Visited: Saturday, September 24th, 2016
We likely visited our final NPS site for the year with a return trip to the Saugus Iron Works. This time, we did the iron works house tour. Which - is historically odd, in that it post-dates the iron works (though it is from roughly the same era; it was built ~20 years after the iron works closed), and was remodeled to fit Wallace Nutting's view of what it _should_ look like. Not what it _did_ look like - though Nutting did make changes which brought the house closer to it's historic roots, he also added features to make it a better fit for how he felt it should look. Which, in retrospect, have little to do with the scant evidence that exists of how it did look.
But the tour was yet another reminder of the advantage of signing up for ranger talks at every opportunity...
Monday, October 3, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
23 Revisited) Minute Man National Historic Park
Visited: Monday, August 8, 2016
I really want to visit Minute Man sometime in April. The visitor center is simple, but well done at any point, but I'd love to see a reenactment, and to walk along the battle road. Of course, another April activity doesn't leave much time, so I'm not sure when or if it will happen, but it's definitely on the to-do list.
It was really nice to see the presentation - it's notably more than a simple movie - and to see the site of the farm where the leader at North Bridge lived, just up the hill from the bridge.
I really want to visit Minute Man sometime in April. The visitor center is simple, but well done at any point, but I'd love to see a reenactment, and to walk along the battle road. Of course, another April activity doesn't leave much time, so I'm not sure when or if it will happen, but it's definitely on the to-do list.
It was really nice to see the presentation - it's notably more than a simple movie - and to see the site of the farm where the leader at North Bridge lived, just up the hill from the bridge.
22 Revisited) Roger Williams National Memorial
Visited: Monday, August 8, 2016
Being in the area, and anxious to see more parks on the 100th anniversary of the NPS, we stopped by Roger Williams. There wasn't a need - but Williams really was a remarkable individual, and hearing about what he did - and how he did it - again was quite enjoyable. For such a small site, the memorial really is rather remarkable.
Being in the area, and anxious to see more parks on the 100th anniversary of the NPS, we stopped by Roger Williams. There wasn't a need - but Williams really was a remarkable individual, and hearing about what he did - and how he did it - again was quite enjoyable. For such a small site, the memorial really is rather remarkable.
110) Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park
Visited: Monday, August 8, 2016
Well, kind of. The National Historic Corridor spawned the NHP back in 2014, and things haven't progressed much since - we got our passport stamped, but there's currently not much else to do at the site, other than to say hi to Ranger Kevin.
Well, kind of. The National Historic Corridor spawned the NHP back in 2014, and things haven't progressed much since - we got our passport stamped, but there's currently not much else to do at the site, other than to say hi to Ranger Kevin.
Monday, July 18, 2016
109) Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
Visited: Monday, July 18, 2016
This was a really fascinating site to end this particular tour with. Once the site of an endless array of earth lodges - when Lewis & Clark were here in 1804, there were as many Native Americans living here as there were people living in Saint Louis - the site has the advantage of being both interesting because of the people who lived here and for the role in the Lewis & Clark expedition. It was here that they recruited the husband and wife team of Toussaint Charbonneau and Sacagawea to the expedition, returning them on their way back to Saint Louis. But the history of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes here is perhaps even more interesting, as their amish-like raising of earth lodges (our ranger told us it took 9 months to build the replica that stands there today - but just two weeks for the tribe) to their advanced agriculture (as Westerners came in, they adapted many seed lines from these tribes) to the story of their interactions with Westerners, so different from the stories of other tribes. Add in a great historical perspective - a historian met with an older Hidatsa woman in the early 20th century, and captured her story - and some other items of interest (Knife River flint was found as far away as Pennsylvania; it can be identified as Knife River flint because of the unique caramel coloring), and it's a site well worth visiting.
This was a really fascinating site to end this particular tour with. Once the site of an endless array of earth lodges - when Lewis & Clark were here in 1804, there were as many Native Americans living here as there were people living in Saint Louis - the site has the advantage of being both interesting because of the people who lived here and for the role in the Lewis & Clark expedition. It was here that they recruited the husband and wife team of Toussaint Charbonneau and Sacagawea to the expedition, returning them on their way back to Saint Louis. But the history of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes here is perhaps even more interesting, as their amish-like raising of earth lodges (our ranger told us it took 9 months to build the replica that stands there today - but just two weeks for the tribe) to their advanced agriculture (as Westerners came in, they adapted many seed lines from these tribes) to the story of their interactions with Westerners, so different from the stories of other tribes. Add in a great historical perspective - a historian met with an older Hidatsa woman in the early 20th century, and captured her story - and some other items of interest (Knife River flint was found as far away as Pennsylvania; it can be identified as Knife River flint because of the unique caramel coloring), and it's a site well worth visiting.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
108) Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Visited: Saturday, July 16, 2016-Sunday, July 17, 2016
Hitting Roosevelt was one of the keys for me on this trip; as I came to realize the distances involved, and the trip kept getting smaller, Glacier and Roosevelt were the two constants.
Having now visited Roosevelt - well, it made sense to include it on this trip. But I'm not sure I'd go so far for a repeat visit.
The park is divided into three sections - the North Unit, and South Unit, and Elkhorn Ranch. The third of these - only accessible via unpaved, steep roads, subject to washout - is actually the only one with a true direct connection to Roosevelt, being his home for a number of years after his wife's death when he tried to make it as a rancher. We didn't attempt to get there, but did visit the other units, each of which contains an area of badlands. It's a pretty landscape, but the badlands aren't as impressive as those in South Dakota, and the wildlife not as impressive as that in Yellowstone or Glacier.
Having said that, we did conclude our animals-walking-in-front-of-our-car portion of the trip by having a bison walk out in front of us, walk ~20 yards down the road, then head off to the side. And the prairie dog colonies in the South unit are quite impressive - and rather adorable. I'm glad to have been, but there's just not the pull for me of Glacier or Acadia, on the whole.
I was happy to see that the oil industry in North Dakota - which I'd heard was coming very close to the park - is not so bad that I saw any operations while in the park. Might just have not looked in the right places, but I'm happy to report that it's not omnipresent, in any event.
I'd never really spent much time in North Dakota before, but now having spent a bit my impression is of Texas, but with more grass.
Hitting Roosevelt was one of the keys for me on this trip; as I came to realize the distances involved, and the trip kept getting smaller, Glacier and Roosevelt were the two constants.
Having now visited Roosevelt - well, it made sense to include it on this trip. But I'm not sure I'd go so far for a repeat visit.
The park is divided into three sections - the North Unit, and South Unit, and Elkhorn Ranch. The third of these - only accessible via unpaved, steep roads, subject to washout - is actually the only one with a true direct connection to Roosevelt, being his home for a number of years after his wife's death when he tried to make it as a rancher. We didn't attempt to get there, but did visit the other units, each of which contains an area of badlands. It's a pretty landscape, but the badlands aren't as impressive as those in South Dakota, and the wildlife not as impressive as that in Yellowstone or Glacier.
Having said that, we did conclude our animals-walking-in-front-of-our-car portion of the trip by having a bison walk out in front of us, walk ~20 yards down the road, then head off to the side. And the prairie dog colonies in the South unit are quite impressive - and rather adorable. I'm glad to have been, but there's just not the pull for me of Glacier or Acadia, on the whole.
I was happy to see that the oil industry in North Dakota - which I'd heard was coming very close to the park - is not so bad that I saw any operations while in the park. Might just have not looked in the right places, but I'm happy to report that it's not omnipresent, in any event.
I'd never really spent much time in North Dakota before, but now having spent a bit my impression is of Texas, but with more grass.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
107) Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
Visited: Saturday, July 16, 2016
The main parking lot for the Fort Union Trading Post is in North Dakota, and is on Central Time.
The overflow parking lot for the Fort Union Trading Post is in Montana, and is on Mountain Time.
Unfortunately, that's about the most interesting thing about the site, as it exists today. The history of the site is fascinating; it was a key trading post between Native Americans and - well, Non-Native Americans for forty years. But the fort was torn down in the 1860s to provide material for a military fort (Fort Buford). What's there today is a partial recreation of the fort. It's not bad, but not really worth the long drive. Not a site we'll be revisiting.
The main parking lot for the Fort Union Trading Post is in North Dakota, and is on Central Time.
The overflow parking lot for the Fort Union Trading Post is in Montana, and is on Mountain Time.
Unfortunately, that's about the most interesting thing about the site, as it exists today. The history of the site is fascinating; it was a key trading post between Native Americans and - well, Non-Native Americans for forty years. But the fort was torn down in the 1860s to provide material for a military fort (Fort Buford). What's there today is a partial recreation of the fort. It's not bad, but not really worth the long drive. Not a site we'll be revisiting.
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