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Aspen is a city that is located in Pitkin County, Colorado. It covers an area of three and a half square miles and has a population of almost six thousand residents. The history of the city can be traced to 1879, when it was founded as Ute City. The following year it was renamed Aspen and was the most productive silver mine in the United States. With the passage of the 1890 Sherman Silver Purchase Act, silver production of the area nearly doubled. Within three years, the city had a hospital, banks, theaters and an opera house. The Panic of 1893 caused a repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act and several of the city’s mines were shut down. This put thousands of silver miners out of work and caused the city to experience an economic downturn.

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Aspen silver production eventually picked back up, but went the city went through a second economic downturn by 1930. With a population of only seven hundred residents and with many businesses shut down, the city began to re-imagine itself as a ski resort. In 1946, the Aspen Skiing Corporation was started and the town began its journey as a ski resort. Today, increasing property values has shut many low and middle income workers out of the city and transformed the downtown area into an upscale shopping district. High end stores and boutiques in downtown Aspen include Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Burberry, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Ermenegildo Zegna, Brioni, Bvlgari and Theory. Average property values in the city exceed two million dollars.

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A popular attraction in Aspen, is not located in the city but about ten miles away. Its the Ashcroft Ghost Town. This ghost town was known as Chloride in the 1880s and is located south of Aspen. It was founded by prospectors looking to make their fortune in silver. These prospectors built a courthouse and built the streets in just under two weeks. The town was eventually named Ashcroft after a big ore strike was made, and the city added a banquet hall and ballroom. The population of the town soon exceeded two thousand residents and it was home to twenty saloons, two newspapers, a school and several sawmills. By 1885, the population exceeded thirty-five hundred people and it added six hotels to its list of businesses. The prosperity of the town was short lived however, and the city would experience an economic downturn.

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This was caused by the discovery of silver in Aspen, which lured investors and businessmen away from Ashcroft. In 1939, the last official resident of Ashcroft dies and it became a ghost town. Ashcroft Ghost town is listed on the National Registry of Historic Sites, and is maintained as an educational resource by the Historic Society of Aspen. It is considered to be the most easily accessible and well maintained ghost towns in the United States.

Another popular attraction in Aspen is Independence Pass. This is a mountain pass that is at the summit of the Sawatch Range and is between Aspen and Leadville. The pass connects the Roaring Fork River Valley with the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The pass is covered by State Highway 82 and is the second highest paved road in the state.

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The pass is closed in the winter, from the first heavy snow fall in autumn, often opening only in late spring or early summer.

Other popular attractions in Aspen include Buttermilk Mountain, Crater Lake Trail, Aspen Mountain, Silver Queen Gondola, John Denver Sanctuary, Wheeler Opera House, Maroon Lake Scenic Trail, Caribou Club, Aspen Art Museum, Aspen Highlands, West Maroon Trail, Mill Street Fountain, Grizzly Lake Trail, Galerie Zuger, Ute Cemetery, Conundrum Creek Trail, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Aspen Golf and Tennis Club, Independence Ghost Town, Crystal Palace Dinner Theatre, Snowmass Golf Course, Wheeler-Stallard Museum, Mid-Way Creek Trail, Smuggler Mountain, Pam Driscoll Gallery, Huntsman Gallery, Aspen Fine Art Gallery, Aspen Club & Spa, Cathedral Lake Trail, Silver Circle Ice Rink, Difficult Creek Trail and Hotel Aspen.

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New Orleans is situated in southeastern Louisiana and is the biggest city in the state. This city lies on the Mississippi River and is a major port of the United States. It covers an area of three hundred and fifty square miles and has a population of over three hundred and eleven thousand residents. This city can trace its roots back to May of 1718 when it was founded by the French Mississippi Company, under the scrutiny of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. In 1763, according to the terms of the Treaty of Paris, this colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire. It would remain under the control of Spain until 1801, when it would once again become a French colony. In 1803, Napoleon sold the territory to the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase. After that, New Orleans received an influx of Americans, French, Germans and Africans. During the War of 1812, the British dispatched their forces to conquer the city. This invasion was thwarted by Andrew Jackson who assembled a force that contained Kentucky Riflemen, local militia and pirates, African Americans and U.S. regulars at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. During the American Civil War, New Orleans was captured by the Union.

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Today, New Orleans is a city that has increasingly dependent on tourism for its survival. Luckily, the city has a large amount of attractions and attractions millions of tourists each and every year. New Orleans is in the list of the ten most visited cities in the United States of America. Each year over ten million tourist flock to the city every year. Before Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, there were over two hundred ad sixty-five hotels with over thirty-eight thousand rooms in the city. After the hurricane, there were one hundred and forty hotels with around thirty thousand rooms available to guests. The most popular attraction in the city is the French Quarter. The city when it was founded, was originally centered on the French Quarter. Today, the entire district is a National Historic Landmark and contains many buildings of historic significance. The district is known for its combination of guest houses, bars, hotels, residences, tourist oriented properties and its historical attractions.

One of the main attractions in the French Quarter is Jackson Square. Jackson Square is a park that was declared a historic landmark in 1960. Opposite the square are three eighteenth century buildings.

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These are St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and the Cabildo. St. Louis Cathedral is the oldest operating cathedral in the United States. The church was erected in 1789, and in 1793 achieved the status of cathedral. St. Louis Cathedral is the most recognizable landmark of New Orleans. The Presbytere derives its name from the fact that it was built on the residence of the Capuchin Monks, though it never served as a residence of clergy. The Cabildo was built as the residence of the Spanish city government of New Orleans in 1799. It was also used as the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer in 1803 and was used as city council until the 1850′s. In 1911, it became the Louisiana State Museum. Now the Cabildo has exhibits that cover the history of Louisiana from its settlement, through the Civil War and reconstruction all the way to present day. Running the length of the French Quarter is Bourbon Street. This street is known for its large number of bars and pubs. Some of the bars on this street include the Old Absinthe House, Pat O’Brien’s Bar, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, Napoleon House Bar & Restaurant, Johnny White’s Bar, The Bourbon Pub and Molly’s at the Market.

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The National World War II Museum is another prominent attraction in New Orleans. The museum was opened in the summer of 2000, on the fifty-sixth anniversary of D-Day. The lobby of the museum is very large and contains aircraft that are suspended from the ceiling. The top floors of the museum deals with the social, economic and political conditions that led up to World War II. The museum also contains a gift shop, electronic maps of the Pacific, models of the beaches and amphibious vehicles of the D-Day and two auditoriums where educational videos are available for patrons to view. Another attraction to visit while in the city is the Audubon Zoo. The Audubon Zoo covers an area of fifty-eight acres and contains over two thousand animals. Animals housed here include gorillas, white tigers, orangutans, white alligators, a Komodo Dragon, gila monsters, anacondas, vipers, rattlesnakes, reticulated pythons and beaded lizards.

Aquarium of the Americas is another prominent attraction in New Orleans. The aquarium opened in 1990 and features over ten thousand animals taken from over five hundred and thirty species of aquatic life from North and South America.

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One of the primary exhibits is the Caribbean reef Exhibit which features a thirty foot tunnel that is surrounded by over one hundred and thirty thousand gallons of water. There is also an Amazon exhibit which is basically a greenhouse that contains stingrays, Macaws, Piranhas and snakes. Another exhibit is the Mississippi River Gallery which contains catfish, owls and alligators. The Gulf of Mexico exhibit has a seventeen foot tank that is filled with over four hundred thousand gallons of water and contains seat turtles, fish, sharks and stingrays. Also located on the premises of the Aquarium of the Americas are exhibits for penguins, sea otters, as well as an IMAX Theater.

Other prominent attractions in the city of New Orleans include Preservation Hall, the Garden District, Audubon Insectarium, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, Longue Vue House and Gardens, Old Opera House, Audubon Park, Confederate Memorial Hall, the New Orleans Mint, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the New Orleans Botanical Garden. The city is also home to numerous hotels, many of which have historical value. Hotels in the city include the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, Bourbon Orleans Hotel, Windsor Court Hotel and the W Hotel.

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Miami is located in Miami Dade County in the southeastern portion of Florida in the United States. This city has a population of over five million people contained within the greater metropolitan area. It is a coastal city and is considered a major international hub for movie and television entertainment, fashion, music and the performing arts. This city is also a financial hub of North America with the greatest number of international banks of any city in the United States. Miami also has an impressive skyline that ranks in third place behind New York and Chicago and consist of over fifty high rise skyscrapers.

While the metropolitan area of Miami has a large population, the population within the city limits consists of only about two hundred thousand residents. This is due to the small land area of the city. The city of Miami sits on only thirty five square miles of land, the smallest land area of any major metropolitan area in the United States. The city is home to less than seven percent of the residents in South Florida. Miami also has the distinction of being the only major city in the U.S. that has two national parks on its borders. These are the Everglades National Park and the Biscayne National Park.

Originally, the area that Miami is now located was home to the Tequestas for over eleven hundred years.

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But, it wasn’t until 1566, when the area was claimed in the name of Spain by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, that the city began to become a metropolitan area. The first major structure to be placed upon the site is a Spanish Mission in the year 1567. Later, in 1836, Fort Dallas was erected and the area became the theater for major hostilities during the Second Seminole War. Years after the war, Julia Tuttle, a wealthy citrus grower, convince the railroads to expand their lines into the region. This hastened the areas growth and in 1896 Miami was founded as a city. Its population at that time was a mere three hundred residents.

Miami is a city that can be divided geographically into several different sections; the North, South, West and Eastern portions. The eastern portion consist of Miami’s downtown area. This is Miami’s central financial district and is home to the many banks, hotels, and high rise residential buildings. The western portion is a diverse mix of the many immigrant neighborhoods that call Miami home. These include the Little Havana, West Flagler and Flagami neighborhoods. The south side of this city consist of many historic neighborhoods that were built during the roaring twenties. Some of these include the Coral Way, The Roads and Coconut Grove neighborhoods. The northern side of the city is a mix between diverse ethnic neighborhoods and historic neighborhoods. Neighborhoods here include Little Haiti and Overtown.

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This part of the city is usually referred to as Midtown.

One of Miami’s major hot spots is South Beach. This area is known for its crystal clear blue water, immaculate beaches and art deco architecture. This area is also known for its many boutiques, mega shopping malls, street vendors, and resort hotels. There are also many restaurants in this area that offer a combination of cuisines which include Italian, Haitian and Cuban delicacies.

Another popular attraction in the city is the Miami Metro Zoo. This three hundred acre zoo contains over twelve hundred animals located in large open exhibits. Some of its main features include the twenty seven acre Amazon & Beyond Exhibit, Wings of Asia Aviary, Humpy’s Camel Ride and Samburu Giraffe Feeding Station. Visitors here can rent a safari bicycle, take the tram or ride on the monorail to see all this parks attractions. After your visit here you can also take a trip to Miami Seaquarium. This park sits on thirty-eight acres where guest can get a close up look at killer whales, dolphins and sea lions.

A great time for families with children can be had at the Miami Children’s Museum. This museum was founded in 1983 and features hands on interactive exhibits that include a television studio, a fire station and a police station. There is also an ocean exhibit and a teddy bear display for the younger children.

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Other museums that can be checked out in the city of Miami include the Black Heritage Museum, the Frost Art Museum, Gold Coast Railroad Museum, the Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida and the Miami Art Museum. Another great museum to visit in the city is the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. This thirty-four room mansion was built in 1916 by the industrialist James Deering. Its filled with fifteenth and sixteenth century European furniture and paintings. After exploring this historic house, visitors can check out the twenty eight acre grounds that are filled with many Italian and French style fountains, as well as pools and sculptures.

The city of Miami is also home to a number of beautiful historic buildings. One of them is the Miami Herald Museum. The Freedom Tower is another historic building that visitors should check out. It was built in 1925 and is done in a tradition art deco style. It is one of the oldest skyscrapers in the country and was home to the Miami Daily News.

One stop every visitor should make to this city is a trip to Bayside Marketplace. This is a large mall that is home to over one hundred and fifty shops, stores, restaurants and cafes. It is also the location where several tour boats depart from, offering tourist scenic views of Biscayne Bay. And if that’s not enough to peak your interest, there are also water taxi’s that can shuttle tourist from this area to Miami Beach and the many hotels that are situated there.