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.

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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.

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NPS Website

Our 139th NPS Unit

Herbert Hoover NHS

To Look Forward with Unbounded Hope:

Orphaned at age nine, Herbert Hoover left West Branch never to live here again. In later years, he returned to his humble birthplace to celebrate his long career of public service. A memorial landscape remains to tell his story: how community, hard work, honesty, and usefulness to others opened a world of opportunity— and the presidency of the United States— to a child of simple beginnings. 

July 21, 2010

A stop here on the way home from a cross-country trip. I did not know much about Herbert Hoover, so this was a very educational stop. Like so many Presidents he did more after office then in. Much to see and take in here.

July 20, 2019
This was a revisit for me and the first time for my wife. Took in the Visitor Center and a movie on Herbert Hoover's life here in West Branch. We then took a walk to take in the buildings and homes that are preserved here. After seeing what there is to see we headed to the Presidential Library. This is where you truly learn about his life and Presidency. After a few hours at the Presidential Library, we drove up to the grave site and took that in.

Click here for photos of our visit on July 20 2019

NPS Webpage

Our 55th NPS Unit

Jewel Cave NM

Discover One of the Last Frontiers in the World:

Immerse yourself within the third longest cave in the world. With over 208 miles of mapped and surveyed passages, this underground wilderness appeals to human curiosity. Its splendor is revealed through fragile formations and glimpses of brilliant color. Its maze of passages lure explorers, and its scientific wealth remains a mystery. This resource is truly a jewel in the National Park Service. 

May 16, 2019

We took in the Visitors center and movie then it was time to decide on what tour to take. After being on the road for over a week we decided to just do the Discovery tour. This is an easy tour with only a few stairs and an easy in and out with the elevators.  The Scenic tour was not an option today as it has over 723 stairs and we were not up for that. The tour was nice but basic for us. The guild was knowable and pointed out many formations and even a drill hole from the surface, there from the times they were exploring new sections of the cave. This is a large cave, and they just went over 200 miles explored with many more to go. We plan on a return visit, and we will do the Scenic tour.

click here for photos of our visit

NPS Webpage

Our 138th NPS Unit

Salem Maritime NHS

"To the Farthest Ports of the Rich East"

When the United States was young, sailors, merchants, and privateers ventured all over the world from Salem, Massachusetts to bring new and exotic goods home to America. In this nine acre park, explore the historic buildings, wharves, and replica tallship that tell the stories of the residents of Salem who helped build the foundation for one of the most powerful national economies in the world.

Oct 5 2018

Took in the site and sounds of Salem and this Park unit. So much to see and do with this unit. Got to take in the Custom House, The Narbonne House that was built in 1675 for butcher Thomas Ives. It is a remarkable example of a middle-class family home of the 17th and 18th centuries and one of the things that make this building so special is its history of nearly 300 years of continued occupation, 200 years of which are members of one family. We got to walk around the exterior of the Derby House built in 1762 and Hawkes House built in 1780. We also got to take in the House of Seven Gables, while it is not part of the Park Unit it was neat to see the history of it. There is so much in Salem to see that we will be back to continual to explore this city, just not in October.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 135th NPS Unit

Fort McHenry NM

O! say can you see,...

by the dawn's early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars . . . were so gallantly streaming! over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. The valiant defense of the fort inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Sept 30 2018
Making the most out of our bad situation while waiting for our trailer to be repaired we decided to take in Fort McHenry NM. So much of the fiber of this Country is rooted in this Fort. We had a great Ranger lead tour that really went into what made this such an important part our Country's history. After the tour we were on our own to explore and take in the park. This site is a must visit to understand the roots of this Country.

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NPS Website

Our 134th NPS Unit

National Capital Parks - East

A Journey To Parks Beyond The Capital

Welcome to National Capital Parks-East. We invite you to journey to parks Beyond the Capital of Washington, D.C.  National Capital Parks-East is 13 park sites, parkways and statuary covering more than 8,000 acres of historic, cultural, and recreational parklands from Capitol Hill to the nearby Maryland suburbs


Main NPS Website

Sept 29 2018
We are calling this one our accidental park unit and with so many sites to see it is sure to go on our return list. While traveling to New Hampshire I took the wrong exit around Washington DC and we ended up on I-395 instead of the intended route of taking I-495. After some nail biting ( we were towing the trailer ) we made it though and ended up on the Baltimore - Washington Parkway.  Got to enjoy the drive and were amazed to see a green area in the middle of Washington D.C.

NPS Website

Our 133rd NPS Unit

Tupelo NB

                                                                               

Tupelo National Battlefield

In July, 1864, Union forces, including men from the United States Colored Troops, marched into Tupelo, Mississippi.  Disorganized Confederate soldiers fought fiercely but could not overpower the federal troops. Neither side could claim a clear victory, but Union troops had succeeded in their main goal:  keeping the Confederates away from Union railroads in Tennessee.


1 Sept 2018

A small site to take in, only the size of a small city park. To learn more about the history of this battle stop at the Visitor Center located on the Natchez Trace Parkway ( Mile 266 ), It is located 6 miles North of the site. There are two informational panels located on site that help explain the significance of the battle relative to Union General William T. Sherman's "March to the Sea" in Georgia. While much of the battle field has been lost to time this site preserves a small portion to tell the story of the sacrifice made here.

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NPS Website

Our 132nd NPS Unit

Brices Cross Roads NBS

Winning the Battle, Losing the War

The Confederate victory at Brices Cross Roads was a significant victory for Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest, but its long term effect on the war proved costly for the Confederates. Brices Cross Roads is an excellent example of winning the battle, but losing the war.

1 Sept 2018
Taking in this unit is best done by first stopping at The Mississippi's Final Stands Interpretive Center, located at 607 Grisham St, Baldwyn, MS 38824, (operated by the Mississippi's Final Stands Civil War Board). This is not a NPS ran center but they have a great center and tell the story well. This unit does not have a Visitor Center. The site is small and can be seen in a short time. Be sure to take in the cemetery next to the site, so much history there.

Click here for photo's of our visit

NPS Website

Our 129th NPS Unit

Wilson's Creek NB

The Second Major Battle of the Civil War

Wilson's Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and the site of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in action. The costly Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focused national attention on the war in Missouri.  Wilson’s Creek NB commemorates and interprets the battle within the context of the war in the Trans-Mississippi West.

27 Aug 2018

So much to learn from this site. While much is talked about and studied of the Civil War Battles East of the Mississippi River, little is for the Battles and skirmishes West of the Mississippi River. Missouri saw more than 1,200 distinct engagements within its borders; out paced by only Virginia and Tennessee. Missouri was a hotly contested border state populated by both Union and Confederate sympathizers with a star on both the Union and Confederate flags. The Visitors Center at Wilsons Creek was eye opening to learn how contested this state was. We started with a great movie about the Battle and events leading up to it then took in the displays at the Visitors Center. After taking in the Visitors Center we made the drive around the loop road to get a good understanding of the flow of the Battle. This is a site you can spend a half a day at or a whole day as there is so much to learn here.

Click here for photo's of our visit

NPS Website

Our 128th NPS Unit

Fort Scott NHS

Forging a Nation: Fort Scott in the Mid Nineteenth Century

Promises made and broken! A town attacked at dawn! Thousands made homeless by war! Soldiers fighting settlers! Each of these stories is a link in the chain of events that encircled Fort Scott from 1842-1873. All of the site's structures, its parade ground, and its tallgrass prairie bear witness to this era when the country was forged from a young republic into a united transcontinental nation.

26 Aug 2018

This Fort has so much history to tell. Taking in the Visitors center tells the story well and a walk of the grounds puts it all into context. We spent a half a day here but feel we could have spent longer.

Click here for photo's of our visit

NPS Website

Our 127th NPS Unit

Brown v Board of Education NHS

The Road to Justice

The story of Brown v. Board of Education, which ended legal segregation in public schools, is one of hope and courage. There were more than 150 plaintiffs across the country, when these people agreed to be plaintiffs in the case, they never knew they would change history. The people who make up this story were ordinary people. They were teachers, secretaries, welders, ministers and who simply wanted to be treated equally.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is one of the most pivotal opinions ever rendered by that body. This landmark decision highlights the U.S. Supreme Court’s role in affecting changes in national and social policy. Often when people think of the case, they remember a little girl whose parents sued so that she could attend an all-white school in her neighborhood. In reality, the story of Brown v. Board of Education is far more complex.
In December, 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court had on its docket cases from Kanas, Delaware, the  District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Virginia, all of which challenged the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court had consolidated these five cases under one name, Oliver Brown et al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka. One of the justices later explained that the U.S. Supreme Court felt it was better to have representative cases from different parts of the country. They decided to put Brown first “so that the whole question would not smack of being a purely Southern one.”
This collection of cases was the culmination of years of legal groundwork laid by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in its work to end segregation. None of the cases would have been possible without individuals who were courageous enough to take a stand against the segregated system.

24 Aug 2018

Wow such a great site. We first took in the movie in the auditorium where the 30-minute film Race and the American Creed traces the history of racism and segregation. The film is a dialogue between a young girl and a long-time friend of her grandfather. The student is seeking to learn about the long struggle to provide freedom and equality to all Americans. This really set the mood and meaning of the site.
We then took in the two gallery's. First The Education and Justice gallery, This exhibit gallery examines the barriers African Americans faced while trying to receive a formal education from the early 19th century to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision. Investigate why leaders in the black community fought so hard and took risks to integrate schools. Photos, exhibits, and interpretive media are combined to offer a summary of these hardships due to racial injustice. The gallery features seven short films.
We then took in the Hall of Courage and the Legacy of Brown v, Board of Education gallery. This gallery explores the Civil Rights Movement that followed in the wake of the Brown decision, rallying thousands of people dedicated to the eradication of prejudice and racial discrimination from all forms of public life. Learn about the continuing international impact and living legacy of Brown to ensure equality in all walks of life for all people.
After that we got to take in the former kindergarten room that has being restored to its 1954 appearance. See what it was like to attend the segregated Monroe school during the court case and find out how teachers were affected by the decision.
Plan on an half day or more here as there is so much to take in here.

Click here for photo's of our visit

NPS Website

Our 126th NPS Unit



Tall Grass NPRES

Last Stand of the Tallgrass Prairie

Where's the tall grass? Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America. Within a generation the vast majority was developed and plowed under. Today less than 4% remains, mostly here in the Kansas Flint Hills. The preserve protects a nationally significant remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie and its cultural resources. Here the tallgrass prairie takes its last stand.

23 Aug 2018

This will be a return trip list site, the day we went it was raining on and off. We started at the Visitors Center and got to take in the movie and exhibits. After a trip to the Visitors center it was on to the Ranch that is right next door to the Visitors Center. Explored around for awhile and after dodging the rain drops for a couple of hours we decided to add this to our come back list. We still want to take in a hike out to the Prairie and see what else this site has to offer.

Click here for photo's of our visit

NPS Website

Our 125th NPS Unit



Fort Larned NHS

Home to the Guardians of the Santa Fe Trail

Discover a complete and authentic army post from the 1860s -1870s! This well-preserved fort on the Santa Fe Trail shares a tumultuous history of the Indian Wars era. The sandstone constructed buildings sheltered troops who were known as the Guardians of the Santa Fe Trail. 

22 Aug 2018

Took in this Fort on a rainy day. This Fort was an important Santa FeTrail Fort. Fort Larned was one of a series of forts along the Santa Fe Trail spaced to provide adequate protection along the entire trail. Fort Zarah to the northeast and Fort Dodge to the southwest were Fort Larned’s nearest neighbors along the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Hays, located nearer the railroad route that eventually eclipsed the Santa Fe Trail, was about 60 miles to the north. Fort Larned’s troops patrolled the Santa Fe Trail 70 miles in either direction from the fort, and at some times, escorted wagon trains down the trail to deter attacks. In time, Fort Larned and other forts along the Santa Fe Trail played their part in establishing lasting U.S. control over the Great Plains. We spent a 3 hours exploring the grounds and taking in the exhibits at the Visitors Center. 

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NPS Website

Our 124th NPS Unit



Nicodemus NHS

      

"Go to Kansas"

Formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky in organized colonies at the end of the of post-Civil War Reconstruction period to experience freedom in the "promised land" of Kansas. Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the westward expansion and settlement of the Great Plains. It is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.

21 Aug 2018

Getting to this unit was half the fun. Yes it's off the beaten path but well worth the time to go and learn about a forgotten chapter of American History. Start at the Visitors Center that is staffed by great volunteers that are decedents of the original families. These Volunteers were great in telling the story of this site. After taking in the movie and displays at the Visitor Center we were off to explore the town. Not much remains but a few buildings. We enjoyed taking in this site and recommend it.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 123rd NPS Unit

First State NHP

                                                                  

From First Settlement to First State

Famous as the First State to ratify the Constitution, Delaware was born out of a conflict among three world powers for dominance of the Delaware Valley.  From this beginning, the region developed a distinct character that tolerated diversity in religion and national origin and valued independence.


08 Mar 2018
Today we got to take in the John Dickinson Plantation, one of seven sites in this unit. We had a great tour of the house and a great guild that told his story. This is an easy site to get to and we highly recommend stopping in. We look forward to getting to take in the other sites that are scattered around Delaware.
John Dickinson Plantation

Home to John Dickinson, known as the "penman of the Revolution" because his writings helped inspire colonial opposition to Great Britain, this site was built in 1739 and located about 6 miles southeast of The Green in Dover. John Dickinson was also a member of the Continental Congress that wrote the Declaration of the Independence, and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. After John Dickinson's death, President Thomas Jefferson wrote that Dickinson was "Among the first of the advocates for the rights of his country when assailed by Great Britain, he continued to the last the orthodox advocate of the true principles of our new government: and his name will be consecrated in history as one of the great worthies of the revolution.

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NPS Website

Our 122nd NPS Unit

Ulysses S Grant NHS

                                                                                 

A Place Called Home

Ulysses S. Grant is known as the victorious Civil War general who saved the Union and the 18th President of the United States. He first met Julia Dent, his future wife, at her family home, named White Haven. From 1854 to 1859 the Dents, Grants and an enslaved African-American workforce lived on the property.

11 Jan 2018
A great park to take in to learn the life of Ulysses S Grant. Grant lived in many places but this was were he met his wife Julia and lived for a portion of his life. We got to take in the house with a well lead tour from a ranger who gave a great run down of Grants life.. Most of Grants furniture was destroyed in a fire so the house is lacking the furnishings of his life. After a tour of the house it was on to the horse barn and location of the museum. We will be making a return to take this in as we were short on time. You can expect to spend 2 to 3 hours here to take in both the house tour and museum.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 121st NPS Unit