123) Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site

Visited: Saturday, August 31, 2019

The smaller, less visited NPS sites often resonate with me more; in no small part I'm sure this is because at those sites one often gets much more attention, and as a result more easily connects with the history underlying the site.  The National Parks are great, and the grand scale fits them; for the historic sites, I'll take the small ones every time.

Saint Paul's Church is somewhat unusual in playing some small role in a number of big events, rather than playing a big role in any of them.  They tie the church to the right to vote (suppressed among the Quakers locally, before progress was made) and freedom of the press (suppressed by one of those who had stifled the Quaker's vote, which a NYC journalist called him on it), but really the greatest historic significance of the church was it's use - prior to its completion - as a hospital by the Hessians during the Revolutionary War.  And of personal interest, given where we went next, Sara Delano Roosevelt's role in the restoration of the historic pews - as a result of which it's something of a view into churches at the time of the Revolutionary War rarely seen.

I do wonder, had the timing been different, if the US Government would have turned away Saint Paul's Church.  The loose ties to history leave plenty of stories to tell, but - other sites with more history have been less favorably received.

122) Saratoga National Historical Park

Visited: Sunday, August 11, 2019

It's been a while - though we do have plans to see a few more sites soon.

The visitor center at Saratoga is really nice - there's a film, very well done, and a light show.  I find that light shows are more helpful for getting a feel of a battle than anything else I've seen.  There's also a nice section focused on Benedict Arnold.  There's also a nice driving tour of the site, which includes some lovely overviews of the Hudson River.  I'm not sure just how, but I'd never really understood the role that Saratoga played in the Revolutionary War, so it was definitely a great learning experience as well.

121) Biscayne National Park

Visited: Saturday, April 7, 2018

Somehow, I missed this one.  In preparing our trip, I somehow came to the conclusion that there were three, rather than four, sites in south Florida.  Fortunately, we saw signs for Biscayne, and found a little time to stop by.

Which is both entirely inadequate to view the park, which is 95% water, and not unreasonable given how little I care for water.  (Well, being on water or in water.  Showers aside.)  The video at the visitor center was very well done, and gave a nice feel for all the park has to offer, which was a nice way for me to appreciate it, along with the rest of the visitor center.

So - not the park for me, but still an important and impressive park - and highly recommended should you enjoy water activities.

120) Everglades National Park

Visited: Saturday, April 7, 2018

We could not have picked a better time to visit the Everglades, I think.  And I doubt there was an experience better suited to our interests than the Shark Valley tram tour.  I'm not a birdwatcher, but we saw a number of fascinating birds, perhaps most notably a half dozen or more Roseate Spoonbills, including a younger one for the color contrast (like flamingos, their color is a result of their diet).  And my view of the Everglades has been nicely corrected; I always had a view of the area as a swamp, rather than a slough.  Understanding how all four of the parks in the area fit together helped to make them each more interesting.

But - early April is definitely a good time to go; friends of Megan's went in the Summer, and it was miserable.

119) Big Cypress National Preserve

Visited: Saturday, April 7, 2018

One thing I've come to realize, as we've taken on this challenge, is that while I do enjoy the nature parks, in addition to the historic parks, I'm not drawn in by all of the nature park attractions.  For instance, going through multiple feet of water, with many critters present, some of which I'm not thrilled by - just doesn't appeal.  And if that's all Big Cypress offered, it might have been a disappointment - but there's an incredible boardwalk in front of the visitor center.  With a plethora of alligators, along with a number of turtles and fish.  Seeing a florida panther was terribly unlikely - and something I'd rather do from a distance anyway.  The visitor center itself was also quite nice, though the DVD only worked with German subtitles, which was rather fun.

118) Dry Tortugas National Park

Visited: Friday, April 6, 2018

This might be the first site we've visited where the journey was on par with the site.  Not that we haven't had good trips to NPS sites before - the one to the Channel Islands was particularly memorable.

But the seaplane out to Dry Tortugas was incredible...

The first time I've ever been in a seaplane, a unique experience itself.

A flight over the outer keys.

A few sharks, a few rays - and more turtles than you can shake a stick at, all at a nice low elevation.

Two sunken ships - each with an interesting story.

But Dry Tortugas is pretty impressive itself.  Fort Jefferson has an interesting story - intended to protect the shipping lane out from the gulf, but too heavy, and soon obsolete, it's only actual use was as a Civil War prison - Dr. Mudd was housed here after his arrest, and was actually called upon to treat a yellow fever outbreak when the camp doctor fell victim.

59 Revisited) Muir Woods National Monument

Visited: Friday, October 20, 2017

It was really nice to get back to Muir Woods - even if it seemed nearly as busy as when we visited during a weekend.  We took a longer time this visit, even going off the main path to see the Kent monument, honoring the man who saved the park from development, over a century ago.  It was peaceful and relaxing, and an ideal place to see after a long time on the road.  I hadn't remembered just how far the park was from civilization - but it's a welcome separation.