Visited: Saturday, September 5, 2015
We've been trying to get to Boston African American NHP for a few years now - but every time we were planning to go, it rained, or something else interrupted our plans. We finally managed to find good weather today - and had a fantastic time. The site itself is small, consisting of an old African American school and an adjacent church and meeting house. But - there's a nice little tour of the meeting house, and an _excellent_ tour of the historic area, visiting many sites not directly part of the site - but very much a part of the story. Between the history of slavery in Boston - I'd not heard the story of Elizabeth Freeman before - and the view of the abolition movement from Boston, it was an amazing experience. Highly recommended.
And, with this, we've completed New England. Not the most impressive of accomplishments, but the only other state we've covered completely is South Dakota. (Our plans for next Summer will add North Dakota and Montana to the "complete" list.) Unfortunately, that means that We'll have fewer opportunities to add an additional NPS site here and there; the remaining ones will likely all come in clumps...
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
97) Women's Right National Historic Park
Visited: Saturday, June 20, 2015
Our final NPS stop, as we travelled westward across New York, was in Seneca Falls. This is a nicely done site, with a good movie, a nice (if brief) tour, and a nice set of displays. But... almost no Harriet Tubman. The museum currently focuses on the formation of the movement, and does a nice job with that, but doesn't carry the story through. Apparently they are working on this, but for now it was a disappointment - having learned about Tubman's involvement in the suffragette movement, I wanted to hear more - not a void. (Not even a showing of Suffring Without Suffrage, the old Schoolhouse Rock video.)
It's still a worthwhile stop, but hopefully it will improve enough to warrant another visit soon.
Our final NPS stop, as we travelled westward across New York, was in Seneca Falls. This is a nicely done site, with a good movie, a nice (if brief) tour, and a nice set of displays. But... almost no Harriet Tubman. The museum currently focuses on the formation of the movement, and does a nice job with that, but doesn't carry the story through. Apparently they are working on this, but for now it was a disappointment - having learned about Tubman's involvement in the suffragette movement, I wanted to hear more - not a void. (Not even a showing of Suffring Without Suffrage, the old Schoolhouse Rock video.)
It's still a worthwhile stop, but hopefully it will improve enough to warrant another visit soon.
96) Fort Stanwix National Monument
Visited: Saturday, June 20, 2015
This is the NPS site that Megan visited the longest before I got to it, having grown up nearby, and visited on a school trip. And it's nice to visit a Revolutionary War site - kind of since the battle was a few miles away - rather than the more common Civil War sites. But on the whole, this was not one of the ore impressive sites - the reconstructed fort is pleasant enough, and the movies showing the contrasting feelings about the battle are nicely done - but this is not high on the "come back for more" list.
This is the NPS site that Megan visited the longest before I got to it, having grown up nearby, and visited on a school trip. And it's nice to visit a Revolutionary War site - kind of since the battle was a few miles away - rather than the more common Civil War sites. But on the whole, this was not one of the ore impressive sites - the reconstructed fort is pleasant enough, and the movies showing the contrasting feelings about the battle are nicely done - but this is not high on the "come back for more" list.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
95) Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
Visited: Saturday, June 20, 2015
I've generally found the presidential sites to be interesting, and this was no exception. I had not realized that Van Buren had actually been instrumental in the founding of two U.S. Political parties - the Democrats and the Free Soil Party - and as a result is on the short list of former presidents to run with a different party later.
This is a small site, but a nice one - though, more so than most, you really need to take the tour. The full content of the visitor center is a short movie and a small bookstore.
I've generally found the presidential sites to be interesting, and this was no exception. I had not realized that Van Buren had actually been instrumental in the founding of two U.S. Political parties - the Democrats and the Free Soil Party - and as a result is on the short list of former presidents to run with a different party later.
This is a small site, but a nice one - though, more so than most, you really need to take the tour. The full content of the visitor center is a short movie and a small bookstore.
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