Tag: national park

Visiting Pearl Harbor National Memorial-Hawaii

Pearl Harbor National Memorial, is the most visited tourist attraction, in Hawaii. There are numerous National Park designations, including Historic Sites, Historic Parks, and National Monuments. Visiting a National Memorial, has a distinct feel. Two and half weeks in Hawaii, on three different islands, takes a lot of logistical planning. We need to figure out…
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park-New Jersey

He did do a million things. As Park Ranger Emma discusses Alexander Hamilton’s vision for Paterson Great Falls, I wonder what million things he left undone. It’s noon as the car pulls into the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, parking lot. The New Jersey, city, locals, occupy various benches and walls, munching their lunch-break…
Visiting Valley Forge National Historical Park-Pennsylvania

I breathe in the scent of the freshly printed page. Ink, just off of the copier, used to have a smell. Our teacher’s footsteps tap on the cheap linoleum, as she walks up and down the aisles of desks. Eagar hands grab for the coveted blank permission slips. Our class is taking a field-trip, to…
Visiting Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site-Hawaii

The story unfolds before us, as we watch the movie at Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site. A High Priest declares he received a prophecy. Kamehameha I will become King of The Island of Hawaii (aka The Big Island). All Kamehameha has to do is build a temple to the god of war, and offer a…
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

National Recreation Areas can be tricky to plan. They encompass numerous acres, and the Visitor’sCenter can be far from the area’s activities. This is our experience visiting the Mississippi NationalRiver and Recreation Area, in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, includes 72 miles of river, perfect for paddling. Our visit starts…
St. Anthony Falls-Minnesota

A temporary tent, acts as the Visitors’ Center, outside of St. Anthony Falls, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The falls are part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. There is an Upper Falls location, and a Lower Falls Location. The tent at the Upper Falls, houses the St. Anthony Falls stamp. After getting our ink,…
Visiting Channel Islands National Park-California

“That was a great day!” Announces the tousled haired young man. He claims a chair on the boat, preparing to leave Channel Islands National Park. “It was a hellah great day!” Agrees the young man in the backwards hat. The group settle into the row behind us. They take turns visiting the downstairs snack counter,…
Seminole Rest National Historic Site-Florida

National Park designations can be confusing. There are 16 different designations and as we learn upon arriving at Seminole Rest, there are sites within sites. As we acquire our Canaveral National Seashore, Eldora, stamp, the Park Ranger asks if we stamped our book at Seminole Rest. Though I thoroughly researched the seashore, this additional park…
Visiting Canaveral National Seashore-Florida

Large branches, adorned in bright green foliage, stretch across the trail, in Canaveral National Seashore. The trees look as if they desire to create a work of art. Our attention is focused on the beauty of the silent, still, trail. Then we hear the sound. Grunt-grunt-snort. Grunt-grunt-snort. We make eye contact, turn around, and power-walk…