Take a trip across the USA,
And color cool stamps as you go!
Here come your guides as you learn and play—
You might see someplace you know!
Discover new facts as you hang out with us
And enjoy our book of games.
Tour the biggest, wildest wonders In the U.S. Hall of Fame!
Wonders this Way
Meet your tour guides "The Wonders"
I'm Chompers, an American Beaver.
I like to do science and math.
We'll explore the great Northeast—
Just follow my well-built path!
I'm Diva, the belle of the ocean!
And I am the world's largest whale.
I'll tell you of Pacific and Northwest Wonders,
If you send a nice card through the mail!
Hey Ya! I'm a Gator named Scales!
In the Southeast you'll find my lair.
We'll explore the swamps and reefs
With a cool kind of musical flair.
I'm Spike. I live in the Southwest.
I'm at home where it's hot and dry.
With my desert friends, for years on end,
I grow until I touch the sky!
Zoom the Pronghorn, coming through!
In the Midwest I run my race.
I can talk as fast as I move—
Just try to keep up with my pace!
Welcome to the Northeast! I live not far from the Longest Bridge Span—and the Longest Covered Bridge, too! We've got lots of Wonders that people have built, but we have natural Wonders, too—from the Windiest Place to the Oldest Mountains. Come along and I'll tell you more!
Wonders of the Northeast
1. Largest Rodent: American Beaver
2. Longest Span: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
3. Windiest Place: Mount Washington
4. Fastest Bird: Peregrine Falcon
5. Oldest Mountains: Appalachians
6. Longest Covered Bridge: Cornish-Windsor Bridge
Largest Rodent: American Beaver
The average adult beaver weighs between 35 and 40 pounds; the largest can weigh more than 60 pounds and be 3 feet tall when standing on its hind legs. Though their long front teeth look menacing, beavers are peaceful creatures.
Longest Span: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island, is named after Giovanni da Verrazano, a European explorer who sailed into the area in 1524. Two towers, each 693 feet tall, stand 4,260 feet apart; the bridge's total length is 13,700 feet.
Windiest Place: Mount Washington
The summit of Mount Washington, in New Hampshire, holds the official record for the maximum wind gust ever recorded on land—and not associated with a tornado or hurricane. On April 12, 1934, an anemometer recorded a wind gust of 231 mph.
Fastest Bird: Peregrine Falcon
When diving after prey, the peregrine falcon is the world's fastest bird, reaching speeds of 200 miles an hour or more. Its horizontal cruising speed is considerably slower. Other birds, such as pigeons and ducks, are the falcon's usual prey.
Find the Falcons
Which birds are the peregrines? Find and circle the peregrine falcons flying above the mountains.
How many peregrines did you circle? ___
Oldest Mountains: Appalachians
The Appalachian Mountains stretch along the East Coast in a southwesterly direction from Canada to Alabama. Many geologists estimate that the birth of this mountain chain took place nearly half a billion years ago, when tectonic plates collided.
Longest Covered Bridge: Cornish-Windsor Bridge
This landmark bridge accommodating two-way vehicular traffic between the towns of Cornish, New Hampshire, and Windsor, Vermont, is about 450 feet long. It was constructed in 1866, at a cost of $9,000, and was a toll bridge until 1943.
Wonder Builder Word Scramble
Do you know what an engineer does? I'm one. I can build dams with sticks and mud. Other engineers build rockets, computers, bridges, and a whole lot of different things.
Lots of Wonders were built by engineers.
To learn what they are, unscramble these mixed-up words.
Tallest Dam: RILLVOOE ADM
__________________________
Longest Span: RRAZAVONE - RAOWSNR RIBDEG
__________________________
Tallest Man-Made Monument: ETAWYAG CRAH
__________________________
Largest Cliff Dwelling: LFCIF ACELAP
__________________________
They look a bit different
Just like you and me,
But a reef and a dam
Are alike, I can see!
They both hold back water
To give the fish a place to play.
And when it's time for dinner,
They create an all-you-can-eat buffet!
Here in the Southeast, there are lots of water Wonders—
including me, the American Alligator, the Largest Reptile! Let's take a look.
Wonders of the southeast
7. Largest Reptile: American Alligator
8. Longest Reef: Off the Florida Keys
9. Largest Flower: American Lotus
10. Largest Estuary: Chesapeake Bay
11. Largest Frog: American Bullfrog
12. Largest Delta: Mississippi River Delta
Largest Reptile: American Alligator
Most adult male alligators are about 11 feet long and weigh 450 to 600 pounds. The largest gator on record, however, measured more than 19 feet in length. Alligators are found in swamps, marshes, rivers, and lakes from Texas to the Carolinas.
Longest Reef: Off the Florida Keys
The Florida Keys, a chain of islands approximately 220 miles long, curve south and west of mainland Florida. Stretching along beside them, about six miles seaward, is a long barrier reef. Coral reefs are actually colonies of tiny animals called coral polyps.
Largest Flower: American Lotus
Solitary and fragrant, the American lotus flower may reach 10 inches in diameter; its single round leaf can reach more than diameter. The lotus 2 feet in grows in ponds, lakes, and streams, and was a source of food for American Indians.
Largest Estuary: Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay cuts across Maryland and Virginia; it is almost 200 miles long and from 3 to roughly 30 miles wide. The surrounding area encompasses a range of environments, allowing a diverse assortment of plants and animals to flourish.
What is an estuary?
You say it like this: ESS-chuh-WHERE-ee! It's a place where fresh
water (the kind in lakes and rivers) and salt water (the kind in the ocean) mix and mingle.
That's why so many plants, animals, birds, and fish—about 3,600 different kinds—live in or near the Chesapeake Bay. Sharks, dolphins, crabs, turtles, and the American bald eagle are just a few you may find.
But the Bay creatures need our help to keep the water clean and healthy. Here's how it works. If I dam up a stream that leads into the Bay and eat all the fish, the bald eagle might not find enough fish to feed its young.
And if you throw trash into the water, it could hurt the creatures in an estuary.
So let's all make a deal to be careful.
Thanks,
Chompers
Try this Estuary Quiz
1. The Chesapeake Bay is bordered by the two states of V and M.
2. The Chesapeake Bay is almost 2 miles long.
3. Creatures in the Bay can be hurt if you throw t in the water upstream.
4. An estuary has both s and f water.
Who Doesn't Belong in the Bay?
Cross out the animals that you won't find in or near the Chesapeake Bay.
Largest Frog: American Bullfrog
American bullfrogs can reach more than six inches in length; males weigh up to one pound, and their calls can be heard from a quarter mile away. Adults are predatory and will consume snakes, birds, fish, insects, and even other frogs.
Largest Delta: Mississippi River Delta
The Mississippi River delta, where the mouth of the river meets the Gulf of Mexico, covers approximately 11,000 square miles, roughly a quarter of the state of Louisiana. The delta gradually changes form as sediment deposited by the river builds up.
Let's Cruise!
Now it's time
To take a trip
From my Southeast home
Up the Mississip'!
Get on board
And fill in the gaps
While you count the stops
On this Wonder map!
1. Largest Delta: M_____________ River Delta
2. Longest Cave: M_______ Cave
3. Tallest Man-Made Monument: G_______ A_____
4. Longest River System: M______-M_______
5. Largest Lake: Lake S_________
Now create a stamp of something you think
is Wonderful—anything you want!
Poor Scales would never be able to live in Lake Superior! Alligators are cold-blooded animals and need to live in hot places to keep up their body temperature. But I'm a warm-blooded animal. My fur helps keep me warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot, so I can live in many different places.
Scales was right to want to visit the Midwest, because there's lots to see. We've got huge caves, big animals, and large lakes. There's also the Mississippi River, which is almost as long as our whole country! We have cool stuff that people built, like the massive Gateway Arch! Quick, turn the page and check it all out!
Wonders of the Midwest
13. Fastest Land Animal: Pronghorn
14. Tallest Man-Made Monument: Gateway Arch
15. Largest Lake: Lake Superior
16. Largest Land Mammal: American Bison
17. Longest River System: Mississippi-Missouri
18. Longest Cave: Mammoth Cave
Fastest Land Animal: Pronghorn
The pronghorn can reach speeds around 60 miles per hour and can maintain a pace of 45 miles per hour for several minutes. The only faster land animal is the cheetah, reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour for short distances.
Tallest Man-made Monument: Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, memorializes the national expansion that took place under President Thomas Jefferson. Completed in 1965, the arch spans 630 feet and rises to the same height; it was built to withstand earthquakes and high winds.
Largest Lake: Lake Superior
The largest of the five Great Lakes, Superior shares waters with Canada and covers
a surface area of about 31,700 square miles. Lake Superior is approximately
350 miles long; its maximum depth is 1,333 feet.
Largest Land Mammal: American Bison
American bison typically reach 7 to 11 feet in length and weigh 900 to 2,200 pounds. They feed primarily on grasses and can run nearly 30 miles an hour. Full-grown bulls stand 6 feet or more at the shoulder.
Word Race
Set your timers! Use the letters in AMERICAN BISON to make as many other words as you can. Try timing yourself for two minutes, or for five minutes. Or race a friend!
Hint: You can make small words by using just a few
letters. Here are a few to get started: EAR, NO, ACE
Ready? Set. Go!
1. – 30.
Longest River System: Mississippi-Missouri
From the headwaters of the Missouri River, in the Rocky Mountains, to the great delta where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi-Missouri river system stretches more than 3,700 miles. Exact measurements are difficult to pinpoint.
Longest Cave: Mammoth Cave
More than 365 miles of passages have been explored and mapped in Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky. This is the longest known cave in the world; according to tradition, it was discovered in the 1790s by a hunter chasing a bear.
Cave Life Has Its Ups & Downs
In big caves, you'll find stalactites and stalagmites—those are big words!
Here's how you say them: stuh - LACK - tights and stuh - LAG - mights. Stalactites and stalagmites look like big cones made of rock. When water drips through the ceiling of a cave, some of it stays on the cave ceiling, and some falls to the cave floor. When the water dries up, it leaves tiny bits of minerals behind. These slowly build up, getting big and hard, like rocks. The ones that hang down from the cave ceiling look like icicles, and the ones that build up on the cave floor look like upside-down ice cream cones!
But which one's which?
Here's an easy way to tell:
Stalactites have a "C" just like "ceiling"—they hang from the ceiling. StalaGmites have a "G" just like "ground"—they rise from the ground.
Connect the dots to reveal the stalactites and stalagmites in this cave.
How many stalactites and stalagmites did you find?
How do you measure up?
I'm Spike, the Saguaro Cactus. I'm the tallest dude in the desert. I may be big now, but I started out as a seed the size of a pinhead. I hardly grew an inch a year at first. When I was 10 years old, I was still only six inches tall! Now I'm 60 feet tall. It takes a cactus about 150 years to become a Wonder like me. My desert world may look, well, deserted. But there are lots of Wonders here. Saddle up, and I'll take you for a tour!
Wonders of the Southwest
19. Tallest Cactus: Saguaro
20. Tallest Dunes: Great Sand Dunes
21. Largest Cliff Dwelling: Cliff Palace
22. Largest Desert: Great Basin
23. Tallest Waterfall: Yosemite Falls
24. Largest Canyon: Grand Canyon
25. Oldest Trees: Bristlecone Pines
26. Largest Natural Bridge: Rainbow Bridge
27. Largest Plant: Quaking Aspen
28. Hottest Spot: Death Valley
29. Longest Mountain Chain: Rocky Mountains
Tallest Cactus: Saguaro
The saguaro cactus, symbol of the American Southwest, can grow taller than a five-story building. One record-breaking specimen in Arizona reached a height of nearly 60 feet. A saguaro grows slowly; a ten-year-old plant may be less than six inches high.
Tallest Dunes: Great Sand Dunes
The Great Sand Dunes rise more than 750 feet above the floor of the San Luis Valley, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado. Strong winds blow over the mountains toward the northeast, moving sand and constantly reshaping the dunes.
Largest Cliff Dwelling: Cliff Palace
The multistory pueblo known today as Cliff Palace, in Colorado, was a large
complex containing many rooms. This mysterious archaeological wonder, built centuries ago in the shelter of a canyon wall, was constructed primarily of
sandstone, mortar, and wooden beams.
Largest Desert: Great Basin
The Great Basin covers an area of roughly 190,000 square miles, mostly in Nevada. This desert region is actually a series of basins, sprinkled with sagebrush, and mountain ranges. Increased precipitation at higher elevations supports numerous plant and animal species.
Petroglyph Code Breaker
Petroglyphs—you say it like this: PET-row-gliffs—are very old drawings on rock walls and cave walls. Many of the most interesting
are in the Southwest deserts. Before people developed alphabets to
write words, they used petroglyphs to remember important things.
Can you read this "petroglyph" message?
Tallest Waterfall: Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls, in Yosemite National Park in California, is actually in three sections with a total drop of 2,425 feet. An upper waterfall (1,430 feet) and a lower one (320 feet) are separated by small plunges and rapids (675 feet).
Largest Canyon: Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long. At its widest point, it is more than 15 miles across; at its deepest, it reaches down more than a mile. The Grand Canyon is one of the "even Natural Wonders of the World.a"
Grand Canyon Search
Oldest Trees: Bristlecone Pines
The oldest bristlecone pines, so named for the long, hooked spines on the scales of their cones, are more than 4,500 years old. Twisted and gnarled by the elements, they grow in rocky, arid regions of six western states.
Largest Natural Bridge: Rainbow Bridge
The world's largest natural bridge, Rainbow Bridge, is in southern Utah; it is 275 feet
across and 290 feet tall. This sandstone wonder holds spiritual significance for various
American Indian groups and was designated a national monument in 1910 by President Taft.
Largest Plant: Quaking Aspen
The root system of a quaking aspen tree can produce a clone that appears to be an
entire grove. A clone in Utah named Pando (Latin for "I spread") weighs an estimated 6,600 tons, making it one of the most massive living organisms known.
Hottest Spot: Death Valle
In Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, summer temperatures average more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A record high of 134 degrees was measured there in July 1913. The valley floor is even hotter than the surrounding air.
A Friend That Makes You Laugh
Meet Coyote! These animals-live all over America, but they love the Southwest best. The American Indians who lived here first created many stories starring Coyote.
He was a trickster, always getting into trouble or making people laugh—but sometimes, he could teach everyone a lesson at the same time. Do you know anyone like that?
One story says Coyote created a Wonder: He tried to jump up to catch a star and fell down with a big splat, and that made Crater Lake, America's deepest lake.
You can make up a silly Coyote story. Just fill in the blanks using the suggestions below!
Longest Mountain Chain: Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 2,000 miles through several western states. Among the most spectacular ranges in the chain are the Sawatch of Colorado—home to Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the Rockies at 14,433 feet—and the Tetons of Wyoming.
I'm Diva, the Blue Whale with the big voice. I love to sing, and I'm the loudest animal around. You have to be loud to be heard from Alaska to Hawai`i to California! My songs can be heard by other blue whales hundreds of miles away. But most of my sounds are such low, rumbly tones, they're too deep and low to be heard by humans, or anyone but other sea creatures.
The Northwest and Pacific region covers a lot of ground and water—and a lot of wonders too. Let's say hello to a few!
Wonders of the Northwest & the pacific
30. Loudest Animal: Blue Whale
31. Deepest Lake: Crater Lake
32. Largest Glacier: Bering Glacier
33. Longest Hiking Trail: Pacific Crest Trail
34. Tallest Geyser: Steamboat
35. Largest Freshwater Fish: White Sturgeon
36. Tallest Trees: Coast Redwoods
37. Tallest Dam: Oroville Dam
38. Rainiest Spot: Mount Wai`ale`ale
39. Highest Sea Cliffs: Moloka`i
40. Most Active Volcano: Kilauea
Loudest Animal: Blue Whale
Blue whales, found in all the world's oceans, including U.S. waters, are the biggest and loudest animals on Earth. They can emit sounds at a volume greater than 180 decibels in water, but pitched too low for humans to detect without sensitive equipment.
Deepest Lake: Crater Lake
At its deepest, the bottom of Crater Lake, in Oregon, is 1,943 feet below the water's surface; the lake's maximum width is six miles. This beautiful body of water, known for its intense blue color, formed after the collapse of an ancient volcano.
I Wonder How Many Miles?
Here's a letter from the Hottest Spot, Death Valley, California, to Diva, the Blue Whale. She's in the Pacific Ocean, but we don't know if she's near Juneau, Honolulu, or San Francisco. If we send the letter to her in Juneau, how many miles will it travel to get there? And if the Postal Service has to forward the letter to Honolulu and then to San Francisco to reach her, how many miles will it have to travel to get to those places?
Largest Glacier: Bering Glacier
Bering Glacier, near Cordova, Alaska, is the nation's largest glacier. It is about
126 miles long and about 30 miles wide near its terminus. The glacier changes
size with fluctuations in the weather and "calves" icebergs into Vitus Lake.
Longest Hiking Trail: Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is the nation's longest continuous designated hiking trail,
running for 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, through California, Oregon, and
Washington. It passes through various climate zones and types of terrain and is open
to foot and horse travel only.
Arctic Neighborhood
More than 100 years ago, the U.S. Postal Service set up mail delivery through Alaska's snow and ice by dogsled! The route was 1,600 miles round-trip, but fresh teams of dogs would pull the sleds every 50 to 75 miles. The last dogsled delivery took place in 1963.
Other wildlife neighbors can be found in the snowy Arctic. Unscramble the letters to discover the names of the ones shown here.
Trail That Will A-MAZE You!
The Pacific Crest Trail passes by many Wonders. See if you can make it through this maze and touch all of them without traveling over the same path twice. On each blank line, write the name of the Wonder described above the line.
Tallest Geyser: Steamboat
Steamboat, a popular attraction in Yellowstone National Park, is the world's tallest
active geyser. At unscheduled intervals, it sends rockets of water soaring as high as 300 feet or more, though minor eruptions of 10 to 40 feet are more common.
Largest Freshwater Fish: White Sturgeon
The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America. One record-setting specimen, from the Snake River in Idaho in the 19th century, reportedly weighed
1,500 pounds. The white sturgeon typically reaches about 12 feet in length.
Tallest Trees: Coast Redwoods
Coast redwoods, the tallest trees in the world today, range from central California to southern Oregon. Most of these giants stand between 200 and 300 feet tall, though they can reach more than 350 feet; they can live 2,000 years or longer.
Tallest Dam: Oroville Dam
The Oroville Dam, on the Feather River in northern California, stands 770 feet tall and is 6,920 feet long at its crest. Construction of the dam, located in the Sierra Nevada foothills north of Sacramento, was completed in 1967.
Pack for a Hike
What do you need to bring on a long hike? Circle the items you would need and could fit in your backpack.
Rainiest Spot: Mount Wai`ale`ale
Mount Wai`ale`ale, on the island of Kaua`i in Hawai`i, has an average annual rainfall of about 400 inches. Its elevation is greater than 5,000 feet. The name "Wai`ale`ale" may be roughly rendered in English as "overflowing waters" or "rippling waters."
Highest Sea Cliffs: Moloka`i
The sea cliffs along the northeastern coast of Moloka`i, one of eight major islands
in the state of Hawai`i, are the highest in the world. The cliffs near Umilehi Point drop nearly 3,300 feet at an average slope of 58 degrees.
Most Active Volcano: Kilauea
Fiery eruptions are common at Kilauea, a volcano on the southeastern edge of the Big Island of Hawai`i. Kilauea has had 55 eruptive episodes since 1983; it typically produces more than 10 million cubic feet of lava every day.
Now that you've seen America's Wonders, we wonder how much you remember
about the trip!
Read the statements below and circle "T" for true or "F" for false.
T F 1. The white sturgeon can be 450 feet long.
T F 2. Coast redwoods can live to be 2,000 years old.
T F 3. The Bering Glacier is near Florida.
T F 4. The Chesapeake Bay is almost 200 miles long.
T F 5. The longest hiking trail runs from Mexico to Canada.
T F 6. Crater Lake is only 2 feet deep.
T F 7. Chicago is called the "Windy City," so it's the windiest place.
T F 8. The Grand Canyon is one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of the World."
T F 9. Blue whales are the loudest animals on Earth, but humans can't always hear them.
T F 10. Lake Superior is full of alligators.
Page 6
There are 6 peregrine falcons flying above the mountains.
Page 8
Tallest Dam: Oroville Dam
Tallest Man-Made Monument: Gateway Arch
Longest Span: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Largest Cliff Dwelling: Cliff Palace
Page 12
1.The Chesapeake Bay is bordered by the two states of Virginia and Maryland.
2.The Chesapeake Bay is almost 200 miles long.
3.Creatures in the Bay can be hurt if you throw trash in the water upstream.
4.An estuary has both salt and fresh water.
Who Doesn't Belong in the Bay? The elephant, giraffe, and tiger aren't found in or near the Chesapeake Bay.
Page 14
Page 15
1.Largest Delta: Mississippi River Delta
2.Longest Cave: Mammoth Cave
3.Tallest Man-Made Monument: Gateway Arch
4.Longest River System: Mississippi-Missouri
5.Largest Lake: Lake Superior
Page 20
In addition to the words "ear," "no," and "ace" (which were provided as samples), here are just some of the words you can make using the letters in AMERICAN BISON: is, in, on, an, ban, can, man, ran, scan, bar, car, care, scare, bear, near, nose, rose, mice, nice, rice, sin, bin, brain, cane, came, same, bone, son, once, manner.
Page 22
Page 23
1.Billings, MT and Yellowstone Park, WY
2.Portland, ME and Atlanta, GA
3.Anchorage, AK and Portland, OR
4.Death Valley, CA and Baker, NV
5.Key West, FL and Manchester, NH
Arizona = AZ
Arkansas = AR
Colorado = CO
Connecticut = CT
Delaware = DE
Hawaii = HI
Illinois = IL
Indiana = IN
Kansas = KS
Louisiana = LA
Massachusetts = MA
Michigan = MI
Mississippi = MS
Missouri = MO
Nebraska = NE
New Jersey = NJ
New Mexico = NM
New York = NY
North Carolina = NC
Ohio = OH
Oklahoma = OK
Rhode Island = RI
South Carolina = SC
South Dakota = SD
Texas = TX
Utah = UT
Virginia = VA
Washington = WA
West Virginia = WV
Wisconsin = WI
Page 28
You are a Wonder!
Page 30
Page 37
1.1,770 miles
2.2,810 miles
3.2,390 miles
4.6,970 miles
5.2,390 miles + 2,390 miles = 4,780 miles
6.2,700 miles + 1,770 miles = 4,470 miles
7.4,780 miles - 4,470 miles = 310 miles
Page 39
PUFFIN
SNOWY OWL
POLAR BEAR
GRAY WOLF
MOOSE
WALRUS
SALMON
Page 40
Hottest Spot: Death Valley
Oldest Trees: Bristlecone Pines
Deepest Lake: Crater Lake
Tallest Dam: Oroville Dam
Tallest Waterfall: Yosemite Falls
Tallest Trees: Coast Redwoods
Page 43
Some things you would probably need to fit in your backpack for a long hike are a map, sunblock, a flashlight with batteries, money, sunglasses, eating utensils, and a drinking cup (or a canteen) — and don't forget some food and water. You would need a good pair of shoes, but you would want them on your feet instead of in your backpack. You might want to fit in a camera or some crayons and paper so you can record all the Wonders you see! If you're camping overnight, you'd probably want a sleeping bag and a tent too, but they might not fit in your backpack (although you might be able to attach them to it). Hopefully you won't need crutches (be careful!), but you should bring along a first-aid kit. Can you think of some other things you would need?
Page 45
Most Active Volcano:Kilauea
Highest Sea Cliffs:Moloka`i
Rainiest Spot:Mount Wai`ale`ale
Page 46
1.False
2.True
3.False
4.True
5.True
6.False
7.False
8.True
9.True
10.False
Publication 39
PSN 7610-03-000-9154
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