

The park, which opened in 2012, features the exact dimensions of the Fenway Park playing field.  It also includes unique features from the Beantown address such as the Green Monster, Pesky's Pole and the Lone  Red Seat that marks the longest home run ever hit at Fenway (502 feet by Ted Williams in 1946).

http://youtu.be/61r91T34gk4

The aforementioned Williams, the most revered Red Sox player of all time, is immortalized in a statue at left of the Anna / Dr Pepper can.  The statue shows Williams, bat in hand, placing a cap on the head of a cancer- stricken child.     This statue also is located outside the park in Boston where Williams generously gave to those in need.

The Minnesota Twins' spring home is also located in Fort Myers.  Hammond Stadium, whose facade was patterned after Churchill Downs, has hosted the team and its fans searching for warmth from the brutal Minnesota winter since 1991.

Below is an arctic blast from the past featuring Diet Dr Pepper

http://youtu.be/8Ci2cV8zTE0

A Tribute To An Orange-Clad Saint

Although the Anna Across America tour will soon end its ten-month run, we are pausing for a few days to celebrate and reflect upon the life of Anna's grandmother "Momma Laura", who passed away on Thursday.    She leaves a devoted husband of 59 years, four children, seven grandchildren and a legacy of faithful service to God and His people.

This gracious Southern lady, who loved the color orange and wore it proudly in support of the Tennessee Volunteers, lived life to the fullest.   She had the kindest set of eyes and a sweet spirit in her voice.  Hundreds of elementary school kids benefitted from that spirit during her career in education.  A cook?  You bet! She kept four kids, a hungry preacher, and countless others well fed for decades.  And don't get me started on her musical talents.  No one has ever played Rocky Top on the piano like her...the ivory keys danced with delight as she played the Volunteer anthem.

"Momma Laura" visited all 50 states and almost every continent.  Always looking forward to her next trip no matter the destination, she was on a quest to experience the beauty and diversity of this world.    Now, Anna is following in those footsteps all over the planet.

Although she rarely sat in front of the computer, "Momma Laura" actually came up with the idea for the photo blog you are now viewing.  In a conversation last Fall after the Anna / Dr Pepper Can came out,  I mentioned taking photos of the "Anna Can" in my travels and putting them in a photo book.  "Or," Laura said, "you could put them on the computer".   At that moment the Anna Across America tour was born.

"Momma Laura", who kept the Anna / Dr Pepper can within arm's length of her favorite chair,  would tell us to press on with the tour for there are other trips to make and to document.   And we will finish, albeit with a profound sense of loss.

While we say farewell to this wonderful matriarch of the "Anna Nation", there is comfort in knowing her gracious spirit will continue to bless the lives of those she touched.

"Momma Laura" loved people so naturally, so easily.

May we all learn from her example.

MRG