USA - Texas - Austin (3)

Featuring iconic Austin landmarks and culture, including the University of Texas Tower, the State Capitol dome, bats and a guitar.

Sent by Alana from Austin in Texas, USA.

My other postcards of Austin are here and here.

USA - California - Sacramento

Sacramento, California

State Capitol Building

Sent by Debie from California, USA.

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California. The county seat of Sacramento County, it is located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in the Sacramento Valley. It is the fourth-most populous city in Northern California, sixth-most populous city in the state, and 35th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 524,943 at the 2020 census, while the Sacramento metropolitan area with 2.46 million residents is the 27th-largest metropolitan area in the nation.

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area was inhabited by the Nisenan, Maidu, and other indigenous peoples of California. In 1808, Spanish cavalryman Gabriel Moraga surveyed and named the Río del Santísimo Sacramento (Sacramento River), after the Blessed Sacrament. In 1839, Juan Bautista Alvarado, Mexican governor of Alta California, granted the responsibility of colonizing the Sacramento Valley to Swiss-born Mexican citizen John Augustus Sutter, who subsequently established Sutter's Fort and the settlement at the Rancho Nueva Helvetia. Following the American Conquest of California and the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the waterfront developed by Sutter began to be developed and incorporated in 1850 as the City of Sacramento. In 1852, the city offered its county courthouse to the state of California to house the state legislature, resulting in the city becoming the permanent state capital in 1854 and ushering in the construction of a new state capitol building which was finished in 1874.

Sacramento is the seat of the California Legislature and the governor of California. It is a major center for the California healthcare industry, as the seat of Sutter Health, UC Davis Medical Center, and the UC Davis School of Medicine. In 2013, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau stated that the city receives 15.3 million visitors per year, and is home to the California Museum, Crocker Art Museum, California State Railroad Museum, California State Capitol Museum, the Sacramento Convention Center Complex, and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (read more).

USA - Utah - Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

From the high vantage point of the Snowbird tram, Salt Lake City shines at night among its mountain borders, which are created by the Wasatch Mountains in the eastern foreground and the Oquirrh Mountains on the western horizon.

Sent by Liv from Salt Lake City, USA.

Salt Lake City (Navajo: Sooléí), often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The population was 199,723 at the 2020 census, while the Salt Lake City metropolitan area has an estimated 1.3 million residents, the 46th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. It is also part of the larger Salt Lake City–Ogden–Provo combined statistical area, an urban corridor along a 120-mile (190 km) segment of the Wasatch Front with a population of approximately 2.8 million. It is the principal urban center within the Great Basin, along with Reno, Nevada.

Salt Lake City was founded in 1847 by settlers led by Brigham Young who were seeking to escape persecution they had experienced while living farther east. The Mormon pioneers, as they would come to be known, entered a semi-arid valley and immediately began building an extensive irrigation network that could feed the population and foster future growth. Salt Lake City's street grid system is based on a standard compass grid plan, with the southeast corner of Temple Square serving as the origin of the Salt Lake meridian. Owing to its proximity to the Great Salt Lake, the city was originally named Great Salt Lake City; the word "Great" was dropped from the city's name in 1868. Immigration of international members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), mining booms, and the construction of the first transcontinental railroad brought economic growth, and the city was nicknamed "The Crossroads of the West". It was traversed by the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway, in 1913. Two major cross-country freeways, I-15 and I-80, now intersect in the city. The city also has a belt route, I-215.

Salt Lake City has developed a strong tourist industry based primarily on skiing, outdoor recreation, and religious tourism. It hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and will host the 2034 Winter Olympics. It is known for its politically liberal culture, which stands in contrast with most of the rest of the state's highly conservative leanings. It is home to a significant LGBT community and hosts the annual Utah Pride Festival. It is the industrial banking center of the United States. Salt Lake City and the surrounding area are also the location of several institutions of higher education including the state's flagship research school, the University of Utah (read more).

U.S.A. - Idaho - Boise

BOISE, IDAHO
Idaho's capital city is a place where you can enjoy just about anything. It combines the hometown atmosphere with high tech companies. There are endlessrecreational opportunities, along with cultural activities and picturesque parks.

Sent by Sijbrich from Boise, USA.

Boise (/ˈbɔɪsi/) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, the population of Boise at the 2010 Census was 205,671, the 99th largest in the nation. Its estimated population in 2013 was 214,237 (read further)

U.S.A. - Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska
View from the Tower of the Nebraska State Capitol

Sent by Charlene from Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.

Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the state of Nebraska, after Omaha. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's population in 2012 was estimated at 265,404.

Lincoln was founded in 1856 as the village of Lancaster, and became the county seat of the newly created Lancaster County in 1859. The capital of Nebraska Territory had been Omaha since the creation of the territory in 1854; however, most of the territory's population lived south of the Platte River. After much of the territory south of the Platte considered annexation to Kansas, the legislature voted to move the capital south of the river and as far west as possible. The village of Lancaster was chosen, in part due to the salt flats andmarshes. (read further)

U.S.A. - Alaska - Juneau (2)

JUNEAU
Alaska
The aerial tramway, running from Juneau's cruise ship dock to a level platform on Mt. Roberts, takes people 1,750 feet up the mountain for a magnificent view of downtown Juneau, the Inside Passage and the Gastineau Channel.

Sent by Scott from Juneau, Alaska.

U.S.A. - Iowa - Des Moines

DES MOINES, IOWA

Sent by Evan from Des Moines, USA.

Des Moines /dɨˈmɔɪn/ is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks." The city's population was 203,433 as of the 2010 census. The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 88th in terms of population in the United States with 580,255 residents according to the 2011 estimate by the United States Census Bureau. (read further)

U.S.A - Oregon - Salem

SALEM, OREGON

Sent by Adrienne from Salem, USA.

Salem /ˈseɪləm/ is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood of West Salem is in Polk County. Salem was founded in 1842, became the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1851, and was incorporated in 1857.

Salem had a population of 154,637 at the 2010 census, making it the third largest city in the state after Portland and Eugene. Salem is less than an hour driving distance away from Portland. Salem is the principal city of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Marion and Polk counties and had a combined population of 347,214 at the 2000 census. A 2009 estimate placed the metropolitan population at 396,103, the state's second largest. (read further)

U.S.A. - New Mexico - Santa Fe

SANTA FE
NEW MEXICO
"Oldest Capital City in the United States" is Santa Fe's claim.  The second oldest city in the U.S.,Santa Fe was settled in 1607 by the Spanish (13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock!).  Home to the Palace of the Governors, built in 1610, it is said to be the oldest continously occupied building in the United States. Santa Fe is the Southwest at its best.  From authentic Southwestern pottery to adobe buildings, to spicy chili peppers, this town has something for every one.

Sent by Jennifer from Santa Fe, USA.

Santa Fe (/ˌsæntəˈfeɪ/; (Tewa: Ogha Po'oge, Navajo: Yootó)) is the capital of the United States state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of Santa Fe County. Santa Fe is also the oldest capital city in the United States. Santa Fe (meaning “holy faith” in Spanish) had a population of 69,204 in 2012. It is the principal city of a Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Santa Fe County and is part of the larger Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas Combined Statistical Area. The city’s full name when founded was La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís (“The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi”). (read further)

USA - Georgia - Atlanta

For over 120 years, Coca Cola has been selling their product. Now, they've put it's complete history, all in one place,the NEW World of Coca Cola.

Sent by Dana from Atlanta, USA.

Atlanta (/ætˈlæntə/, locally /ætˈlænə/) is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia, with an estimated 2011 population of 432,427. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to 5,457,831 people and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States. Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County.

Atlanta was established in 1837 at the intersection of two railroad lines, and the city rose from the ashes of the Civil War to become a national center of commerce. In the decades following the Civil Rights Movement, during which the city earned a reputation as "too busy to hate" for the progressive views of its citizens and leaders, Atlanta attained international prominence. Atlanta is the primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States, via highway, railroad, and air, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world's busiest airport since 1998. (read further)

U.S.A. - Wyoming - Cheyenne

CHEYENNE, WYOMING
As the capital of Wyoming, the labor force of Cheyenne is predominately government,local, state, and federal employees. Trucking firms are a major employer. The city also functions as a regional shopping center, serving nearly 200,000 people in Southeastern Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Northern Colorado.

Sent by Camellia from Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.

Cheyenne (/ʃaɪˈæn/ shy-an or /ʃaɪˈɛn/) (Arapaho: Hítesííno'óowú' ) is the capital and most populous city of the US state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population was 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the northern terminus of the extensive and fast-growing Front Range Urban Corridor that stretches from Cheyenne to Pueblo, Colorado, and has a population of 5,467,633 according to the 2010 United States Census. Cheyenne is situated on Crow Creek and Dry Creek. The Cheyenne, Wyoming Metropolitan Area had a 2010 population of 91,738, making it the 354th most populous metropolitan area in the United States. (read further)

U.S.A. - Wisconsin - Madison

MADISON, WISCONSIN
This aerial view of Madison, Wisconsin shows Camp Randall stadium & fieldhouse in the foreground, followed by the U.W. Madison campus which blends into downtown Madison on the isthmus. Two of the four Madison area lakes are partially visible.

Sent by Denis from Madison, Wisconsin,USA.

Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. As of July 1, 2012, Madison had an estimated population of 240,323, making it the second largest city in Wisconsin, after Milwaukee, and the 81st largest in the United States. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Dane County and neighboring Iowa and Columbia counties. The Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area had a 2010 population of 568,593.

Madison's origins begin in 1829, when former federal judge James Duane Doty purchased over a thousand acres (4 km²) of swamp and forest land on the isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, with the intention of building a city in the Four Lakes region. When the Wisconsin Territory was created in 1836 the territorial legislature convened in Belmont, Wisconsin. One of the legislature's tasks was to select a permanent location for the territory's capital. Doty lobbied aggressively for Madison as the new capital, offering buffalo robes to the freezing legislators and promising choice Madison lots at discount prices to undecided voters. He had James Slaughter plat two cities in the area, Madison and "The City of Four Lakes", near present-day Middleton. Doty named the city Madison for James Madison, the fourth President of the U.S. who had died on June 28, 1836 and he named the streets for the other 39 signers of the U.S. Constitution. Although the city existed only on paper, the territorial legislature voted on November 28 in favor of Madison as its capital, largely because of its location halfway between the new and growing cities around Milwaukee in the east and the long established strategic post of Prairie du Chien in the west, and between the highly populated lead mining regions in the southwest and Wisconsin's oldest city, Green Bay in the northeast. Being named for the much-admired founding father James Madison, who had just died, and having streets named for each of the 39 signers of the Constitution, may have also helped attract votes. (read further)