Minuteman Missile NHS

 

Hidden in Plain Sight

During the Cold War, a vast arsenal of nuclear missiles was placed in the Great Plains. Hidden in plain sight, for thirty years 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today. The Minuteman Missile remains an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. It holds the power to destroy civilization but is meant as a nuclear deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site protects two facilities that were once part of a Minuteman Missile field that covered the far western portion of South Dakota from 1963 through the early 1990s. There were 15 Launch Control Facilities that commanded and controlled 150 Launch Facilities (Missile Silos) holding Minuteman ICBM's. The park preserves two of these facilities in their historic state—Launch Control Facility Delta-01 with its corresponding underground Launch Control Center and Launch Facility (Missile Silo) Delta-09. These two sites, along with the Minuteman Missile Visitor Center, comprise Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

17 Sept 2024

This is a great Park to double up with Badlands NP. We took in the Visitor Center first. The movie was well done and explained why sites like these had to exist and still do but now in much smaller numbers. After taking in the movie and exhibits at the Visitor Center we headed west to Delta 09. Delta 09 lies about 15 miles west of the Visitor Center and is a self-guided tour. We dialed the recorded program and listened to an informative nine-part description of what we were seeing around the Delta 09 site. We then stopped at Delta 01 to get pictures. We had missed out on getting tour tickets for the unground tour at Delta 01. This was a great unit to take in. Plan well ahead if you want to try and get tour tickets for Delta 01. We will have put this unit on our must return list when we get our tour tickets. You can do all three sites in a few hours and add an hour if you get tour tickets for Delta 01. Be mindful of hours and days closed for the unit, currently closed on Sundays and Mondays. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 179th NPS Unit

Badlands NP

                                                                   

Good Times in the Badlands

The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient mammals such as the rhino, horse, and saber-toothed cat once roamed here. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today.

16 Sept 2024:

We did this return visit to take care of the must return list to get in a sunset and sunrise in the park. We spent the first day taking in the park loop road, but in the opposant way we did in 2016. Not much in wildlife except a couple of Buffalo and a bunch of Prairie Dogs. The turn outs offered breathtaking views that make this such a spectacular park, we took in most of the turnouts. We then spent the evening at the Big Foot Pass overlook for the sunset and was treated to an amazing sunset. Up early the next morning and a stop at the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail turnout for the sunrise. We got to watch this amazing sunrise lighting up the valley below and cliff walls around us. We then took in the Visitor Center to take in the exhibits and movie. Ensure to stop by the Paleontologists room to watch them working the fossils found in the park. We highly recommend this Park for a two-day visit and taking in a sunset and sunrise. 

8 July 2016:
This was our first visit to the park and with a name of Badlands we were curious and excited to see just what made this park so special and it only took a few moments of driving into the park to see this would be a great park, the views are amazing and stunning. We stopped at each turnout and was amazed how different each vista was. We have plans to go back for a sunrise or sunset (maybe both). Lots of wildlife to be seen, even Bighorn sheep. We were lucky to spot 3 sheep as we were leaving the Park. This is a park you can do in a few hours or a couple of days depending on how much you want to see. This Park will go on to the must return list.

Click here for photos of our visit of 2016

Click here for photos of our visit of 2024

NPS Website

Our 118th NPS Unit and 17th National Park

Yellowstone NP

                                                                      

The World's First National Park

On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic features. Within Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

Click here for photos of our visit in 2016

Click here for photos of our visit in 2017
Click here for photos of our visit in 2018

Click here for photos of our visit in 2020

Click here for photos of our visit in 2021

Click here for photos of our visit in 2022

Click here for photos of our visit in 2023

Click here for photos of our visit in 2024

Sept 11, 2024

We got a very early start this morning with a drive over St Joseph's highway and the Northeast entrance to get into the Lamar Valley at sunrise. We found a pullout to park and waited and hoped to spot the elusive wolves of Yellowstone, but did not have any luck this trip. We did get to see a large heard of buffalo and had to put up with the buffalo jams that come with them. We then headed out to West Yellowstone but first we stopped at Virginia Cascades and Gibbon Fall's. After a few hours of exploring West Yellowstone, we headed back into the park and took a side trip on the Firehole canyon loop road and Firehole Falls. This is a very scenic drive, and we highly recommend it. We then made a stop at Old Faithful but had just missed the eruption of Old Faithful, so we headed on. We headed out the East entrance and was treated to a Black bear sighting at the crest of Sullivan Pass. We look forward to next year's adventure in the park and will always be finding new things to take in when we go up there.  

 

Sept 23, 2023

We got in another day at the park. As the Beartooth highway was closed due to snow, we went in the East entrance and hit a heavy snowstorm going over Sulivan Pass. Once we made it over the pass, we decided to do a counterclockwise loop. we made a few stops along the way including Mammoth VC and Old Faithful VC. 

Sept 2, 2022

This trip into the park took us to the Upper geyser basin and Old Faithful geyser. We got a great show from Old Faithful then decided to take in lunch at the Old Faithful Lodge. We then headed over to the Historic Old Faithful Inn to take in the granger of the Inn. We then headed out to the loop trail around Old Faithful geyser taking in the hot springs and geysers along this trail. During this walk we were treated to our second eruption of Old Faithful today, we had never seen it from this prospective. We love coming up here each year and always see something new. 

July 24, 2021

Our yearly trip into the park was a very busy trip with lots of planned stops. We first stopped at Beryl Spring. This spring is right off the road and easy to see with little effort. We then headed over to the Fountain Paint Pot trail, taking in Leather Pool, Clepsydra Geyser, and many more features this trail offers up. We then stopped and had a nice picnic lunch. After a peaceful lunch we headed down to the Midway Geyser Basin Trail. This trail takes you to Excelsior Geyser Crater and one of the crown jewels of Yellowstone, the Grand Prismatic Spring, plus many other springs and geysers. We were not finished yet, so we went down to the Biscuit Basin trail and took in Black Opal Spring, Sapphire Spring, and the other features on this trail. 

July 24, 2020

Made a trip into the park today. We decided to head over Beartooth pass this trip to finish what we could not last year due to a winter storm. Had a great drive into the park and into Lamar Valley. We spotted a few bears this trip, but again no wolves. Had a great picnic lunch at Mammoth and then took in the North Gate. We did not make many stops this trip as we were just out for a relaxing drive.  

June 16, 2018

Today we added another trip into the park. This trip we decided to spend it at West Thumb mostly. After the trip in though Sullivan Pass and a snowstorm. We made it to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. We took the walk around the trail to take in the sites of the Basin. While not as grand as some of the other basin's it is still worth the time to take it in. We then headed to the Grant Village Visitor Center and took in a great display telling the story of wildfires in the park. Then it was on to lunch at the Grant Village. The meal was good and filling, not the highest on our go back to list but decent. We then headed around to Old Faithful and had good timing this trip, getting there shortly before the eruption of Old Faithful. We finished the day with a stop at the Canyon Visitor Center to take in the Museum that's explains the Thermal Geology of the Park. This was a great day in the park, and we look forward going back to take in more areas we have yet to explore.

July 7, 2017

Today we made another trip into the park. This time we brought my dad along for the day, we toured the upper loop this trip as it has been many many years since I had been up there. We had a great day to spot wildlife and got to see two bears today. We were hoping to get lucky and spot one of the wolf packs in Lamar Valley but did not see them this trip. We had a great Picnic lunch at Mammoth Hot springs and explored some of the area around the Hot springs. We stayed away from the lower loop as this trip was more about wildlife and Mammoth Hot springs.

July 3, 2016
We made a return trip with the entire family and got to take in Old Faithful, The Canyon and a few other sites. Lots of wildlife but no bears or wolves. This Park never stops giving and there is still much to be seen and explored. How much time to spend in this park is up to you but plan on at least 3 days to see most of the big site's but even 3 days will leave you with a big return to see list.

July 16, 2010

I passed through the park on the way out to OR. This is a park I grew up in, spending many of my summer days exploring and fishing. The surprising thing is there are part's I have never been to. Spending a few days at the Lodge at Old Faithful is on our must do list.

Apr 1993 Date unknown
Karen and I made our second trip into the park. Took in the normal sites and will have to come back to see more. So much to see and do.

July 1990 Date unknown

We got to take in Old Faithful and a few other sites with kids. It was fun watching them get play in the snow till our youngest messed up his big toe really bad. He got to spend the rest of the visit hobbling around the park. As this is our home park, we will be making many trips back here.

NPS webpage

Our 3rd NPS Unit and 2nd National Park

                                                   

Sand Creek Massacre NHS

 

Betrayal on the Plains; an American Atrocity

On November 29th, 1864, Chiefs Black Kettle, White Antelope, Left Hand and others were encamped with around 750 Arapaho and Cheyenne people in a valley by the Big Sandy Creek. A hope for peace, brought forth by Black Kettle was in the balance. It was a tragic day where the blood of the Cheyenne and Arapaho was shed, and a painful memory for generations of Native Americans was made.

NPS Information page

21 May 2024

There are many dark chapters in American History and this site preserves a very dark page of one of those dark chapters of the American History book. We started this visit at the Visitors and Education center in Eads Colorado. This was a great stop, and we had a very passionate Ranger that helped us understand the events the lead up to that dark day of November 29, 1864. We then headed out to the site. The site is mostly undeveloped but offers a trail that leads out to an overlook. We paid our respects to those murdered that day and came away with a greater understanding of this chapter of our history. We spent an hour at Eads and an hour at the site. This site is remote and dirt roads lead out to the site, watch out for the box turtles on the drive in and stay snake aware.   

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 177th NPS Unit

SNAKES Yeeeek

Amache NHS

Tell All Stories: The Power of Community

Amache, also known as the Granada Relocation Center, near Granada, Colorado was one of ten incarceration sites established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to unjustly incarcerate Japanese Americans. Over 10,000 people, most American citizens, were incarcerated at Amache from 1942-1945. Amache - a place to reflect, recommit, and further the pursuit of freedom and justice. 

The smallest incarceration site by population—the Granada Relocation Center, as it was designated by the War Relocation Authority—was in Colorado, only 15 miles west of the Kansas border and less than 2 miles from the town of Granada. Although all WRA records refer to the incarceration camp as the Granada Relocation Center, early on, incarcerees began referring to the camp as Amache, after the camp’s postal designation. Because the camp and town were so close, it was feared that mail intended for the Granada Relocation Center would get confused with mail for the town of Granada. 

Built to accommodate up to 8,000 people, Amache housed 7,318 incarcerees at its peak in 1943, making it the 10th largest city in Colorado at that time. During its three years of operation, 10,331 incarcerees passed through Amache. Its population often fluctuated due to work, education, and military leave programs, as well as indefinite leaves as part of the resettlement program.

Like most of the other incarceration camps, Amache was located in a rural, isolated area far from any urban centers. The War Relocation Authority required that the relocation centers be built on federal or other public lands. While the construction of the other sites met this criterion, Amache was the only incarceration center to be primarily built on private land that the government either purchased or took by condemnation. The 10,500 acres that comprised the project area were acquired by the government from 18 farms and ranches.

20 Mar 2024

This site is a new addition to the NPS system and is still being developed. Living 25 miles from the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp in Wyoming had already given us an understanding of what to expect at this site. We started our visit by first stopping at the camp site and took in all the site had to offer, stopping at a recreated barracks and one of the recreation halls that was moved back to the site. We stopped at the cemetery to pay our respects to the few that remain here. We then headed into town to take in the Amache Museum in Granada Colorado. This small Museum is run by the local preservation group and High School volunteers. The museum tells the story and background of what happened here and the events that led up to this tragic chapter of our history.  Being a new unit, there is no NPS visitor center or NPS presence but plans are in the works. We look forward to seeing what the NPS has in mind to properly interpret this site. We spent 3 hours at this site. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 176th NPS Unit

Arkansas Post NM

 

A Gathering Place

Located at the confluence of two rivers, Arkansas Post has served as a gathering place for many cultures throughout human history - it represents cultural cooperation, conflict, synthesis, and diversity.

4/19/2024

This site is off the beaten path but well worth the time to visit.  Arkansas Post is a cross section of our history from pre Colonial times to the Civil War. We stopped at the Visitor Center to take in the site movie and exhibits. The movie was one of the best we have seen and explained the history of the site very well. While small, the Visitor Center still packed with allot of exhibits that also explained the site's history well. There is no BARK Ranger program, but we got to buy Daisy a collar tag to add to her collection. We headed out to walk down to the old townsite. There is nothing left of the townsite due to the Civil War battle fought here and the ravages of time. The Confederate fort is under water now. We had a great walk and saw lots of Canadian Geese and their goslings. We spent two hours here and saw most of what was offered. 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 175th NPS Unit

North Country NST

Adventures Await in Eight States

Come to the North Country. Trek the hills and valleys. Stand on the shores of lakes & streams from glaciers 10,000 years before. Clear-flowing water, red/gold of autumn, a fairyland of snow, open prairies, and distant horizons paint the land. Historic sites along the way tell how America settled and grew as a nation. From North Dakota to Vermont, adventure is never far away.

8 Dec 2023

With the addition of this Trail into the National Park Service system as an official trail, we looked back and found two times we were on this trail. We were on it at Fort Stanwix NM in New York and Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP in Ohio. As with any trail site we will take in a little at a time. 

Our 174th NPS Unit

NPS Website

Ozark NSR

 More Than Just the Rivers....

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is the first national park area to protect a river system. The Current and Jacks Fork rivers are two of the finest floating rivers you'll find anywhere. Spring-fed, cold and clear they are a delight to canoe, swim, boat or fish. Besides these two famous rivers, the park is home to hundreds of freshwater springs, caves, trails and historic sites such as Alley Mill.

5 Oct 2023

We got to take in a very small portion of this unit with a stop at Big Spring. First stopping at the small contact station. We talked to the Ranger on duty about future visits. We got Daisy's Bark ranger program that involved a small 15 question quiz and with help from Mom, she got it done and received her new Bark Ranger tag. We then headed down to Big Spring. This is an amazing spring and one of biggest springs in the United States. After taking in Big Spring, we called it a day due to a persistent rainstorm. We spent an hour here but with so much more to see and do, this can be a two-day Unit. We will add this to the return list. 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 173rd NPS Unit

Enjoying Big Spring

Pipestone NM

"When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything."  -Black Elk

For over 3,000 years, Indigenous people have quarried the red stone at this site to make pipes used in prayer and ceremony - a tradition that continues to this day and makes this site sacred to many people.

30 Sept 2023

Taking in this unit offered us a chance to take in a night sky's program for the first time. We started at the Visitors Center taking in the exhibits and watching three artisans work the pipestone into pipes and other items. No movie is offered but any questions we had were answered by the artisans or Rangers. We got Daisy's Bark Ranger program and headed out for a walk around the trail loop. This trail is a 3/4-mile round trip that takes in Winnewissa Falls, the working quarries. After a trail walk, we went and turned in Daisy's program and she added a new badge to her collection. We returned later that night to take in the Night sky's program. Karen went off on a working night photography class and learned allot about taking night picture's and me and Daisy hung out with the telescopes taking in the planets and stars. We enjoyed doing the night sky's program and hope we will get a few more in at other Units. You can see this unit in a couple of hours but with night sky's program we were here a total of 4 hours. 

 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 172nd NPS Unit