Special Sub-Topic: Traveling on Our Stomachs in the USA #1 Click Here To Play: Traveling on Our Stomachs in the USA #1

I am going to the city where the conical shaped, edible ice cream cone was invented. Where am I?

St. Louis. The conical shaped ice cream cone was first invented at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition when an ice cream vendor ran out of dishes. A neighboring vendor, who made a type of middle eastern waffles, rolled a waffle into a cone and the two items were forever after linked as the ice cream cone. Before 1904, ice cream was already sold in edible cones in different places around the world, yet they were differently shaped.

My stomach tells me that I am craving lobster with a baked potato. Where am I going next?

Maine. If the use of the word POTATO made you think of Idaho, the use of the word LOBSTER should have made you think differently. Maine is famous for both its lobsters and potatoes.

After I eat my fill, I decide I want some clam chowder and a piece of cake called a cream pie for dessert. To what city must I fly?

Boston. Boston is the famous for its New England Clam Chowder and Boston Cream Pies. Boston Cream Pie was first created at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in 1855. It consists of two layers of cake with a layer of pudding in between.

My taste buds are working overtime and they dictate a craving for sourdough bread, so now I'm off to where?

San Francisco. Sourdough bread was very common in northern California among the gold prospectors of the middle 1800s. Sourdough has remained such a popular part of the San Francisco culture that the mascot of the San Francisco 49ers is named Sourdough Sam.

After a warm loaf of sourdough bread, I want some Spam so I can make an interesting sandwich. I board a plane headed for what state, which has the HQ for Hormel . In which state will I find "Spam Town, USA"?

Minnesota. Spam is a product of Hormel. Hormel has its head quarters at Austin, Minnesota. Austin, MN has been known as Spam Town USA due to Hormel's head quarters being there.

Since we are in the neighborhood, so to speak, I rent a car and drive to a state where I can find some Maid-Rites. Where am I headed?

any of these. Maid-Rites are describe as a loose-meat sandwiches sold at Maid-Rite Restaurants. The company has 70 locations, in Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio.

I'm craving a large, hot, soft pretzel with some mustard. Where must I go if I want an original hot pretzel?

Philadelphia. The first pretzel bakery in the USA was in Lititz, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The average American eats about two pounds of pretzels per year while the average citizen of Philadelphia eats about 20 pounds per year

My sweet tooth has taken control of my brain, so I wing my way to the city where gooey butter cake was invented. Where am I going?

St. Louis. Gooey butter cake was supposedly first made in St. Louis by a German-American baker in 1930. He supposedly stumbled on this sweet confection by accidentally getting the ingredient proportions wrong for a coffeecake.

I decide I need to have some candy to eat while on the road, so I'm off to the birthplace of saltwater taffy. Where do I have to go?

Atlantic City. Salt Water taffy was first made and marketed in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the late 1800s. It was supposedly developed by David Bradley, whose shop was flooded by the Atlantic in 1883, and made popular by Joseph Fralinger who boxed and sold the taffy as a souvenir of Atlantic City.

Now my taste buds are in overdrive. All I can think about is a kind of deepdish-pizza that is almost like a baked casserole. This pizza has a deep thick buttery crust, lots of cheese and toppings all covered with chunky thick tomato sauce. Where must I go if I want to go to the city that made this style of pizza famous?

Chicago. Chicago-style pizza is almost like a casserole or a pie sans the top crust. It has a very deep crust covered next with cheese and meat toppings. All of this is then covered with tomato sauce. Most other pizzas have the sauce and then the toppings.