Lincoln Boyhood NMEM

There I Grew Up..." 

Abraham Lincoln grew from youth to manhood on this southern Indiana soil.  Many character and moral traits of one of the world's most respected leaders was formed and nurtured here. Explore Lincoln's boyhood and learn about the boy who would one day become the leader of our nation. Abraham Lincoln and his family moved from Kentucky to Indiana in 1816 and stayed until 1830 when they moved to Illinois. During this period, Lincoln grew physically and intellectually into a man. The people he knew here and the things he experienced had a profound influence on his life. His sense of honesty, his belief in the importance of education and learning, his respect for hard work, his compassion for his fellow man, and his moral convictions about right and wrong were all born of this place and this time. The time he spent here helped shape the man that went on to lead the country. This site is our most direct tie with that time of his life. Lincoln Boyhood preserves the place where he learned to laugh with his father, cried over the death of his mother, read the books that opened his mind, and triumphed over the adversities of life on the frontier.

28 June 2021

We added this unit while staying across the road at Lincoln State Park. We started our visit at the Memorial Visitor Center. We took in the Sculptured Panels outside. Each of the five panels represented a period time in Lincoln's life. We then took in the Visitor Center. Inside there is a church built in the style and construction representing the early construction of the area. We then took in the Museum detailing Lincoln's life. After the Visitors Center we headed up to the Pioneer Cemetery and paid our respects to Lincoln's Mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. We then headed over to the Living Farm and after saying hi to two very friendly horses we took in the original cabin site the is now marked with bronze sill plates and mantel. We wrapped up our visit walking though the farm and taking in the reconstructed cabin and barn. We spent three hours here and we got most of what is offered here. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 146th NPS Unit

      

       

Wright Brothers NM

They Taught the World to Fly! 

Wind, sand, and a dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where, after four years of scientific experimentation, they achieved the first successful airplane flights on December 17, 1903. With courage and perseverance, these self-taught engineers relied on teamwork and application of the scientific process. What they achieved changed our world forever.

Dec 11, 2020

We made a trip down today. It made for a great day to get out and relax. Walked the park and Daisy enjoyed the time out also. 

May 26, 2012

This was our second trip to the Wright Brothers NM. There is so much to learn about the first flights here. We toured the visitor center and then headed out for a walk up to Kill Devil Hill and the Wrights Memorial with the girls. This offered us a breathtaking view of the entire area. After a visit here you must do a follow up with a visit to Dayton Ohio to get the complete history and life stories of the Wright Brothers.

March 24, 1997

Took in the site first by stopping at the Visitor center learning about the impotence of the site. We then headed out to the hill and monument.  

NPS webpage

Our 41st NPS Unit

Cumberland Gap NHP

                 

Mountain Gateway: 

At Cumberland Gap, the first great gateway to the west, follow the buffalo, the Native American, the long hunter, the pioneer... all traveled this route through the mountains into the wilderness of Kentucky. Modern day explorers and travelers stand in awe at this great gateway and the many miles of trails and scenic features found in the park.

Nov 28, 2020

We started this visit at the Visitors Center. There is a small museum to take in that gives a overview of the history of the Cumberland Gap. We also watched a short film that was well done and gave us more clarity to the history and use of the Gap. After grabbing lunch in town, we headed up to Pinnacle Overlook. This is the main attraction you can drive to in the park. The drive up was fun but not for the faint of heart. We spent some time at the overlook taking in the amazing views at the overlook. Due to COVID we did not get to take in the Hensley Settlement or Gap Cave. We will be back to take in these on another visit. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 144th NPS Unit

Martin Luther King NHP

A Great Leader is Born:

A young boy grows up in a time of segregation…A dreamer is moved by destiny into leadership of the modern civil rights movement…This was Martin Luther King, Jr.  Come hear his story, visit the home of his birth, and where he played as a child.  Walk in his footsteps and hear his voice in the church where he moved hearts and minds.  Marvel at how he was an instrument for social change.

23 Nov 2020

A quick stop to pick up the new stamps

14 Apr 2017

A return visit to spend more time learning more about Martin Luther King, Jr.

28 Oct 2016

A quick stop to pick up the Centennial stamp. 

6 Nov 2013
To read about the subject of the Struggle for Civil Rights in school was one thing but to walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther King, Jr. brings so much into focus. One could wonder how much different it would have been had not one person extinguished the guiding light of the movement. We took in the different locations throughout this unit including a tour of his birth house and the Ebenezer Church. 

NPS Website

Our 93rd NPS Unit

Birth Home

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. 

NPS webpage

Our 54th NPS Unit

                                                   

Vicksburg NMP

The Nation was divided:

Both sides agreed: Vicksburg was Vital to Victory to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Vicksburg was the "nail head 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 cannons. 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

Appalachian NST

Footpath for the People:

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,180+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.

30 Nov 2019

Hiked another couple miles of the trail near Great Smokies NP

15 July 2014
Got to take a short hike on the trail in Shenandoah NP

7 Sept 2012
Got to take a hike on the trail in the Great Smokies NP

22 Apr 1996
We will never hike the whole trail, but we can do a few hikes whenever it corresponds with a park site. We did that at Harpers Ferry.

NPS Website

Our 33rd NPS Unit