New Orleans

The site of the original settlement known as the Vieux Carre in the French Quarter is famous for its lovely houses of different colours with cast-iron balconies and exotic plants, trees and flowers.

Jackson Square is the central plaza of the French Quarter with its statue of Andrew Jackson and St Louis Cathedral.

With their shops, art galleries, museums, bars, live music, exciting night life, friendly people and Creole restaurants that are the most loved street:

Canal Street

Royal Street

Bourbon Street

Chartres Street

Decatur Street

The French open-air marke is the oldest public market in the country

The Natchez a 19-century steamboat travels along the Missisipi River.

The St Charles Streetcar has been traveling on St Charles Avenue for over 165 years.

Audubon Park and Zoo

Garden District with its beautiful 19 century mansions and gardens

Bayou Sauvage Ntional Wildlife Refuge within the city is the largest urban wildlife center in the country.

 

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects the rich natural and cultural resources of the Louisiana Missisipi River area.

The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park  show visitors the origins and history of jazz.

The beginnings of New Orleans

La Nouvelle-Orleans was the French name of New Orleans, founded in 1718 by the French Missisipi Company; it was named after Phillippe II Duke of Orleans.

In 1763 became part of the Spanish Empire and after the Louisiana Pourchase became part of the United States.

Its economy was based on sugar and cotton grown and because of its position on the Missisipi River was a major trading port.

New Orleans was the largest slave market in the country.

The location neat the Gulf of Mexico coast makes it vulnerable to hurricanes and other tropical storms.

Hollywood

Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard where are more than 2000 five-pointed stars with the name of a celebrities.

Grauman's Chinese Theater, Which looks like a red Chinese pagoda, is Hollywood's most famous movie theater.

In front of this theater there are almost 200 handprints, foodprints and autographs of Hollywood stars in the cement.

Kodak Theatre situated on Hollywood Boulevard, hosts the important Academy Awarda event.

Beverly Hills is where the stars live.

Rodeo Drive is the world's most famous and expensive shopping area.

Malibu Colony is the guarded gate at the entrance to keep people out of the magnificent homes built on the beautiful Malibu Beach in front of the Pacific Ocean.

Two of the most important American industries

In the early 1920s L.A. became well known for the motion pictures and aircraft industries because of the excellent weather adn beautiful filming location.

Hollywood became the center for movie production.

An important Hollywood film producer and director was Howard Hughes; one of the American's richest men and best pilots that founded the Hughes Aircraft Company.

The beginnings of Los Angeles

In the Los Angeles area lived the Chumash American-Indian when the Spanish governor Filipe de Neve

 

founded "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porcincula"

and then became part of the United States.

In 1876 the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad contributed to L.A.'s growth.

In 1892 the discovery of oil started the booming oil industry that today is steel active.

In this time the agricultural economy developed.

San Francisco

The street of San Francisco clim up and down 42 hills;

Lombard Street is called the crookedest street in the world.

In 1873 an engineer created a special transportation system,

the cable car

that have only 30 seats but many more passengers enjoy standing on the outside running board.

On the Embarcadero, name that comes from the Spanish verb embarcar,

there is Fisherman's Wharf, a very populas area with fishing boats, restaurants, seafood stalls, 

wher sea lions are often seen swimming near Pier 39 an old wooden pier.

Here there is the amazing Aquarium of the Bay where you can walk through its long acrylic tunnels under the bay.

 

In the middle of the bay in the 1934 on the Alcatraz Islan opened a maximum security prison for America's most dangerous criminals like Al Capone; this prison was closed in 1963 after three prisoners tried to escape.

Now it is possible to visit a museum here.

 

Ghirardelli Square is famous for its chocolate and ice cream 

because during the Gold Rush an Italian immigrant Domingo Ghirardelli started a chicolate business, which grew quikly.

 

North Beach is the city's Italian neighborhood with italian sidewalk cafès, food shops and restaurants; it was home to the artist and writers of Beat Generation and there is still an open-.minded attitude.

During the Gold Rush Telegraph Hill at the head of North Beach, was an important signal station; and at the top of the hill the Coit Tower was built in honor of San Francisco 's firefighters.

Chinatown, in San rancisco is the oldest Chines neighborhood in United States

here hauses have Chinese-style roofs.

Union Square is one of the most famous shopping areas in the world.

Montgomery Street is the heart of San Francisco's finalncial district.

The Haight neighborhood is famous for its historic Victorian houses called "The painted ladies"

were lived the flower chieldren during the late 1960.

The Beat Generation

In 1953 the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti opened une of the first indipendent bookstores in America; 

City Light Bookstore in North Beach, 

that attracted writers and artists tired of middle-slass society called themselves Beat Generation.

The Vesuvio Cafè

where Jack Kerouak

and other Writers used to meet talk and read poetry.

The small road near the Vesuvio Cafè has been named Jack Kerouak Alley.