The Road to Super Bowl XLIX--Fun Facts About Arizona/Strange But True Party Story

Good morning on a nice day here in the city. I can't believe we're already 20 days into the new year! We are all anticipating tonight's State of the Union address.

Arizona State Seal

Unless you're hiding under a rock, most of us know that Super Bowl XLIX will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. I thought I'd take some time today to give the reader some fun facts about the state of Arizona:

Arizona State Flag

Capital: Phoenix (population, 1.2 million, making it the 7th largest city in the U.S.)
Governor: Doug Ducey (R)
Senators: John McCain (R) and Jeff Flake (R)
Nickname: The Grand Canyon State and The Copper State (both for obvious reasons)
Motto: Ditat Deus (God Enriches)
State Songs: "The Arizona March Song" and "Arizona"
State Bird: Cactus Wren
State Flower: Saguro Cactus Blossom
State Tree: Palo Verde
State Gem: Turquoise
State Fossil: Petrified Wood
State Colors: Blue and Old Gold
Nickname for Residents: Arizonans
Admission to the Union: February 14, 1912 (the 48th State)
Size: 114,000 square miles, making it the 6th largest state
Population: 5 million
Hottest Temperature: 128 degrees (June 29, 1994)
Coldest Temperature: -40 degrees (January 7, 1971)
Highest Point: Humphreys Peak (12,633 above sea level)
Lowest Point: Colorado River (70 feet above sea level)
Amethyst Production: The Four Peaks area of the Matazal Mountains is know for producing top-quality amethysts.
Capitol Building: The amount of copper on the roof of the Capitol building in Phoenix is equivalent to 4.8 million pennies.

Capitol Building in Phoenix

Gold Rush: In 1858, gold was discovered in the Gila River.
Bizarre State Laws: It is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water in Arizona. I suppose that makes sense, considering how hot Arizona sometimes gets. You can also receive a 25-year prison sentence for cutting down a cactus. That's perfectly understandable, too.
Grand Canyon: The Grand Canyon was discovered in 1540 by the Spanish conquistador Lopez de Cardenas. The first American to explore the Grand Canyon was explorer John Wesley Powell. It is 227 miles long, one mile deep, and an average width of 10 miles. Grand Canyon National Park was founded in 1919. Mail to Supai, a town just below the south rim of the Canyon, still travels by mule train.
Education: Navajo Community College (now Dine College) in Tsaile was the first college on a Native American reservation. Native Americans earned the right to vote in 1948.
Previous Occupation by Other Countries: The flags of Spain and Mexico have flown over the territory that was to become Arizona. Also, the Confederate flag was present during the Civil War.
Hollywood Beckons: More than 35 movies have been shot in Arizona, including How the West Was Won, Eiger Sanction, Forrest Gump, and Back to the Future parts II and III.
Route 66: The longest stretch (approximately 158 miles) of the old U.S. Route 66 lies in the town of Kingman.
Crossing Bridges: Tonto Natural Bridge is probably the world's longest national bridge at 400 feet long and 183 feet high. Also, the original London Bridge was shipped stone by stone and reconstructed in the town of Lake Havasu City.
Parks and Recreation: Arizona has more parks and national monuments than any other state, more mountains than Switzerland, and more golf courses than Scotland.
Planetude: In 1930, Pluto (now a "dwarf planet") was discovered by Clyde Tombough at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff/ This Observatory now houses the Discovery Channel Telescope.
Four Corners: Arizona is one of the "Four Corners" states. This is the spot where a person can stand in four states at the same time.The other states are Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
It Really Happened!: The infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place on October 26, 1881 in the town of Tombstone.
Play Ball!: Arizona's first spring training game took place on March 6, 1929, when the Tigers played in an exhibition game against the Pirates. Arizona is home to six professional sports teams: The Arizona Cardinals (NFL), the Phoenix Coyotes (NHL), the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB). the Phoenix Suns (NBA), the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA), and the Arizona Rattlers (AFL).

Now on to today's Listmania:

Party Idea of the Day: How about some football-shaped Rice Krispie treats? Connect to La Jolla Mom for the recipe.

Here is another Super Bowl Party Game from our shop. In this game, party guests will try to fill in all the MVPs for each Super Bowl. A list of players is provided for assistance.

As in all our games, we will customize it with the name of the event, font, background color, and wording. As a gentle reminder, if you would like any games in time for your Super Bowl party, all orders must be placed by Friday, January 30.

Super Bowl Fun Fact of the Day: Over 700,000 footballs are produced for use during the NFL season. The Super Bowl alone uses 72 of those balls!

Today's Birthdays: Evan Peters (28), Brantley Gilbert (30), Rob Bourdon (36), ?uestlove (44), Skeet Ulrich (45), Reno Wilson (46), Greg K (50), James Denton (52), Lorenzo Lamas (57), Bill Maher (59), Ian Hill (62), Paul Stanley (63), David Lynch (69), Eric Stewart (70), and Arte Johnson (86).

Holidaze: Happy National Buttercrunch Day! This is an unofficial holiday that celebrates this toffee treat. I love buttercrunch but they are so not good for my teeth, lol. Anyway, here are some homemade buttercrunch candy recipes.

Today is also National Disc Jockey (DJ) day. A DJ is, of course, a person who mixes recorded music for an audience or club. Originally the "disc" referred to a phonograph disc, but in the 21st century, other mediums are used (CDs, M3P players, etc.). The term was coined by Walter Winchell in 1935. Martin Block, the producer of Make Believe Ballroom, was the first DJ to become a star.

Strange But True Party Story: A 5-year-old boy in Cornwall, England was invoiced for missing a friend's birthday party! He wanted to go visit his grandparents instead. I can understand getting frustrated for being hit with the bill for a no-show, but there are more tactful ways to handle this situation. Readers, what do you think?

Tomorrow, we will provide a some facts and trivia about the town of Glendale.

Have a PRINTASTIC day!

Kathy