Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

A Walk through History:

The 450-mile foot trail that became known as the Natchez Trace was the lifeline through the Old Southwest.  You can experience portions of that journey the way earlier travelers did - on foot.  Today there are five separate trails totaling over 60 miles and they are administered by the Natchez Trace Parkway.

16 Feb 2022

See Natchez Trace Parkway

22 Feb 2020 

See Natchez Trace Parkway

2 Sept 2018
After taking in the Natchez Parkway Visitors Center, we headed to a small section of the original Trail. When we take in the Parkway, we will piggyback visits to the trail as it follows the Parkway.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 131st NPS Unit

Natchez Trace Parkway

 

A Drive through 10,000 Years of History: 

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states. It roughly follows the "Old Natchez Trace" a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, "Kaintucks," European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. Today, people can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping along the parkway.

Feb 16, 2022, Mile 68 - 104

Today we took in another section of the Parkway, starting were we left off last trip. there is not as much to see along this portion of the Parkway. We stopped at a few turnouts along this section including a few old stand sites and Civil War sites. We made a stop at the Clinton Mississippi Visitor Center. There is a small Museum detailing the area around Clinton. We then made a stop at the Mississippi Arts Center. We enjoyed seeing all the local art. This concluded our trip for the day, we still have much more to see on the Parkway and will continual this trip later. 

Feb 22, 2020, Mile 0 - 67

Took in the first 67 miles today. First stopping at Mount Locust Inn. Mount Locust is one of the few remaining stands remaining on the Parkway. Stands were the B&B's of the time offering a place to sleep and eat on the walk up the Trace. We next made a stop at the Emerald Mound. Emerald Mound is the largest known mound made by the native people of the area, we continued on to the Sunken Trace. This is an area of the Trace that is highly eroded due to the sheer numbers of travelers on the trace. After the Sunken Trace we made our way up to Owens Creek waterfall. We were lucky in our timing as this waterfall normally offers very little to no flow but due to the heavy rain, we got to see it flowing much the way it did back in the days of the Trace being active. We had a great day traveling the Parkway and look forward to adding more sections.

Sept 2, 2018, Mile 260 - 266

While exploring the Tupelo Mississippi area we got to take in a small section of the Parkway. We took in the Visitor Center at Tupelo (Mile 266). Great Visitor center that not only serves the Parkway but also the Tupelo and Brice's Crossroads Battle Fields. We have this down as a return trip to drive the entire Parkway.

Click here for photos of our visit Sept 2 2018

Click here for photos of our visit Feb 22 2020

NPS Website

Our 130th NPS Unit

               

                 

Poverty Point NM

 

Follow In the Footsteps of Ancient Engineers:

Now a nearly forgotten culture, Poverty Point at its peak 3,000 years ago was part of an enormous trading network that stretched for hundreds of miles across the continent. It was - and is - also an engineering marvel, the product of five million hours of labor. Explore the culture of a highly sophisticated people who left behind one of North America’s most important archeological sites.

1 Feb 2022

This site is operated by the State of Louisiana. We headed to the Visitors Center and took in all the exhibits. The exhibits were very educational and told the history of this area very well. We also took in the movie that is offered at the Visitors Center. After taking in all that the Visitors Center had to offer, we headed out to take the 2.4-mile loop road around the site. We stopped at a few of the mounds and walked to the top of the largest mound "A". While driving the loop we were treated to a wildlife encounter of a family of racoons. This was an amazing site and hard to comprehend the amount of work it took to build these mounds and ridges. We spent 3 hours here.  

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 153rd NPS Unit

Cane River Creole NHP

A River and Its People: 

The Cane River region is home to a unique culture, the Creoles. Generations of the same families of workers, enslaved and tenant, and owners lived on these lands for over 200 years. The park tells their stories and preserves the cultural landscape of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations, two of the most intact Creole cotton plantations in the United States.

30 Jan 2022

We started this visit at Oakland Plantation. There are no Visitor Centers for this unit, it was recently announced that work on a new Visitor Center has been started. We headed to the general store that is currently serving as a contact station. We toured the store and small gift shop. We headed over to the main house and got to take a self-guided tour of the house. The house was built in 1821. This is a unique house, as the family lived in the house till the early 1990's. The house still has the furnishings up to the time the family turned the house over to the Park Service, so there is a mix of furnishings from the early 1800's to modern times. The house has been added onto serval times including a modern kichen. We then toured the rest of the grounds before heading out to visit Magnolia plantation. When we reached Magnolia plantation, we discovered we had the plantation completely to ourselves. The main house was rebuilt in 1896 after being destroyed during the civil war and is still owned by the original family and not open to the public. We did get to take in the care takers house and slave hospital, and a few of the slave quarters. Both sites can be seen in 3 to 4 hours. We will have to make a return trip when the Visitor Center is competed. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 152nd NPS Unit

Waco NM

                  

A Mammoth-Sized Find: 

Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths.

20 Jan 2022

This a smaller unit and we started at the small Visitor Center where we got our tickets for the dig site. Due to COVID protocols they were not conducting Ranger led tours of the dig site, the tour is self-guided. The Visitor Center had no exhibits or movie but lots of souvenirs. We headed down to the dig site and spent 30 minutes taking in all the remaining fossils. Many have now been removed to preserve them off site. There were remains of six or seven Mammoths remaining at the covered dig site. There have been over twenty-three Mammoths found so far but much digging remains to be done. This was a fun and educational site to take in and we feel it can be covered in a couple of hours or less.

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 151st NPS Unit

Hot Springs NP

 

Where History and Nature Meet:

Hot Springs National Park has a rich cultural past. The grand architecture of our historic bathhouses is equally matched by the natural curiosities that have been drawing people here for hundreds of years. Ancient thermal springs, mountain views, incredible geology, forested hikes, and abundant creeks – all in the middle of town – make Hot Springs National Park a unique and beautiful destination

14 Jan 2022

We made a return trip to soak and relax at the Quapaw Bath House. This will always be a stop if we are in the area. 

30 Mar - 1 April 2021

We took in the National Park over three days. Day one and the weather was great for walking a few of the trails and we took advantage of that to get an idea what makes this a National Park. The Visitor Center was close due to COVID so we spent the first day walking down Bath House Row taking in the Bath houses then we looped back taking in the Grand Promenade. Day two was spent at the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. The views from the upper observation deck offers a breathtaking view and the lower observation deck contains exhibits highlighting the park and local history. We then picked up Daisy and walked a few trails, this park is very dog friendly, and she had a great time getting attention and pats. Day Three we got to take in the pools at the Quapaw Bath House. A very welcoming soak in the pools to relax and unwind. This was a great Park to take in and we look forward to going back if only to get a morning soak at the Quapaw Bath House.  

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 145th NPS Unit and 21 National Park

Little Rock Central High School NHS

"Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of our courts." 

In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was the epicenter of confrontation and a catalyst for change as the fundamental test for the United States to enforce African American civil rights following Brown v. Board of Education. Learn how the sacrifice and struggle endured by the Little Rock Nine have provided opportunities and opened doors for those seeking equality and education around the world.

13 Jan 2022

Started this visit with a walk around the school and a few other sites around it. The school is still in operation and cannot be entered. We then went to the Visitor Center to take in the movie and exhibits. Due to COVID there was no movie, but the exhibits detailed the events before, during, and after in great detail. We have been to the Brown vs Board of Education NHS and this site was a direct result of that court ruling. After touring the exhibits, we had a great talk with the ranger that was very educated on the site and provided all of the answers to the questions we had. We would have liked to have taken the ranger lead walking tour but due to the limited amount of people allowed we did not get on the list to take it. We will have to do that at a later day. This unit can be seen in few hours, add an hour to include the walking tour with the ranger.   

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 150th NPS Unit

Shiloh NMP

               

An Epic Contest: 

Visit the sites of the most epic struggle in the Western Theater of the Civil War. Nearly 110,000 American troops clashed in a bloody contest that resulted in 23,746 casualties; more casualties than in all of America's previous wars combined. Explore both the Shiloh and Corinth battlefields to discover the impact of this struggle on the soldiers and on the nation.

5 Jan 2022

This a large battlefield and starting at the Visitors center is the best way to understand how this battle was fought. We took in the exhibits while waiting for the movie to start. While not as expansive as some of the other large Civil War Battlefield Visitor Centers, the exhibits were well done and provided a lot of information. The movie starts at the top of hour and is 45 minutes long. It was a very well-done movie that explained the two-day battle in great detail. We were ready to start the battlefield driving tour after taking in all information we picked up at the Visitor Center. 

8 Jan 2022

Today we drove the park road trail. As with many of the large Battlefields there is so much to see and take in. After seeing the movie, we had a great understanding of the events and flow of this two-day battle and that made touring the park easy to understand. With the over whelming number of Information tables and monuments this park loop can easily take a full day to get it all in. You can do this Unit in a day, but we recommend on planning for a two-day visit. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 149th NPS Unit

Capulin Volcano NM

 

Explore an Extinct Cinder Cone Volcano:

Part of the 8,000 square mile Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field, Capulin Volcano showcases the volcanic geology of northeastern New Mexico.  The views are spectacular day or night, with views of 4 different states from the volcanic rim and one of the darkest night skies in the country. Whether it's a quick stop or a day's trip, enjoy exploring the landscape of this unique volcano!

Sept 16, 2021

This was a return visit from our failed attempt to visit this park last year. The park was closed due to COVID and made that visit a recon visit. On this visit we got to explore the Park. First starting at the Visitor Center. it's a small Visitor Center that is more store than information center. They do offer a short movie that we had already seen online. We then headed out to take the road up to the top of the cider cone volcano. The drive up was inspiring and the view from the top was breathtaking. We did not take the Crater Vent Trail this trip, but it looked to be an easy trail to take, it is a .4-mile trail roundtrip. We will have to put that on a return trip. We are looking forward to a return visit to take in an overnight visit. This park is known for their dark sky programs. This park can be seen in a few hours or all day, hiking the different trails that are offered. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 147th NPS Unit

Enough Mom lets go for a walk on a trail. 

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