I can’t believe I’ve already been back from Alaska for a month. I am sooo sorry I haven’t posted more Alaska stories. I have a problem where I can’t stop having adventures long enough to write about the adventures I’ve already had. The first step is admitting I have a […]
Arlington National Cemetery is the most humbling place in the Washington, DC area. In a town that houses the three branches of government represented by the Supreme Court, the Capitol Building, and the White House, nothing looms larger than Arlington. Despite the historic efforts, political skill, and groundbreaking decisions of […]
It will be no surprise to most that I love the ocean. I loved it nearly every day of the three and a half years I lived on it. I tried to get outside everyday and look at the water. Stare at the horizon, where sky and water mix. I […]
The Star Spangled Banner was penned 200 years ago today. Here are some star spangled facts I learned on my trip to Fort McHenry in Baltimore last month. How many did you know? 1. The Star Spangled Banner was written during the War of 1812 and less than a […]
In an earlier post I mentioned how I hadn’t visited many of the Pennsylvania parks. I took a day of my vacation to visit the Flight 93 and Johnstown Flood Memorials. As I was researching in preparation for my trip I discovered another park close by that I had never […]
When I tell people my story I start to realize that I must enjoy living on transportation. I spent 2 years practically living on a bus and nearly 4 years living on a ship. Maybe one day I’ll have a private plane I can live out of! I would actually […]
I’d heard of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I knew it was somewhere near Altoona. I knew there had been a flood there. I knew some of my childhood television stations were broadcast from there. The End. I honestly didn’t know anything about the flood. When was it? Why did it happen? How […]
Part of what inspired me to commit to this National Park Challenge was the fact that I’m surrounded by so many parks, but I had so far been unwilling to go see them. Many parks are just a few miles out of my normal routes, and yet I was too […]
Thomas Jefferson is my favorite Founding Father. Is that weird that I have a favorite Founding Father? But what’s not to like? He’s a traveler, a writer, a lawyer, a statesman, a politician, a gadget man, an architect, a gardener, an education advocate, a reader…the list literally goes on and […]
I’d been telling everyone I was going to see the Appomattox Court House. The southern surrender to end the Civil War was signed in the court house of Appomattox, VA right? Wrong! Appomattox Court House is the name of the town that served as the county seat of Appomattox County. […]
Booker T. Washington. I remember his name from school, but like so many other names, stories, and facts I can no longer recall all of the details. But the information at the “Booker T. Washington National Monument” in Virginia would fill in my knowledge gaps. Washington was born on this […]
On August 26, 2015 the National Park Service will turn 100. Is it crazy to try to see 100 National Parks by the time NPS turns 100? It might be. But I’m going to give it a try anyway. I never paid much attention to National Parks while I was […]