January 26, 2017 - Throwback To This Day in History Around the World

Elisa's Daily Scoop
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World Events on This Day Throughout the Centuries

Hey there,

Well, what a glorious day yesterday was - weather-wise  The sun was shining after a few days of icky weather.  It felt good to be out and about on a clear day, because today we are back to the rain and gray.

Punkin ran some errands with me, yesterday as both kids headed off to school again (Kelsey felt better, but was still rather tired and under the weather a bit when she returned home from school yesterday).

Today is going to be one of those days with homework -- Kelsey has to finalize a project for a math - a restaurant menu along with a receipt.  So far, her "Italian Restaurant" Menu is looking adorable!  She needs to do a bit more coloring and create the receipt and she will be done.

Gianna decided to join drama this year and has the part of one of the Daisies in the school production of Alice in Wonderland.  So, today there is practice after school and then, I'm sure, lots of homework.

Can I tell you how much I'm looking forward to tomorrow and "no rush" to do homework!

Since today is Throwback Thursday, how about a look look back at this day in history around the world.  Some pretty interesting things occurred on January 26th throughout the past 600 years or so.


1500
Vicente Yáñez Pinzón discovered Brazil. ​

(credit: www.thepirateking.com)

Spanish explorer Vicente Yanez Pinzon, who had commanded the Nina during Christopher Columbus’ first expedition to the New World,

During a voyage under his own command, Pinzon reaches the northeastern coast of Brazil and produced the first recorded account of a European explorer sighting the Brazilian coast.
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​1784
​In a letter to his daughter, Sally, Benjamin Franklin expressed unhappiness over the eagle as the symbol of America.  

The eagle on the badge of the Society of the Cincinnati Medal looked more like a turkey, which prompted Franklin to compare the two birds as a symbol for the United States. (credit: greatsesal.com)

Franklin's Letter to His Daughter:

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."



1837
Michigan becomes the 26th state to join the United States. ​

Michigan State Flag (credit: State Symbols USA)

​The 26th state to join our great country, Michigan may best be thought of for its largest city, Detroit, known as the car capital of the world.  Detroit, is also the original headquarters for "Hitsville USA,  the Motown Record Company founded by Berry Gordy Jr. on January 12, 1959.

Located in the midwestern United States, Michigan borders four of the Great Lakes including Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Superior, giving it the longest shoreline in the world, and more shoreline than any other state except Alaska.

(credit: enchantedlearning.com)

Michigan also contains more than 11,000 inland lakes, and more than 36,000 miles of streams.

The Michigan State Capitol, with its majestic dome was opened in Lansing in l879.  Designed by architect Elijah E. Myers, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992.

In 1817, twenty years before Michigan was admitted to the union, the University of Michigan was the first university established by any of the states. Originally named Cathelepistemian and located in Detroit the name was changed in 1821. The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1841.

The Michigan State Capitol opened on January 1, 1879, (credit: Pinterest)

​Michigan State University was founded in 1855 as the nation's first land-grant university and served as the prototype for 69 land-grant institutions later established under the Morrill Act of 1862. It was the first institution of higher learning in the nation to teach scientific agriculture.

And being horse lovers, we were happy to learn that The DaVinci Science Center in Grand Rapids is home to the 24-foot Leonardo da Vinci horse, called Il Gavallo, it is the largest equestrian bronze sculpture in the Western Hemisphere.​

IL CAVALLO BRONZE HORSE BY LEONARDO DA VINCI CAN BE SEEN IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

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1905
World's largest diamond,  The Cullinan diamond, at 3,106.75 carats, was found by Captain Wells at the Premier Mine, near Pretoria, South Africa. ​

Publicity photo of the Cullinan crystal being handed from Fred Wells (right) to McHardy, who then hands it to Sir Thomas Cullinan (left). (credit: http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com)

According to History.com:

"Frederick Wells was 18 feet below the earth’s surface when he spotted a flash of starlight embedded in the wall just above him. His discovery was presented that same afternoon to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine. Cullinan then sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which presented the stone to Britain’s King Edward VII as a birthday gift."

"The Cullinan was later cut into nine large stones and about 100 smaller ones, valued at millions of dollars all told. The largest stone is called the “Star of Africa I,” or “Cullinan I,” and at 530 carats, it is the largest-cut fine-quality colorless diamond in the world.

The second largest stone, the “Star of Africa II” or “Cullinan II,” is 317 carats. Both of these stones, as well as the “Cullinan III,” are on display in the Tower of London with Britain’s other crown jewels; the Cullinan I is mounted in the British Sovereign’s Royal Scepter, while the Cullinan II sits in the Imperial State Crown."

The Cullinan I - aka the Star of Africa. 530.20 carats. (credit: http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com)

1911
Inventor Glenn H. Curtiss flew the first successful seaplane.

Glenn Hammond Curtiss (credit: glenncurtismuseum.org)

​Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) is remembered today as the Father of Naval Aviation and the founder of the American Aircraft Industry.

Known for being one of the most creative and determined inventors in the area of aviation, his career began as a bicycle racer and builder of motorcycles, which he then followed up with the manufacture of engines for airships as early as 1904.

But his list of accomplishments go on - and I bet most of you never heard of this brilliant inventor...

Aeroplane "June Bug" - designed in 1908 (credit: glenncurtismuseum.org)

In 1907, riding an 8-cycle machine he designed and built, Curtiss set a world speed record of 136.3 mph. He then joined Alexander Graham Bell’s Aerial Experiment Association as an engine builder.

Curtiss designed the AEA’s third plane, the “June Bug,” and in July 1908 piloted the first official public flight in the U.S., flying one mile. This won him the 1908 Scientific American Trophy. He was awarded the Trophy again in 1909 for flying 24.7 miles in 52 minutes, and later that year won international air race meets in France and Italy.

In 1910, he won the Trophy again for the first flight from Albany to New York.

In 1909, Curtiss established America’s first aircraft manufacturing company, and his planes flew on to set new aerial records.

In 1910 and 1911, civilian pilot Eugene Ely flew Curtiss aircraft while making the first take off from a naval ship and then the first landing aboard ship.

One week later, on January 26, 1911, Curtiss personally flew the first hydroplane (seaplane) for the U.S. Navy in a flight at San Diego. In February 1911, Curtiss carried the first passenger in a seaplane and thereafter fitted wheels to the craft, creating the first amphibious airplane.


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1934
The Apollo Theatre opened in New York City. 

The Apollo Theatre (credit: apollotheatre.org)

​The Apollo Theatre has had a 100+ year history in New York City's Harlem. It has played a major role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul music and has welcomed the greatest performers of all music eras, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others.

The origin of this neoclassical theater was originally designed by George Keister and first owned by Sidney Cohen in 1913.

In 1914, Benjamin Hurtig and Harry Seamon obtained a thirty-year lease on the newly constructed theater calling it Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theater. 

By 1933, a campaign against burlesque was in full swing and the theatre along with many others closed down.
 
A year later, in 1934, on January 26th, with a new partner and a new marketing hook, Cohen reopened the building as the 125th Street Apollo Theatre  His partner, Morris Sussman serving as manager. The new format of the shows variety revues and the two, redirected their marketing attention to the growing African-American community in Harlem.

Interior of the Apollo Theatre (credit: New York's Landmark Interiors)

Through the years, the theatre changed owners and closed and re-opened several times,

​In 1983, the Apollo received state and city landmark status and in 1991, Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc., was established as a private, not-for-profit organization to manage, fund and oversee programming for the Apollo Theater, which presents performing arts, education and community outreach programs.

 

1965
Hindi was made the official language of India. 

(credit: myasiatrip.com)

In accordance with the Indian constitution, in 1950,  Hindi in Devanagari script was declared to be the official language of the union.

However, the declaration stated, that, Unless Parliament decided otherwise, the use of English for official purposes was to cease 15 years after the constitution came into effect, which was on January 26, 1965. 

Just a little background about India:
The history of the Republic of India begins on 26 January 1950. The country became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth on 15 August 1947. Concurrently the Muslim-majority northwest and east of British India was separated into the Dominion of Pakistan, by the partition of India.

The leader most associated with the independence struggle, Mahatma Gandhi, accepted no political office, ironically. The new constitution of 1950 made India a secular and a democratic state. It has a Hindu majority, a large Muslim minority, and numerous other religious minorities such as Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Christians.

I hope you enjoyed that short walk down world history, memory lane!
​Check out Tanya's blog for more on this day in history!!

As for me, I'm getting so sad that these kids are getting so darn big and grown up!!

I ran across these few pictures of the girls in Toys R Us in the Fall of 2011 - 6 years ago.

Gianna was 6 and Kelsey had just recently turned 4.
They were on a "shopping spree" with their own money and I remember the moment at the register as if it was yesterday!!!

GIANNA (6) AND KELSEY (4) ON A SHOPPING SPREE IN TOYS R US (circa Oct 2011) (c)travelincousins.com

I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW SHORT KELSEY WAS!!! (c)travelincousins.com

KELSEY HAS HER GIFT CARD READY! (c)travelincousins.com

Awe, such sweet memories.  Now, Gianna is taller than me! It's crazy!

Well, I hope all of your memories are sweet ones!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
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Did you know what happened today?

Can you believe that it's already Thursday???

I haven't been terribly busy this week and yet the days are just flying on by!

I woke up to a clear though windy day here in SoCal. Blue skies and a gorgeous snow capped mountain range as a backdrop.  

Credit: S. Teevans

Credit: N. Gonzales

Not too shabby! 

Meanwhile yesterday, I was home working on last minute details for our upcoming Euro Ski Circuit trip. I also finally got the trip page up (although still under construction) CLICK HERE to view. 

As well as working with Elisa on our Cousins Chicago Road Trip - More scoop on this on Travelin Tuesday.

And last night was yet another night of fencing for Dominic. He does seem to be enjoying it quite a bit.

Now as Elisa has shared, we are going to use this  Throwback Thursday to focus on this day in history! 

1788 - Australia Day

On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. After overcoming a period of hardship, the fledgling colony began to celebrate the anniversary of this date with great fanfare.

Australia, once known as New South Wales, was originally planned as a penal colony. In October 1786, the British government appointed Arthur Phillip captain of the HMS Sirius, and commissioned him to establish an agricultural work camp there for British convicts. With little idea of what he could expect from the mysterious and distant land, Phillip had great difficulty assembling the fleet that was to make the journey. His requests for more experienced farmers to assist the penal colony were repeatedly denied, and he was both poorly funded and outfitted. Nonetheless, accompanied by a small contingent of Marines and other officers, Phillip led his 1,000-strong party, of whom more than 700 were convicts, around Africa to the eastern side of Australia. In all, the voyage lasted eight months, claiming the deaths of some 30 men.

The first years of settlement were nearly disastrous. Cursed with poor soil, an unfamiliar climate and workers who were ignorant of farming, Phillip had great difficulty keeping the men alive. The colony was on the verge of outright starvation for several years, and the marines sent to keep order were not up to the task. Phillip, who proved to be a tough but fair-minded leader, persevered by appointing convicts to positions of responsibility and oversight. Floggings and hangings were commonplace, but so was egalitarianism. As Phillip said before leaving England: “In a new country there will be no slavery and hence no slaves.”

Though Phillip returned to England in 1792, the colony became prosperous by the turn of the 19th century. Feeling a new sense of patriotism, the men began to rally around January 26 as their founding day. Historian Manning Clarke noted that in 1808 the men observed the “anniversary of the foundation of the colony” with “drinking and merriment.”

Finally, in 1818, January 26 became an official holiday, marking the 30th anniversary of British settlement in Australia. And, as Australia became a sovereign nation, it became the national holiday known as Australia Day. Today, Australia Day serves both as a day of celebration for the founding of the white British settlement, and as a day of mourning for the Aborigines who were slowly dispossessed of their land as white colonization spread across the continent.
CREDIT: History.com

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1918 - Ukraine declares its independence

Soon after the Bolsheviks seized control in immense, troubled Russia in November 1917 and moved towards negotiating peace with the Central Powers, the former Russian state of Ukraine declares its total independence.

One of pre-war Russia’s most prosperous areas, the vast, flat Ukraine (the name can be translated as at the border or borderland) was one of the major wheat-producing regions of Europe as well as rich with mineral resources, including vast deposits of iron and coal. The majority of Ukraine was incorporated into the Russian empire after the second partition of Poland in 1793, while the remaining section—the principality of Galicia–remained part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and was a key battleground on World War I’s Eastern Front.

Immediately following the overthrow of the czar in February 1917, Ukraine set up a provisional government and proclaimed itself a republic within the structure of a federated Russia. After Vladimir Lenin and his radical Bolsheviks rose to power in November, Ukraine—like its fellow former Russian property, Finland—took one step further, declaring its complete independence in January 1918.

But Ukraine’s Rada government, formed after the secession, had serious difficulty imposing its rule on the people in the face of Bolshevik opposition and counter-revolutionary activity within the country. Seeing Ukraine as an ideal and much-needed source of food for their hunger-plagued people, Germany and Austria brought in troops to preserve order, forcing the Russian troops occupying the country to leave under the terms of the treaty at Brest-Litovsk, signed in March 1918, and virtually annexing the region, while supposedly recognizing Ukrainian independence. In the words of Wilhelm Groener, a German army commander in Kiev, The [Ukrainian] administrative structure is in total disorder, completely incompetent and in no way ready for quick results.It would be in our interests to treat the Ukrainian government as a cover’ and for us to do the rest ourselves.

The defeat of the Central Powers and the signing of the armistice in November 1918 forced Germany and Austria to withdraw from Ukraine. At the same time, with the fall of the Austro-Hungarian empire, an independent West Ukrainian republic was proclaimed in the Galician city of Lviv. The two Ukrainian states proclaimed their union in early 1919, but independence was short-lived, as they immediately found themselves in a three-way struggle against troops from both Poland and Russia. The Ukrainian government briefly allied themselves with Poland, but could not withstand the Soviet assault. In 1922, Ukraine became one of the original constituent republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.); it would not regain its independence until the U.S.S.R.’s collapse in 1991.
​CREDIT: History.com



​1934 - Sam Goldwyn buys rights to The Wizard of Oz

One of America’s best-loved movie projects gets underway on this day in 1934, when the producer Samuel Goldwyn buys the film rights to the children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Published in 1900, Baum’s novel told the story of Dorothy, a young girl on a Kansas farm who is swept away by a tornado and carried to the magical Land of Oz. Baum, who died in 1919, based his book on the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, and also drew inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. His own work of children’s literature became an instant classic, was translated into some 40 languages and spawned numerous sequels–Baum’s widow, Maud, allowed another writer to continue the series after her husband’s death in 1919–and adaptations, including a long-running Broadway musical that debuted in 1903 and several silent films. The most famous adaptation, however, would be Goldwyn’s film version of The Wizard of Oz, which was finally released in 1939. Goldwyn had supposedly intended for Shirley Temple to take the part of Dorothy, but the role went to 17-year-old Judy Garland instead, and it would catapult her to international stardom.

The film followed Dorothy and her terrier, Toto, from the Kansas home they share with her aunt and uncle to Oz and their journey along the Yellow Brick Road. Along the way, she encounters a series of colorful characters including the Tin Man, who needs a heart; the Cowardly Lion, who lacks courage (and whose costume was made of two real lion skins); and the Scarecrow, who needs a brain. Other key characters were the Munchkins, Glinda the Good Witch of the North and the Wicked Witch of the West. The Kansas scenes were filmed in black and white, but the rest of the movie was made in Technicolor, a relatively new process at the time.

Production of The Wizard of Oz was plagued with problems, from numerous script rewrites to casting and directorial changes. After the original director, Richard Thorpe, was fired, Victor Fleming stepped in to take over the director’s role from George Cukor, who left to helm David O. Selznick’s Civil War epic Gone With the Wind, a job which, ironically, Fleming would later replace him in. When Fleming left, King Vidor stepped in to replace him. Despite all these changes, Fleming received the main director’s credit for the movie. Another stumbling block occurred when Buddy Ebsen, the original Tin Man, got sick from a reaction to the aluminum makeup he was forced to wear; he was replaced by Jack Haley.

In the end, the 101-minute-long film had modest success at the box office and earned several Oscar nominations–including a Best Song win for “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and a special award for Garland as Best Juvenile Performer. In 1956, an estimated 45 million people tuned in to watch the movie debut on television as part of the Ford Star Jubilee. Countless TV showings later, The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved and best-known films of all time.

The Wizard of Oz spawned two sequels, including Journey Back to Oz (1974), an animated film featuring the voice of Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, and Return to Oz (1985). An all-African-American remake, The Wiz (1978), starred Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, with music arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones. In 1998, The Wizard of Oz ranked sixth in the American Film Institute’s poll of America’s 100 Greatest Movies. In a measure of its enduring success, Wizard of Oz fan clubs still exist today, more than a century after the book’s first publication.
​CREDIT: History.com


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​1939 - Franco captures Barcelona

During the Spanish Civil War, Barcelona, the Republican capital of Spain, falls to the Nationalist forces of General Francisco Franco.

In 1931, King Alfonso XIII approved elections to decide the government of Spain, and voters overwhelmingly chose to abolish the monarchy in favor of a liberal republic. Alfonso subsequently went into exile, and the Second Republic, initially dominated by middle-class liberals and moderate socialists, was proclaimed. During the first five years of the republic, organized labor and leftist radicals forced widespread liberal reforms as independence-minded Spanish regions such as Catalonia and the Basque provinces achieved virtual autonomy. The landed aristocracy, the church, and a large military clique increasingly employed violence in their opposition to the Second Republic, and in July 1936, General Francisco Franco led a right-wing army revolt in Morocco, which prompted the division of Spain into two key camps: the Nationalists and the Republicans.

Franco’s Nationalist forces rapidly overran much of the Republican-controlled areas in central and northern Spain, and Catalonia became a key Republican stronghold. During 1937, Franco unified the Nationalist forces under the command of the Falange, Spain’s fascist party, while the Republicans fell under the sway of the communists. Germany and Italy aided Franco with an abundance of planes, tanks, and arms, while the Soviet Union aided the Republican side. In addition, small numbers of communists and other radicals from France, the USSR, America, and elsewhere formed the International Brigades to aid the Republican cause. The most significant contribution of these foreign units was the successful defense of Madrid until the end of the war.

In June 1938, the Nationalists drove to the Mediterranean Sea and cut the Republicans’ territory in two. Later in the year, Franco mounted a major offensive against Catalonia. In January 1939, its capital, Barcelona, was captured, and soon after the rest of Catalonia fell. With their cause all but lost, the Republicans attempted to negotiate a peace, but Franco refused. On March 28, 1939, the victorious Nationalists entered Madrid, and the bloody Spanish Civil War came to an end. Up to a million lives were lost in the conflict, the most devastating in Spanish history.
CREDIT: History.com



1950 - Republic of India born

On January 26, 1950, the Indian constitution takes effect, making the Republic of India the most populous democracy in the world.

Mohandas Gandhi struggled through decades of passive resistance before Britain finally accepted Indian independence. Self-rule had been promised during World War II, but after the war triangular negotiations between Gandhi, the British, and the Muslim League stalled over whether to partition India along religious lines. Eventually, Lord Mountbatten, the viceroy of India, forced through a compromise plan. On August 15, 1947, the former Mogul Empire was divided into the independent nations of India and Pakistan. Gandhi called the agreement the “noblest act of the British nation,” but religious strife between Hindus and Muslims soon marred his exhilaration. Hundreds of thousands died, including Gandhi, who was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic in January 1948 during a prayer vigil to an area of Muslim-Hindu violence.

Of Gandhi’s death, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said, “The light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere.” However, Nehru, a leader of the Indian struggle for independence and Gandhi’s protege, persisted in his efforts to stabilize India, and by 1949 the religious violence began to subside. In late 1949, an Indian constitution was adopted, and on January 26, 1950, the Republic of India was born.

With universal adult franchise, Nehru hoped to overcome India’s “caste-ridden” society and promote greater gender equality. Elections were to be held at least every five years, and India’s government was modeled after the British parliamentary system. A president would hold the largely ceremonial post of head of state but would be given greater powers in times of emergency. The first president was Rajendra Prasad.

Nehru, who won his first of three subsequent elections in 1952, was faced with staggering challenges. A massively underdeveloped economy and overpopulation contributed to widespread poverty. Nehru also had to force the integration of the former princely states into the Indian union and suppress movements for greater autonomy in states like Punjab. In his years of struggle against Britain, he always advocated nonviolence but as prime minister sometimes had to stray from this policy. He sent troops into the Portuguese enclaves of Goa and Daman and fought with China over Kashmir and Nepal. He died in 1964 and was succeeded by Lal Bahadur Shastri. Later, Nehru’s only child, Indira Gandhi, served four terms as a controversial prime minister of India.
​CREDIT: History.com
​

1980 - U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games

​At the request of President Jimmy Carter, the U.S. Olympic Committee votes to ask the International Olympic Committee to cancel or move the upcoming Moscow Olympics. The action was in response to the Soviet military invasion of Afghanistan the previous month.

Demonstrating once again that the Cold War infiltrated every facet of world life, the action indicated that even the Olympic games, an arena for sportsmanship and friendly international competition, could be a highly politicized event. Although the Committee stopped short of announcing a U.S. boycott of the Olympics in Moscow, the U.S. stance left little room for optimism on that count.

President Carter made it clear that if the Soviets did not disengage from Afghanistan by February 20, a cancellation of U.S. participation in the Olympics was all but certain. As one member of the committee stated, the vote reflected “what the president requested the committee to do.” He indicated that the vote was a message to the Soviets that “their aggression in Afghanistan will not go unanswered.” On the other side of the argument, a number of U.S. Olympic athletes were highly critical of both the vote and President Carter’s ultimatum, feeling that an international sports competition should not be a tool for political statements.

The Soviets ignored the vote and the ultimatum, and the U.S. Olympic Committee decided to boycott the games. It was the first time in the modern history of the Olympics that the United States refused to participate. Almost a decade passed before the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan.
CREDIT: History.com

Well there's are little history lesson thanks to History.com


Now how about a little TBT on a more personal level...

With my aunt and cousins circa 1997 (c)travelincousins.com

Playing in the snow circa 2002 (c)travelincousins.com

Do you wanna build a snowman? circa 2005 (c)travelincousins.com

These kiddos loved going to Build a Bear in Las Vegas circa 2005 (c)travelincousins.com

Ahhhh the memories! Such cutie pies!

I've gotta head out now and finish shopping for the big Chinese New Year's eve dinner that I'm gonna make. But I'm sure I'll squeeze some more travel planning in...as usual!

Ciao 4 Now,
​-T