English 9A: Growing Up: Family Narrative Mia Ippoliti My Family Narrative Last year my family and I took a spring break vacation to the beautiful state of Washington. Originally we had wanted to visit the Olympic Peninsula because of our love for the Twilight Saga book series but after researching on-line we realized that there was lots to see besides the infamous small city of Forks. We planned to visit the only rain forest in the United States as well as several wild nature beaches where we would spend low tide hours exploring the sea life inside of tide pools. We also planned to stay a few nights at two different Native American reservations on the west coast right on the Pacific Ocean! We named the trip "Our Wild Northwest Adventure."
Since the early 1800s, Coney Island, “playground of the world,” has played many roles in the lives and imagination of New Yorkers and the world. From its beginnings as a quiet seaside town, Coney Island went on to boom years in the 1880s, wealthy New Yorkers flocked there to enjoy a stay at the beautiful hotels and bathhouses that had sprung up along the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Only those, who could afford to travel on a steamboat to Coney Island, had a chance to visit “The Dreamland” on their vacation or weekend time. Poor immigrant and regular workers didn’t have money to go to Coney Island, so they were stuck in their slums, where they used to live in a very bad condition and suffer from different illnesses. Coney Island's three big luxury hotels, the Manhattan Beach, Oriental and Brighton Beach were the epitome of a gracious and leisurely age, a unique expression of their era.
One unfortunate thing about the mountains outside Los Angeles is that they form a U-shape around the west of Los Angeles. When the sea breeze from the Pacific blows above Los Angeles taking away the pollution the breeze is stopped by the mountains, thus smog is created. One other cool thing about the mountains around Los Angeles, is that them being there creates a great skiing opportunity only a short drive from all year round warm weather. The Cierra Nevada mountains are a very major and long mountain chain. Now we think of them as a great place to ski and hike.
This replaced the older image of miners in the 1800’s scooping out handfuls of gold with little effort. Its emotional appeal seems to lie in its ability to deliver on a promise of “success, warmth, sunshine and beauty, health and long life, freedom …” (pg 23). From early times, California was seen as a Mecca of sorts for people from the snow-bound East and Midwest. One Midwestern newcomer wrote in the 30’s “I’d get letters from friends that had settled here … I’d hear about the orange groves and palms … sunny days and cool nights and how the only snow you saw was miles off in the mountains – well I was sick of the prairie landscape and stoking the fire all winter and frying all summer and the first chance I got, I boarded a train to find out if this country came up to brag.” (pg 23). This man was one of millions of people who almost literally saw California as a separate country, one that could put an end to whatever it was that troubled them.
The town of Las Vegas could be considered a twenty-four hour party. As I entered this exhilarating place, flashing lights and buildings that seemed to touch the sky pulled me in even further. Taxis and buses sped down the roads to drop passengers off to have the time of their lives. An endless amount of people walk up and down the Vegas Strip, stopping wherever they desired to capture unforgettable memories with their cameras. During the day, the city is an enjoyable place to be, but at night it truly comes alive.
In California: A Place, a People, a Dream talks about how California is a perfect state where all your dreams will come true. In California: A Place, a People, a Dream, explains people’s perception on the California lifestyle. How the weather is great in California and it never rains and the only snow you see is miles off in the distant hills. The success of California has lured thousands upon thousands of immigrants including many domestic immigrants. In the beginning, the author explains how the first big rush of people was caused by the gold rush in 1949.
Las Vegas Trip As I driving into the famous city of Las Vegas, Nevada, I could not imagine that I were about to enter a twenty-four hour party town. But I felt like that exactly what I was about to experience. As I crossed the dry, heated, sandy desert and by the time I pass the last two larges bare mountain. As I got closes to the city, I could not believe the city sight lite up right before my very eyes. Everywhere I looked I saw flashing colorful fluorescent lights, building so height that seemed to touch the clear blue sky.
Hopefully I will go visit while I am in my twenties. If I have enough money I want to stay in each place for at least a week or two. After following my dreams I want to be adventurous. In being adventurous I want to Finish off my Bucket List. Examples would be Sky Diving, Learning to Surf, Jet-Ski, Open a Taco Tent on the beach, GO to Time square for New Years Eve, and so much more.
First known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era. Emperor Vespasian, founder of the Flavian Dynasty, started construction of the Colosseum in A.D. 72. It was completed in A.D. 80, ironically the year after Vespasian's death. The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre. This huge amphitheater was built on the site of an artificial lake, which was part of Nero's huge park in the center of Rome..This place also included the Domus Aurea, also known as the golden house and the nearby Colossus statue.
Trip to Sequoia National Park This past summer I went on a day trip to Sequoia National Park with my family. It was a Saturday morning, and my dad, my stepmom, and I decided to go on a one day trip to the Sequoia National Park. We never been there before and wanted to see what it was like, so we got some supplies and embarked on a journey towards the mountains. Going through the winding roads of the foothills were a first of experiences I would experience this day. As we arrived at the entrance, I got relieved that we were out of those wavy roads, but then cringed to find out there were many more winding roads before we actually got to the park.