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National Parks

My fascination with national parks was ignited on June 3, 1996, during an excursion with my best friend and her mother. This pivotal journey kindled my profound appreciation for nature, waterfalls, and the art of capturing the essence of our nation. Read more
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    Zion National Park

    December 25, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ❄️ 32 °F

    Utah's First National Park
    Follow the paths where people have walked for thousands of years. Gaze up at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. Experience the tall, stretching walls of a narrow slot canyon. Zion’s unique array of plants and animals will enchant you as you absorb the rich history of the past and enjoy the excitement of present-day adventures.Read more

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    Ocmulgee Mounds National Park

    September 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    More Than 12,000 Years of Continuous Human Habitation
    Welcome to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. This park is a prehistoric American Indian site, where many different American Indian cultures occupied this land for thousands of years. American Indians first came here during the Paleo-Indian Period hunting Ice Age mammals. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began, and people constructed mounds for their elite, which remain here today.Read more

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    Andersonville National Cemetery

    September 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 95 °F

    The Deadliest Ground of the American Civil War
    Nearly 13,000 men died on these grounds, a site that became infamous even before the Civil War ended. Their burial grounds became Andersonville National Cemetery, where veterans continue to be buried today. This place, where tens of thousands suffered captivity so others could be free, is also home to the National Prisoner of War Museum and serves as a memorial to all American prisoners of war.Read more

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    Jimmy Carter NHS

    September 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    A Rural Beginning
    Few U.S. Presidents have had such close ties with where they were born and raised. The rural southern culture of Plains, Georgia revolves around farming, church, and school, which had a large influence in molding the character and shaping the political policies of the 39th President of the United States.Read more

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    Congaree NP

    October 24, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Home of Champions
    Astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain, carrying nutrients and sediments that nourish and rejuvenate this ecosystem and support the growth of national and state champion trees.Read more

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    Fort Pulaski NM

    October 26, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    Fort Pulaski National Monument is located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. It preserves Fort Pulaski, the place where the Union Army successfully tested rifled cannons in 1862, the success of which rendered brick fortifications obsolete. The fort was also used as a prisoner-of-war camp.Read more

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    Freedom Riders NM

    October 29, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    The World Witnessed the Violence
    In 1961, a small interracial band of “Freedom Riders” challenged discriminatory laws requiring separation of the races in interstate travel. They were attacked by white segregationists, who firebombed the bus. Images of the attack appeared in hundreds of newspapers, shocking the American public and spurring the Federal Government to issue regulations banning segregation in interstate travel.Read more

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    Birmingham Civil Rights NM

    October 29, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    The Fight for Civil Rights
    In 1963, images of snarling police dogs unleashed against non-violent protesters and of children being sprayed with high-pressure hoses appeared in print and television news around the world. These dramatic scenes of violent police aggression against civil rights protesters in Birmingham, Alabama were vivid examples of segregation and racial injustice in America.Read more

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    Waco Mammoth National Monument

    November 1, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    A Mammoth-Sized Find
    Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths.Read more

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    San Antonio Missions NHP

    November 2, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Imperial Times, Evolving Cultures
    Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas.

    After thousands of years, South Texans faced drought, European diseases, and colonization. In the 1700s, these Indigenous South Texans foreswore their traditional subsistence lifestyle and assimilated for survival to the Spanish ways, accepting a new religion, diet, economy and more.Read more

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    New Orleans Mint

    November 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    The New Orleans Mint (French: Monnaie de La Nouvelle-Orléans) operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909. During its years of operation, it produced over 427 million gold and silver coins of nearly every American denomination, with a total face value of over US$ 307 million.[3] It was closed during most of the American Civil War and Reconstruction.Read more

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    Jean Lafitte NHP

    November 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    The Treasure of Jean Lafitte
    In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories. Discover New Orleans’ rich cultural mix. Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. Watch an alligator bask on a bayou’s bank. Walk in the footsteps of the men who fought at 1815’s Battle of New Orleans. Follow the link to discover the treasure of Jean Lafitte.Read more

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    Tuskegee Institute National Historic Sit

    November 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Bricks and Peanuts
    In 1881, Booker T. Washington arrived in Alabama and started building Tuskegee Institute both in reputation and literally brick by brick. He recruited the best and the brightest to come and teach here including George Washington Carver who arrived in 1896. Carver’s innovations in agriculture, especially with peanuts, expanded Tuskegee’s standing throughout the country. The story continues….Read more

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    Tuskegee Airmen NHS

    November 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    Before Their Tails Were "Red"
    Before the first African American military pilots became known as the "Red Tails" they wore striped tails as they began their flight training in the Army's PT-17 Stearman bi-plane. Their flying adventure started at Moton Field, in Tuskegee, Alabama, where the Army Air Corps conducted a military test to determine if African Americans could be trained to fly combat aircraft.Read more

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    Martin Luther King Jr NHS

    November 9, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 41 °F

    A Great Leader is Born
    Welcome to Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park & Preservation District
    A young boy grows up in a time of segregation… He is moved by destiny into leadership of the modern civil rights movement. This was Martin Luther King, Jr. Explore his roots, walk in his footsteps, visit the home of his birth, and where he played as a child. Hear his voice in the church where he changed the world.Read more

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    Saratoga NHP

    March 14, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    The glorious successes of our Arms in the North" – George Washington, October 18, 1777
    In 1777, a large British invasion force met an equally large American army here at Saratoga. After two intense battles, an eight-mile retreat, and a three-day siege, British General John Burgoyne surrendered his entire force. This first ever surrender of a British Army is one of the pivotal moments in determining the outcome of the Revolutionary War, forever changing the future of the world.Read more

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    Arcadia NP

    July 17, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Drove to see the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain.

    Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast
    Acadia National Park protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States, an abundance of habitats, and a rich cultural heritage. At 4 million visits a year, it's one of the top 10 most-visited national parks in the United States. Visitors enjoy 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of carriage roads.

    Cadillac Mountain
    Cadillac Mountain is a popular destination for visitors to Acadia National Park. Accessible by car, it is the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the U.S., and offers magnificent views of a glaciated coastal and island landscape. The short, paved Cadillac Summit Loop Trail, interpretive waysides, restrooms, and gift shop are located at the summit.

    People have enjoyed the spectacular views from Cadillac Mountain (formerly Green Mountain) for thousands of years, as this area is the homeland of the Wabanaki people. European settlement on Mount Desert Island begin in the 1600s, and soon after the summit was used for mapping the coastline. By the late-1800s, Cadillac Mountain was a popular destination for tourists.

    The early 20th century marked a shift towards preservation efforts of the summit. It was purchased by the Hancock County Trustees for Public Reservations in 1908, and became part of the original land acreage of Sieur de Monts National Monument, what later became Acadia National Park.    Read more

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    Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural

    October 17, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site preserves the Ansley Wilcox House, at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York. Here, after the assassination of William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as President of the United States on September 14, 1901. A New York historical marker outside the house indicates that it was the site of Theodore Roosevelt's Inauguration.Read more

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    Castle Clinton NM

    December 6, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 37 °F

    Built to keep people out; now welcomes millions in.
    Located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, Castle Clinton stands where New York City began, and represents not only the city’s growth, but the growth of a nation. Initially intended to prevent a British invasion in 1812, the fortification has transformed over the years to welcome theatergoers, immigrants, sightseers, and now, millions of visitors to New York HarborRead more

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    Statue of Liberty NM

    December 6, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 37 °F

    Liberty Enlightening the World
    "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. Employees of the National Park Service have been caring for the colossal copper statue since 1933.Read more

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    Ellis Island Immigration Museum

    December 6, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F

    Sailing to the Land of Liberty
    Most immigrants entered the United States through the Port of New York, although there were other ports of entry in cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, and New Orleans. The great steamship companies like the White Star, Red Star, Cunard, Holland America and Hamburg-America Lines played a significant role in the history of Ellis Island and immigration as a whole.

    First and second class passengers arriving in New York Harbor were not required to undergo the inspection process at Ellis Island. Instead, these passengers received a cursory inspection aboard the ship; the theory being that if a person could afford to purchase a first or second class ticket they were affluent and less likely to become a public charge in America due to medical or legal reasons. However, regardless of class, sick passengers or those with legal problems were sent to Ellis Island for further inspection.

    This scenario was far different for third class passengers, commonly referred to as “steerage.” These immigrants traveled in crowded and often unsanitary conditions near the bottom of steamships, often spending up to two weeks seasick in their bunks during rough Atlantic Ocean crossings. After the steamship arrived in the Harbor, steerage passengers would be placed aboard a ferry or barge and brought to Ellis Island for their detailed inspection.    Read more