Another Milestone!

2000.Two thousand. MM. A nice round number. As of a few minutes ago Three States Plus One received its 2000th page view. That's quite an accomplishment considering exactly 154 posts and two months ago today, I put up my first post (about Outlaw Sam Bass). Today, we have readers in 29 states and 9 countries around the globe. This milestone was achieved because of you, the 420 unique visitors to this blog. End of story. I can't thank you enough for such a terrific two months. I thank you for taking time from your hectic schedules to spend a moment with Three States Plus One. It may not appear to be so, but I put some pretty long hours trying to make this blog successful - researching, organizing my thoughts on what each post will look like, typing each entry, etc. Therefore, each click made that leads you here is genuinely appreciated. I feel like the Father of 2000 clicks! I am proud of each one. I look forward to each click that is yet to come and to becoming a better blogger in order to justify your continued support. I am indeed humbled.

Maine Minutiae : A Good Place to Live

Downtown Ellsworth

I fell in love with Ellsworth the first time I visited the place and  I go out of my way to drive through town when we take a trip to Eastport to see the in-laws. It's just a nice little town, easy on the eye. The history of European explorers in Ellsworth goes back to at least the 1500's when the French first set foot on the Maine coast however, many modern historians believe that Norse men probably landed in the area even before Columbus "discovered" the New World.  The first settlement in Ellsworth is thought to have been founded by French citizens in 1613, although the town wasn't incorporated by the Maine Legislature until 1869. More history of Ellsworth can be found at answerbag.com. One of the things I like most is the way that this city looks so "old" (see pic above), yet has many businesses that are so "today". Burger King and fifty-eight other restaurants are located in Ellsworth, as are three hospitals, six dentists and so much more. It looks like all 6500 folks that live in Ellsworth are well-taken care of should they get a belly ache from eating too many Whoppers. Since the city is located on Penobscot Bay and the Union River drains the town, there is much fish slaying to do. Fish.Fear.Me. I say this in many posts, but this is a place I'd like to live. Maine is loaded with great places to live, so the abundance of quality locations to relocate to presents us with  a dilemma, and Ellsworth doesn't make the choice any easier. I guess, though, that's not a bad thing.

Texas Tidbits : On the Border, By the Sea

University of Texas at Brownsville

I have always been a sucker for things Mexican - the food, language, tequila, traditions, sense of family, tequila. You get the picture - all that other stuff and tequila. Seriously, I love the culture of our Mexican neighbors. I was thinking, if I want to get a taste of Mexico and still be in the USA, where would be a good place to go? Easy answer. Brownsville. In Brownsville, I'd still be in Texas and get the flavor of Mexico as well. Hell, Matamoros is just across the Rio Grande. The southernmost city in Texas has a population of about 140,000 and a semi-tropical climate that attracts many snowbirds, or Winter Texans or as Texans call them, Yankees. :)  The climate is just one item on the "plus" list for Brownsville. Other pluses include a landscape laden with palm trees, bougainvilleas and comforting Gulf breezes, exotic birds and a zoo that features over 1500 species of animals. Brownsville's recorded history goes back to the 1600's but was settle many years later. According to The Handbook of Texas Online, "In 1781 Spanish authorities granted fifty-nine leagues of land on the northern bank of the river, including all of the site of Brownsville, to José Salvador de la Garza, who established a ranch about sixteen miles northwest of the site. During the early nineteenth century a small number of squatters, most of them herders and farmers from Matamoros, built huts in the area. A small settlement had formed by 1836, when Texas declared her independence from Mexico, but the region was still only sparsely settled when United States troops under Gen. Zachary Taylor arrived in early 1846." THOT has a more detailed history of Brownsville here. Today, as in centuries past, is a major shipping port that brings in goods from all over the world. I guess the most famous thing Brownsville is known for is Spring Break. Enough said. It seems that I have discovered Paradise at the southern tip of Texas, and it called Brownsville.