Washington, D.C.

Chet goes to Washington D.C.

I had a fantastic time recently with Mrs. W and her family in the Nation's capital! It was a great place to be following the exciting presidential election. There was so much to see! We took a nice plane ride from Jacksonville (I really enjoy flying now!) I sat with Mrs. W's son on the ride so I could see a lot out of the window, especially when we landed at Ronald Reagan National Airport. It was nighttime when we landed and so we went right to our hotel and relaxed.

The next day I met Mrs. W's great niece who is 3 and the rest of her family from Pittsburg, PA She is cute, happy and full of energy that I loved hanging out with her. She liked me too! The first place we all went was the National Zoo. We took the Washington Metro to our nation's capital. The Metro is a fast train under ground. We had to go down a very long escalator to get to the train. We waited for our train to come and it went super fast from one stop to the next.

There were beautiful fall leaves everywhere and lots of interesting animals. My favorite animal to see was the panda bears (one of my bear cousins). they were a gift from china to our country and are named Ling Ling, Ming Ming, and Ping Ping. There are only 2 zoos in the country that you can see panda bears so it was fascinating to watch these incredible animals. Mrs. W bought me a great backpack there to travel in.

The next day we took the Washington metro to our nation's capital. It was awesome and they were already setting up for the inauguration (the signing in of the new President) in January.

Then we took a cool bus with two levels around the whole city. We sat on the top of the bus and saw so much of this incredible place. There were lots of buildings where people work hard to do all of the nation's business and many great museums that are part of our proud collection of the Smithsonian museums. I really liked the monuments best on our tour. They are so big! These is one tall one built to honor our first President, George Washington. Then there is the Lincoln Monument in honor of the great president, Abe Lincoln. There is also one for President Thomas Jefferson. In addition, there are memorials for the brave soldiers who found in Word War II, The Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. It all was so incredible and overwhelming.

The day went by fast but the final thing we did was ride on the fun carousel that they have near the capital. It was a great way to end the day!

The final day we explored some of the fabulous museums a little closer. We saw the Natural History Museum and the American Indian Museum. They were so interesting. They even had authentic Native American food to try in the American Indian Museum. I thought a lot about my Kindergarten friends when I was there and how much they would enjoy this museum as they prepare for our annual Pow Wow celebration at Chets.

It was a great trip but I got tired from all the talking! I definitely want to visit again. There was so much to see. I felt proud to be an American! I am not sure if bears are allowed to be president but i think anything is possible in this great country of ours!!

Hollywood, CA

Xinzheng City, China

Chet In China

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Jacksonville, FL - Chet's Family Thanksgiving

Hiya kiddies! Chet Bear again. I'm back from the holiday weekend. I wanted to have that garage sale but A. called and asked me to ditch the sale for the time being and spend some time with her family. I've never really enjoyed cleaning (just ask mother bear), so I put on my favorite green shirt and hit the road with the P family. As you will see, A. introduced me to a new friend on our trip. He was a little taller than me. In fact, he was taller than me, A., and her brother if we stacked ourselves up like a Totem Poll!

On Thanksgiving Day, I watched the Macy's parade, before
absolutely stuffing myself on a yummy dinner. One of my favorite floats was one of a big turkey that people were sitting on. For dinner I ate turkey, green beans, turkey, milk, turkey, pumpkin pie, turkey, and of course some honey (Come on! Give me a break! I'm still a bear!).

A.'s uncle had a big truck from his glass company and A. thought it would be a good idea for me to drive it around. I drove the BIG truck very well -- they thought about offering me a job but I don't think that would be a good idea because I could barely reach the pedals! The day after Thanksgiving, I joined A.'s family for their traditional drive trough the
Christmas light display at Saluda Shoals park and loved it. There were lights in the shape of Santa and Christmas trees, even sporting goods, but my absolute favorite was Santa's canon that was shooting presents and candy. Don't panic! It was just presents and candies made of lights. (Note: No bears were hurt in the shooting of the light cannon.) The next morning, A.'s mom and dad were surprised to find the family's Elf on the Shelf sitting on my lap!

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we braved the mall, and
I loved that too. We had hot chocolate at Williams-Sonoma and rode
the carousel and kiddie rides. We wanted to get my picture with
Santa, but Santa was on break, so we got my picture in Santa's chair
instead. First, I had to brush all the crumbs off the chair...that old bowl full of jelly, St. Nick, must have eaten a lot of cookies that morning because there was nearly a whole package of crumbs! :)

Finally, A.'s parents agreed that I could come along with the family and see the Nutcracker. A. and I had to brush our hair (it took me a long time to get all the twigs out) and promise to use our best manners, since we were going to a fancy theater to see the show. I really liked when the Nutcracker came alive. It was pretty great!

We all loved it. After it was over, A. & I got to have our
picture taken with a Dew Drop Fairy named Ashley. We tried to find another Dew Drop Fairy named Chet but there wasn't one! I was a little disappointed but what can you do?!?!

Orlando, FL

Hi Everyone! I wanted to tell you about all the fun I had with H. this weekend! First she took me home to see her house. Then we played dress up and she put these cute white PJ’s on me and I tried on some fairy wings. Then she read me a story before bed.









Then I got to sleep in her bed with all her stuffed animals. Can you see me way in the back, in the left hand corner? Her stuffed animals were so nice to me and kept me company all night so I wasn’t scared at all!





The day we went to the Magic Kingdom I was so excited! Here we are sitting in front of the castle and with a toy soldier.







We got to ride on so many rides! My favorite rides were The Haunted Mansion, Thunder Mountain, and riding on the Merry Go Round.



Before we went home, H. got the coolest Pirate Princess Minnie hat. She let me wear it too!







I am so glad that I got to experience Disney with H. She took great care of me and we had the best time! Can’t wait until my next adventure with one of you.

Love, Chet

Statesboro, GA

Come view the video of P and me in Statesboro, Ga! Yee Haw!

Lehi, UT

Pigeon Forge, TN

Hey guys, it's me Chet! Miss Hoffmann finally uploaded the pictures from
our trip to Tennessee and I can't wait to show them to you! It's been a few
days since we got back, but I still remember it vividly. Miss Hoffmann and
her sisters really wanted to get to Tennessee to see the leaves change.
They used to live in Virginia and miss the seasons changing! We all piled
into the car really early Friday morning and, after stopping at Starbucks
(Miss Hoffmann says it's not a road trip without Starbucks!),
we hit the highways! Miss Hoffmann's lovely singing lulled me into
a deep, hibernation-like sleep, and before I knew it, we were at our cabin in Tennessee! It was so rustic and cute...a lot nicer than any cave I've ever lived in! You should have seen Miss Hoffmann and her sisters running around like little schoolgirls...needless to say, they were excited to have finally arrived at their weekend destination. We got there kind of late, so we spent the first night settling in and relaxing. Her sisters played Foosball, while I looked on and let me tell you, they are very competitive! Don't be fooled by their
innocent smiles! There were moments
when Miss Hoffmann and I had to
intervene before a sisterly feud broke out!
Eventually Miss Hoffmann couldn't take
it anymore, she was getting a headache
from all the shrieking, so we went to bed!

We woke up just as the sun was rising. I know why they call them the "Smoky" Mountains now...there was this beautiful layer of smoky-like fog covering the mountains in the distance. Our first day was about to begin!

Miss Hoffmann's sister really wanted to pet a pig (I'm not sure why, when she had a perfectly adorable bear with her!) so we went on the hunt for a farm. It took us a long time, but we finally stumbled upon Deer Farm just outside
of Pigeon Forge. There were lots of
animals there! That's me in front of
a camel. A camel...at a deer farm! It
was very hungry so Miss Hoffmann
fed it lots of grain. It's nose had little
whiskers and it tickled her hands! She
fed a lot of other animals too. Miss
Hoffmann REALLY loves animals, so she was running around buying all sorts of goodies for the them. She fed a reindeer, zebra, donkey, zonkey (half donkey, half zebra), and goats. I was a little upset...I mean I'm with her all the time and does she run around buying me all sorts of goodies? Nope! But then I started thinking about how those animals don't have a classroom full of kids who love them and take them on fun trips all over the country, and I wasn't so upset anymore. There's Miss Hoffmann holding a baby goat. It was such a snuggle bug! She just scooped it up and it just curled up in her arms. Personally, I prefer baby bears, but that
baby goat was kind of cute. Of course
Miss Hoffmann and her sisters couldn't leave without finding a pig!
Miss Hoffmann was expecting it to be soft and smooth, but boy was
it prickly! At least her sister was satisfied so we could hit the road
and head off to another adventure!

The girls and I headed off to an ATV center where they decided to go
ATVing for the first time! Their mom was not very excited when she
heard about their idea, but she came around. When we arrived at the
center, the people there got Miss Hoffmann a helmet and goggles that
she had to wear on the trip. At first Miss Hoffmann felt really confident,
but as the ride got closer she got really
nervous and was squeezing me so tight
I almost choked! The people that worked
at the ATV place weren't too confident in
Miss Hoffmann's riding abilities either! She
had to drive through a test course before
the ride could start, but have no fear...she
aced it! After that she was a lean, mean,
driving machine! They went up huge hills
and over gigantic rocks all the way to the top of this mountain where
they stopped to take quick pictures, before jumping back on the ATVs
and cruising back down!

We were so tuckered out after that long day that we headed back to
the cabin for some rest. Miss Hoffmann was so happy because she
was able to fall asleep watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on TV. For some reason we all woke up before the sun rose the next morning.
We just moseyed about the cabin in the morning before heading off to Smoky Mountain National Park. With three girls, it can take some time to get ready...lucky for me my good pal Winnie the Pooh was on TV. I kicked back on the sofa and tried to tune out the girlie chatter in the background.

The Great Smoky Mountains were
full of beautiful sights! We drove through
winding roads, surrounded by beautiful
trees with leaves of green, red, and shades
of yellow. We kept jumping out of the
car to explore areas of the park. One of
Miss Hoffmann's sisters really wanted to
play in a pile of leaves so we climbed out
in a big field and she buried me in leaves.
Then she picked up a heaping handful of leaves and dirt and threw it right at Miss Hoffmann. Miss Hoffmann was not very happy and got a little grumpy when she couldn't get the dirt out of her shirt. Fortunately, I was there! After a few jokes and a hug, Miss Hoffmann was happy and ready for more fun! As we got deeper into the mountains it got colder and colder! At one point the temperature was in the 30's! We stopped by a beautiful stream and just had to climb out and take a picture. This is one Miss Hoffmann
took which I love because you can
see the colorful trees behind me! I
did not want to leave, but the girls
were freezing. Maybe it's my thick,
fur coat, but I think they were being
a little melodramatic! Before heading back to the cabin for our last
night in Tennessee we drove through the Roaring Fork Trail. Right
as we started, we saw a black bear! We were so excited! Miss Hoffmann
and her sister jumped out of the car to take a picture, but they forgot
to hold the door and it slammed shut, scaring the bear away. I was
especially disappointed because I was hoping to have a quick chat
with him about life in the mountains of Tennessee. We got back in
the car and drove on. This part of the mountain was still very green and lush. There was this one stream that flowed for miles along the road and we just had to get out and take pictures of it. I like this one because it comes pretty close to capturing how breathtakingly beautiful it was. If a bear is going to live in the wild, this would not be a bad place to settle down! It was so neat to see some of the old homes that still stand within the mountains. This is a picture of a home that used to belong to a family with nine children! At first only the part on the left was there, but as time went by, the family was able to add on the second room. Eleven people in one room! No bathroom! It was so crazy! Even in our family cave as cubs, there weren't that many of us! I am very grateful for the
creature comforts I enjoy back at home.

Well, the next morning we got up early
and headed home to Jacksonville! Miss
Hoffmann had a wonderful time, but we were both anxious to get back
and see everyone from our class! Now that we're back and settled in,
I'm awaiting my next trip. I already have a few scheduled! Let Miss
Hoffmann and Miss P know if you would like to take me on a new adventure!

Your friend,
Chet

Orlando, FL

Last week Chelsea went with M. to Orlando. She had lots of fun.



She went on the Merry Go Round.

She saw cars.




We took a picture next to a car.




Chelsea took a picture on a picnic table.

She took a picture with me on the picnic table.
Me and Chelsea had lots of fun.

Orlando, FL

I went with A. to Animal Kingdom! First we went in the car to Orlando. We saw lots of animals. Check out my pictures. We had a GREAT time!

Orlando, FL - Sea World

I went on a roller coaster with E. I was a little afraid, but not too scared. I had a great time with him.
I went to the Shamu show. I took a picture with E. in front of Shamu. I was watching the show under E's arms.
I went in a manatee exhibit. I took a picture with E. in front of a big manatee.

I went in a shark tunnel with E. E's Mommy took a picture with E and me. I protected him from the sharks.
I went to the stingrays with E. I petted them a lot.

Thank you for taking me on your trip E.! I enjoyed your company.

Detroit, MI

What a time I had with C. K. and his family on our trip to Michigan! I was a little nervous, but C. was my travel buddy and made me feel at home. He always made sure I had my seat belt on! We visited many incredible landmarks while we were there, The Detroit Zoo, Lake St. Clair, Joe Louis Arena, Tiger Stadium, and many more!

On our way to these amazing travel destinations, we got to take a picture from our car of the The Uniroyal Giant Tire. This tire is 8 stories tall. The Uniroyal® Giant Tire was originally created as a Ferris wheel attraction at the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. The wheel held 96 fairgoers and was powered by a 100-horsepower motor. More than two million people rode the Giant Tire Ferris wheel during the fair, including Jacqueline Kennedy and her children, John Jr. and Caroline. We had to hurry if we wanted to take a picture, because you are not allowed to stop your car!

We traveled by car to one of the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair. Out the window, I could spy the change of season, the leaves I saw were yellow, red, and bright orange! It was amazing to see Lake St. Clair. It is a lake that lies between Ontario, Canada, and Michigan in the United States. Even though it is a bit on the small side, it is still considered a Great Lake.

What a view! Next, we traveled about town visiting the The Spirit of Detroit (a city monument), The Joe Louis Arena (Home of the Detroit Redwings), and the tallest building in Michigan, The GM Renaissance Center.

Last on my list to share from my trip was my favorite stop, the Detroit Zoo!The Detroit Zoo is home to the world's largest polar bear exhibit - Arctic Ring of Life. Visitors can view the polar bears and seals from a 70 foot long underwater tunnel. I love my friends at the Detroit Zoo.
I had a wonderful time in Detroit, Michigan and felt right at home with C. 's family. I can't wait until my next adventure!

Las Vegas, NV

I went to Las Vegas with J. and his family. We got to ride on FOUR airplanes! We went to Las Vegas to see J.'s Aunt Megan get married. We stayed at a hotel in Las Vegas called Paris pictured on the right. I also got to visit the Hoover Dam. On top is a picture I took of the family at the Hoover Dam which is really close to Las Vegas. I learned lots about the Hoover Dam.

The Hoover Dam is a concrete gravity dam.

It was built for flood control and for hydroelectric power generation.
It took four years to build the dam and it was built for $1,000,000 UNDER budget.

Boulder City, Nevada was built for the men and their families that helped to build the dam. It is located about 20 miles from Las Vegas, near the dam.

Ninety-six men were killed building the Hoover Dam and their names are on a wall to remember them.

The Hoover Dam was named for the 31st President Herbert Hoover.

J. and I had a GREAT time, but we were so tired from having some much FUN!