Aslan's World travels

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Washington DC

Aslan's first big travels took him to Washington DC. Washington DC is our nation's capitol, it is where our President lives and where Congress meets. There are many historic monuments in Washington DC, to remember our founding fathers, wars we have fought, and important moments in our nation's history.

Aslan was very excited to check out the city. The first thing he noticed were there were lots of people! He wasn't used to that many people. He also wasn't used to all the cars and taxis and traffic. Washington DC is certainly a very busy place!


Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day. Martin Luther King Jr was an important figure in our history. He believed that all men were created equal and worked to see everyone treated fairly. He gave a very important speech titled " I Have A Dream" on the steps of the Lincoln monument in 1963. Each year, to remember the important work that Mr. King did and to remember the importance of treating everyone fairly and equally, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day. Aslan joined in the festivities by standing in the same spot Mr. King did 48 years ago:

He felt very important.

His next stop was to visit Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He was president during a very difficult time in our country's history, there was a civil war and our country was almost split in two. He is known for being very honest, and his face is on the penny.

He was also very tall! Aslan was a bit scared of him. He had never seen a person so big! After Aslan sniffed him, he realized it was just a statue. He was still a little nervous though! He decided to scurry away and see some more sights.

Aslan came across the biggest water bowl he had ever seen. It was so big he thought about diving in and swimming a few laps. Then someone told him that it was called the Reflecting Pool and it was part of something called the National Mall. Aslan was pretty excited about a mall, he was hoping it might have a pet store with some fun new toys.

It turns out the National Mall is not a bunch of stores, but an open area surrounded by monuments and museums. Aslan was slightly disappointed that there was no place to buy cat treats at, but he was quite intrigued by the monuments. He especially liked the Washington Monument. It is very tall, 555 feet to be exact. That's about 555 times taller than Aslan! There is an elevator that goes all the way up to an observation deck, but Aslan was a little scared of heights. He decided he better stay with his feet right on the ground.

He headed to the other end of the Reflecting Pool to a great big fountain. When he got closer he realized the fountain was part of the World War II Memorial. There were 56 big pillars, each with the name of a state or territory. Aslan quickly spotted a familiar word:

He had found a tiny slice of home all the way in Washington DC! Aslan stopped for a minute and remembered all the brave soldiers, those who fought back in World War II and those who still serve today.

After so much exploring, Aslan was very tired. He decided it was time for a little cat nap. Washington DC is a very exciting and busy place, but little kitties still need their beauty sleep!







Monday, January 10, 2011

Hosting Aslan

Are you interested in hosting Aslan for an adventure in your own backyard? Or maybe you are going on a trip and would like a furry friend to tag along? Here's how Aslan can come visit you, no litterbox required!

Just email Aslan at aslan.travel.cat@ gmail. com (take out the spaces but don't forget the dots!) and let him know you are interested. Aslan will then either email you photos you can print out, or if you would prefer; snail mail you photos ready to go. Now what?

Now, go show Aslan around and take lots of pictures! Are there any landmarks nearby that Aslan might like to visit? Any places that are unique and different? Any exciting people to meet? Go explore and bring Aslan with you!

Once you have pictures, write a short story to go with them. What did Aslan see? What did he do? What makes where you live (or visited) special? What do people eat there? Are there any recipes you can share? Did Aslan get in any trouble while he was visiting? What language do people speak where you are? Could you share some words with us? What is the weather like there? Did Aslan like it there? Did you enjoy his visit? Be creative!

Then email the pictures and story back to Aslan! You can either keep the photos of Aslan in case you would like to show him around again, or pass them onto anyone else you know who might like to host him.

Thank you so much for helping out and teaching us about where you live!


Meet Aslan

Aslan is a tabby kitty cat. He is four months old and very playful. He is also very curious, he gets into lots of trouble. Aslan got to go a big trip on an airplane to come live with us, and he decided that traveling was the life for him. He would like to travel all over the world and wants you to follow along! Learn about different people and places as Aslan explores. Ask Mom or Dad to help you find each place on a map. Have you ever been there? Do you think you would like to go there someday? How far is it from where you live?

Aslan is sure to have some exciting adventures and funny stories to tell, join him on his travels and explore the world through the eyes of a curious kitty!