Great Sand Dunes NP

 

Dunes Among Diversity:

Open 24/7 year-round! There are no limitations, timed entries, or reservations to visit.
The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Stay on a moonless night to experience countless stars in this International Dark Sky Park! 

20 May 2023

While not exactly a Chamber of Commerce Day we did made the best of it by first stopping at the temporary Visitors Center. We missed the reopening of the remodeled Visitor Center by a couple weeks, so this will put this Park on the revisit list. After we took care of what we could at the Visitor Center we headed out to the dunes. Your first challenge to get to the Dunes is to cross Medano creek. In late Summer this is a dry creek bed but in late Spring it is a wide flowing creek 6 to 8 inch's deep so be prepared for wet feet. Daisy had no issues and made the creek her personnel playground. After crossing the creek, we headed up to the first small dune. We would have gone further but the 50-degree day with lite rain and wind changed our minds. We headed back to the creek to face the return trip across. This was an amazing park to take in and we spent 3 hours here. You can spend all day here if the weather is nice and you want to hike up to the tops of the dunes. Daisy completed another Bark Ranger badge. This Park is very dog friendly but be mindful that during the Summer the sand temps may be too hot for the dogs unless you have hiking botties for your dog. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 164th NPS Unit and 22nd National Park

I'm ready to go and play in the Creek and Dunes!!!!!

Great Sand Dunes Perserve

 

Dunes Among Diversity:

Open 24/7 year-round! There are no limitations, timed entries, or reservations to visit. The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Stay on a moonless night to experience countless stars in this International Dark Sky Park!

20 May 2023

See our page on Great Sand Dunes NP

NPS Webpage

163rd NPS Unit

Lake Meredith NRA

 

Oasis on the Texas High Plains:

Within the dry, windswept plains of the Texas Panhandle lies a hidden oasis, a welcoming haven where wildlife and people find relief from the dry grasslands above. Through this flat plain, the Canadian River has cut dramatic 200-foot canyons, or breaks, where humans lived 13,000 years ago.  Lake Meredith occupies these hidden coves and is a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife.

17 May 2023

After a morning at Alibates Flint Quarries NM we headed up to the Visitors Center and Headquarters of Lake Meredith NRA. Finding it closed for lunch we headed out to the lake. We took in a couple of overlooks for the dam and lake. After taking in the lake, we headed back to the Visitors Center and Headquarters. We stopped in and was meet by the Ranger that had conducted our trail walk at Alibates Flint Quarries NM. There is not a lot to see at the visitors Center and is mostly used as a check in point for Lake Meredith NRA. You can spend a couple hours here or all day depending on what you want to do and see. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

162nd NPS Unit

Alibates Flint Quarries NM

Alibates Flint:

13,000 years ago, this site was well-known by mammoth hunters as a source of flint for tools. Centuries passed, but the colorful flint never lost its value or usefulness in the Texas Panhandle.  Learn how important this site was to the survival, commerce and culture of the people of the High Plains.

 17 May 2023

A visit to this unit offered us a small glimpse of life of the Native American tribes that inhabited this area of the Texas panhandle. A must do for this Unit is a Ranger led trail hike as you cannot see the Quarries without being on a Ranger led hike. You need to reserve a spot for this hike that is done once a day. We started our visit at the Visitors center to take in the offered movie and exhibits. The unit makes it their focal point to teach about the people that inhabited the area as well as the Alibates Flint that is only found here. After taking in the Visitor Center, we meet up with our Ranger. We headed up to the trailhead and the start of our hike. The hike is a one-and-a-half-mile round trip hike. From the start to the top of the Mesa was broken up by three stops that our Ranger used to talked about the life and needs of the inhabitants of the area. At the top of the mesa, we got to explore a few of the Quarries. We had a great day to take in this site and with the Ranger hike we spent three hours here. We also got to take home a few pieces of Alibates Flint that came from outside the park boundaries.  

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

161st NPS Unit

Washita Battlefield NHS

 

This is Hallowed Ground:

On November 27, 1868, Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer led the 7th US Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack on a Cheyenne village led by Peace Chief Black Kettle. The event was an example of the tragic clash of cultures that occurred during the Great Plains Wars. It is also a place of remembrance and reflection for those who died here.

16 May 2023

A sad chapter of our history.  We took in the Visitors Center that offers a balanced prospective of the events that happened here. The Movie was well done and explained the events that led up to the battle here in great detail and the terrible events and atrocities of that day. We then headed down to the site of the battlefield and took in the overlook. We did not do the trail this trip, so that will go on the return list. We spent two hours here and with a trail hike you can see this site in 3 or 4 hours. They do not have an Active Bark Ranger program, but Daisy did get her Bark Ranger tag. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

160th NPS Unit

But why am I not allowed on the trail.

      

President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home NHS

 

"In many ways, I know that all I am or ever will be came from here…":

Named for the father who died shortly before his birth, William Jefferson Blythe III later became the 42nd President of the United States. In this place, the experiences shared with his mother & grandparents in rural Arkansas developed the broad views on race relations, social justice, and public service that defined his presidency and life after the White House. For Bill Clinton, "Hope was home."

Apr 7, 2023

We made a quick stop here to get it checked off our quest. We made a stop at the Visitors center first. It is a small Visitors Center that does not offer allot. There is a small store where you can pick up all things Clinton. We decided to skip the movie and tour of the house. We only spent 30 minutes here but with the tour and movie you can spend maybe 2 hours here. 

Click here for photos of our visit.  

NPS Website

159th NPS Unit

New Orleans Jazz NHP

 

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park:

Only in New Orleans could there be a National Park for jazz!

Drop by our visitor center at 419 Decatur Street to learn from a ranger talk, participate in a drum circle, enjoy a jazz concert, or inquire about musical events around town.

There's no better place than New Orleans for a world class musical experience!

20 Jan 2023

This is an odd Unit to take in. The Visitor center has moved down to 419 Decatur Street and is sharing this location with the Jean Lafitte NHP French Quarter Unit. There is not allot in place for the New Orleans Jazz NHP. They still hold jazz concerts and will provide information on events around town. You can do this in less than 30 minutes. If you catch a concert maybe 2 hours. 

NPS Website

158th NPS Unit

Jean Lafitte NHP and Perserve

The Treasure of Jean Lafitte:

In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories. Discover New Orleans’ rich cultural mix. Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. Watch an alligator bask on a bayou’s bank. Walk in the footsteps of the men who fought in 1815’s Battle of New Orleans.

Jean Lafitte's six sites are scattered across south Louisiana:

Each is unique in its focus, and they all reflect a place where traditions can be generations old but the ground under your feet can change with the weather. The park's sites share the story of a place where change is the only constant, from the waterways that shape the land in new patterns every day to the never-ending balancing act between old ways and new ideas.

20 Jan 2023

Today was a trip into New Orleans and a stop at the French Quarter Visitors Center. Small Visitors center that tells the history and traditions of the lower Mississippi River delta and of New Orleans. We spent an hour here taking in the exhibits and short movie. This location is currently sharing space with the New Orleans Jazz NHP, so you can get two for one with this stop. 

16 Dec 2019

Today we got to take in the first of the six sites, Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux. The lives of the Acadians (Cajuns) and others whose travels brought them to Louisiana's Bayous are featured at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center. We got to explore recreation, clothing, home furnishings, religion, cuisine, and fishing through the exhibits, artifacts, video, and films. This was a great site to visit, and we look forward to seeing the other sites.

Click here for photos of our visit 16 Dec 2019

NPS Website

Our 143rd NPS Unit

Great Smoky Mountains NP

A Wondrous Diversity of Life:

Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian Mountain culture, this is America's most visited national park. Plan your visit today!

Nov 17, 2022

We headed to the Park today and decided in a return to the Cades Cove loop was going to be our destination this visit. We had Daisy with us, and we had a perfect day to take in the sites and scenery of the loop. We had a great sighting of a Black Bear forging for acorns. Daisy got in a couple of walks and enjoyed getting out in nature. 

Sept 4-7 2012

We spent three days exploring the Great Smoky NP and could have spent a few more days exploring, there is so much to see. There are some great trails for hiking but only a few that allow dogs, so our girls only got to hike at the Oconaluftee Trail. We got to hike up to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in TN -- what a view. We broke up the park with a day trip around Cades Cove Loop then a day East that included a 25-mile trip up the Blue Ridge parkway.

 Click here for photos of our visit on Nov 14 2022

NPS web page

Our 79th NPS Unit and 13th National Park

Daisy Mae at Cades Cove Loop

Lizzy and Molly on the trail at Oconaluftee

                        

                                 

                                   

                                   

                                    

Pea Ridge NMP

 

The Battle That Saved Missouri For The Union:

On March 7-8, 1862, over 23,000 soldiers fought here to decide the fate of Missouri and was a turning point of the war in the West. The 4,300-acre battlefield honors those who fought and died on these grounds. Pea Ridge was the most pivotal Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River and is one of the most intact Civil War battlefields in the United State

30 Sept 2022

The Civil War battlefields West of the Mississippi are less known about and talked about. This major battlefield is one of those sites that while not as talked about was pivotal in the outcome of the Civil War and saved Missouri for the Union. We started our visit by taking in the movie at the Visitor Center. A well-done movie that explained the battle in great detail and set us up to understand the details of the battlefield when we drove the loop road. We than took in the exhibits at the Visitor Center then headed out to the loop road that takes you to the major points of battlefield with ten stops. This loop road also offers great views and scenic overlooks. We spent 4 hours here and feel we got the most out of this park. We did have Daisy Mae with us and even though they do not offer a Bark Ranger program she had a great time taking in a few longs walks. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

156th NPS Unit

Daisy Mae taking in view

George Washington Carver NM

Not Just The Peanut Man: 

The young child known as the "Plant Doctor" tended his secret garden while observing the day-to-day operations of a 19th century farm. Nature and nurture ultimately influenced George on his quest for education to becoming a renowned agricultural scientist, educator, and humanitarian.

29 Sept 2022

We took in this site with a basic knowledge and understanding of George Washington Carver, but we left with a much broader knowledge and understanding of a Man that had great influence and impact on modern farming and horticulture despite the hardships and prejudice he faced. We first took in a short movie at the Visitor Center, this was a great start to learning the entire life's story of George Carver. After the movie we took in all the Visitor Center had to offer. We then headed out to the trail loop and had a relaxing walk with Daisy who was working on her Bark Ranger program. The trail is a little over a mile and was very relaxing. After she finished her program, she was awarded her second Bark Ranger tag. This park can be seen a few hours. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 155th NPS Unit

Daisy Mae on the trail working on her Bark Ranger Badge

Bighorn Canyon NRA

                               

Spectacular Views, Endless Opportunity:

The vast, wild landscape of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area offers visitors unparalleled opportunities to immerse themselves in the natural world, and experience the wonders of this extraordinary place. With over 120,000 acres, one can find an astounding diversity in ecosystems, wildlife, and more than 10,000 years of human history to explore.

July 7, 2016

We made a revisit today to continual to explore and take in all that this park has to offer. We did see a few of the wild horses this visit. 

Aug 5, 2011
We spent a day here finding the Heard's of wild horses and other wildlife. The views from top of the canyon are breath taking and can give the Grand Canyon a good run for best view for a canyon. We did not make it to the North side of the park, so this is another one to go on the return list.

NPS webpage

Our 58th NPS Unit