Cumberland Island NS

                                                               

Where Nature and History Meet

St Marys is the gateway to Cumberland Island, Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island. Here pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes whisper the stories of both man and nature. Natives, missionaries, enslaved African Americans and Wealthy Industrialists all walked here.  Cumberland Island is also home to over 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated Wilderness.

12 Aug 2017
We made the return trip to Cumberland Island NS today. After a nice 45 minute ferry trip to the Island we boarded our van for a day of exploring the island. To call this a functioning van would be a stretch, Mirrors broken, check engine light on, cracked windshield, AC that was less then performing at it's best, but hey it was going to be our steed for the day. We had a great tour guide that made the trip exciting. We headed out down a dirt road on an 36 mile round trip adventure to the north end of the Island. We stopped at a few stops before our lunch stop at Plum Orchard Mansion. After taking in a very well done tour of the Mansion we got to enjoy our packed in lunch among wild horses and other wild life. After our Lunch it was time to continual on to the North side of the Island. The road from here only proved why our trusted steed was in the condition it was in. Once to the North end we got to take in the first African Baptist Church. The church was where John Kennedy Jr was married. We then headed back to the South side of the Island and the Dungeness Mansion Ruins. This Mansion was huge and we can only imagine the grander of the mansion before fire destroyed it. If you are headed to Cumberland we highly recommend taking the Island tour. You will need to take a lunch and we recommend checking out the Riverview Hotel. It's right across the street and they packed us a great lunch for our day at the Island. We would not recommend a visit in the Summer months.

2 Dec 2014
Will sometimes timing is important. We visited on a day the ferry out to the Island was not running. We did take in the VC to get a understanding of the Park but this will only count as a half visit and we will return to finish it up next time we are down this way.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 110th NPS Unit

Harry S Truman NHS

"I hope to be remembered as the people's President."

President Harry S Truman took America from its traditional isolationism into the age of international involvement. Despite his power, he never forgot where he came from. Today, visitors can experience the surroundings Truman knew as a young man of modest ambition through his political career and final years as a former president. 

14 July  2017

Had a great day of learning today. We were at the Visitors Center early to get a ticket for a tour of the Truman Home. We then took in the movie at the visitors Center, the movie gives a good outline about Truman's life in Interdependence. Then it was off to his home a few blocks from the Visitors Center. We had a great tour guide and really enjoyed our tour of the home. You can only tour the ground floor and the tour last's around 30 Min. Sorry, no photography is allowed inside.  After our tour of the Truman home we headed across the street to the Nolan Home. This home belonged to Harry's cousins. The home serves as an extension of the Visitors Center and tells the story of Harry and Bess's meeting and there life together.Then we headed over to the Harry S Truman Presidential Library. This was our first Presidential Library and we had a great time exploring the life of Harry S Truman. Some interesting facts, Truman was the last President to not have an Collage degree. He did not receive a pension or receive Secret Service protection like the current Presidents receive till 1958. He live on his military pension of 112.00 dollars a month till 1958. Congress passed a Bill in 1958 allowing for Presidential Pension's. His Presidential pension in 1958 was 25,000 a year. This was a great site to take in and we enjoyed learning about the life and times of Harry S Truman. Give yourself 4 or 5 hours for this unit including the Presidential Library.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Webpage

Our 120th NPS Unit

Scotts Bluff NM

A Landmark for Many Peoples

Towering 800 feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has served as a landmark for peoples from Native Americans to emigrants on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails to modern travelers. Rich with geological and paleontological history as well as human history, there is much to discover while exploring the 3,000 acres of Scotts Bluff National Monument. 

2 July 2017

We started this visit with a stop at the Visitors Center for Chimney Rock, taking in the views. Then we headed out for Scotts Bluff. 

This was a return trip for us, that was in the making from 24 years ago. We stopped at the Visitors Center to take in what they had to offer. As this was a path for 3 trails and the Pony Express the VC gives a great overview of their section of the trails. We walked along the path outside the VC and talked to a few of the volunteers dressed in authentic period garb and took in the wagons and other exhibits along the walk. We then made our way ( by our truck ) to the top of Scotts Bluff to take in the views. There is a walking trail up but we had no intentions of taking that on this trip and as we found out today the trail is impassable due to a rock side. The views at the top were amazing but some what hazy. This is a great site to take in and can be done in 3 or 4 hours with the drive up to the top of the bluff.

May 1993 Unknown Date
Taking in this site ties in with Ft Laramie. Lots of history of the great migration West. We enjoyed our visit.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 8th NPS Unit

Molly exploring the wagons in 2017.



Agate NM

Fossils and Much, Much More

During the 1890s, scientists rediscovered what the Lakota Sioux already knew—bones preserved in one of the world's most significant Miocene Epoch mammal sites.

Yet, this place called "Agate" is a landscape that reflects many influences—from early animals roaming the valleys and hills, to tribal nations calling the High Plains home, to explorers passing through or settling in the American West.

July 2 2017
Took in some of this park today. We took in the Visitor Center to get an understanding of the site. We passed on the movie but did spend sometime exploring at the VC. There are 2 great trails to take but by the time we arrived in the afternoon it was to hot to take on the trails. These trails are dog friendly so we will make a plan to visit during the cooler part of the year. There are two aspects of this site, Paleontology and Native American and the Visitor Center cover's both of these. This site can be seen in a few hours taking in a trail. This site is well off the beaten path, but well worth the time to get there. We have put this on our return list.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 119th NPS Unit