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.

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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.

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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.

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NPS Website

Our 119th NPS Unit