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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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NPS Website

Our 121st NPS Unit

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 its 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 a 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 wildlife. 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 an 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.

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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 their 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 a college degree. He did not receive a pension or receive Secret Service protection like the current Presidents receive till 1958. He lived 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 Drove up 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 somewhat 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.

8 May 1993
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



Klondike Gold Rush NHP

Headlines screamed "Gold!" 

The dream of a better life catapulted thousands of people to Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Their journey shaped them and changed the people they encountered and the north forever. Today, the park remembers the trails, boomtowns, and stories of the Klondike Gold Rush.

The Seattle unit of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park preserves the story of the stampede to the Yukon gold fields and Seattle's crucial role in this event. The headlines of a Seattle newspaper on July 17, 1897, Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! ignited dreams of easy riches in the minds of thousands as word of a rich gold strike in northwestern Canada. A dream that would prove all but dream.

NPS Website Seattle Washington unit

Retrace the Steps of the Last Grand Adventure- The Klondike Gold Rush

Headlines screamed "Gold!" The dream of a better life catapulted thousands of people to Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Their journey shaped them, and changed the people they encountered and the north forever. Today, the park remembers the trails, boomtowns, and stories of the Klondike Gold Rush.

NPS Website Skagway Alaska Unit

25 Aug 2009

We took in the Skagway unit on our Alaskan Cruise. This gave us a great understanding what those headed to the Yukon had to face and endure. We got to take a guided tour over White Pass. This was a great way to understand the hardships these prospectors faced. Each hauling a years worth of supplies over the pass.

28 Dec 2016

Karen got to take in the Seattle unit with the kids and grandkids. They had a great time exploring the Museum and taking in the activity's offered there. While nothing more then a Museum it had a lot to offer and it gave a great understanding on what hardships were faced by those brave enough to make the trip North to the Yukon in search of Gold. This Unit can be seen in a few hours.

Our 48th NPS Unit