Natchez NHP

The Richest History On the Mississippi River

Discover the history of all the peoples of Natchez, Mississippi, from European settlement, African enslavement, the American cotton economy, to the Civil Rights struggle on the lower Mississippi River.

 Natchez National Historical Park tells the story of Natchez in the American South. The park protects the sites and structures associated with the peoples of Natchez and its surrounding area from earliest inhabitants to the modern era. The name Natchez is derived from the "Natchez" American Indians who inhabited the area at the time of European exploration. The historic sites maintained by the park, and the surrounding preservation district, give visitors an opportunity to understand the region's social political, and economic development, particularly in the pre-and-post Civil War era's. They also provide insights into the region's commercial and agricultural history, especially in relation to the Mississippi River, slavery, and cotton.

The park is composed of five NPS owned properties: Forks of the Road, Fort Rosalie, Melrose, the William Johnson House, the Natchez Visitor Center, and a larger area known as the preservation district.

Dec 7 - 8 2019
Got to revisit this site today. First taking in the antebellum estate of Melrose, built in 1840. We got to tour the mansion with the Park Ranger and as we were the only ones on the tour, we got the full attention of the Ranger who did an outstanding job with the tour and answering all of our questions. After the tour we got to explore the ground at our pace. We then headed to the William Johnson House. No tour is offered of the house but there is a very well-done display telling the story of what life was like for a man whose mother was a slave and father was believed to be the plantation owner. This is a great Park to take in the learn about life in the old South.

Jan 18, 2011

Solo trip. Took in the Visitor Center. Lots of Southern history. Did not take in the Plantations so this will go on a return visit list. 

Click here for photos of our Dec 7 2019 visit

NPS webpage

Our 54th NPS Unit

                                                   

Vicksburg NMP

The Nation was divided, but both sides agreed: Vicksburg was Vital to Victory

To Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Vicksburg was the "nailhead that holds the South's two halves together."  President Abraham Lincoln remarked "Vicksburg is the key" to victory and could be the north's lifeline into the south. 

As the federals closed in on the Fortress City, they were met by a ring of forts with over 170 cannon. The resulting battle would determine the war's outcome.

4 - 5 Dec 2019
Day one was a trip to the Visitors Center to take in the exabits and movie. The movie was well done and tells the story of the Vicksburg Battles and Sege very well.
Day two was spent driving the 16-mile loop road. We made many stops and spent time exploring the different areas. This is a large park and after a day of making stops and exploring we rushed the last half and decided a return trip will be on our list. We did get to take Daisy with us, and she got to work on her Bark Ranger badge, much easier than the grandkids Junior Ranger badges but still fun to get. We enjoyed having her out with us and she was sure tuckered out. You can plan on 2 days with this park and maybe 3 depending on how much you want to stop and see. There are over 1300 monuments here so there is much to see and learn.

1 Nov 2007
Solo trip. I got to see much of the park. Will make a return trip with wife.

Click here for photos of our 4 - 5 Dec 2019 visit

NPS Website

Our 47th NPS Unit

Guilford Courthouse NMP

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse - a Victory Within a Defeat

"I never saw such fighting since God made me. The Americans fought like demons." - Lt. General Charles, Earl Cornwallis
On March 15, 1781, six years into the American Revolution, General Greene and Lord Cornwallis' troops faced off at a small courthouse community. This 2.5 hour battle would change the course of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.

26 Nov 2019
Stopped by to catch up and see what was new. Took in a great movie and the exhibits at the Visitor Center. We skipped the road tour as we had done that before. Great site to get an understanding of the events the lead up to the Battle of Yorktown and the end of the Revolutionary war.

31 May 1999
Took in all this park had to offer. This site gives you a great understanding of the history and timeline of the Revolutionary War.

Click here for photos of our 26 Nov 2019 visit

NPS Website

Our 43rd NPS Unit

First Ladies NHS

"...a position where I can do the most good..." Eleanor Roosevelt

First Ladies National Historic Site consists of two properties in downtown Canton, Ohio - the home of First Lady Ida Saxton-McKinley and our Education Center. Come learn about how the position of First Lady has evolved over time to include a public role.

2 Nov 2019
We took in this small unit with a different expectation then what we got out of it. We were just in time for the tour of the Ida Saxton-McKinley house. We had a great tour of the house with a very knowable volunteer. The house was close to the wrecking ball but was saved and restored. When taking in the unit a tour of the house is a must. After the tour we headed back to the Visitor Center. The center is small, and the displays are on a rotational basis. We got to take in the current display. The history of the First Ladies of Ohio. There were more from Ohio than any other state, 7 were born or lived in Ohio. We did not take in the library to learn about the other First Ladies. We expected to learn about all the First Ladies but that is not the case here unless you take in the library to do the research.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 142nd NP Site

Flight 93 NM

A common field one day.  A field of honor forever.

On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their lives. Because of the actions of the 40 passengers and crew aboard one of the planes, Flight 93, the attack on the U.S. Capitol was thwarted.

Oct 3, 2019

A very moving and humbling site. We knew this was going to be a hard site to take in, but a site we have been wanting to see. The feelings of that tragic day are still fresh and very raw. We took in the Visitor Center to get an understanding of the events on Sept 11 and the passengers of Flight 93 that we lost on that day. There is not a movie here, but the Visitor Center does a amazing job of telling the story. After the Visitor Center we took the mile long walk down to the site. You can drive down, but this walk helped to give us time to think and understand what we learned in the Visitor Center. The lower site was just as emotional as the Visitor Center. After taking in the lower site, we went back up and then drove out to the Tower of Voices. This was a fitting end to our visit. We highly recommend this site to visit.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 141st NPS Site

Colonial NHP

Witness America’s Beginnings, from an English colony in 1607 to an independent nation in 1781.

On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together – European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that would eventually seek independence from Great Britain. On October 19, 1781, American and French troops defeated the British at Yorktown in the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.

Aug 14, 2019
Made a return visit with the Grand kids in tow. They worked on their Junior Ranger program, and we got to take in allot of the park we had not seen before. We are so proud of Katie and Matty, they earned 6 Junior Ranger badges this summer with us. We hope they will want to continual seeing the parks with us.

Aug 17, 2011
Another park in our back yard, makes it easy to spend a day learning about the history of this great country.

Click here for photos of our visit on Aug 14 2019

NPS webpage

Our 42nd NPS Unit

                                                           

Fort Monroe NM

"Freedom's Fortress"

Fort Monroe National Monument has a diverse history spanning the American story from American Indian presence, Captain John Smith's journeys, first arrival of enslaved Africans in English North America, a safe haven for freedom seekers during the American Civil War, and a bastion of defense for the Chesapeake Bay through the 21st Century. Visit and witness the on-going preservation work in action.

Aug 10, 2019

We had the opportunity to revisit with Grand kids. They really enjoyed exploring the Fort and working on there 5th Junior Ranger badge. We enjoy seeing the fun they are having, learning about our Country. 

Jan 6, 2012

A new park and in our backyard. Great Museum and Fort. Taking in the Casement Museum Added to new  pages of history we did not know about in the Hampton Roads area.

Click here for photos of our visit on Aug 10 2019

NPS webpage

Our 67th NPS Unit

Valley Forge NHP

Determined to Persevere

Valley Forge is the encampment site of the Continental Army during the winter of 1777-1778. The park features 3,500 acres of monuments, meadows, and woodlands commemorating the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation and honoring the power of people to pull together and overcome adversity during extraordinary times.

Aug 7, 2019
This was a revisit; we were last here 1 July 1995 so much has changed including how we explore parks now. This visit started out at the Temporary Visitors Center. We had the grandkids in tow, so they picked up their Junior Ranger books, and we took in the movie. We headed out on the park loop road and made all the stops so the grand kids could find the answers they need for their books. After taking in all the sites we went back and the grand kids finished up their books and received their 4th badge, well done kids. We plan on a return visit to take in the new Visitors Center when it reopens.

Click here for photos of our visit on Aug 7 2019

NPS Website

Our 16th NPS Unit

Hopewell Furnace NHS

How American Industrialization Began.

Hopewell Furnace showcases an early American landscape of industrial operations from 1771-1883, Hopewell and other "iron plantations" laid the foundation for the transformation of the United States into an industrial giant for the time. The park's 848 acres and historic structures illustrate the business, technology and lifestyle of our growing nation.

Aug 6, 2019
Another park that's off the beaten path but well worth it to make the trip. Started at the Visitor Center with a movie and the grandkids picking up the Junior Ranger books. We headed out to explore and got to take in an actual charcoal making demonstration. They only build the pile for making the charcoal once a year, so we had good timing on this visit. After learning all about the charcoal making process, we explored the rest of the park while the grand kids worked on their books. Really enjoyed the barn and all the farm animal's that greeted us. Once done exploring we headed back to the Visitors Center were the grand kids finished the books and got their 3rd Junior Ranger badge. It's great to see them get excited and want to learn about the parks.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 140th NPS Unit

Roger Williams NMEM

Liberty of Conscience

Roger Williams National Memorial commemorates the life of the founder of Rhode Island and a champion of the ideal of religious freedom. Williams, banished from Massachusetts for his beliefs, founded Providence in 1636. This colony served as a refuge where all could come to worship as their conscience dictated without interference from the state.

Aug 3, 2019
A return visit with the Grand kids. They completed their 2nd Junior Ranger Program and we all enjoyed taking in this small park.

April 6, 2013

A small park dedicated to a man that had the conviction to follow his beliefs. He laid down one of the cornerstones of our Bill of Rights, Religious Freedom.  

Click here for photos of our visit on Aug 3 2019

NPS Website

Our 85th NPS Unit

Steamtown NHS

Steam locomotives excited the senses and Steamtown works to keep their stories alive!

You'd feel heat from the firebox, smell hot steam and oil; you'd hear the whistle, feel the ground vibrate, and watch as one-ton drive rods turned steel wheels. Remember the sound of "chuff-chuff" from the smokestack? Today, you can learn the history of steam railroad transportation, and the people who built, repaired and rode, as we work to preserve a special era in America's industrial history!

July 27, 2019
This was a great park to take in. We had our entire family from New Jersey with us for this park. If you are a train nut like me this is the place to go. I could spend days here exploring - okay maybe weeks. Grand kids got there first Junior Ranger books and we learned that it takes longer to explore when you have them working on their books, that is a good thing for us as we really get to slow down and take more in. We took a couple of small train excursions in the train yard and explored all we could. The grand kids finished their books and got there First badge. We hope this starts there NPS exploring bug, we will see after this trip. We are putting this one on the return list just because I love trains.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 139th NPS Unit