Historical Sites and Parks

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site is a couple miles South of Hodgenville in Kentucky a dozen miles off I-65. It's the original site of the Sinking Spring farm where Abe was born. A marble building at the top of the hill supposedly contains the cabin in which the 16th President was born and lived for the first couple of years.

Fort Pike was one of many defensive structures built in response to the War of 1812 by the government to protect the coastline of the United States. They were completely obsolete by the middle of the Civil War, with the invention of the rifled canon.

I was at the Fort in 2002. In 2005, the Fort took the brunt of Hurricane Katrina. I'm not sure how badly it was damaged, but it's only open by appointment now.

Golden Spike National Historic Site is where that final spike (made of gold, hence the name) was driven, completing the Transcontinental Railroad. That single event tied a geographically divided nation together, transforming a treacherous six month trip by wagon or ship to a five day, sightseeing adventure.

They have seasonally operated replicas of the Central Pacific Jupiter and the Union Pacific 119, the locomotives present when the final spike was driven. It's a must for any train buff...

Independence covers a couple of square miles of Philadelphia's historical district, protecting things like the Liberty Bell and one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence. Farther afield are historical places like the Betty Ross house and the Franklin Institute.

While you're there, a side trip to the Philadelphia Mint is a must. It's where half of the change in your pocket was made.

The Jean Lafitte National Historic Park covers several sites around New Orleans, but I was only at the Chalmette National Battlefield and Cemetery

Didja ever hear the song, "Battle of New Orleans"? The final battle between the Brits and the Americans was fought here, with catastrophic results for England.

I've visited a few Lewis And Clark sites, from Philadelphia to the Pacific Northwest.

My 2005 Pacific Northwest Vacation had me to a bunch of Lewis and Clark sites, including Fort Clatsop, where the Corps of Discover stayed their second winter. Of course, the fort burned down a few months before I was there, so the images I have are of a bare fort with no furnishings.

There are also images of the Salt Works (near Seaside), where the Corps boiled down sea water for salt. The site is literally in someone's back yard...

The area around Great Falls on the Missouri River was the first serious obstacle the Corps of Discovery had underestimated about the West. Mile after mile of un-navigable rapids and waterfalls, where they had to portage hundreds of pounds of canoes and supplies by foot.

The Missouri River's been long tamed now, even more so during the fall when I was there, months after the mountain snowpacks had melted. But even 200 years later, it was easy to see how this area of the Missouri would be hell by canoe...

Fort Mandan was where the Corps spent their first winter. Or at least someplace around where the replica fort is today, it's true location is unknown.

The interpretive center is new and a couple miles from the Fort, which has it's own visitor's center. I purposely avoided a bus tour, and got me a private tour of the Fort. It was actually a pretty cool tour.

I was first at the Meriwether Lewis Burial Site on the Natchez Trace Parkway in 2000, but it wasn't until closer to the bi-centennial of his trip to the West that I did a lot more research into the Corps of Discovery. I went back in 2011, when I found myself about a hundred miles away from the site.

This link will take you to the Natchez Trace Parkway Page.

I was only at the East Kamiah unit of the Nez Perce NHP, but I guess if you're going to be at any of the part of the park, it might as well be the place where the tribe was born from the blood of the monster.

It is along the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway (US-12).

The San Antonio Missions was a very cool place to visit, allowing one to visualize what it was like before any sort of modern convenience.

Also include here are images of the Alamo, which is not part of the park. It's a Daughters of the Republic of Texas site, and does not allow photography inside of the church. So I only have exteriors.

I was around the Philadelphia area for a couple of weeks, and over the weekend I visited Valley Forge National Historic Park. And I was sick. Ugh. I apologize to all those trying to watch the intro movie while I coughed. Got some nice fall pictures, though.

Anyway, George Washington slept here. I mean, he really did sleep here.

The Whitman Mission on (or at least near) the Oregon trail was another one of those places that I had read and heard about, but didn't come alive until you wandered the area where hundreds of pioneers passed 200 years ago...

The mission is gone, but the wagon ruts are still there...