USA: "Star Trek" 50th Anniversary

Exactly 50 years ago, on 8th September 1966, a science fiction television series called "Star Trek", debuts on NBC in the United States with its first episode, titled "The Man Trap". Since that Star Trek has been a cult phenomenon for decades. But did you know that after three seasons the original series was canceled in 1969 because of poor ratings? However, today the Star Trek franchise spans a wide range of spin-offs including games, figurines, novels, toys, and comics and addicted millions of so-called "Trekkies". Like Canada earlier this year, the US Postal Service commemorates this with special series of four stamps issued on 2nd September 2016.

I'm very lucky to receive these nice cards today. They show two of the main characters of the series. First, Mr. Spock (played by: Leonard Nimoy) and second Captain Kirk, aka: James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk (played by: William Shatner)

Stamps:
left: North American Wildlife (from a set of 50) - Issued: 13-06-1987
right:  "Star Trek" 50th Anniversary (from a set of four) - Issued: 02-09-2016

Stamps:

left: North American Wildlife (from a set of 50) - Issued: 13-06-1987

right: 2x "Star Trek" 50th Anniversary (from a set of four) - Issued: 02-09-2016 

UPDATE 27-01-2017:

Some days ago I received this nice card. It shows the most famous characters of the Star Trek TV Series. Top left is Nyota Uhura. The character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols through the sixth Star Trek film. Top right shows Dr. Leonard Horatio "Bones" McCoy. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series.

Stamp:
"Star Trek" 50th Anniversary (from a set of four) - Issued: 02-09-2016 with First Day Postmark of the Hollywood, CA Poststation

Many thanks to Eric for these great Cards and Stamps with Cancellation on First Day!

USA: Alma, CO (Highest Post Office in the USA)

Some days ago, I received this nice cover. It comes from Alma, Colorado, USA. At an elevation of approximately 10,578 feet (3,224 m), the town is the highest incorporated municipality in the United States with permanent residents. In 2010 the population was 270. The town is also quite interesting, because it is also home to the highest US Post Office.

Stamps:
3x Go Green (from a set of 16) - Issued: 14-04-2011


Many thanks to Postmaster Connie for the great work!

USA: Return-to-Sender from Death Valley, CA

This cover came back to me some days ago. It was sent to the Death Valley Post Office in California, USA. Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. It is the lowest, driest, and hottest area in North America. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of the lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 134 °F (56.7 °C) on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek, which is the hottest atmospheric temperature ever recorded on earth. The greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 100 °F (38 °C) or above was 154 days in the summer of 2001. The summer of 1996 had 40 days over 120 °F (49 °C), and 105 days over 110 °F (43 °C).

The cover was sent on 22.04.2016 and arrived back with a nice postmark after 81 days on 12th July 2016.

Stamp:
Classic Cars (from a set of two) - Issued: 02-04-2015

USA: Ochopee, Florida - Smallest US Post Office Building

Yesterday I received this nice cover. It comes from the Post Office at Ochopee in Florida, USA. It claims to be the smallest in the United States. It is located about 3 miles (5 km) east of the intersection of US 41 and State Road 29. The building used to be a storage facility for irrigation pipes of an adjacent tomato farm. It was converted into a post office in 1953, after a fire which destroyed Ochopee's previous post office and general store.

It also got the famous Ochopee post mark:

Stamps:
3x Go Green (from a set of 16) - Issued: 14-04-2011

USA: Maryland Map-Card

Maryland is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. The state's largest city is Baltimore, and its capital is Annapolis. Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State. The state is named after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I of England and mother of Charles II and James II. Maryland is one of the smallest states in terms of area, as well as one of the most densely populated, with around 6 million residents. With its close proximity to the nation's capital, and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, services, and biotechnology, Maryland has the highest median household income of any state.

Stamps (from left to right):
Legends of Hollywood - James Cagney - Issued: 22-07-1999
Legends of Hollywood - Shirley Temple - Issued: 18-04-2016
Legends of Hollywood - Cary Grant - Issued: 15-10-2002


Many thanks to Eric for this nice card and the nice stamps!

USA: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX) is the largest and busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles Area and the state of California, and it is one of the most important international airports in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually. In 2015, LAX handled 74,936,256 passengers, an increase of 6 percent from the previous year, making it the seventh busiest airport by passenger traffic in the world. As the largest international airport on the U.S. West Coast, LAX is a major gateway to and from Europe, Latin America, Asia and Oceania. With its deep connections to Asia and Latin America in particular, LAX is considered to be the premier "Gateway to the Pacific Rim."

Stamps (from the left):
American Design - American Clock - Issued: 24-01-2003
American Toleware Definitve - Issued: 25-06-2004
Patriotic Waves - Issued: 12-01-2015


Many thanks to Shanna for this card!

USA: Odessa, TX

Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census making it the 29th-most populous city in Texas. Odessa is said to have been named after Odessa, Ukraine, because of the local shortgrass prairie's resemblance to Ukraine's steppe landscape.

Stamp:
Moon - Issued: 22-02-2016


Thanks to Arnold for this nice card and stamp!

USA: University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university and the flagship institution of The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883 as "The University of Texas," its campus is located in Austin, TX—approximately 1 mile (1,600 m) from the Texas State Capitol. The institution has the fifth-largest single-campus enrollment in the USA, with over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff.

On the card you can see the main Building of the University (known colloquially as "The Tower"). It was completed in 1937 and got a hight of 307-foot (94 m) makes it is one of the most recognizable symbols of the university and the city of Austin.

Stamps:
left: Vintage Flowers (from a set of two) - Issued: 14-02-2015
right: Civil War: 1864 (from a set of two) - Issued: 30-07-2014


Thanks to Pam for this nice card!

USA: Reno, NV

Reno is a city in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is located in the Northern portion of the state, approximately 36 miles (58 km) from Lake Tahoe. Known as "The Biggest Little City in the World", Reno is famous for its casinos and as the birthplace of Caesars Entertainment Corporation. It is the county seat of Washoe County, located in the northwestern part of the state. The city sits in a high desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and its downtown area (along with Sparks) occupies a valley informally known as the Truckee Meadows.

Stamps:
2x American Design - American Clock - Issued: 24-01-2003
Patriotic Waves - Issued: 12-01-2015


Thanks to Caleb for this card!

USA: Jackson Square, New Orleans

I received this card from New Orleans. New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The population of the city was 343,829 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. On the card you can see the Jackson Square. Formerly called the Place d'Arms and dominated by St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square was the social and cultural center of the Vieux Carre. The Jackson monument is an outstanding example of perfect balance; the entire weight of the statue rests solely on the hind legs of the horse.

Stamps:
left: Music Icons - Elvis Presley, 1935-1977 - Issued: 12-08-2015
right: Butterflies - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - Issued: 01-06-2015


Thanks to Arnold for this nice card!

Antarctica: McMurdo Station

Today I received a special cover. Its from the McMurdo Station, which is the main U.S. station in Antarctica. The original station was built in 1955 to 1956 for the International Geophysical Year. Today's station is the primary logistics facility for supply of inland stations and remote field camps, and is also the waste management center for much of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Year-round and summer science projects are supported at McMurdo. The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,258 residents.

Its also my first cover ever from Antarctica and I'm very happy it made its way to me.

Stamps:
2x Geometric Snowflakes (from a set of four) - Issued: 23-10-2015
Penguins - Issued: 01-06-2015


♁ 77°51' S, 166°40' E

USA: Cover from Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska

Barrow is the largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska and is located above the Arctic Circle. It is the 11th northernmost public community in the world and is the northernmost city in the United States of America, with nearby Point Barrow being the nation's northernmost point. In July 2013, the population estimate was 4,373.

 

Update 2022: The City of Barrow is now renamed to Utqiaġvik (took place in 2016)

  

Stamps:
2x Geometric Snowflakes (from a set of four) - Issued: 23-10-2015
Penguins - Issued: 01-06-2015



♁ 71°17′ N 156°45′ W

USA: University of Kansas

The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university and the largest in the U.S. state of Kansas. KU branch campuses are located in the towns of Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas, with the main campus located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest location in Lawrence (as you can see on the card). Enrollment at the Lawrence and Edwards campuses was 23,597 students in fall 2014; an additional 3,371 students were enrolled at the KU Medical Center[ for a total enrollment of 26,968 students across the three campuses.

Marked on the card, you can see the building of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ) college fraternity.

Stamps:
1x Penguins - Issued: 01-06-2015
2x Pioneers of American Industrial Design (from a set of 12) - Issued: 29-06-2011


Many thanks to Brenda for this and many other fantastic cards!

USA: Memphis, TN

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The city is located on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers. Memphis had a population of 653,450 in 2013, making it the largest city in the state of Tennessee, the largest city on the Mississippi River, the third largest in the greater Southeastern United States, and the 23rd largest in the United States. If you're an Elvis Presley fan, you must tour Graceland. Memphis' most popular attraction is also the world's most famous rock 'n' roll residence.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 10-10-2013

USA: Colorado State University

Colorado State University (also referred to as Colorado State and CSU) is a public research university located in Fort Collins, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. The current enrollment is approximately 32,236 students, including resident and non-resident instruction students and the University is planning on having 35,000 students by 2020. Notable alumni are Wayne Allard United States Senator from Colorado (1997–2009) or Walter Scott Jr.

The card was actually sent from Birmingham, Alabama.

Stamps:
left:  A Charlie Brown Christmas (from a set of 10) - Issued: 01-10-2015
right: Civil War: 1864 "Mobile Bay August 5, 1864" (from a set of two) - Issued: 30-07-2014


Thanks to Cara for this card!

USA: Dallas, TX

Dallas is a major city in US-State of Texas and it is the largest urban center of the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Elm Street while his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas. The nickname of the city is "Big D".

Stamps:
from the left:
Penguins - Issued: 01-06-2015
Vintage Flowers (from a set of two) - Issued: 14-02-2015
Music Icons - Elvis Presley (1935-1977) - Issued: 12-08-2015

USA: Hawai'i

Hawaii is the 50th and most recent U.S. state to join the United States, having joined on August 21, 1959. The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are—in order from northwest to southeast: Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaiʻi. The last is the largest island in the group; it is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaiʻi Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. Hawaii is a major tourist destination and Honolulu, situated on the island of Oahu, the capital of the state.

Stamps:
3x Star Spangled Banner - Issued: 28-01-2014


EDIT (15.10.2015):

Today a second card arrived:

Stamps:

3x Purple Heart - Issued: 11-10-2014



Thanks to my friend Aljoscha for these nice cards!

USA: University of Santa Clara

Santa Clara University is a private non-profit Jesuit university located in Santa Clara, California. It has 5,435 full-time undergraduate students, and 3,335 graduate students. Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California, and has remained in its original location for 162 years.

Stamps (from the left):
Music Icons - Elvis Presley (1935-1977) - Issued: 12-08-2015
Summer Harvest (from a set of four) - Issued: 11-07-2015
Penguins - Issued: 01-06-2015

with great cancellation ;)

Thanks to Kyoko for this nice card!

USA: Washington, D.C.

Today, I received another card from Washington, D.C. It arrived in a beautiful decorated envelope with nice stamps on it. On the card you can see from the top left:
The Jefferson Memorial, The Supreme Court, The White House, The Smithsonian Institute, The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, The US Capitol, The Pentagon, The Marine Corps War Memorial, Washington's National Cathedral, The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, Ford's Theatre, The Tomb of the Unknown Solider, The Washington Monument, Mount Vernon and The Lincoln Memorial.

Stamps:
left: Costal Birds (from a set of four) "Fregata magnificent" - Issued: 01-06-2015
mid & right: Art by Martin Ramirez (from a set of five) - Issued: 26-03-2015

Thanks to Kristin for this nice card and envelope!

USA: La Jolla

La Jolla is an affluent neighborhood in San Diego, California. It is surrounded on three sides by ocean bluffs and beaches and is located 12 miles (19 km) north of Downtown San Diego. La Jolla is home to a variety of businesses in the areas of lodging, dining, shopping, software, finance, real estate, bio-engineering, medical practice and scientific research

Stamps:

from the left:

1x American Design "Silver Coffeepot" (from a set of two) - Issued: 16-03-2007

2x American Toleware Definitve - Issued: 25-06-2004

1x American Design - "American Clock" - Issued: 24-01-2003

1x From me to you - Issued: 01-04-2015

1x Farmer's Markets (from a set of four) - Issued: 07-08-2014