Anna Across America - Tour Finale (Graduating To The Next Adventure)

Anna Trundle, 2014 Graduate of Mississippi State University

                  
                                                Thank You, Dr Pepper!

Encore Presentation Of Anna's Appearance On FoxSports......

  http://www.foxsports.com/watch/fox-sports-live/video/dr-pepper-cfb-highlights-082614?vid=340253764002

...and a final farewell

As the curtain comes down on the Anna Across America tour, we want to say a Big Gosh Thank You to all those that made the past year possible.  First and foremost, thanks to the always humble Anna who patiently endured numerous extensions of the AAA tour.  Many thanks to the "Dr Pepperazzi" who so generously provided photo contributions.  And thank you to the scores of Anna Fans nationwide who consistently checked in to see where the Anna / Dr Pepper Can had popped up next.  The Anna Nation wasn't confined within America's borders, though.   Our website had viewers from all over the planet- a fitting tribute to Anna who appreciates the beauty and diversity of our world.  So to many of those countries, we say Thank You in your native tongue.

France - Merci

Germany - Danke schoen

Poland - Dziekuje

Korea - Kamsa hamaido
Ukraine - Diakuju

China (Mandarin) - Xie-Xie

Indonesia - Terima kasih

Bangladesh - Dhonnobtd

Brazil - Obrigado

Russia - Spasiba

Finland - Kiitos

Serbia - Multumesc

Spain - Gracias

Sweden - Tack

Turkey - Tesekkurler

And now we close out our year of blog posts with a selection from The Sound of Music, a favorite song of Anna's grandmother "Momma Laura",  one of Anna's biggest fans.   It is a song that captures the sweet and adventurous spirit of Anna Trundle - a truly deserving recipient of the Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway.

http://youtu.be/jvDFoF9sfQA

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Anna Across America - By The Numbers

111,600 - miles by plane
  12,400 - miles by automobile
    3,120 - miles by train
        77  - cities
        28 -  states
        21 -  countries who viewed this blog
        15 -  state capitols
        14 -  times the word "nationwide" is mentioned
        12 -  months of blog posts
        11 -  Major League Baseball parks
        10 -  references to Charles Alderton (inventor of Dr Pepper)
          6 -  National Football League stadiums
          6 -  automobile race tracks and speedways
          5 -  foreign countries visited
          4 -  amusement parks
          3 -  presidential libraries
          3 -  college football stadiums
          2 -  aircraft carriers

            In Honor of One Amazing Dr Pepper Scholarship Winner



     

Anna Across America - New York City (A 'Big Apple' Adieu)

A year ago today the Anna Across America tour debuted in New York City.     We revisited the Big Apple in early May and now, we return one more time to the greatest city in the world.

We begin our visit to one of the most recognizable buildings in the world -- the Empire State Building.  The iconic skyscraper was built in just over a year, opening in 1931.  Its 103-floors rise more than 1,500 feet over Manhattan.   For years, the Empire State Building was the tallest structure in the world.

Let's take a ride up to the top of the Empire State Building for a view of  "the city so nice they named it twice."

http://youtu.be/3XLjLx5fvsM

Central Park is an 843-acre urban oasis in the heart of Manhattan enjoyed by more than 37 million visitors a year.

 Dogs come from all around the city to enjoy the vast green space of Central Park.  Professional dog walkers are often seen in Central Park exercising the prized pooches who live in tony high-rises that surround the park.  Dog walkers in Manhattan can command six-figure salaries.

Dr Pepper has fun with this profession in this advertisement filmed in New York City.

http://youtu.be/XESOJJcxXFI

In Central Park, a 2.5 acre area called Strawberrry Fields pays tribute to singer, songwriter, musician, and peace activist John Lennon.   The former Beatle lived nearby at the Dakota Apartments before his untimely death.

More than 120 countries contributed to the creation of Strawberry Fields, reflecting the peacefulness that Lennon wrote and sang about in his son "Imagine".  A mosaic in the center of Strawberry Fields (also a Beatles song) is visited by thousands each year.

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The Beatles Link To Dr Pepper:   The Beatles eighth album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - often said to be the group's greatest work - was originally titled Dr. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  The British pop group changed the title when it was realized that a great American soft drink company owned the trademark to the name.

Chinatown in Manhattan is home to the largest largest enclave of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere.

More than 800 languages can be heard in New York City, one of the most diverse cities on the planet.   Take a listen to the Oscar-winning title song of the Disney animated hit Frozen sung by Broadway star Idina Menzell (Rent, Wicked, If/Then) and 24 other singers from around the world in this unique compilation, which celebrates the diversity so evident in this city of endless possibilities.

"Let It Go" - In 25 Languages

http://youtu.be/BS0T8Cd4UhA

....and Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Bridge takes Anna & Dr Pepper to the borough of Brooklyn, the largest of New York City's five boroughs.  Completed in 1883, this iconic bridge spans the East River, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Almost 2.6 million people call Brooklyn home.  A number of notable people in American history, entertainment, politics, media, and sports hail from the borough

And some of those know a good soft drink when they taste one such as actor and Brooklyn native Tony Lo Bianco in this Dr Pepper advertisement from yesteryear.

http://youtu.be/c3VB67P91ek

The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower is a architectural landmark of Brooklyn.  At 512 feet, it is the second tallest building in the borough.   The tower, which opened in 1929, also features one of the tallest four-sided clock towers in the world.    In 2007, the building was converted into condos and is a centerpiece of the urbam renaissance occurring in Brooklyn.

The Barclays Center is the new home of the Brooklyn Nets (formerly the New Jersey Nets) of the NBA.  The arena opened in 2012 and it has spurred tremendous redevelopment in the area.  The New York Islanders of the NHL will begin play on the home ice of the Barclays Center in 2015.