While in DC visiting with my sister, my nephew really really wanted to go to the International Spy Museum. That sounded like fun and we all took the metro in and went. I posted what we were doing while eating burgers on the corner next to the spy museum and my intrepid friend posted "Hey … Continue reading Ford Theater NHS
Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS
Allegheny Portage Railroad is a result of Pennsylvania's desire to stay relevant in trade and an ingenious way to cross the Allegheny mountains before steam engines were powerful enough to make it through. With the rise of Canal trade after the completion of the Erie Canal, Pennsylvania scrambled to compete and shorten the 23 day … Continue reading Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS
Johnstown Flood NM
We decided to take a day trip up to Johnstown to see the flood Memorial. I knew nothing about Johnstown other than there was a flood and it was near the oxbow bend of the railroad. Imagine my intense lack of surprise when I found out that the flood was caused by the wealthy elite … Continue reading Johnstown Flood NM
James Garfield NHS
Do you like integrity in politics, intense levels of record keeping, the pursuit of all knowledge or civil service? Then James Garfield is your man. I pretty much knew nothing about him other than he was President and shot, but you know, when you are in Northern Ohio you should get the park stamp. Following … Continue reading James Garfield NHS
Fort Necessity-NB
The first time I ever visited Fort Necessity, Hurricane Irene had hammered Pittsburgh and we had lost power. There are two sureties in Pittsburgh, 1) Yes that Hill is STEEP and 2) NO your utilities will not be restored soon after a storm. My sister lived outside of D.C. at the time and our other … Continue reading Fort Necessity-NB
Carlsbad Caverns NP 2016
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is really one of the crown jewels of the National Park system. Even though I have seen it many, many times I never fail to be enthralled. Plus I love the Bat Flight. There are two ways to get inside, one is the Natural Cave entrance, which is a steep but … Continue reading Carlsbad Caverns NP 2016
White Sands NM 2016
I love White Sands. Full disclosure, I went to college very close to White Sands National Monument and it was a regular recreation activity for us when we had cars. It is so hot and sunny, absolutely breathtaking in it's natural beauty and there is so much fun to be had on all that sand, … Continue reading White Sands NM 2016
Petroglyph NM 2016
Here's the thing about visiting National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites in New Mexico. There are a ton. This one is literally 5 miles from my sister's house. It's easy access and I used to hike there when I lived in Albuquerque. The easy access and my familiarity with it made me forget that New … Continue reading Petroglyph NM 2016
Hot Springs NP 2016
Hot Springs is a gem. An absolute gem. I had visited before but never realized it was a National Park. It is a picturesque, old timey down town area with the amazing architecture from the boom of affluence (we really appreciate that in Pittsburgh), plenty of southern charm and just a dash of tacky tourism! … Continue reading Hot Springs NP 2016
Mammoth Caves NP 2016
Our first Park stop! Due to vacation time we decided to leave Memorial Day Weekend because we could have 10 days of travel time for 4 days off from work. Plus it would give us a cushion to arrive and get my husband set up to work from my sister's house, which was our final … Continue reading Mammoth Caves NP 2016
Free Rangering 