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
Cuyahoga NP
The National Park Service commissioned a series of videos in the eighties and I found the Cuyahoga video at our public library. I was so thankful I did because there is so much more to this park that I wouldn't have known about in advance. Firstly there is a scenic railroad that runs the entire … Continue reading Cuyahoga NP
First Ladies NM
Have you ever had weeks where your family won't stop fighting? Week after week the kids were arguing and we were grouchy. Laying in bed one night I made an executive decision that a Road Trip was the answer to our problems. Nothing says RELAXING like throwing kids in a car, without electronics, because clearly … Continue reading First Ladies NM
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
Inauguration & Centennial Badges
While we were in Washington D.C we were offered the Inauguration Booklet and the National Park Centennial Booklet which seemed a wee bit overwhelming. After our thrilling adventure on the National Mall and fleeing through the downpour to the safety of a cab my daughter (Lemon) was pretty much done. Wild Thing being his 18 … Continue reading Inauguration & Centennial Badges
National Mall Badge
The National Mall badge is earned by visiting memorials on the National Mall and completing a worksheet at each. The number of worksheets required is dependent on the age of the child and they give you a folder to keep them in as you journey. For us we had to visit 4 memorials. We were … Continue reading National Mall Badge
Free Rangering 