BobRingReflections

Pat and I are signed up for a future tour of southwestern Canada:  starting in Vancouver, British Columbia, traveling by the Rocky Mountaineer train to Jasper National Park in Alberta, and then by bus through the Canadian Rockies to Calgary. Map for upcoming tour of southwestern Canada. Following my usual process of learning about the region we will be traveling to, this blog will cover the history of southwestern Canada, with emphasis on the areas we will visit.   I’ll start with a short introduction, and then (following the order of the tour) discuss the history of the Canadian Province of British Columbia, then the history of the city of Vancouver, followed by the history of the Canadian Pacific Railroad and the Rocky Mountaineer.   Next, I’ll discuss the national parks of the Canadian Rockies, then the history of the Canadian Province of Alberta, and finally the history of the city of Calgary. My principal sources for this article include “Geological Regions,” “Ca...

There are three reasons why I chose this topic for a blog article.  First, the Mississippi River ties together a lot of the America history I’ve been writing about.  Second, there was much about the Mississippi that I didn’t know before starting this project.  And third, Pat and I are scheduled to take a steamboat cruise on the Mississippi River in the not-too-distant future.   I’ll start with an introduction to the Mississippi River and then discuss how the river formed and changed course over millions of years, including the Mississippi River Delta; then the first humans along the river; European exploration; colonization; the steamboat Era; the Civil War; selected 20 th and 21 st century events; navigation and flood control; ferries and bridges; and conclude with a snapshot of the Mississippi today, including environmental concerns. My principal sources for this article include “Mississippi River” and “Mississippi River Delta,” Wikipedia; “Mississippi Rive...