NPS Centennial Road Trip - Summer 2016: Hot Spots

On Thursday, July 28 we left Tucson heading East for our NPS Centennial Road Trip - Summer 2016. On August 25, 2016 the National Park Service will celebrate 100 years of preserving America's unique treasures from natural to cultural sites. On Saturday, August 20 we'll be in Philadelphia for the National Park Travelers Club annual meeting. In the meantime we'll meander our way there taking in the sites and enjoying our hobbies; camping, collecting NPS passport stamps, postal cancellations, letterboxing, photography, smashed pennies, Quest Scouts' activities, wildlife viewing and yes, Pokemon Go.

Instead of doing a day by day Field Trip Report I will give 'Hot Spot' reports. Reports will be sporadic and not continuous, but will highlight 'hot spots' along our way. In the meantime, I am regularly posting to Instagram account - SrJrRanger.

On our first day we headed east on I-10 then north through Silver City, NM. We stopped at the Silver City Visitor Center for a new passport stamp for the Continental Divide Trail National Scenic Trail.

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We continued up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument following the twisty, turny road. The hummingbirds were thick around the feeders. I could sit and watch them for hours.

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Great start to our cross-country trip!

July 30 & 31, 2016

After visiting Gila Cliff Dwelling NM we started working our way to I-25 and ended up camping in an USFS campground along NM 152 in the Mimbres Mountains, a nice small campground along a babbling brook. While fixing breakfast we found this interesting beetle on our table.

Beetle
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Once we reached I-25 we drove north and made a stop at Bosque del Apache NWR, near San Antonio, NM. Besides getting a passport stamp for the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT we got the NWR stamp. Not many birds this time of year out on the refuge so we enjoyed watching the hummingbirds at several feeders around the visitor center. Adjacent to the parking area is a sculpture garden and picnic area.

Bosque del ApacheSculpture Garden
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Continuing north on I-25 we stopped in Albuquerque for gas, then bypassed Santa Fe. We arrived at the Bandelier National Monument campground late afternoon and got a great campsite. This campground never fills, they told us not even on 4th of July. It rained off and on during the evening.

Saturday AM we first drove down the road to the Bandelier NM Visitor Center. Before 9 AM and after 3 PM you can drive your car (handicap-tags can drive down there anytime) down to the Visitor Center. During the day a free shuttle runs from nearby White Rock or from a stop across from the campground. I enjoyed a morning walk behind the visitor center, seeing some great wildlife, as well as through some of the nearby ruins.

Bandlier NM
Abert's Squirrel with cone
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Abert's Squirrels
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Small kiva
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A beautiful drive west on NM 4 brought us to Valle Caldera National Preserve. This is a spectacular natural area that had been preserved by a private trust until it was designated an NPS site a couple of years ago. Permits are required to drive back in and most days you can arrive and secure a permit. When it gets busy they now have a van that will drive you in for a short distance to enjoy this vast landscape. As the word caldera indicates, this is the collapsed center of a volcano that erupted about one million years ago.

Valle Caldera NPres
Entrance sign
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Barn Swallow
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View across caldera
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Back east on NM 4 we went into Los Alamos to visit one of the newest NPS sites, Manhattan Project NHP - Los Alamos. There are 3 sites to this park; Los Alamos, Handford, WA and Oak Ridge, TN, all part of our history to develop nuclear. The Los Alamos site is under development and uses a town visitor center for a small display. There is a great walking tour through the area with many of the building from the 1940s preserved and identified which we enjoyed after lunch.

Just before leaving on this trip Pokemon Go became the Summer of 2016 activity. After seeing some posts by the NPS and NWR encouraging the game at their sites. I had a friend's kids show me the ropes before I left and decided to give it a try. Within the game you can photograph the virtual critter in the real-world. Along the trip I thought it would be fun to capture them at different locations.

Los Alamos
Visitor Center entrance
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Pokemon Go critter in bookstore
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Dr. Oppenheimer & Gen. Groves statue
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Back at camp we enjoyed fixing dinner for a friend who lives in the area. Just as she was leaving a nice evening rain began.

All three of these sites can easily be visited as a day trip from the Santa Fe area.

Wildlife Viewing - up to this point of the trip
Coyote
Desert Spiny Lizard
Mule Deer
Least Chipmunk
Cottontail Rabbit
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Burying Beetle

Common Raven
Red-tailed Hawk
House Sparrow
Rufous Hummingbird
Wild Turkey
Turkey Vulture
Black-chinned Hummingbird
American Crow
Northern Flicker
Western Kingbird
Gambel's Quail
American Robin
Scrub Jay
White-breasted Nuthatch
Mountain Bluebird
Barn Swallow
Broad-tailed Hummingbird

July 31 & August 1, 2016

The drive north out of Los Alamos on US 84 through Abiquiu, past Ghost Ranch Conference Center, is a great opportunity to experience the New Mexico sky and light that has attracted artists. We continued into Chama for another Continental Divide NST stamp and picnic at rhe town's visitor center. Continuing on US 84 we entered Colorado near Pagosa Springs. It was a hot, mid-80s, and the San Juan River was full of people enjoying the water, lot of people using rental tubes with a shuttle provided.

The drive east along US 160 across souther Colorado I think is one of the most beautiful drives. Outside of Pagosa Springs you climb and cross over Wolf Creek Pass. This pass was made famous by Harry Chapin with his song "Thirty Thousand Pounds of Bananas". This route takes you past South Fork, which AZBuck recently visited and highlighted the area's summer activities.

We ended the day at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Their campground has 88 sites and fills on most days, even Sunday. One half of the campground is reservable and the other half is first come-first served. We arrived at 3 PM and found a number of available sites, even a few in the reservable section. The views from the campground are panoramic.

Critter in the campground
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Morning view
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Compass sculpture
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On Monday AM after spending some time in the park we headed east on US 160 and stopped at Fort Garland State Museum, just a short distance up the road. There is an entrance fee, however you can get the passport stamp for the Old Spanish Trail and Sangre de Cristo NHA in the gift shop. The buildings date from 1858 and represent a frontier outpost.

We headed across eastern Colorado to La Junta, CO. We enjoyed another tasty meal at Felisha's Mexican Restaurant. We had eaten there a couple of years ago and enjoyed the food and prices. From there we went a short distance out of town to Bent's Old Fort NHS. It was our first hot day and while making the long walk in from the parking lot we happily accepted a golf cart ride from a ranger. There is a phone in the parking lot which anyone can call an ask for the golf cart to come pick up you up. Walking through the front doors of the fort is always a step back in time. This fort is a re-creation; the rangers dress in period costume and period-related activities are happening within the fort. Lots to explore.

Bent's Old Fort NHS
Old Entrance Gate
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Fort entrance
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Our third stop for the day was Sand Creek Massacre NHS, definitely a place you have to want to visit - it is very out of the way. While at Bent's Old Fort NHS we realized Sand Creek closed at 4 and it was a 1-1/2 hour drive. Just east of Bent's Old Fort NHS we passed a Zebra farm, yep, a pasture of zebras.
We made it there, about 20 minutes before it closed. We had visited before and had walked out to the memorial. That was a good thing because the biting flies were thick and viscous. A ranger walks out and meets you at your car, on this day he asked us to walk quickly into the visitor center - before we got to the door we were swarmed and they all made it in the door! While my husband stamped I swatted the flies, the ranger provided the flyswatter.

Sand Creek Massacre NHS
Visitor Center
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Memorial - in the distance on the hill
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The day ended with a drive into Kansas and a Motel 6 in Colby, KS, too hot to camp.

Wildlife Sightings

Cottontail Rabbit
Pronghorn
Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Turkey Vulture
Scrub Jay
Canada Goose
Duck, ?
Black-billed Magpie
Rock Pigeon
Hawk, ?
American Crow
American White Pelican
Western Meadowlark
Great-tailed Grackle
Ring-necked Pheasant

Wow - time flies when you are having fun! Today begins the 5th week of our trip and the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. I thought I would be able to post every few days along the way, but that hasn't happened. A very quick update;
-after touring the MIdwest we dropped down to Tennessee to drop our Chevy Express Cargo van off at my sister's house.
-Picked up a rental in Knoxville. Had reserved a standard car, but got upgraded to a Jeep Patriot. Still small enough to handle in traffic on the east coast, but plenty of room to hold our gear which included a cooler, hot pot and food to supplement meals out.
-Made our way to Philadelphia for our club's meeting on 8/19-20.
-Continued north into New York and over to Rhode Island, then headed south.
Today we are in New Jersey with plans to visit Morristown National Historical Park, Great Swamp NWR and then into Delaware to visit First State National Historical Park. Over the weekend we'll spend time in and around Washington, DC, then head back to Knoxville. Once we are back in our van we'll head west to finish visiting all of the NPS park sites in Texas and New Mexico during this Centennial year.

I have missed our van and camping, but the weather has been, except for 2 days, hot and muggy. We have had to drive through a couple of heavy downpours, but nothing sustained. Google maps navigation on the iPhone has been an excellent tool to get around on the East Coast. As we drive between sites, that aren't always along major routes, it has guided us well. And yes, I have used the Rand McNally Road Atlas as well to organize the route and at times when signal is not available.

To date the trip has been excellent and it looks like the trip report will continue at some time in the future, probably when we return to Tucson in 2 weeks - just having too much fun in the meantime!

Happy Birthday NPS and thanks for all of the joy, information and travels you have provided. As of yesterday there are now 413 sites, Katadin Woods and Waters National Monument was designated yesterday. Thanks to the family of Burt's Bees who donated 87,000 acres AND a $20 million endowment, pristine woods and waters of Northern Maine are protected. We'll visit there in 2018.

Made it back home last week after 6 weeks on the road. The trip was a great!

August 2-3, 2016


Our first stop of the day is a small NPS unit in north central Kansas, Nicodemus NHS. This site commemorates an African American settlement after the Civil War. When we arrived they were cleaning up from the annual reunion held for the descendants of the settlers. Today it is practically a ghost town on the Kansas plains. A few buildings, scattered around the townsite, are part of the site.

Visitor Center
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Display inside
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On our drive there we saw a flock of Wild Turkeys, not easy to photograph from the car. This turkey was mounted inside the visitor center and the closest I got to the many flocks of turkeys we saw on our trip.
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After lunch in a small town cafe we entered Nebraska and stopped at Homestead NM of America in Beatrice, south of Lincoln. This site celebrates the pioneers who homesteaded our country. The inside and outside displays are very well done. A short distance, down the toad or by trail, from the main visitor center is the education building. Outside large signs highlight the many Americans who were born on land homesteaded, Homestead Legacies.

Homestead Cabin
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Pokemon Go at wagon - the parks sites were great for Pokemon Go and definitely added to the fun.
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The park was getting ready for a big event the next day, American Solar Car Challenge, and had created this Minon greeter.

Minion greeter
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The next day our first stop was to the NPS Midwest office in Omaha, NE along the Missouri River. This office has a small display area and bookstore, plus it had its own NPS Centennial stamp. Nearby was a large sculpture - Monument to Labor

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While at Homestead the day before we realized we had a chance to see the solar cars that were traveling west from park site to park site. In 2001 I followed the cars across northern AZ, along RT 66 with my father and his college buddy. Their alma mater, Rose-Hullman Polytechnic Institute had a car in the race. These cars cost over $1 million and are not exactly the car of the future. The race this year started at Cuyahoga Falls NP, OH and ended at Wind Cave NP, SD with stops at a total of 8 NPS sites, as part of the NPS Centennial celebration. So we set off to Topeka, KS to see the cars and get the special passport stamp for this event. We arrived at the time posted for the cars to begin arriving, after 1-1/2 hr of waiting and being told they were still 40 miles away we left, plus the heat index was over 100 degrees.

While waiting around we explored the poignant exhibits inside the school building.

Brown vs Board of Education NHS
Inside
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Solar Car Challenge - Summer 2016
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Solar Car passport stamp
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August 3 - 5, 2016

After leaving Topeka we made a quick stop at the Truman site in Independence, MO and then drove down to Fort Scott, KS to be in place for the next day. Our preferred motels are Motel 6 and Red Roof Inn, but neither were available, in this small town. We stayed at the Fort Scott Inn which was excellent; good in-room appliances and a basic continental breakfast the next morning, for less than $75.

Fort Scott NHS has original buildings which date back to 1842 - 73 when this was truly a frontier fort. Right across from the parking lot is a couple blocks of a charming, small downtown area.

Fort Scott NHS - Welcome critter
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Fort Scott bricks
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Fort Scott buildings
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Crossing into Missouri we returned to a favorite NPS site of mine, George Washington Carver National Monument. Outside the visitor center is a wonderful walk through a natural area, out to the location of the house (recreated) in which he was born and raised. Inside is a science lab used for student events. He was known as the Peanut Wizard, he basically introduced this easy to grow product as a cheap, protein-rich food.

George Washington Carver NM - Diamond, MO
Science lab for today's scientists
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Continuing through Missouri we made a stop at Wilson's Creek NB, which had been a stop on the Solar Car Challenge. We were able to get the passport stamp for this special event with their site name, and spent some quality Pokemon Go time.

Wilson's Creek NB - Republic, MO
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In south central Missouri is a beautiful park site which protects the Ozark River system as the Ozark National Scenic Riverway. There are several sites stretched out along the river and its tributaries. A place, Alley Spring, takes you back in time. After parking by the old-time store you walk down the hill past the school house, cross a bridge and arrive at the mill on a pond with a gushing spring.

Ozark NSR -Alley Spring, MO
School room
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Alley Mill
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Mill mechanics
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Leaving this area and heading to the St. Louis area took us over some very rural roads. After checking the online navigation, I reviewed the atlas and altered the route - a combination of routes. Wow - we saw some beautiful countryside. We stayed overnight outside of St. Louis and made our way to the Ulysses S Grant NHS. The museum next door covers both his and Julia's life very well, they had a full life during difficult times. Their life started together at this beautiful setting. On the end of the museum is an open-air barn display.

Ulysses S Grant NHS - St. Louis, MO
Museum
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Barn
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Grant House
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And now crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois we headed to Springfield for another visit to Lincoln Home NHS. The walk through the neighborhood where Lincoln lived before the Presidency is always enjoyable, especially when young ladies are walking around in period costumes, on another hot day!

Lincoln Home NHS - Springfield, IL
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You drove right past Joplin and didn't tell me?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glc

You drove right past Joplin and didn't tell me?

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Sorry, we were moving fast. When we stay overnight in the area, I'll be in touch.
Pat

Illinois - Indiana
August 7-8, 2016

We spent 2 nights camping at Kickapoo State Park, on the eastern edge of Illinois for a 2-day letterboxing event. As I've explained before letterboxing is a fun hobby which has you follow clues (not GPS) to find a box hidden which includes a hand-carved stamp and logbook. When you find the box you exchange your personal stamp by putting your image in the logbook found and their stamp into your personal logbook. The weather had cooled off and gave us 2 comfortable and quiet sleeping nights, always better than any motel.

While letterboxing at a beautiful nature preserve, Homer Lake Forest Preserve, we ran across a piece of Lincoln history. On the northern edge of the preserve is a sign and monument giving information about Lincoln's judicial circuit through the area prior to his political career.

Lincoln's 8th Judicial Circuit
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After a couple days off the road we struck out on the road in search of more NPS Centennial stamps! We journeyed north to Pullman National Monument, a fairly new NPS site which honors the labor movement and train transportation. This site is on the SE edge of Chicago, only a few blocks off of I-94. On both visits the area appears to be very safe, a police precinct is between the freeway and the visitor center. The visitor center is still under development, but has some display related to the Pullman train cars.

Visitor Center
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Pullman display
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The neighborhood remains as private homes, beautifully maintained. George Pullman designed this as a planned community, providing homes and services for his workers. The main plaza is beautifully landscaped with the Hotel Florence on the north edge. Across the main road is a factory complex, one of the buildings is in the process of being renovated to serve as the main Visitor Center for this national monument.

Pullman neighborhood
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Plaza
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Hotel Florence
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As long as we were that far north we crossed into Indiana and stopped by Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. While there I found a critter inside the visitor center. The flowers outside were beautiful. As we headed south we drove along US 2 to view some of the dunes, mostly covered in vegetation.
Indiana Dunes NL Visitor Center
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Flowers at Indiana Dunes NL
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We ended the day in Vincennes, IN at a Red Roof Inn. They advertised the largest rooms in the area - the room was very large, not sure why it was ever built that way. I was born in Vincennes over 60 years ago, we moved away when I was 3 so I don't have any memories. The hospital where I was born is still in business.

The next morning we visited the George Rogers Clark NHP. This park is set on the banks of the Wabash River and bridges the French and Indian War into the Revolutionary War. The memorial was built on what may have been on the site of Fort Sackville, the original fort. The grounds are beautiful and always enjoyable to walk around, even on a hot and humid day. While in the visitor center while we were complaining about the heat and humidity a ranger made the following statement about the humidity; "the air that you wear"!

George Rogers Clark Memorial
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Critters about
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Bridge across Wabash River
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Nearby, in the old town square, is Indiana's Whispering Giant by the sculpture Peter Toth.
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After visiting Vincennes we went back into Illinois to visit family for the afternoon. We ended the day outside Evansville, IN.

Wildlife Sightings
Lightning bugs
Bat
White-tailed deer
Fox Squirrel
Cottontail Rabbit

Downy Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
American Robin
Northern Cardinal
Red-tailed Hawk
Turkey Vulture

August 9 - 10

In southern Indiana, near Santa Claus ( a place my grandparents took me to as a child), is another NPS site dedicated to Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is a location without any building remains of his time spent here, so it is considered a memorial not a historic site. It is a significant part of his history as this is where his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died of milk fever. She is buried in a cemetery within the the site. The main building is a memorial to Lincoln, completed in 1943, with elaborate sculptured panels depicting his life. Inside is an active post office. A 1820s re-created homestead brings to life a typical farm back in the 1820s when Lincoln lived here. A 1/2 mile walk from the cemetery to the homestead is called Trail of Twelve Stones, pieces of buildings/stone significant to Lincoln's life are placed along the trail with bronze plaques explaining the significance of each stone. The stone pictured below is the rock from where the President stood when he delivered the Gettysburg address. Other pieces include architectural stone pieces from the White House.

Lincoln Boyhood Memorial Home
Memorial building
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Nancy Hanks Lincoln memorial
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Trail of Twelve Stones - Gettysburg Address
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From here we headed east using interstates to Seymour, IN where we continued east along US 50. We stopped at Muscatatuck NWR. They have a very nice visitor center which not only identifies the wildlife in the area, but also the early human cultures beginning 8,000 - 10,000 years ago.

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Further along US 50 we went south to reach the headquarters of Big Oaks NWR. The refuge is part of an old military site and is only open a couple of days a week and you have to gain access after viewing a safety film. To reach the headquarters you drive through the former Jefferson Proving Grounds, coming in from the west we saw some of the big oaks - impressive! The staff at the office were very enthusiastic. It is a significant Monarch Butterfly area during the summer.

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Continuing along US 50 we came to Ohio and eventually headed north on I-75 and ended the day on the eastern edge of Dayton. The next morning we first stopped at Huffman Prairie Flying Field part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP, site of the fields the Wright Brothers used to test their designs for airplanes in 1904-05. There is a memorial to mark this location, this area is surrounded by the active Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Closer to downtown Dayton is another section of the park, the Wright-Dunbar neighborhood. Inside the visitor center was an impressive jet model made by a local park ranger. Just across the patio from the visitor center is the Wright's Cycle shop which they leased in 1895 for their bicycle business.

Huffman Prairie Flying Field memorial
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Model jet - approx 4 ft tall
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Cycle Shop
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In between visiting Huffman Prairie and the Wright-Dunbar neighborhood is the most impressive air museum I have ever visited, our Pima Air Museum in Tucson is considered exceptional, but the one in Dayton is superb! Next time you are near Dayton check out the National Museum of the USAF, and it is free! If you are really into aviation history, plan on at least a day. The memorial park which borders the parking area was beautiful and an enjoyable walk. Once inside the museum there is so much to see, four massive hangars plus a theatre. To reach the hangars you walk through a very large gift shop, which we were told 'pays' your admission. We didn't buy anything, but my husband did get 2 sets of smashed pennies. I believe there were 4 machines scattered around the shop.

Besides the hangars there are smaller displays connecting the rooms together. I found the displays about the Holocaust and on a lighter note, Bob Hope very interesting.

National Museum of the USAF
Memorial Park
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Hangar
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Holocaust
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Bob Hope
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Just as we were leaving Dayton and heading south on I -75 the skies opened and dumped on us for about 15 minutes, never fun on a busy, multi-lane interstate. In Cincinnati we visited the William Howard Taft National Historic Site, his mansion where he lived before becoming involved in national politics. The displays in the visitor center are minimal and house tours are offered about our 27th President. He had a tough act to follow, Theodore Roosevelt. He was later named Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, the only person to hold both offices.

Citizen Taft
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Taft home
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We entered Kentucky and made our way to Central Kentucky to begin working on the Kentucky Pentathlon, an NPS Centennial program we had planned to complete on this trip. Outside of Louisville we stopped at a WalMart for a needed oil change.

Wildlife Sightings
Fox squirrel
Monarch Butterfly
Yellow butterfly
Brown & orange butterfly
White butterfly

Northern Cardinal
Wild Turkey
Great-tailed Grackle
Canada Goose
Woodpecker
Sparrow
American Crow
Hawk
Warbler

August 10 - 13

Before beginning the trip we learned about a special program in Kentucky celebrating the NPS Centennial. We had some extra time to spend on our way south to Tennessee, so completing the Kentucky NPS Pentathlon was perfect for us. To earn the patch you had to visit all five park sites in Kentucky.

After leaving the Louisville area we continued south and visited another Lincoln site, a reverse timeline for us on this trip, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP. Again, no structures from his time period remain at this location, there are some original buildings at a site nearby. Inside the memorial building is a symbolic birth cabin. Nearby is the spring that Lincoln's family and neighbors used for their drinking water.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP - Hodgenville
First Lincoln Memorial
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Sinking Spring
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We ended the day at Cave City, after driving into Mammoth Cave NP so I could pick up the Junior Ranger booklet. I worked on it that afternoon and was able to complete it when we returned in the morning. A hike through the forest led to a cave opening that was once part of the larger Mammoth Cave.

Mammoth Cave NP
Critter on the Visitor Center patio
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Dixon Cave
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While working our way towards SW Kentucky and the next NPS site we stopped by the headquarters for Clarks River NWR in Benton. The side yard had a great wall sculpture and an area for kids. A series of signs provides activities for kids to do based on animal characteristics - looked like a fun activity for kids.
Clarks River NWR
Memorial tree
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Animal Olympics
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Great Blue Heron station
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When we first heard about the pentathlon we were perplexed about the 5th site. With a little research we learned that a new section of Fort Donelson NB, located in Tennessee, had been established in Kentucky, all the way in the SW corner. Luckily we had accurate GPS coordinates to take us to this remote section along Kentucky Lake. It was purchased with funds raised by local citizens. There are a few interpretive signs, restroom and an attractive picnic ramada. By driving a narrow, rough road we were able to view the 1860s earthen works related to this Civil War site.

Fort Heinman - unit of Fort Donelson NB
Entrance sign
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Earthworks
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We ended the day nearby in TN at Paris Landing State Park. We enjoy the state park hotels in TN and KY, reasonable room rates ($72) and usually a tasty, Southern breakfast buffet.

Paris Landing State Park - TN
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Now we had to drive across the southern border of Kentucky to reach the last 2 NPS sites; Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Cumberland Gap National Park. When we got to the area that afternoon we drove down to a section of the park we had not previously visited, Blue Heron mining community. The drive down from US 27 was scenic and at times, steep. Once down along the banks of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River there are several buildings from coal mining activities in 1937-62.

Big South Fork NRRA - KY
Blue Heron
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Arch Rock
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The next morning we took to the backroads of KY to make our way to Cumberland Gap NP. This park site has special meaning to me, my ancestors came across this gap in the 1700s from Virginia into Kentucky and Indiana.

Cumberland Gap NHP
View from Visitor Center
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Sign
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Cumberland Gap
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Success!!
Kentucky Pentathlon
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Wildlife Sightings

Swallowtail butterfly
Fox squirrel
White-tailed Deer
Frog
Cottontail, juvenile

Swallows
Wild Turkey
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
American Crow
Turkey Vulture
Gull
Flycatcher
Blue Jay
Black Vulture
Great Blue Heron
Northern Cardinal
American Robin
Canada Goose
Great-horned Owl
Towhee

August 14 -16

After spending 2 nights in Whitley City, KY we headed south into Tennessee for few more stops before arriving at my sister's house in East Tennessee. Big South Fork NRRA is also in both KY and TN. The main visitor center is at Bandy Creek where there is a campground and a public swimming pool. Outside the flowers were beginning to fade, but I think the petals of the beebalm are unique.

Big South Fork NRRA - Bandy Creek, TN
Scarlet Beebalm
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We went over to Oak Ridge to visit the second site of the Manhattan Project National Historic Park, at the beginning of the trip we had visited the site in Los Alamos, NM. Next year we plan to visit the third site in Hanford, WA. As with the site in Los Alamos, this site is still under development and only has a small presence in the American Museum of Science and Energy.
Outside is a metal sculpture made from steel beams damaged in the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center.

Manhattan Project NHP - Oak Ridge
9/11 Sculpture
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NPS desk
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In the lobby of the museum was a full size car that had been created on a 3-D printer!! I am fascinated with what a 3-D printer can and will produce. This was pretty amazing.

3-D car
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3-D car specs
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Besides visiting my sister the purpose of arriving here was to park our van with her for 2 weeks and rent a car to continue our trip along the East coast. Three years ago when we did an extensive trip along the East coast we got very frustrated driving the van. As we were traveling in August camping was not planned so we decided to try something new. I had reserved a standard car and we got lucky and got an upgrade to a Jeep Patriot. This car gave us plenty of space for our gear and was much easier to maneuver.

Jeep
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Once we transferred our gear and figured out the bluetooth set up (easy) we continued on our way. Before leaving Tennessee on this leg of our trip we stopped in Greeneville, TN at the Andrew Johnson NHS. This is where our 17th President lived before and after serving as President. He truly came from humble beginnings; as a young child apprenticed as a tailor. Within the visitor center is his Tailor Shop where he hired readers to educate himself.

Andrew Johnson NHS - Greeneville, TN

Walk to house
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Display
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Tailor Shop
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We then headed north into West Virginia. The hilly terrain made driving less than enjoyable. The large trucks bogged down going uphill, then came charging downhill. We understood the dynamics of driving in this terrain, but it made driving challenging.

We stopped at Sandstone Visitor Center for New River Gorge National River. This site also manages the Bluestone National Scenic River and Gauley River National Recreation, all of the sites we visited two years ago. This center is newly designed and does a great job of interpreting these ecosystems.

Sandstone Visitor Center
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Sandstone plaques
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We ended the day in Charleston, WV in a downpour, just when I was registering for our room. Better than while driving, but it delayed unpacking. Luckily we had picked up a pizza before registering so we ran in with a couple of beers and enjoyed our dinner. By the time we finished the rain had stopped.

Wildlife Sightings

White-tailed Deer

American Crow
Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Turkey Vulture
American Robin

August 17

After driving north on I-79 to Morgantown we went off on back roads to enter Pennsylvania near Point Marion to visit Friendship Hill NHS. This is a beautiful location along the Monongahlea River where Secretary of Treasury, Albert Gallatin, built his home. The land was purchased on 1786 and the Gallatin House was built in three stages; wood, stone and brick and owned by him for 39 years when this area was truly the Western frontier. The simple, self-guiding tour of the house exposes the different building materials. The grounds themselves are beautiful, I wish it had not been so hot and humid. While Gallatin was the Secretary of Treasury for Jefferson and Madison he decreased the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Friendship Hill NHS
Gallatin statue
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Gallatin House
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Fireplace & Pokemon Go
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About 1/2 hour away and along US 40 is Fort Necessity NB, the first battle in the French and Indian Wars in 1754. Along with preserving the battle with a re-created fort, the story of the National Road is also interpreted. The National Road brought settlers into the area in the early 1800s and eventually became US 40, a cross-crountry road, stretching from Atlantic City, NJ to San Francisco, CA and comprised the western half of the Lincoln Highway. A unique feature at this visitor center is a National Road-themed playground for children.

Fort Necessity NB
Visitor Center
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National Road marker
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US 40
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Playground
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A little over an hour north is the Johnstown Flood National Memorial. This site commemorates a flood in 1889 which killed 2,209 people and devastated the town of Johnstown. A dam had been built for the pleasure of a private hunting and fishing club which failed.

Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Display
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Overview
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Our final stop of the day was to Flight 93 National Memorial, our second visit to this site. This was our first visit since the visitor center opened. This is a very somber place, where Flight 93 crashed on the morning of 9-11-2001, brought down by the passengers to prevent the plane from being crashed into another building, possibly the White House.
The displays within the visitor center are heart-wrenching and ends with a window that overlooks the field where the plane crashed. The box of tissues in the window sill says it all.

Flight 93 National Memorial
Window
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Overview
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As we walked back to the car there was the sign board displaying the wildflowers of the area, a nice visual on which to leave.
Wildflowers
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We ended the day in Hagerstown, MD. A full day covering a wide variety of history from 1754 to 2001, and unfortunately the site of two tragic events.

Wildlife Sightings
White-tailed Deer

Wild Turkey
American Crow
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Cardinal

August 18 - 20

Not far from Hagerstown, MD, where we stayed the night, is Antietam NB. When we arrived at Antietam the parking lot was full, plus there were 3 charter busses parked. This is not Gettysburg, so we were surprised. It turns out today was a field trip for the US Army's Medic Training group. I have to say seeing a whole lot of camo-dressed soldiers wandering around the battlefield was a bit surreal. In 1862 those medics would have been busy, this battle is considered the bloodiest one day battle of the Civil War, 23,000 died that day. At the end of the day it was considered a stand-off, however this battle led to President Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Antietam National Battlefield
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Less than an hour away is a favorite park site, Harper's Ferry NHP, a quaint, historic town at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. From the main visitor center you take a free shuttle down into this well-preserved town. Many buildings are open with displays, and at times there are living history performances.

Harper's Ferry NHP
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Another short jog brought us to Catoctin Mountain Park, best known as the site of Camp David, the US President's get away. The drive up to the main visitor center drops you into a dense east coast forest. In a cooler, drier season there are campgrounds and numerous trails to explore. The bank of flowers behind the park sign were pretty.

Catoctin Mountain Park - Camp David
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We had arrived in the heart of history - another short drive brought us to Gettysburg NMP. Back in the 1980s we spent extensive time touring Gettysburg, over all it was a pleasant experience. Fast-forward to 2016 - my picture below says it all. The new visitor center has a very small NPS presence, most of it is to sell gifts, food and tour tickets. We had planned to take the shuttle down to the Eisenhower NHS, unfortunately the first bus driver I spoke to outside the Gettysburg center did not mention that we needed to purchase tickets, when we got to the bus loading area we could not board the bus without a $7.50 ticket. I can afford the ticket price, but getting the ticket and coming back down in a half hour in the heat and humidity was a no-go. Having just ridden a free shuttle at Harpers Ferry and being turned off by the over-commercialization at the center we left. We've been to the Eisenhower site in the past and hope to return, especially to get the Secret Service Junior Ranger badge! In short, go and visit Gettysburg, just expect large crowds and to pay for many services.

Gettysburg National Military Park
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Now back to a great NPS site - Hopewell Furnace NHS, this brought back great memories. When we lived in South Jersey in the 80s this was a favorite day trip for our family. Hopewell Stoves were known for their high quality, back in the day - early in the 1800s they were produced here.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Stoves
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We spent the night on the west edge of Philadelphia. Our first stop was Valley Forge NHP, an even older memory for me. I grew up in South Jersey - the 60s, and Valley Forge was a common school field trip visit. It was another hot, humid day so we spent our time in the visitor center.

Valley Forge NHP
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We were in Philadelphia to attend the National Park Travelers Club Annual Meeting, the first event for us was Friday evening. The host hotel was by Philadelphia International Airport, nearby was John Heinz at Tinicum NWR. We stopped here on our way to our hotel and found a hidden gem in an urban setting, considered the First Urban Refuge established in 1972. This site is 10 minutes from the airport. They took a swamp filled with trash and developed a haven for wildlife. The walk out across the main pond was great for wildlife viewing and Pokemon Go.

John Heinz NWR
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On Saturday we went into downtown Philadelphia to Independence National Historic Park. Prior to the meeting start at noon we visited several sites;

Philadelphia
Liberty Bell
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National Park Travelers Club members at Old City Hall stamping
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Ben Franklin Press Shop
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The meeting was held at the Arch Street Friends Meeting House which was built between 1804 - 1811, not much has changed. Thankfully the meeting was not in July when air temperatures were reaching in the 100s, today just the lower 90s and it was HOT, no air conditioning. We enjoyed seeing old friends and swapping 'war' stories about visiting NPS sites.

Arch Street Friends Meeting House
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Wildlife Sightings
Fox Squirrel

Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Sandpiper
Wild Turkey
Canada Goose

Quote:

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The new visitor center has a very small NPS presence, most of it is to sell gifts, food and tour tickets.

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That's at the front of the VC. If you purchase tickets ($11.50 for us, back in 2014), you can see that extensive museum behind the ticket counters. For us, it was WELL worth the price. We could have spent two days in that museum and not seen it all.

Funny you have the Liberty Bell picture here. Just yesterday, I took our 2012 pics of Philadelphia to school to show my students the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It's one of the standards we teach, the American symbols.


Donna

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

Funny you have the Liberty Bell picture here. Just yesterday, I took our 2012 pics of Philadelphia to school to show my students the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It's one of the standards we teach, the American symbols.
Donna

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While in the main visitor center my nephew realized where we were and sent a request to get the picture of the Liberty Bell for my 7 year old great-niece. So I took the picture and sent it to them, found out she had studied the Liberty Bell in 2nd grade that week. I bought her a small replica of the Liberty Bell as a souvenir, when I gave it to her she exclaimed "It's just like the one my teacher has".
When buying the Liberty Bell replica I found out that the manager of the bookstore at the Underground Ben Franklin Museum (excellent museum) orders 1000 bells per month for his location and another 1000 per month for another location! We joked they should have a sign saying "Billion and billions sold..."

August 20 - 22

Sunday morning we headed north to visit the Delaware Water Gap NRA, up where New Jersey tucks into Pennsylvania and New York. It was a very busy Sunday along the trails and river.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Kittatinny Point - NJ
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We crossed back into Pennsylvania and went north, back into the Delaware Water Gap NRA to Dingman Falls, a short side trip up to a small parking lot, which on a busy Sunday was monitored by NPS rangers to let cars in, as cars left. The short hike up to the main falls passed by a couple other falls. Today was a cooler day, the first in several weeks.

Dingman Falls Visitor Center
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Waterfall
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Just up the road is the family home of Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the US Forest Service in 1905 and a friend of Theodore Roosevelt. He was also the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania. Tours of the house are available, as well as the extensive grounds. Unfortunately it started raining while we were there so the grounds tour was a no-go.

Grey Towers NHS
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We continued north along a series of backroads which lead to a dead end at the Delaware River to reach the next site - Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreation River. Besides preserving a section of the river, there is a museum honoring the author, Zane Grey. Sites honoring him are also in Zanesville, OH and Payson, AZ. This site is a home that Zane Grey and his family lived in while he wrote many of his novels, the study is well-preserved.

Zane Grey Museum sign
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House
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Grey's study
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A quick stop in Scranton, after driving through a heavy rain, brought us to Steamtown NHS. The roundhouse, storing the many trains is always interesting, even on a soggy afternoon.

Steamtown NHS
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We spent the night in Binghamton, NY. The next morning we continued north into New York. Our first stop was in Auburn, NY to see the home of Harriet Tubman, where she settled after the Civil War and her work with the Underground Railroad. This site and a couple others in Auburn has been designated as the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park . It is not an active NPS site, yet, once a land transfer to the federal government is finalized the site will move from a private group to the NPS. We could only look through the fence to the house, currently it is closed on Monday.

Harriet Tubman House - Auburn, NY
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Along our way to Seneca Falls we stopped at Montezuma NWR, we were curious about the name, very South West, not Central New York. It turns out a doctor in the 1800s was interested in the Aztec leader Montezuma and named the nearby town. As we left the main area, driving along US 20, we saw 3 bald eagle nests on power poles.

Montezuma NWR
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In Seneca Falls there are several locations which make up the Women's Rights NHP. The first Women's Rights Convention was held in 1848. I learned in the visitor center that this group of women became active after not being allowed to participate in the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840 in London. From this refusal to be seated as delegates at the anti-slavery meeting the Seneca Falls meeting to promote women's rights was born.

Women's Rights NHP
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We jumped on the eastbound New York Thruway, a toll road which travels east-west across the state. The New York system was in better condition than the toll roads in Pennsylvania, and seemed a bit cheaper. In Rome, NY we visited Fort Stanwix NM, an early fort that has a complicated history. It was initially built by the British in 1758 with Oneida Indian permission, it saw multiple occupations including the Americans in the American Revolution. Today's fort is a re-creation of the original fort. The visitor center takes you through the the many occupations. I was surprised to see the Pokemon Go signs on the front door and to find a ranger and volunteer who were enthusiastic about the game.

Fort Stanwix NM
Door sign
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Display
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Fort
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One more stop today - Saratoga NHP, along the Hudson River on the eastern edge of New York. We spent most of the time visiting with friends who had just been assigned here for Navy training. They had just arrived in Saratoga on Saturday, but were able to meet us at the visitor center where we sat on the back porch overlooking the Hudson River, enjoying another comfortable day. We spent the night in Albany, about 1/2 hour south and where the motel rates were much cheaper than around Saratoga Springs.

August 23 - 24

Not far from Albany is the Martin Van Buren NHS, Lindenwald is the home of the 8th President of the US. He prepared for two elections while living in this house. While walking around the grounds I saw a small herd of goats behind a fence. A ranger walked over and told me they were there to control the weeds near the landscaped lawn. She showed me a plot that they had not attacked yet, and the difference was remarkable. They were to be moved into that plot the next week. Later I saw goats at a couple of NPS sites.

Lindenwald
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Goat mowing
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We crossed into Massachusetts and visited Springfield Armory NHS which supplied military weapons from 1777 until 1968. Some of the equipment used in the production of the weapons was made in the Blackstone River Valley, an area we would visit later that day. One of the amazing displays was the Organ of Muskets.

Equipment manufactured in Blackstone River Valley
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Organ of Muskets
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With sites both in Massachusetts and Rhode Island the Blackstone River Valley NHP is one of the new NPS sites. Sites are scattered along the Blackstone River, our first stop was at an ornate community library in Whitinsville, MA. The woodwork was amazing. We stopped at the headquarters building, which had been a cotton mill in the 1800s and has been converted into offices, stores and restaurants. The ranger and office staff were very welcoming and helpful. The area represents the Age of Industry which dates back to the 1790s.

Whitinsville MA Social Library
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Headquarters - old mill
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Nearby was Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence, RI. This is a small city park that has no original structures, but celebrates Roger Williams' 1636 arrival in the New World and religious freedom. Most of the colonies had some ties to a particular religion, including Williams, but he promoted religious freedom after being banned from Massachusetts. On the side of the visitor center was a thriving garden of native plants.

Native garden
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We spent the night near Providence, first stop of the morning was in Narragansett to see Rhode Island's Whispering Giant by the sculptor Peter Toth. This statue is titled Enishkeetompauog Narragansett - translated to 'all human beings at the small, narrow point'.

Rhode Island Whispering Giant - Narragansett, RI
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We headed southwest into Connecticut and Hartford to visit another future NPS site; Coltsville NHP. The hold up on most of the newly designated sites that have yet to open is the transfer of land to federal ownership. We went to Colts Park where Samuel Colt had his home, now there is a statue of him. Unfortunately we were there at noon and the sun was not cooperating for a good photo. NPS staff conduct walking tours of the neighborhood each weekend during the summer. This park will highlight the creative manufacturing process that Samuel Colt developed after he patented his revolver in 1836. The Colt Historic District includes the park, neighboring homes and factory buildings.

Samuel Colt statue
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After having a picnic lunch in the park we continued to the western edge of Connecticut to a very favorite NPS site, Weir Farm NHS. Before we arrived, about a mile from the park site a black bear ran across the road. I am always amazed at how wild the east coast can be, seeing this bear crossing a busy highway is a treat. The American painter, J Alden Weir traded a painting and $10 for this 153 acre farm in 1882 where he raised his 3 daughters. The buildings and the land are beautiful and well worth exploring, which we have done on previous visits.

Sign
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Visitor Center
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In our quest for Centennial stamps we decided to head up into the Hudson River Valley and visit Hyde Park and 3 NPS sites. This is a return visit to all of the sites Val Kill was Eleanor Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park, a trail connects this home to the FDR home along the Hudson River. A drive onto the Vanderbilt Mansion grounds is a step back in time, back to the post-Civil War gilded age. While at the Home of FDR I tried to get a picture of statue of FDR & Eleanor, other tourists kept popping in for their photo op. I finally gave up and included one of them.

Eleanor Roosevelt NHS
Val Kill
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Vanderbilt Mansion NHS
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Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt NHS
Statue
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Thanks to Google Navigation we were re-routed a couple of times on our way to Parsippany, NJ for the evening and it saved us a lot of time.

Wildlife Sightings
Black Bear
White-tailed Deer
Fox Squirrel

Pileated Woodpecker
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bald Eagle
American Crow
Canada Goose
Flycatcher
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron

August 25 - 26
Happy Birthday NPS!

I grew up in New Jersey and lived there in the 80s, so enjoying diner food is near and dear to me. We enjoyed a diner breakfast this morning before visiting Morristown NHP. This is where George Washington and his Colonial troops wintered in 1778-80. George stayed in the house pictured below and his troops built and stayed in the shelter seen in the lower picture (reconstructed) in Jockey Hollow, an area nearby that today is mainly set aside for hiking. The visitor center on the same grounds as the headquarters building has many items from that time period, including the ornate quilt with fitted bedpost corners.

Washington's Headquarters
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Quilt
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Jockey Hollow - winter quarters
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Very close by is the Great Swamp NWR, which seemed an odd name for land in the center of New Jersey. Near the end of the 1950s a jetport for the greater New York area was proposed to be built here, local citizens and environmentalists campaigned and successfully preserved this natural landscape. Today it is a wildlife haven in a heavily populated area.

Flowers
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A few years ago Delaware was the only state which did not have an NPS unit, in 2013 First State NHP was established to recognize Delaware as the first state to sign the US Constitution and it's rich colonial history dating back into to 1600s. Today we re-visited the colonial town of New Castle. The courthouse, which serves as the visitor center was built in 1732. I thought their Pokemon Go sign was great; enjoy the history inside and keep the game outside!

New Castle town square
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Pokemon Go bench
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Fountain
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Sheriff's House - future Visitor Center
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Old Church along US 1, built in 1773
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Today was the actual birthday of the National Park Service. We offered our birthday wishes at each site. Our timing was off, we missed having birthday cake at the different sites. On social media NPS sites were posting pictures of their birthday cakes all day long, some were very creative. We even tried for leftovers in the following days, but it was apparent the cake was enjoyed by all.

Friday morning we left Delaware and crossed into Maryland on US 50 across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. We made a stop in Annapolis at the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Heritage Trail Office for some passport stamps. Even with the smaller var we found driving in Annapolis to be stressful, parking was allowed on both sides of the side streets which prevented 2 vehicles from passing, you waited to let other car pass you, it felt like hopscotch.

Our goal today was to visit the headquarters of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, in Virginia just north of Arlington Cemetery. The parkway itself, follows the Potomac River and provides for a very relaxing drive along a divided highway with no commercial traffic. Numerous NPS sites can be visited from the parkway, which we have previously visited. The office has an amazing collection of NPS passport stamps which provided 'stamping Nirvana' for my husband.

George Washington Parkway office
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We stopped by Arlington National Cemetery, but it was too hot to walk around much, did enjoy the flowers at the main building.
Arlington Cemetery flowers
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We stayed south of Arlington with plans to head into D.C. the next morning.

Wildlife Sightings
White-tailed Deer

American Robin
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron
American Bald Eagle
Wild Turkey
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

August 27

At the beginning of the trip my husband developed a sore foot, which was only going to get better after we got home and a trip to the doctor, so for this trip he was toughing it out. Most of our visits to NPS sites, except for the day in Philadelphia, was manageable up until our visit to DC. We had a plan - go early on a Saturday and it worked! Our first stop was at the Washington Monument and we got a great parking space. It was a beautiful morning in D.C.
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Washington Monument
Parking
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Because of our early start we had some time to kill before our next site opened. We hung out in Stanton Park, about 3 blocks north of the US Capitol where there is an impressive statue of Nathanael Greene, a major general in the Continental Army. There was a large play area which was busy with families coming and going. In the neighborhood was this gorgeous mansion with a dramatic weathervane, the photo doesn't do it justice.

District of Columbia house with weathervane
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Nathanael Greene statue
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Another new NPS site for us was the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality NM. The house was home to the National Woman's Party for 90 years, it was the epicenter of the struggle for women's suffrage and women's rights. The house is literally across the street from the US Capitol. As I toured the rooms I could only imagine the late night meetings and strategy sessions. Normally this site is only open by taking a tour, today they were holding an Open House, in honor of Women's Equality Day, the day before. Lots of informative displays, but the house itself is beautiful.

Belmont-Paul Women's Equality NM - DC
Door
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Display
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A place that is not a NPS site, but one we have wanted to visit is Lincoln's Summer Cottage, along our route today. The cottage - isn't a cottage, but a stone mansion that Lincoln escaped to during the hot, humid DC summers. Of course this site is only 4 miles north of the White House, but in a wooded area, even today. It is on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, you enter through a guarded gate and are given a parking pass and directions, no ID or paperwork required.

Lincoln's Summer Cottage
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Another natural area within the DC region, and a NPS site is Rock Creek Park. We always enjoy visiting the Nature Center, usually to do some hiking, but the heat was on! There are numerous animal and plant displays inside which I used to share some of our previous bird sightings during this trip.

Rock Creek Park
Pileated Woodpecker
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American Crow
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This concluded our east coast sweep, we now headed west and drove a section along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah NP. Just a bit change in elevation brought some cooler temperatures.
Along I-81 in Staunton we had a yummy dinner at an old-fashioned country-style restaurant, Mrs. Rowe's Family Restaurant. The bakery counter at check-out reminded me of Jacob Lake Inn, in northern Arizona - almost. The chocolate truffle cookies were good.

Shenandoah Visitor Center relief map
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Wildlife Sightings
Fox Squirrel

American Crow
American Robin

August 28 and 29

Once again Google Navigation found a route I would not have picked using the atlas, but it worked nicely. Driving the smaller, secondary roads is always more scenic and enjoyable. Our first stop of the day was at Booker T Washington NM, near Hardy, VA. He was born a slave on this farm in 1856 and went on to be a great educator, believing that education was the great emancipator. There are few remaining structure, some rebuilt, but a lot of the land is natural. The morning we were there a group of bird watchers were heading out.

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Over hill and dale and we were at Guilford Courthouse NMP, back to the Revolutionary War, and a battle in March 1781. Nathanael Greene was the commander of the Colonial troops, British general Cornwallis won this battle, but suffered significant losses. Seven months later Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, VA ending the Revolutionary War and the birth of the United States. Today this site is an active recreation area, with trails throughout the park and connecting to regional trails.

Uniforms
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Monument Row
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Crossing into South Carolina we arrived at Kings Mountain National Military Park, a Revolutionary War battle in the Fall of 1780. One of the key concepts displayed at this site is the division of local citizens, how neighbors chose sides during the war. Were you going to be a Patriot or stay British?

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Not far away is Cowpens National Battlefield, another Revolutionary battle, this one in January 1871 and is part of the Overmountain Victory Trail which covers Tennessee, Virginia, North & South Carolina. This was the trail that the patriot militia followed as part of the Kings Mountain campaign.

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Continuing west we stopped at Carl Sandburg Home NHS in Flat Rock, NC. This is where the famous writer, folk singer, social activist and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and biographer Carl Sandburg lived and worked with his family. Mrs. Sandburg, Lillian, owned and operated a premier goat dairy from 1935 to 1965. A goat herd is maintained and you can visit the barn.

Home - under restoration
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Goats
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After spending the night near Asheville, NC we picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove it south to the terminus at Great Smoky Mountains NP. We love driving this parkways, but it takes a lot longer! On previous visits we have driven the entire length, either late Spring or early Fall is the best time, especially for camping, as well as flowers or colorful leaves. The visitor center near Asheville has a large, horizontal map of the entire 470 mile route. I moved the magnifier to highlight Mabry Mills - besides a beautiful mill, the restaurant serves great regional meals.

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Waterrock Knob
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While driving through Great Smoky Mountains National Park we noticed a large increase in attendance, parking lots were full. I did get a photo of a large flower I had seen throughout the trip, which I initially thought was milkweed, but later discovered to be Joe Pye Weed, a native plant that is part of the sunflower family.

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We returned to my sister's house in East Tennessee for a relaxing evening.

August 30 - 31

Time to head west and back in the van! We returned the rental car, stocked up and hit the road by noon on Tuesday, August 29. This is the view from my sister's back porch looking out over the Clinch River, part of the TVA (Tennessee River Valley Authority).
Clinch River
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We found these critters at the Crossville, TN Visitor Center, just off I-40 which also provides information for Big South Fork NRRA.

Crossville Otters
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Southeast of Nashville is Stones River NB, another bloody battle in 1862 in the Civil War and a major victory for the Union troops.

Stones River NB
Visitor Center
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Pokemon Go
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Another relaxing drive, brought to you by the NPS, is the Natchez Trace Parkway which begins south of Nashville and travels 444 miles, south into Mississippi. We followed it for about 60 miles before stopping for the evening.

Natchez Trace Parkway - Steele's Iron Works
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The next morning we started by visiting Shiloh NB, at the southern edge of Tennessee. There are 2 Civil War battlefields included as part of Shiloh NB, the battles took place in April 1862. The Confederate troops came on strong, but Union troop reinforcements overnight turned this into a win for the North. 23,000 casualties were suffered and it was considered the largest loss in a battle, up to that date.

Shiloh NMP
Visitor Center & Pokemon Go
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Just across the border, into Mississippi, is the other battlefield in Corinth, MS. The visitor center for the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center does an excellent job of interpreting the war, beyond the military story. The walk leading up to the center has replicas of relics found on battlefields, it winds up a short hill. Inside the displays cover many topics related to life in the area during the Civil War, including Contraband Camps. These were settlements of slaves who came together in camps in Union-controlled areas.

Corinth Civil War Interpretative Center
Shoulder bag relic
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Rifle relic
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Contraband Camp
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The non-interstate highways in the south are easy to drive, many are divided and avoid the slowdowns of going through the center of towns, we made our way across Mississippi on several of these highways. Time to get back West - crossing the Mississippi River into Arkansas.

Mississippi River bridge to Arkansas
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Along the way to Arkansas Post N Mem we stopped at the Dale Bumpers White River NWR, although maps and signage just shows White River NWR. This was renamed in 2014 to honor the former US Senator of Arkansas, Dale Bumpers, for his part in establishing this refuge. Even though you are well north of the bayou country of Mississippi and Louisiana this area has many features of that ecosystem. On the refuge you can find Bald Cypress tree, and on a hot day like today you can see a 28 ft replica of the tree in the lobby. For a 'desert rat' these trees, sitting in water are always a treat to see. We saw several groves as we drove in this area.

White River NWR
Visitor Center
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Display
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Not far down the road and along the Arkansas River is Arkansas Post National Memorial, no original structures exist but its historical importance begins in 1686 when it was established as a French trading post. The flagpoles tell the story of many changes over time as the flags of France, Spain, Britain and the Confederacy have all been flown here. Today it is as much a natural preserve, as a historical sight.

Flags
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Dugout
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We ended the day in Little Rock where the high heat index continued to follow us.

Little Rock - Heat Index
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September 1-2

As we stayed in Little Rock, AR it was a quick drive to Little Rock Central High School NHS, the site of school desegregation in 1957. This was the outcome of the federal lawsuit initiated by the Brown vs Board of Education, in Topeka, and where we visited earlier on this trip. This site is unique, an active high school is just across the street from the visitor center. The actions at the time are appalling to me, especially when I read that instead of integrating the school the local school board closed the school for an entire school year. The gas station, pictured below, is a step back in time to that period. On another corner is a small park and memorial to the past and future.

Street scene
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School closed
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Memorial
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About an hour away, Hot Springs National Park, established in 1921, is right in town, as evidenced by the difficulty of finding parking near Fordyce Bathhouse, the main visitor center. Once parked we walked along the main street; on one side are tourist stores, on the other are the historic bathhouses that provided the thermal baths. Being in town and in a national park was a great place to play Pokemon Go.

Entrance sign & Pokemon Go
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Inside bath house & Pokemon Go
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Park along Bath House Row
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As we headed northwest towards Fort Smith NHS it started to rain, not heavy but enough to cool the air, which was appreciated. In the town of Fort Smith is Camp Chafee, an active Army base and where my parents (both deceased) were married in 1944. This site was established in 1817, as part of Indian Territory.

US Marshall wagon
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On the way into the visitor center I saw this attractive moth on the sidewalk.
Moth
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We spent the night on the eastern edge of Oklahoma City.
Visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial is always a somber moment. Walking around the grounds is a peaceful, but somber reminder of this horrific domestic terrorist event in 1995. There is a NPS presence at this site, however it is not considered one of the 413 units, but an affiliated site.

Museum
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This tree is on the east end of the site and survived the explosion on that day. Seeing the pictures of the area at the time make you realize the devastating damage, yet this tree thrives today.
Survivor Tree
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Reflecting Pool
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Further west, out on the plains is Washita Battlefield NHS. At this site Gen. George Custer attacked a Cheyenne village at dawn in November 1868. The village population was around 300, 60 were killed during this attack, including Chief Black Kettle and his wife. In addition over 600 ponies were killed, with the remainder 275 captured by the US Army. The visitor center tells the story of the battle, but also the culture of the Cheyenne at the time of the battle and today.

Entrance walkway
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Artifacts
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The plains surrounding the visitor center are preserved in their natural state and provide a rich ecosystem to explore, however today the dark skies kept us inside.
Trail
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Finally crossing into Texas we made our way to Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, which is encompassed within Lake Meredith NRA. This site preserves the rock quarries which provided flint for Native Americans 13,000 years ago for mammoth hunting. The displays inside show the flint in various stages; from rough rock being shaped into useful tools. The quarries can only be visited on ranger tours.

Source to Blanks
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Blanks to Tools
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Flint boulder
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We kept driving, stopped for dinner, and entered New Mexico. We got to camp tonight! The only campground available was a commercial one, near Capulin Volcano NM. It was the beginning of Labor Day weekend, they squeezed us in between 2 RVs. So happy to be sleeping in the van with dry, cool air.

September 3-4
Labor Day weekend

As we were camped within view of Capulin Volcano NM, that was our first stop of the day. This site was established in 1916, so it shares the Centennial year with the National Park Service. Just outside the visitor center is a great example of volcanic activity around the main feature of a volcano, a squeeze up - this one with a tree growing on top. Capulin last erupted 56,000 years ago.

Evening view
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Window celebration
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Squeeze Up
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Sunflowers
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South on I-25 and about 8 miles west is Fort Union NM, a frontier outpost active from 1851 - 1891 and a stop along the Santa Fe Trail. There are extensive ruins which you can walk by on a trail that winds through the area. The blue sky and clouds provide a dramatic backdrop. While here, and just outside the visitor center doors, I saw a large, probably 5-6 ft., bull snake cross the sidewalk. I told the staff and visitors inside the doors, they rushed out, but they just saw his tail end as he went into shrubby. The ranger told us it was probably 'Henry', their resident bull snake. Bull snakes are harmless to humans, they prefer rodents. Rattlesnakes are seen at this site and signs warn visitors.

Ruins
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Map
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Ruins
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Continuing south on I-25 brought us to Pecos NHP. The main site has a visitor center with artifacts dating back to the Pueblo Indians which inhabited this area since C.E. 1000. Besides the Native American history, this was also the site of a battle in the Civil War, a little further west in Glorieta Pass in March 1862. Federal troops were guarding military supplies when the Confederate troops invaded New Mexico to try and capture them. Ultimately, the Federal troops prevailed and Confederate troops retreated back to Texas. We visited the area, a pullout alongside the road by the Johnson Ranch.

Visitor Center
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Glorieta Pass monument
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Glorieta Pass - Johnson ranch house
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We spent the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday in Santa Fe. It was Labor Day weekend and I did not plan well. We did get a motel room for Saturday night, barely, and luckily got a camp space for Sunday night, up the mountain, in a favorite campground, Black Canyon Campground (USFS).
On Sunday we met a group of people from the National Park Travelers Club at the New Mexico History Museum for a talk by the former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, Dwight T. Pitcaithley. He spoke about the NPS Centennial giving great background information about the development of the parks over the past 100 years. The museum is part of the Santa Fe Plaza, which was very crowded as their annual Fine Arts Festival filled the plaza. We luckily got the last parking space in an open lot. After the talk we enjoyed sharing Happy Hour with our group at a restaurant on the outer edge of the plaza. Very glad to return to camp and enjoyed a cool, dry and quiet night.

Field of yellow in Santa Fe park
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Santa Fe Plaza - Art Show, Santa Fe Society of Artists
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September 5 & 6

We were ready to move on, heading home, but we wanted to visit a few sites on our way home. A favorite site is Chaco Culture NHP, the drive into the park is a bit rough, but doable in any 2-wheel drive car. The last part is dirt, some rough washboard sections and not passable after rains and also open range. On our way in and out we were met by a friendly herd of goats.
Goats
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Once back in Chaco Canyon NHP we got a campsite. You can now reserve campsite at recreation.gov, and highly recommended as this campground does fill, especially during the summer and on weekends. This was a great place for us to relax and enjoy the western landscape.

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Within the campground there is a section for tents only, which juts back into a wide canyon. The campground host had told us there was a family of barn owls that were quite noisy at night. A couple of tent campers the next morning confirmed that the owls were very noisy, all night long. It appeared the owlets were calling for their food and would call louder when the parents came back to the nest. Glad we were camped around the corner.
Barn Owl
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We left Chaco and continued into the NW corner of New Mexico to Aztec Ruins NM. The items displayed in the visitor center are uniquely shaped. Walking the short trail you explore 900 year old ruins which had 400 masonry rooms.

Pots
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Floor plan
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Ruins
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Crossing into southern Utah and following the backroads, which have good signage, we arrived at Hovenweep NM, another great site and campground. We got our favorite campsite and enjoyed a pleasant evening view to the southeast to Sleeping Ute Mountain.

Evening view from campsite - Sleeping Ute Mountain
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Wildlife Sightings - August 28 - September 6
Fox Squirrel
White-tailed Deer
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Pronghorn
Pine Squirrel

Black Vulture
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-shouldered Hawk
Wild Turkey
American Crow
Eastern Meadowlark
Great Egret
Anhinga
Broad-winged Hawk
Great Blue Heron
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Canada Goose
Common Raven
Great-tailed Grackle
Killdeer
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Turkey Vulture
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
American Coot
Northern Harrier
Mourning Dove
Steller Jay
Brown Creeper

September 7-8

I forgot to add this picture to the last post, loving the western sunsets!
Hovenweep Sunset - 9/6
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Before breakfast in camp I walked out along the rim to view some of the ruins, which I think are unique to the many we have visited over the years. Hovenweep has six different sites in the area that once housed 2,500 people that were built from 1200 - 1300 C.E.

Ruins
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Desert Cottontail
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Cliffrose
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While enjoying breakfast in camp we got a glimpse of this jackrabbit cruising by.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
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We made a quick stop at Natural Bridges National Monument, an easy drive from Hovenweep. Glad we hadn't planned to spend time at this site as today they were doing road construction along the loop drive and delays would be extensive. Glad they are getting some road work done.

Entrance sign
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As we didn't get back to see any of the bridges I took a photo of the landscape, the white rock in the distance is from what the bridges are formed.
Landscape
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Heading south towards Arizona we stopped in Mexican Hat at the San Juan Inn and Trading Post, a popular river trip stop, for lunch. Parking was not available next to the restaurant, so we parked along the wall, towering rock wall. Once we got seated and looked across, my husband was not comfortable with the parking place. Luckily a space opened up and he moved the car.

San Juan Inn & Trading Post
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Parking space
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San Juan River
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Once back in Arizona we headed for Flagstaff to our favorite campground, north of town. The critters, live ones, usually entertain us.

Bonito Campground (USFS) - N of Flagstaff, AZ
Steller's Jay
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Abert's Squirrel
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Abert's Squirrel
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Sunset
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Thursday morning we enjoyed breakfast in camp and then got serious about getting home, south down I-17, to east I-10 in Phoenix and back to Tucson.

Wildlife Sightings
Bat
Cottontail Rabbit
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Abert's Squirrel


Barn Owl
Say's Phoebe
Canyon Towhee
Common Raven
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-billed Magpie
Rock Wren
Steller's Jay
White-breasted Nuthatch
Western Bluebird

This was a great trip; a different type of trip for us, and successful. We knew it was going to be hot and humid so we had to stay in motels, more than normal. We had a goal of visiting as many NPS sites to collect their commemorative NPS Centennial stamps. Our goal was met and exceeded, we were able to visit more sites than originally planned.

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Basic statistics:
43 days
29 states
11,673 miles - van and rental car
49 states & DC license plates seen (Hawaii not seen)

118 NPS Centennial stamps
12 National Wildlife Refuge stamps
1 Whispering Giant (RI) visited
49 letterboxes found
Infinite memories and fun!

Of the 43 days traveling; 10 nights camping, 3 nights with family and 30 nights at motels.

Total expenses;
$4843
42% Lodging
27% Meals
31% Gas, parking, tolls & rental car
<1% Misc - ice, showers

The percentage for lodging and meals is a flip from most of our previous trips, obviously staying in motels 70% of the trip increased the lodging cost. Due to cost, as well as weight management, we carried a cooler and food to fix meals while traveling. Gas was a little bit less than previous trips, possibly because we used a rental car in place of our cargo van for 2 weeks, as well as the low price per gallon this summer.

Average Daily costs
Motel - $63 per day. Through Red Roof Inns we received 2 free nights for each 3 nights stayed, it was a promotion during the summer. Most of the other nights were spent at Motel 6, which we prefer due to their low cost and for the most part they have the quietest room air conditioners and the mattresses are comfortable. The most we paid was for the conference hotel in Philadelphia, Doubletree Airport, we paid $125. The nights there were not great; adjoining door with people talking loudly, ice machine a few doors down and a loud air conditioner. We stayed at a few independent motels which were fine, usually closer to $75.

Food - averaged $30 per day. While traveling and staying in motels we tended to have lunch out and dine in the room at night. Sometimes it was sandwiches, and some nights we had delivery or take out.

Gas -
Lowest paid -$1.73 in Republic, MO & Carmi, IL
Highest paid - $2.26 Chatham, NY
Rental car - $400
Parking - $25
Tolls - $30

I hope this trip report helped to highlight the amazing diversity of National Park Service sites that we are able to experience on road trips. I saw a chart which categorized the 413 sites; Arts & Humanities, Civil Rights, Expanding the Frontier, Fossils & Evolution, Geology & Natural History, Military, Native American, Peace, Presidents & Patriots, Religious History, Technology, Transportation & Industry, Water-based Recreation & World Heritage Sites (UNESCO). I haven't checked, but I believe we may have visited at least one of every category. Most of the sites we have visited previously, however I always learn or experience something new on every repeat visit.

Officially the Centennial year ends in December, but the park sites will all be there next year and beyond - Enjoy!

As I have done for previous trip reports, the following link is a webpage my husband created of ALL the passport and bonus stamps he collected along the way. Reviewing the pages just gave me a fun re-wind of this epic trip.


http://nostalgia.esmartkid.com/2016l...ripstamps.html


-Pat