Know your State Facts & Trivia?
 

I came across this website (50states.com) that has some neat info on each state. Thought some of you might enjoy reading facts & trivia about your state or favorite places to visit. If you can't find the facts you have to select your state, click on facts in the upper right corner, again select your state and you'll see 50 Facts & Trivia on that state.

Here's a link to my state (Colorado):

http://www.50states.com/facts/colorado.htm

Very interesting info. I knew Adirondacks National park was huge - but didn't realize it was so much bigger than any other in the US.

Alas, Massachusetts item #34 will soon have to be replaced, as the wax museum will be going out of business at the end of this season.

New Jersey and YOU - PERFECT TOGETHER!!

North Jersey is the car theft capital of the world, with more cars stolen in Newark then any other city. Even the 2 largest cities, NYC and LA put together.

New Jersey is a leading industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation.

New Jersey has the largest petroleum containment area outside of the Middle East countries.

New Jersey has 108 toxic waste dumps. Which is the most in any one state in the nation.

Get your New Jersey Vacation Guide Now!!

"nytraveler" -- Isn't Adirondack a STATE park? (vs. National)

NYtraveler,
RB is correct, Adirondack is a state park. (Doesn't change the fact of its size, however.)

Perhaps you're thinking of the Appalachian Trail National Park, of which part of the 2,100 miles is in NY State

What a great website, thanks!

I had fun reading about my state, Oregon. I did know most of the fun facts:)

One fun piece of trivia that was not on there is that there is one of those ancient, obsolete laws still on the books apparently...and it is that it is illegal to eat ice cream on Sunday. I heard that a few years ago and our family still giggles at it.

Ryan - all those things about NJ was exactly what I thought about it too until I did 3 bicycle rides from High Point (in NW Jersey) to Cape May; a westerly, central, and eastern route). It really is a nice state, believe it or not.

I too wondered if nytraveler was mixing up Adirondack & Appalachian.

Doesn't New Jersey also have the highest property taxes in the free world?

GoTravel,
If I remember correctly from an article earlier this year, NJ does have the highest per capital property taxes at something like $1100 pp. But, when you factor in sales tax, income, and property tax, NJ isn't even in the top 5.

I added the original comments as a joke. One thing not listed is the fact that NJ ranks in the top 10 for most measurements of public schools. The State is #1 for scores on Advanced Placement tests and near the top for sending kids to college and SAT scores.

Wow! 108 Toxic dumps here in NJ? :O Where are we hiding them all? When I look out the window I see "The Garden State" :)

They need to fix #8 for Michigan: "Although Michigan is often called the "Wolverine State" there are no longer any wolverines in Michigan." A wolverine was spotted about 90 miles north of Detroit earlier this year. It is unknown how many may be in Michigan, or whether they ever disappeared from the state entirely.

Jlm,
I believe the wolverine was sent to an out-of-state prison. After the beaver incident, I heard there was a real crackdown on animals that violate the law.

Warning to all Michigan animals - read this link! You'll be next.

http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/dammed.htm

LOL I totally remember that beaver story. That must be where the wolverine is now too. Thanks Ryan. :-D

There is something on Illinois that is not correct. Watertower was not the only structure left standing after the 1871 fire.

Also speaking of animals, have you ever heard of cougar in Illinois? We have had one loose in Lynwood (near the Indiana border and close to Chicago)for more than two months now. He is in a wooded (large forest preserve) area and has been sighted by almost a hundred people already. They can't seem to catch him. One person just saw him with his kill (deer) up in a tree.

Every week or so, it gets in on the tail end of the news. It started at about 60 or 70 lbs. in August and now it is estimated at about 130lbs. and close to full growth. They knew it was an adolescent during summer because of his belly spots.

One night the reporter had a more in depth report and they have surmised that it was part of a drug dealer's set up gone bad. This baby cougar was being kept as look out and as a live "don't pass" barrier, until the entrepreneur couldn't handle it himself. How they know all this and still can't catch the thing, is a mystery to me.

I spot coyote all the time in the dusk and at dawn, very close to my house. Now it seems that many species are relocating and adjusting to human cohabitation. Seems like they are amazed at how well this cougar is doing. He seems right at home, and I wonder what will happen in winter.

GoTravel - I would be surprised if NJ had higher property taxes than Western, NY. I pay a whopping 4.1% on the assessed value of my house. We also have a County Executive who wants to raise the sales tax from 8.25% to 9.25%. Gotta love New York!

Well, we all have our not so memorable facts right New Jersey people? Here are some good ones about Colorado.

Colorado is the only state to turn down hosting the Olympics (and may never be offered the option again!)

Denver, claims to have invented the cheeseburger. The trademark for the name Cheeseburger was awarded in 1935 to Louis Ballast. (I think this could be disputed by other states but you can thank me and my state)

Colfax Ave in Denver is the longest continuous street in America (and very well known to residents for streetwalkers,crime and drugs)

The city of Fountain (south of Colorado Springs)has been called the United States' millennium city because it best symbolizes the overall composition of America. Fountain is the most accurate representation of the American "melting pot." (Fountain is a dirty little town that many think of as hickville. It was recently in the news when a soldier set off something that exploded in his backyard!)

Colorado has more microbreweries per capita than any other state (which might explain why our two most well known Colleges recently had student deaths that were alcohol related)

And what has to be the most bizzare fact:

In Fruita, CO the town celebrates 'Mike the Headless Chicken Day'. On 9/10/45 a farmer cut off Mike's head in anticipation of a chicken dinner. Mike the chicken lived for another 4 years without a head....(Interesting celebration)

I think NJ has the highest automobile insurance rates, not the highest property taxes. Everytime family complains about their "high" property taxes, I just smile (and start drinking) because it in no way compares to what I am paying in NY (Westchester county).

They do have great tomatoes in New Jersey!

Here is another little know fact about NJ. New Jersey gets its dump ground, toxic industrial waste dump, car stealing bum rap because its the closed place to NYC to take care of all their dirty work, over crowding, and waste disposal. Quit picking on NJ.

According to data compiled by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, NJ had the highest per capita property taxes in 2002 (most recent year available), but ranked third behind ME and NH on a per income basis.

Full report here: http://www.masstaxpayers.org/data/pd...denNRFINAL.PDF