The Martin's Blog

12/5 Tu – Left 6am and arrived at the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center on the Susquehanna River at 2pm.  It is one of two Visitor Centers in the Susquehanna National Heritage Area (NHA).  There is a 14-mile paved, multiuse trail along the Susquehanna River.  This marker describes the 1913 Lincoln Highway from NYC to San Francisco, that passes over the Veterans Memorial Bridge/Old US-30 Bridge. 

The remains of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, which runs along the river.

It took about 20-min to drive across the bridge to the Zimmerman Center for Heritage on the west side of the river.  It is Pennsylvania’s official visitor contact and passport station for the Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT.

It is a 1750s stone house built by Gen. Jacob Dritt, who fought in the Revolutionary War.  It was renovated by the Zimmermans and donated to the NHA.

It tells the story of the area, beginning with the Susquehannock Indians who lived along the river.

We hiked up a hill on the Native Lands Heritage Trail to the site of the Susquehannock peoples’ last community.  Note the settler’s cemetery in the right middle of the photo.  

Grave marker for Elizabeth Dritt, Jacob’s wife.  He drown in the Susquehanna River in 1817 when his boat capsized as he was trying to cross in winter.

A 2-hr drive took us to Frederick MD and the grave/memorial for Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star-Spangled Banner – our National Anthem.  We arrived at dusk, 15-min before it closed.

Arrived 8pm at Lillian’s home in Rockville MD.  She had a surprise for us – dinner and a belated ice cream cake for my 80^th birthday!

12/6 W –I left at 7:30am for the George Washington Memorial PKWY, which runs along the Potomac River in VA.  The administrative center for sites along the PKWY is in Turkey Run Park.  I found the door open when I arrived and was able to use the 32-stamps, related to sites along the PKWY, to stamp my sheet.

I then did the 1.5-mile Turkey Run Trail Loop, that includes a section of the Potomac Heritage National Historic Trail (NHT).  The Claude Moore Colonial Farm, originally Turkey Run Farm, closed in 2018. The mission of Claude Moore Colonial Farm was to recreate the life of tenant farmers circa 1771. The majority of Virginians of that time period were tenant farmers who grew tobacco to pay their rent while growing food to eat.  How this site will be used in the future is under review.

The GW PKWY was under construction and had lots of traffic.  That made it difficult to access some of the sites along the Potomac River.  My next stop was the Navy and Merchant Marine Memorial, which is located on Kendall Point near the LBJ Memorial Grove (see Blog for August 2021).  I really like this “difficult to get to” memorial.

The 1922 cast aluminum memorial is dedicated to those Lost at Sea.  “The seven seagulls sculpted on the monument represent the witnesses of sacrifice on all seven seas.  Below the textured rocky surface of the water, the waves are swirling and crashing to portray the imminent dangers faced by seamen.”

From there I proceeded to the John Philip Sousa Middle School in east DC (Affiliated with the Brown vs. Board of Education NHP in Topeka KS).  It is a public school located in the city’s Fort Dupont neighborhood on the east side of the Anacostia River.  In 1950, Sousa was one of several new DC schools for white children.  Eleven African American junior high school students were taken on a field trip by Civil Rights activist Gardner Bishop, who requested admittance for the students to this school.  They were denied and ordered to return to their grossly inadequate school.  A suit was filed on their behalf in 1951, that suit became part of the Brown case in 1954.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled “segregation in the District of Columbia public schools…is a denial of the due process of law guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment…”

My next stop was the U.S. National Arboretum

It is the location of the National Capitol Columns that once supported the East Portico of the Capitol.  They were the backdrop for Presidential inaugurations from 1826-1958.

It is a striking display –

Onward and westward to central DC and the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, near the Capitol and across the street from Union Station.

Though it opened in 1993, it was off my radar.  I noticed it on a map when planning this trip and thought I would check it out.  The National Stamp Salon of the museum houses hundreds of panels of U.S. stamps and is a philatelist’s dream.

One task of government is to facilitate communication.  One way the U.S. has done that is through our postal system.  Therefore, in many ways, the history of the postal system is the history of our country.  The atrium displays many vehicles that have been and are utilized for the transport of Mail.

Owney – the Mascot of the Railway Mail Service.

From 1888 to 1897, Owney was the most famous dog in America.  Papers covered stories of his travels across the length and breadth of the country.  At that time, most of our mail was sorted on trains.  Railway Mail Clerks would give Owney a medal or tag to commemorate his trips.  Magnify this map to see the locations where he received his medals.

It was a short drive to the National Museum of the American Indian where I wanted to get two photos of outdoor sculptures.  The first was the National Native American Veterans Memorial.

The second was the Buffalo Dancer Sculpture.

However, I could not resist the urge to go into the museum for another quick visit.  Music & Song –

Indians are Everywhere in American Life

The Indians utilized every bit of the Buffalo –

Also did a quick visit to the nearby U.S. Botanic Garden –

Note the Capitol Dome in the background –

We visited the African American Civil War Memorial in 2018 (see Blog for October 2018).  This year I planned to tour the African American Civil War Museum which is across the street.  The museum honors the heroic roles of 209,145 U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) who helped end slavery and kept America united under one flag. 

Unfortunately, it was in the process of a make-over.  BUT, fortunately, I received information and a personal tour from Marquett Milton!

Next, on to the Dumbarton House (built in1799) in Georgetown.  Dolley Madison stayed here briefly when (1814) she was evacuated from the White House during the “War of 1812.”  It has been restored and is now the headquarters for the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America – women descended from Colonial era leaders.

This marker tells the story and shows her evacuation route to VA for safety.  It is one of many sites on the Star-Spangled Banner NHT.

Right next door is Oak Hill Cemetery.  It contains the remains of many early Washingtonians –   

Reverend William Pinkney

Van Ness Mausoleum

John Joyce, poet

Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward Douglass White

Montrose Park, which is an extension of Rock Creek Park, is just down the road –

My next stop was the Francis Scott Key Memorial Park located on the N side of Key Bridge.  The park overlooks the Bridge, the Potomac River, and the C & O Canal.

For 25-years, Key lived 200-ft away in a two-story house in Georgetown.  He was a lawyer who defended leading politicians against charges of treason, scandal, and assault.   He also defended African Americans in court to the extent that he was sometimes referred to as “the Black’s lawyer.”

Stairs lead down to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal towpath

My last stop for the day was Fort Marcy (1862) located off the westbound lanes of the George Washington PKWY.  It was one of the Circle Forts built to protect DC during the Civil War.

The Potomac Heritage NHT runs through the park – as you can see it was almost dark, the light on the trail sign came from my headlights.

12/7 Th – Called to confirm our White House Tour– no handbags/backpacks permitted and no storage available.  Took our photo IDs and caught the Red Line from Rockville to the Metro Central Stop in DC, walked through Freedom Plaza (diagram of Capitol)

Revisited the (now complete) World War I Memorial in Pershing Park, see Blog December 2020 for previous visit.

I did the White House Tour in the Fall of 1967 but do not have any photos from that visit.  This year I was fortunate to be able to obtain three passes for a Christmas Tour of the White House through my congressperson’s office.  Requests must be submitted a minimum of 21 days in advance and no more than 90 days in advance of the requested tour date(s).  Nothing is guaranteed and you are vetted before you are issued your pass.  As you will see in the following photos, the Christmas decorations were amazing. We felt privileged to be able to do our self-tour during this special season.  The theme chosen by First Lady Jill Biden was “Magic, Wonder, & Joy.” East, Visitors Entrance to White House –  

Gold Star Family Tree

Lillian and Helen in the East Colonnade

Library decorated for Bedtime Stories

Vermeil Room – Music Theater and decorations for the Joy of Music

China Room – decorated as The Bakery

East Room, largest room in the White House – decorated with advent calendar theme –  

Portrait of George Washington that First Lady Dolley Madison saved in 1814 when the British burned the White House.

Nativity display –

Front Cross Hall – taken through east door.

Front Cross Hall – taken from west door, Grand Foyer to left –

Green Room – top painting “Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City” by Ossawa Tanner; he mixed sand with his paint.

Official White House Menorah on right in Cross Hall, made in 2021 from wood removed from the White House during a Truman-era renovation –

Santa’s Reindeers Flying Through the Grand Foyer –  

The theme for the Grand Foyer was – ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Blue Room with the Official White House Christmas Tree – decorated with names of states and territories.

Blue Room windows looking out over the South Portico –

Red Room, Joy of Making Holiday Crafts –

State Dining Room

Gingerbread White House with Candy Cane Pillars

Main Entrance to Blue Room –

Looking Out Front Door of White House –

One Last Shot –

See our August 2021 Blog post for our visit to the White House Visitor Center

Walked back to the Metro and took it two stops to Judiciary Square and then continued walking to the Hart Senate Office Building.  Visited Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s office to get Gallery passes for the House and Senate Chambers and then ate lunch in the Senate Cafeteria. 

Photo of Senator Mark Kelly’s Office.

After lunch, one of Senator Brown’s aides accompanied us to the tunnel to the Capitol. We took the subway to the Capitol Visitors Center for our 2pm tour.

I have visited the Capitol several times, but this was the first time I did an Official Tour.  I obtained our free tickets on the U.S. Capitol website six weeks before our visit.  We started the tour by walking past a full-size plaster model (19.5ft tall) of the Statue of Freedom that sits on top of the Capitol.  It was placed atop the Dome in 1863.

Our first stop was the Crypt, which is located directly under the Rotunda.  The star on the floor is the center of Washington DC, dividing it into NE, NW, SE, and SW quadrants.  It was to be the burial place of George Washington.  However, he and Martha remain at Mount Vernon.  Thirteen statues are located here, one representing each of the original thirteen colonies.

Samuel Adams (Massachusetts) statue and a copy of the Magna Carta (gift of England & Northern Ireland).  The U.S. Constitution was formed on the basic principles of the Magna Carta.

Dome of the Crypt

Old Supreme Court Chamber –

We then walked upstairs into the Rotunda – the Dome.  The Apotheosis of Washington, is the fresco painted by Greek – Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the Rotunda.  The fresco is suspended 180 feet above the rotunda floor.

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington statues are located at the main (east) entrance into the Rotunda.

Helen resting under painting representing the Landing of Columbus in the “New World.”

Statue of President Garfield one of two statues representing Ohio.  The twelve historic paintings that surround the Rotunda present important events in the history of our country.  The one behind me is General George Washington Resigning His Commission, by John Trumbull, 1826.

Statue of the women at the forefront of the Women’s Suffrage Movement

Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony launched the women’s movement, which resulted in women’s right to vote.  It was granted 144 years after America declared itself a nation of liberty for all.  Note that the statue looks incomplete.  There is an uncarved block of marble.  There is speculation that it will be carved for the first woman President.

Statuary Hall – Our guide was excellent and spoke to us through our groups’ own audio system.  Her voice was clear, and our headphones blocked out other sounds in the area.  Rosa Parks statue in center.

Thomas Edison (born in Ohio) statue.  It is one of two statues representing Ohio in the Capitol.

After our tour, we were free to wander through the Exhibition Hall.  I liked the five models representing the development on Capitol Hill.  Here is the first, representing the New City of Washington DC 1790 – 1814.

Here is the Fifth model representing 1930 – Today.

We then used our Gallery passes to enter the House of Representatives, which was not in session. And then the Senate Chamber, which was in session; no photos are permitted.  Only one senator was present, and he was speaking during the debate on a funding bill.  Cameras were rolling and his comments were being recorded and sent to congressional offices in real time.  If a vote was required, the representatives would be alerted to come to the Senate Chamber. House and Senate Gavels

Gallery Passes

Exit

East side of Capitol at sunset –

Library of Congress – across the street from Capitol (there is a tunnel that connects them). I did research there when in graduate school at the University of Maryland.

Supreme Court Building – also across the street from Capitol

Senator Robert A Taft (Ohio) Memorial Carillon – just north of Capitol.  Son of President William Howard Taft (1909-1913).

Returned to Rockville, had dinner at “Not Your Joe’s” Kitchen & Bar.

12/8 F – It was a 3-hr drive to the Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville VA, which is a National Park Unit affiliated with the Brown v. Board of Education NHP in Topeka KS.

The 1939 High School was named after Robert Russa Moton who was the second principal of Tuskegee Institute in AL.

The Museum is dedicated to the black students who walked-out of school in 1951 to protest the unequal educational facilities that were provided for them compared to their white counterparts.  

Local lawyers took up the cause and filed a lawsuit, Davis v. Prince Edward (county), to challenge racial segregation.  Their suit was consolidated into the U.S. Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board, which led to the 1954 decision declaring that public school segregation was unconstitutional.  Prince Edward County responded by closing its public schools for four years to prevent integration.   

Barbara Rose Johns led a student walkout in April 1951.

The museum and displays were well done –

Auditorium

These were the five cases combined into the Brown v. Board School Segregation lawsuit –

R. R. Moton High School is known as the birthplace of America’s student-led Civil Rights Revolution

7.5hrs to Springfield OH

10/3 Tu – Took Mike to lunch in Chicago and arrived in Milwaukee before the kids were home from school.  Moved some items into the house, e.g., wing-back chair, large copper kettle, Matt’s painting, etc., and then had some time for playing followed by a delicious chicken & dumpling dinner.

10/4 W – Grandparent’s Day at St. Sebastian Church/School, started with Mass (Seamus was a reader), followed by snacks and visits to Drago’s, Seamus’s, and Lena’s classrooms.

10/5 Th – We took Seamus and Lena, first to Goodwill for “low cost” shopping, and then to the Milwaukee Zoo.  Drago was to go climbing with a friend but that did not work out.

They had a special Ice Age Exhibit loop walk with animated prehistoric animals.

We also saw the Sea Lion Show and the kids did the 3D Virtual Reality Gorilla Trek. Our Zoo visit ended with a Rainbow Sherbert cone from the family farm. In total, we walked about 4 miles!

10/6 F – Chad drove Drago, Seamus, and I to the Pike Lake Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest.  We did a 5-mile hike including a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Gained over 400ft to the top of the Powder Hill Observation Tower –

Meanwhile, Helen and Lena were making Halloween cookies at home.  In the evening, we went to Drago’s volleyball game (win) and the Family Fish Fry at St Sebastians.

10/7 Sa – I took Lena to her soccer game (win) while Chad and Helen went to Drago’s swim meet. 

It was the feast day of St Francis of Assisi.  In the afternoon, Chad and I walked to the church for Clancey to receive his blessing.  We celebrated Drago’s birthday early (it is on 10/10) at the Old Town Serbian Gourmet House in S Milwaukee.  Finished the evening with the card game 99 at home.

10/8 Su –started with Mass and then everyone rushed to get to Seamus’s soccer game (win).  Afterward, we drove to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of MI to spend the next day with our friends Clark and Donna.

10/9 M – Did a tour of the area along the border between WI and MI starting at Dave’s Falls in Marinnette County WI.  Then drove to the Lighthouse in Menominee MI, did Thrift shopping, and ate at the Ogden Club (1900); tried Cheese Curds for the first time.  High fat, greasy, but good!  Had a pizza dinner and played cards at home on a cold rainy day.

10/10 Tu – 2hr drive to the Munising Falls Visitor Contact Station at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (NL).  Fall colors were near peak on Lake Superior.

We visited here in 2003 on our first “Around Lake Michigan” trip.  That year we did the Ship Wreck Tour leaving out of Munising.

Followed by the 0.5-mile rt trail to Munising Falls located in the NL.

We then drove to Hurricane River and the Au Sable Light Station trailhead.  We did the 3-mile rt hike along the beach (North Country National Scenic Trail), passing the remains of Lake Superior shipwrecks, to the Au Sable Light Station.

Our first hike on this visit, 20-years later, was the 1-mile, mostly boardwalk, Marsh Trail Loop near Sand Point.

Our next stop was the Miners Castle Overlook

Followed by a short hike to the Lower Overlook on a segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST).  The NCNST stretches over 4,800-miles from VT to ND or vice-versa!

The Lower Overlook provided a close-up view of Miners Castle.  Note the window picture frame – for taking a picture of Pictured Rocks NL!

We then took a cold stroll on Miners Beach – looking West –

Miners Beach looking East –

To warm-up, we then did the 1.2-mile rt Miners Falls Trail

2018 NP Quarter

Followed US-2 around the N end of Lake Michigan, crossed the Mackinac Bridge, and stopped in Petoskey MI for an Octoberfest dinner at the Side Door Saloon.  My mother’s first cousin, Josephine Kolinski and her husband Walter, owned this bar/restaurant and it was called the Vienna.  It was handed down in the family but sold last year and the new owners re-named it the Side Door Saloon.

This deer was shot by Tony Kolinsky, the first one of the 1964 hunting season.

Spent the night in the scenic town of Charlevoix MI –

10/11 W – It was a rainy 2hr drive to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (NL) –  

Our first trip here was in 2003 when we ran down to the lake and then climbed the NL’s highest dune at the Lake Michigan Overlook on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.

It took about five minutes to run down to the lake and about a half hour to climb back up the 450ft dune!

This year, we took pics and reflected on how difficult it was to climb that sand dune twenty years ago! Note the observation deck that has been built at the overlook.

Legend of Manitou Islands and the Sleeping Bear

View of climb from Observation Deck –

Lucky we didn’t get stuck at the bottom!

This year, we started our visit to the NL by doing the 1.2-mile hike to Pyramid Point

Another warning sign!

Next, the historic Village of Glen Haven

Then the U.S. Life-Saving Station

The Coast Guard Station was active from 1902 to 1942.

We then did the 1-mile rt hike to Sleeping Bear Point

Dune climb on our return hike to the SUV.

This was followed by the 7.4-mile 12-stop Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. First stop, Glen Lake Overlook.

D. H. Day wanted to develop the area – thank goodness he failed!

Our last stop on the drive was the North Bar Overlook

Got our stamp at the Visitor Center, had a bowl of soup in Empire, and then did the 4.5hr drive to Dearborn MI, which is just N of Detroit.

10/12 Th – We were at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation at 9:30am when it opened.  It is one of the locations within the MotorCities National Heritage Area (NHA).  We were disappointed to learn that Greenfield Village, which was decorated for Halloween, was not open.  We decided to “pay the piper” for the Museum anyway and were not disappointed.

Exploded 1923 mass produced Ford Model T

The Museum has several sections, one of which is, not surprisingly, Driving America.

This was my favorite car – a 1903 Model F Packard Runabout (made in Warren OH).  Tom Fetch and Marius Krarup (Packard employees) called their car the “Old Pacific.”

It was the second car to drive cross country from San Francisco to New York City (61-days). The first transcontinental trip was with a Winton car, which took 63-days earlier that same year.  The exact number of miles is not known because of the circuitous route due to the lack of good roads.  As far as I know, the record for the “Cannonball Run” (an “illegal race,” due to high speeds) from NYC to LA is 26hrs and 38 mins in 2019 during the Covid pandemic.  This 1903 Packard carried a large umbrella for the sun!

Helen’s family had a 1952 dark green used/repaired Hudson Hornet with a red hood.  They called it “Cherry Nose.”  It was like the Doc Hudson car in the movie “Cars.”

Helen had a 1962 dark grey Corvair convertible when I met her in 1967.

My car, at that time, was a 1962 Chevrolet Impala sedan, three speed stick shift on the column, that I called “Mister Good.”

Two other cars at the museum caught my attention.  The first was a Moore/Unser racecar used on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 1958.  The Pikes Peak Hill Climb was started in 1915, one year after the toll road was completed.  It is run on the last Sunday of June each year.  The 2011 “Hill Climb” was the last year when some of the route was not paved.  In 2018, a VW I.D.R. electric racecar set a record of 7 minutes 57.128 seconds for the 12.42-mile course, with an elevation gain of 4,720ft and 156 turns!   One reason why Electric cars have an advantage is because the gasoline engines require oxygen, which decreases with altitude.

The second car was the 1965 Goldenrod, which held the land speed record of 409.277mph for 25 years.  It was powered by four Chrysler engines. The record was set on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah.

Another popular display includes a line of Presidential Limousines.  The most recent was for President Reagan.  Each one became bigger, heavier, and had more security features.

The following line starts with President Eisenhower’s “Bubble Top” Lincoln limousine –

I remember getting a “Wiener Whistle” from a Wienermobile as a child in the early 1950s!  This year I came across one visiting Yellow Springs OH.

OK Everybody, let’s sing the Oscar Mayer Wiener Song!

15 cent McD hamburger anyone?  Note the 1956 Chevy and a Studebaker in the photo as well.  You can eat lunch in Lanny’s Diner.

There is a large section of the museum devoted to innovation in Agriculture and the Environment.  I have picked out a few photos of personal interest.  The first is the International Harvester wagon built in Chicago.

An 1850 Reaper made in Brockport NY

A 1900 Superior Grain Drill made in Springfield OH

A 1910 Aermotor (Windmill) made in Chicago.

Many are still in use.  I took this photo last year in West TX

Railroads – Early RR Steam Engine and the C&O 1941 Locomotive called the Allegheny.

The Allegheny was one of the biggest/heaviest most powerful locomotives ever built.  It is the most photographed item in the museum.

This is why passenger cars on trains are called both “ passenger carriages” and “passenger coaches.”

A center section of the museum was devoted to Liberty and Justice for All.  President Lincoln was assassinated while sitting in this blood-stained rocker at the Ford Theater in Washington DC on April 14, 1965.

The 1800s

Some women, who were arrested picketing President Wilson in front of the White House, went on a hunger strike while in jail and were force fed.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on this Montgomery AL City Bus and was taken to jail.

Another favorite section of the museum for me was the “Heroes of the Sky Exhibit.”  This is an exact replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer made in Dayton OH.

In 1926, Admiral Byrd made a disputed flight over the North Pole in this Fokker Trimotor aircraft.  The expedition was sponsored by Edsel Ford and the plane was named after his daughter Josephine.

It is documented that he did make the first flight over the South Pole in 1929 in this 1928 Ford Trimotor.

The Douglas Commercial (DC-3) was built from 1936 through 1950 and was the workhorse of the fledgling airline industry. 

This was one of the first Plane-Helos that was put in operation by the Detroit News.

The Dymaxian Round Aluminum House was a 1948 prototype of a proposed mass-produced house that was made from aluminum, steel, and plastic.  It looked like a great idea!    

Made in America items –

Last photo, Phone Evolution –

We hope to go back to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation again, when the adjacent Greenfield Village is also open.

 A 3.5hr drive got us home about 5pm.

Tom’s 80^th Birthday Celebration – Chicago

The entire family (15 people) met at a rented condo in Chicago’s Chinatown.

The space was a bit “tight” but maximized interaction!

Though the inscription clearly states that this is Confucious – it is Chinese to me.

Birthday dinner at the Triple Crown Dim Sum Chinese restaurant –

Lots of family activities – Field Museum

The Cloud Gate – better known as “The Bean.”

Used the L/Subway, walking, and occasionally an Uber to get around.

Cleveland Guardians 8, Chicago Cubs 6 in 10 innings – exciting game for Cleveland and Milwaukee fans

Michigan Ave Bridge – The plaque states that Rene-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle and Henry de Tonti passed here in 1681 on their way from Lake Michigan to the Chicago River, to the Des Plains River, to the Illinois River, to the Mississippi River, and onward to the Gulf of Mexico.  La Salle was an explorer and fur trader.  He claimed the basin of the Mississippi River and tributaries for King Louie of France, naming the region “Louisianna” in 1687.

Wendella Chicago River and Lake Michigan Boat Tour –

Going through the lock into Lake Michigan

Chicago Skyline

Lots of good eats – the original Pizzeria Uno, 15-family members, plus the Irish waitress who made the seating happen!

Navy Pier Centennial Wheel

A Little TV Time

5/31/2023 – It took 7 hours to drive to West-Central IL and the integrated interracial town that “Free Frank” McWorter founded in 1836 – New Philadelphia NHS.  “The first known town planned and legally registered by an African American before the Civil War.”

This site is the 424^th and newest NPS Unit (12/29/2022).  So, my total NP Units count rises to 424!

Frank was a slave in KY. He saved money from his work and a small business to first purchase his wife and then himself, then his children and grandchildren. He sold lots in New Philadelphia to get the funds to purchase his family members.

At its peak, New Philadelphia had about 160 residents in 1860.

It was a stop on the “Underground Railroad” before and during the Civil War.

You can listen to an audio tour as you walk the loop trail through the townsite

You can get the park stamp at the Public Library in Barry IL – 2 miles west

The McWorters attended the First Baptist Church in Barry

“Free Frank” and Lincoln –

We arrived at the Quindaro Townsite National Commemorative Site (NCS) in Kansas City KS as it was starting to get dark.

Quindaro was on the banks of the Missouri River below this overlook.  The opposite side (east side) of the river was MO, a slave state.

Plaques at Overlook – National Freedom Trail Underground Railroad Network Site

John Brown was a hero to the people of Quindaro.  The statue was erected in 1910.

The town “officially” existed from 1857 – 1862

Quindaro Freedman’s School was started here in 1860.  The school closed in 1877 but was re-activated by the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) in 1882. In 1891 it was renamed Western University and continued to educate primarily blacks until it was forced to close in 1943.

Spent the night in KC

6/1 Th – 8.5hrs and 610mi to Nick & Linda’s home in Arvada outside Denver. We had a family dinner at Jordano’s Italian restaurant that evening. 

6/2 F – Had the Sequoia serviced in the morning and “hung out” with Nick & Linda until we left for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) convention banquet at the Hyatt Regency.

Stacy was passing the gavel after serving a year as President of ACSM

6/3 Sa – up early, met Leaf & Jeff at their home in Loveland at 8am for a Rocky Mountain Excursion.

We drove to Kenosha Pass on Rt 285; it is one of the entrances into the South Park National Heritage Area.

Spaniards called South Park Valle Salado (Salt Valley) for the salt springs used by the Ute and other tribes. The French, who were in the area as early as the 1700s, used the Creole name Bayou Salade (Salt Marshes). American trappers, or mountain men, who began filtering into South Park in the first decade of the nineteenth century, used a mix of the French and Spanish and titled the valley Bayou Salado for the salt springs and the salty, standing water that grew rich, high protein grasses favored by big game. The name South Park was taken from the French parc, meaning game preserve and referring to the area’s vast herds of wildlife. According to historian Virginia McConnell, the name South Park was first used in the 1840s when a chain of mountain valleys—North Park, Middle Park, and South Park—were becoming a popular hunting ground for American hunters.

South Park is a vast grassland basin, 50 miles long and 35 miles wide, situated in the geographic center of Colorado. In the basin, the elevation of the National Heritage Area is about 8,500 feet, while on the surrounding mountain peaks it rises to as high as 14,286 feet. The significance of South Park’s natural resources is directly linked to its high altitude. From canyons to grasslands to mountain summits, this landscape boasts a wealth of natural resources, some of which exist nowhere else in the world. More than 115 rare or imperiled plant and animal species have been documented in South Park, nearly 50 of which are considered globally significant.

At the peak of the fur trapping era between 1820 and 1840, some 3,000 mountain men are thought to have been in the Rocky Mountains. Among those known to have trapped in South Park were Kit Carson, Joseph Meek, John Smith, and Dick Wootton, who is said to have gathered 1,000 pounds of skins during one season. By 1840, with the beaver population decimated and changing tastes in fashion, the fur trade waned.

Our first stop was in the town of Como

Como was a railroad town, 1881-1938

Como Roundhouse

Our second stop was Alma (1873), the highest incorporated town in the U.S. – 10,578ft elevation

Alma was the supply and service center for Park County mines and the smelting center of South Park. The town was established at the junction of Buckskin Creek and the South Platte River seven miles north of Fairplay as a result of new silver discoveries. The remains of several mines can be found along the Historic Buckskin Gulch Auto Tour Road (gravel).

The Paris Mill Mine is in the process of restoration

Our next stop was in Fairplay, in the center of the South Park NHA. South Park was one of the richest sections of the Colorado Mineral Belt. Intrusions of gold, silver, lead, and other minerals lead to extensive mining throughout the Mosquito Range.

South Park City Museum – is a historic 1880s Gold Rush town that’s now a museum with more than 40 buildings.

The Old Park County Courthouse (1874) housed county court functions for 132 years and continues to actively serve the public today.

Monument to Prunes A Burro 1867–1930, Fairplay, Alma, All Mines in this District. The monument is adorned with mining tools, ore samples, and a winner’s board for the World Championship Pack-Burro Race that started here in 1949. Burros were used to help miners carry gold ore. They were used to carry anything heavy and could be trusted to navigate narrow trails without dropping valuable loads. Before freight wagons could navigate these trails, burros carried millions of dollars worth of ore out of the Colorado mountains. Many miners bonded with these animals but Prunes in particular became a Park County legend. He worked at almost every local mine during that period. The last mine he was said to work at was the Hocking Mine in Mosquito Gulch.

Had a great lunch at Mr. Burro Café with Jeff and Leaf.

Interesting rock formations and the Mosquito Mountain Range.

Passed through Twin Lakes near Mt Elbert, the HP of CO at 14,433ft, which I climbed with my brother Pat in 1990

Stopped briefly in Leadville, a famous silver/gold mining town of 30,000 people in the late 19^th century.  At 10,152ft, it was known as Cloud City, and is a National Historic Landmark.

Driving North, Rt-24 climbs to 10,424ft at Tennessee Pass.  There is a nice memorial there to the 10^th Mountain Division, which trained at Camp Hale a little further North.

The following markers tell the story of the 10^th Mountain Division

Walked a short distance on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT). The CDT extends 3,028-miles from Canada to Mexico and is considered one of the greatest long-distance trails in the world.  The CDT is one-third of the “Triple Crown of Hiking.” That is, the CDT, Appalachian Trail (AT) 2,194-miles, and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), 2,653-miles. The CDT is in Red on this map [our driving route in orange] –

This section of trail at Tennessee Pass is also part of the Colorado Trail and the American Discovery Trail.

Dropped over one thousand feet to the Eagle River Valley (9200ft) that is/was the location of Camp Hale, which was the center of mountain and winter warfare training developed by the US Army during World War II.

President Biden declared Camp Hale and the Continental Divide Trail a National Monument, administered by the USFS, in 2023.  Entrance to the Camp Hale –

The camp included more than 1,000 buildings and structures as well as parade grounds, weapons ranges, and other spaces needed by the Army. There is a self-guided tour with 10 stops that take you in a loop around Camp Hale. Each stop has an interpretive sign describing that area, for example, the Field House.

Rock Climbing Area

The Viking Battalion

Sign describing the history of the Eagle River Valley, note the CIA use 1950s – 1960s.

Tibetan Freedom Fighter Training

We then continued North on US-24 past scenic old mine town/sites.

And then stopped in Vail – Monument to the “Ski Trooper.”

The Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame is in Vail.  It has a major display on the 10^th Mountain Division and Camp Hale.

One example from the Snowsports Museum – the history of Snow Boarding

Stopped for dinner in Idaho Springs at Beau Jo’s – the Original Home of Colorado-Style Pizza!

6/4 Su – Relaxing Rainy Day with Jeff and Leaf

6/5 M – Left at 6:30am for the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center of Rocky Mountain NP.  We had to get there before 9am, because after that you must have a Timed Entry Reservation for entry!  I had one for 11am ($2 online) but that would not have allowed us to get through our agenda for the day.

I had wanted to do a hike in Glacier Basin, however, I discovered that you needed a separate timed entry pass to get on the Bear Lake Road to that area!  This photo, taken at the visitor center, shows the topography of the park –

It was supposed to rain all day, but when we entered the park, it started to clear. Overlook for view of Long’s Peak (14,259ft).  Unfortunately, clouds obscured the mountain.

I had not planned to drive the length of Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center, but we could not pass up the beautiful weather!  Forest Canyon Overlook – NP is known for its Alpine Scenery.

Lava Cliffs

Black Ice at highest point of Trail Ridge Road – 12,183ft.  It is the highest continuous paved road in the U.S.

Alpine Visitor Center parking lot

Old Fall River Road, 1920-1932, you can still drive it (one-way) during the Summer.

My first visit to Rocky Mountain NP was in 1966 with my mother and three brothers – Mom on Trail Ridge Road

The following year, my friend Jay and I did our first big mountain climb on Long’s Peak (14,259ft), while on our 10,000-mile loop road trip through the western states and Canada.  Long’s Peak is the northernmost of the CO fourteeners (58 mountains in CO exceeding 14,000-feet) and the highest peak in Rocky Mountain NP.

The Boulderfield – I am in center bottom

We started before sunrise on the 15-mile roundtrip hike/climb (5,000 feet of elevation gain). 

We did the climb up by way of the “Cables Route.”  View of Chasm Lake from edge of East Face in 1966 when I climbed to this point by myself. Note the basketball shoes, novice climber!  The cables were removed by the NP in 1973. 

I became “mountain sick,” due to altitude, and threw up on the summit! 

View of the “Home Stretch,” as we started our descent toward the “Keyhole.”

In 1968, I returned with Helen and my three brothers.  To make it a little easier, we camped overnight at Jim’s Grove (~11,500ft elevation).  

The next day when we got to the Boulderfield (12,660ft), Pat had altitude sickness.  So, I stayed with him while Helen, Joe, and Mike did the climb by way of the Keyhole Route.  John Wesley Powell was the first to climb this peak in 1868.  This climb was 100 years later! 

In 1985, my cousin Nick, his daughter Lisa and son Chris, Stacy, Peter, and I camped in Glacier Basin. 

The next day we did the 8.9-mile roundtrip hike to the top of Flattop Mtn (12,324 ft).

Stacy at Panorama of Peaks Overlook on Trail Ridge Road – 1985.

It took about two hours to drive from the Alpine Visitor Center to Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (NHA).  The NHA follows the river from Roosevelt National Forest to where it empties into the South Platte River. It is Colorado’s only Wild & Scenic River.

Stopped at the Colorado Welcome Center (off I-25) in Fort Collins to pick up literature and get the NHA stamp.

Our next stop was the Fort Collins Paudre River Whitewater Park

Antoine Janis Marker in Laporte – he was the first settler in Larimer County CO

An Overland Trail Stage Stop marker is also in Laporte

Nice map of the Cache la Poudre River NHA

The river was named by trappers who would cache (store) their powder near here (1836).

Started the day in Denver, visited Rocky Mountain NP, Cache la Poudre River NHA (Fort Collins CO), and arrived at Panorama Point, the highpoint of NE (5,424ft), at 6:30pm. 

It is on a Bison Ranch and now has a $3 entrance fee.  The owners are calling it “High Point Bison.”

This was Helen’s 34^th state highpoint.

The NE-CO-WY Tri-State Marker is one-mile away.

We then drove north to Scott’s Bluff and the Oregon Trail.  The Mormon Pioneer NHT, California NHT, Oregon NHT, and Pony Express NHT all followed the same route through NE.  The Pony Express Trail only operated for 18 months, from 1860 to 1861.  At the time, it was the fastest way to get mail from the east to the west.  More specifically, from St Joseph MO to Sacramento CA.

The transcontinental telegraph, which was finished in October 24, 1861, led to the demise of the Pony Express.

We arrived at Chimney Rock NHS (Affiliated NP Unit) as the sun was setting. 

Important Waypoint on the Oregon, California, Mormon, and Pony Express National Historic Trails

The site is administered by the state of NE

When wagon trains reached this landmark, they knew they had reached the Rocky Mountains.  So, there was first excitement and then the realization of the difficulties that lie ahead.

How Long Will it Last?

Prairie Sunset

Stayed the night in the Chadron NE Super 8

6/6 Tu – Left at 7am and arrived at the Wounded Knee Creek Massacre Site on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in SD at 8:30am.  These signs tell the story of the massacre –

Wounded Knee Cemetery on hill. Helen met an indigenous “healer” here who provided relief for her after the recent death of her nephew – real story.  As a remembrance, we got a bundle of sage to pass on to her brother.

Marker (read) – Chief Big Foot Massacre, Dec.29.1890

A half hour drive north took us to the White River Visitor Center for Badlands NP, it is staffed in cooperation with the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

In the 19^th century, the buffalo population was reduced to about 800 animals.  Today, there are over 300,000 buffalo in the U.S. This photo was taken in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, which includes Badlands NP.

This photo was taken near the SE entrance to Badlands NP.  See this Blog for September 2019 for more photos and information on Badlands NP and the nearby Minuteman Missile NHS.

Drove through SD on I-90 for 6-hrs to the SW corner of Minnesota and Pipestone NM.  My first visit here was in 1989 with Peter when we were on his 15-year-old “bonding” Road Trip through the upper Midwest.

Helen and I visited every site indicated on this park map –

Quarry Exhibit and Pipestone Quarries

Quartzite Ledge

Winnewissa Falls

The Oracle

Nicollet Expedition Marker

Turtle

Old Stone Face –

Also known as Leaping Rock

Pipestone Creek

Spotted Pipestone Quarry

Indigenous people are still able to quarry here.

The Three Maidens

4hr drive to Super 8 in Cresco IA

6/7 W – 1.25hrs to Effigy Mounds NM.  Helen and I visited in 2007, however, I wanted a few more photos and also to visit the South Unit.

When we arrived, the visitor center was closed. So, we took the Yellow River Bridge Trail into the South Unit, about 1-mile rt.

The Yellow River empties into the Mississippi River here

Tunnel under SR-76

Back at the Visitor Center

History of Effigy Mounds

We then repeated the 2-mile hike to Fire Point and Eagle Rock that we had done in 2007.

Many of the Effigy Mounds are difficult to make out from ground level, for example, Little Bear Mound

View from Fire Point – 2007

View from Eagle Rock – 2007

Iowa Effigy Mounds Quarter 2017

Our next objective was to visit a couple of sites within the Silos to Smokestacks NHA in Iowa.

We started in Marquette at the Riverfront Boardwalk on the Great River Road and Mississippi River

River Workboat

There are 29 Locks and Dams on the “Great River”

Marquette-Joliet Bridge and Casino Riverboat river right

Barges have replaced Paddleboats

Paint Rock Bluff is another site in the NHA

We drove through WI on our way to Dubuque IA and stopped at the Grotto & Shrines on the grounds of the Holy Ghost Parish Church in Dickeyville. It is known for its phenomenal stonework.

Fr. Matthias Wernerus, a German-American priest, constructed the following shrines during his 1918-1930 service to the parish.  They were created out of stone, mortar, shells, glass, brightly colored materials, and objects collected from all over the world – Christ the King Shrine

Sacred Heart Shrine

Patriotic Shrine – Middle Statue is Christopher Columbus

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque Iowa is one of the many sites within the Silos and Smokestacks NHA

We were able to get the National Park Service (NPS) stamp at the museum.

Log Cabin in the Jerry Enzler River Plaza

The Iroquois Pearl Button Factory opened here in 1901 and made “Mother of Pearl” buttons from river clam shells.  It closed in 1930 when plastic buttons made them obsolete.

William M. Black Vintage Dredge Boat

8hr drive home to Springfield, lost an additional 1hr to EST – a LONG Day!

6/8 Th – 55^th Wedding Anniversary!

1/12/2022 Th – after having our flight from Dayton to Maui canceled at 10pm yesterday, I arranged for a flight from Columbus leaving at 5am.  So, we were up at 2am to get to the airport.  Five minutes from home I hit a deer.  Fortunately, I was still able to drive the car to Columbus, only to find that our flight was canceled!  After much ado, American Airlines got us a flight on United that left at 7am.  When we got to United, that flight was canceled. We had to rebook two more times to finally get a flight to Maui.  Also, we had to change our return flights because now our car was in Columbus and not in Dayton as originally planned!  We arrived in Maui at 10:30pm, 8 hours later than planned.  I rented our car from SIXT and got to our VRBO Kihei Bay Surf Condo at 11:30pm, where Kate was waiting.  She had landed nine hours earlier.

1/13 Friday the 13th – up early to get to the “Pride of Maui” leaving out of Wailuku for our snorkeling adventure at 8am.  We took towels, reef approved sunscreen, caps, warm clothes, etc.  A light breakfast was waiting for us when we boarded at 7:30am. The water temperature was about 75 degrees, air temperature was in the low 60s, with winds about 13mph.  That prompted us to rent wet suits.

We were treated to numerous humpback whale sightings and breaches on our 45min cruise to the Molokini Crater snorkeling site.

Though cold, it was a good site and we snorkeled for about 45 minutes.

Water Camera Photos –

We had a BBQ lunch and saw more whales as we then cruised to our “Turtle Town Snorkeling” destination.

Good snorkeling but no turtles today –

Drove to Lahaina, saw the Jodo Buddhist Mission, and walked the beach.

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In 1982, Helen, Stacy, Peter, Kate, and I visited four of the Hawaiian Islands.  This is a photo of Stacy near Lahaina.

Kate had her first birthday on Maui, with a Pineapple Upside Down Cake! – July 20, 1982.

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Kate – 2023

We had VOG today – that is, Volcano Smog from the eruption of Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii.  I was not feeling well after our beach walk, so we returned to the condo.  I rested and hydrated while Helen and Kate went out to Kihei Sushi Ko for dinner.

1/14 Sa – started the day at the Kahului Swap Meet.  It focused on local handicrafts, so was not of great interest, but the small bananas were excellent!

In 1982, we drove the notorious Road to Hana, windy, gravel, and often one-lane.  I don’t know why these people were so happy!

The waterfalls at the end were worth it – Cliff jumping at Makahiku Falls

Peter and Stacy enjoyed sliding down into some of the Pools of ‘Ohe’o near Kuloa Point. These pools are also known as the “Seven Sacred Pools.”

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Today we entered Haleakala NP about 11am and stopped at the 7,000ft Visitor Center

Haleakala means – “House of the Sun.”

Here is a 1982 photo of Stacy at the Leleiwi Overlook 8,840ft.

It is a 37-mile drive to the highest point on the crater rim (10,023ft) called the Pu’u’ula’ula Summit, about 30-degrees colder than at the beach!

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The Haleakala Visitor Center at the 9,740ft level was not open today.

We did the short hike to the overlook on the Keonehe’ehe’e or Sliding Sands Trail

In 1982, we hiked about 2,500 ft down this trail to the Pu’u o Pele Cone in the Wilderness Area on the crater floor.  Note Helen carrying Kate.  We took turns carrying her on the 7-mile round trip hike.

Of course, we also carried food and water for lunch.  One of our funny stories is how we also carried a whole pineapple for dessert.  After cutting and eating it, we all ended up with very sticky mouths and hands.  Helen said, “No problem, just rub your hands in the black pumice and the sugar will just fall off leaving your hands clean – just like using sand on the Jersey shore.”  Well, it did not brush off and we all looked like hobos until we got back to our motel.

The Ahinahina or Silversword grows on the slopes of Haleakala and nowhere else in the world.  We were able to see some on our 1982 hike.

On our return, Kate searched Google for a place to eat and found a nice Food Truck Park with local selections near Kahului.  We returned to the condo and walked across the street to the 500-year-old Ko’ie’ie Fishpond.

We waded in to get a better look at the seven large Green Turtles that were resting on the rocks.

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The Visitor Center for the Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary is nearby.    

1/15 Su – Had a great breakfast at a local place called the Tasty Crust in Kahului and then headed to the airport.  Kate’s flight to LAX was canceled and she was rescheduled, getting into LA later in the evening.  We departed at 11:20am and arrived at the Kailua-Kona airport on the Big Island of Hawaii at 11:56am.  Airplane view of Mauna Kea (left) and Mauna Loa (right).  Mauna Loa had stopped erupting.

Thrifty upgraded us to a new 4WD Jeep “Road Hawk,” which would allow us to drive to the observatories on top of Mauna Kea (13,803ft).  Our first stop today was the Pu’ukohola Heiau NHS.  This was our second visit to this site – we had previously visited all the NP Units on the island on previous trips.

We watched the video “Foundation of a Nation” that describes how Kamehameha I was destined to unite all the Hawaiian Islands.  A prophet had told Kamehameha that he would be successful if he built a Heiau or Temple to the War God Kuka’ilimaku or Ku atop Pu’ukohoa or “Whale Hill.”

It was built 1790-91 by moving stone hand over hand from the Pololu Valley over twenty miles away.  No mortar was used in the construction.

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Kamehameha defeated his first cousin Chief Keoua, who controlled the south end of the island.  He then invited him to the dedication of the new temple and killed him and most of his party.  Keoua’s body was then carried to the Heiau and offered as the principal sacrifice to the War God Ku.  Kamehameha I would go on to conquer the other islands, then known to Europeans as the Sandwich Islands, to become the first King of the Hawaiian Islands.

One reason for Kamehameha’s success was his use of “modern weapons (e.g., a canon)” and techniques learned from John Young a British sailor stranded on the island in 1790.

We hiked the one-mile trail to the Heiau on the Hill of the Whale and then returned on a segment of the 175-mile Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, which runs along the west coast of the island.

It was an hour drive south to Kaloko-Honokohau NHP.  We arrived at the Hale Ho’okipa Visitor Contact Station at 3:30 and had a half hour there before they closed.  We looked around the small contact station and then did the nature walk.  

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The grounds remained open, so we drove to a parking area near the ocean and entered the park near the Pu’uoina Heiau and the Ai’opio Fishtrap.  It was an enjoyable walk to the ocean, past the fishtrap, and along Honokohau Beach.  High tide would bring fish into the pond for sustainable “farming.”

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Had dinner at Keoni’s Point of View, a salty bar/grill in Kailua-Kona where we watched the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL Playoff game.  We then bought breakfast items at Target and drove to our Airbnb at an elevation of about 1,000ft up the mountain from the airport.  It was big and clean, but no AC.

1/16 M – Martin Luther King Day – we were up at 6am for what would be the busiest day of our trip.  It took a bit over an hour to drive up Saddle Road (Rt 200) to the 6,632ft saddle between Mauna Kea (13,796ft) and Mauna Loa (13,677ft).  This road is now known as the Daniel K. Inouye Highway and is a huge improvement over the dilapidated two-lane road we drove in 1993 when I climbed Mauna Kea.  See my article at https://www.summitpost.org/mauna-kea-50-miles-to-the-hp-of-the-50th-state-hawaii/969138 describing my 50+-mile sea to summit climb on my 50^th birthday.  It was the most difficult physical effort of my life!  Mauna Kea is the highpoint of Hawaii and the tallest mountain on earth when measured from the sea floor.  However, Mauna Loa is the most massive mountain on earth by volume. 

We drove up through the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area to the Onizuka Science Center at the 9,200ft level on the mountain.  Ellison Onizuka was a Hawaiian astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. 

This is the point at which State Rangers control further travel on the 4WD road.   First, we had to stay there for a half hour to see how our bodies reacted to the altitude.  They warned us of the effects of high altitude on the heart and lungs.  They then checked our 4WD vehicle and made sure we knew how to use it before allowing us on the windy gravel road to the observatories near the summit. 

It was 8-miles and an additional 4,000ft up to the observatories. And as you can see – a bit windy! The road from here to the top is paved.

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There is now a sign discouraging people from continuing to the true summit of the mountain. 

It is about a quarter-mile down from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and up a cinder cone to the true summit at 13,804ft. The elevation was 13,796ft back in 1993 when I climbed it, so I guess the mountain is “growing.”

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Helen convinced me that I should not do the hike to the summit marker. Besides, I had already been there twice.

Downshift and use low gear on your descent.

Mauna Loa in background

It took about an hour to get to Hilo and a Subway where we bought foot long subs – half for lunch with the other half saved for dinner.  Another half hour took us to the Hawaii Volcanoes NP Visitor Center at 4,000ft on the rim of the Kilauea Caldera.

As mentioned, our first visit to the Big Island was in 1982 and today we repeated some of the same hikes we did back then.  To start we took a half mile hike to the Waldron Ledge where we had a view of an ongoing Kilauea eruption.  We could see a dot of red magma and fire in the crater.

The Goddess Pele

We then did a two-mile hike along the crater rim, past the steam vents, and through the sulfur banks area.

It was then on to the Kilauea Iki Crater

It was steaming and quite hot when we hiked across it in 1982.

A short hike through the Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku 0.3mi loop trail) was next.

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That was followed by many stops along the 19-mile Chain of Craters Road down to the Pacific Ocean.  We had walked over magma flowing under our feet here in 1993.

Today the lava was cooled into intricate formations.

We met a couple from Singapore at the Kealakomo Overlook.  She took a photo of me taking a picture of Helen and then transferred it to my iPhone.

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We met them again at the Holei Sea Arch

Some splendid views here as the waves crashed against the black lava.

It took 1.5hrs to drive back to the Visitor Center and then continue on to the “potential” South Kona National Heritage Area (NHA).  Our first stop was Punalu’u Black Sand Beach Park near the south end of the island.

In 1982, we visited a black sand beach with Peter and Stacy

We ate the second half of our Subway sandwiches as we drove to Ka Lae “The Point.” Along the coastline of the “potential” South Kona National Heritage Area – there is Honomalino Bay, Kapua Bay, Pōhue Bay and Ka Lae, otherwise known as South Point.  Pōhue Bay is one of the few untouched places in Hawaiʻi.  This area is home to a number of historic trails, heiau – or sacred sites and temples, petroglyphs and other cultural features, and Pōhue Bay is also a prime nesting point, an area for the endangered hawksbill sea turtle.  In the north, Honomalino, is a black sand beach and is one of the most picturesque sites on the island of Hawaiʻi.   

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The sun was setting in a cloudy sky as I got to the Light Station at South Point – it is the Southernmost Point of the U.S., January 16, 2023.

I was at the Easternmost Point of the U.S. – West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in ME on July 21, 2022.

And I was at the Northernmost Point of the U.S. on the Arctic Ocean – Point Barrow AK (note whale vertebrae) on September 8, 2022.

The Westernmost Point of the U.S. is on the west shore of Attu Island, which is the last island in the Aleutian Chain of islands stretching from Alaska into the north Pacific Ocean.  The Japanese invaded Attu and Kiska islands in 1942, six months after Pearl Harbor.  In a major offensive, the U.S. and Canada retook the islands in 1943.  Attu is only 208 miles from the Commander Islands of Russia.  Attu is the largest uninhabited island in the U.S.  In fact, the International Date Line does a jog so that it passes west of Attu so that all of Alaska can be on the same day.   It is now next to impossible to get to the Westernmost Point of the U.S.

The closest I got was on September 5-6, 2022, when I was in Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) AK visiting the Aleutian World War II National Historic Area – See Blog for September 2022.

Peter and Stacy at the Southernmost Point of the U.S. in 1982

Looking back at the Light Station from “The Point,” 2023

The drive back to our Airbnb in the dark and rain seemed longer than the two hours that it took.  We arrived at 9pm, it was a 15-hour day.

1/17 Tu – we had an easy morning driving south down the west coast of the island.  This was Helen’s morning, so I followed her directions to five Thrift Stores – nothing purchased, can you believe it!?  We did buy some oranges along the way.

We arrived at Pu’uhonua o Honaunau NHP at about 11am.  This is another Hawaiian Historical Park that explains the societal structure, culture, and everyday life of early Hawaiians.   You can see the Royal village nestled on the coast in the following photo.

Good photo of Konane -a Hawaiian strategy game played with black and white pebbles; Keone’ele Cove where only ali’i (royals) could land their canoes; and the Hale o Keawe or royal mausoleum housing bones of at least 26 ali’I, including Kamehameha’s great-grandfather.  Note the Great Wall extending to the left of the Keawe.  The ocean side of the 12 foot tall, 18 foot wide, and 950 foot long wall was the Pu’uhonua or “Place of Refuge.”  If a person was guilty of breaking rules or perhaps an enemy, he/she could try to get to the Place of Refuge for safety.  They would have to swim in from the ocean side over the jagged lava rocks.  If they succeeded, after a few days, priests could absolve them of their “sins” and then they were free to go. 

2023 photo of me with the Hale o Keawe in background.

1982 Photo looking back at the Royal Grounds with me holding a coconut.  Peter and I worked for over a half hour to break it open so we could drink the juice and snack on the meat.

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Two Ki’i – wooden images of Hawaiian gods

Photo from the Pu’uhonua side of the Heiau

Note gold colored fish –

This Halau or house now serves to protect canoes and other artifacts.

Stacy built this model on the beach at this site in 1982.

After Hawaiian BBQ Bowels for lunch, we drove to Kamakahonu National Historic Landmark (Kamehameha’s home) and the related beach that is next to the Kailua Pier.

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Helen snorkeling in the Bay

In 1993 we used Jack’s Diving Locker, which is located at the Pier, for both SCUBA and Snorkeling – Helen sitting.

We watched young male and female paddlers leave the harbor for evening practice.

They cheered as numerous dolphins displayed their jumping skills.

1/18 W – lazy morning, caught 12:40pm flight to Oahu.  There was at least a one hour wait at Thrifty rent a car.  So, I confirmed a Mustang convertible rental at Budget and then canceled the Thrifty rental.  Had to do that to make our 3:30pm reservation ($1 each for reservation fee at recreation.gov) for our Navy boat tour to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor N MEM.  Stacy, Peter and I were able to visit the memorial in 1982 but Kate was one-year-old and was not allowed on the boat. Helen stayed with her at the Visitor Center; so, this was her first visit to the remains of the battleship.  This photo shows the memorial on the left and the USS Worden guided missile cruiser in 1982.  The Worden was launched in 1962 and then scuttled in 2000 off Hawaii during Navy target practice.

It was the last 45-min tour of the day.  Arizona Memorial in 1982 and 2023 –

After World War I, the Japanese expanded its territory (by force) to provide for its growing population.  It saw the U.S. as a threat to that expansion.  So, on December 7, 1941, it launched the infamous surprise attack on our western fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor.

The greatest loss of life occurred on the USS Arizona when a 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb slammed through its deck and ignited its forward ammunition magazine, 1,177 of its crew perished in less than 9 minutes.

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A total of twelve ships were sunk and nine others were damaged.  U.S. losses were ~2,400 killed, ~1,200 injured, 164 aircraft destroyed and an additional 159 damaged.  All ships, with the exception of the Arizona and Oklahoma were salvaged and later saw action in the War. The museum and outdoor signage describe the prelude, attack, and aftermath.  Age of the Battleship –

Six Japanese aircraft carriers took part in the operation.

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How the Nakajima “Kate” carrier torpedo bombers attacked the ships at Pearl Harbor.  The Japanese attack code was “Tora, Tora, Tora.”

The USS Missouri, on which the Japanese surrendered in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, can now be toured at Ford Island (Battleship Row) near the Arizona Memorial.  We toured the ship in 1969 when it was part of the “Mothball Fleet” at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard on the Olympic Peninsula, across Puget Sound from Seattle.  Photos from 1969 –

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The USS Missouri was re-activated in 1984 and recommissioned in San Francisco in 1986.  She served in the Gulf War (1991), was decommissioned in 1992, and eventually returned to Bremerton WA.  In 1998 she was towed to Pearl Harbor to be docked within 500 yards of the USS Arizona.  Here she is in 2023 –

We had a four-night stay at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham a couple of blocks from Waikiki Beach.  It was reasonable and proved to be a good location for our visit to Honolulu and the island of Oahu.  Dinner was from a Mexican food truck about a half mile from the hotel.

1/19 Th – splurged and shared the Sirloin Tips breakfast at IHOP around the corner.  However, we never returned as it took 1.5hrs to get out of there because of a lack of cooks.   Still, it was not a problem because the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i ($10 adult) did not open until 9am. 

They are the temporary Visitor Center for Hono’uli’uli National Historic Site a new (2015) NP unit that has yet to be developed.  The foyer of the museum has a large display devoted to this Japanese Internment Camp, which also housed German and Italian Internees as well as Japanese Prisoners of War.

Hono’uli’uli opened in 1943, covered 160 acres, and became the largest and longest-used confinement site in the Hawaiian Islands for US citizens and residents of Japanese and European ancestry arbitrarily suspected of disloyalty following the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

A total of about 400 civilians were incarcerated in Hono‘uli‘uli throughout the course of the war.

Approximately 4,000 prisoners of war were confined at Hono‘uli‘uli in five compounds, and were divided into separate quarters by military rank (officer vs enlisted men), function (combat troops vs labor conscripts), and in some cases, country of origin. 

We visited the actual Hono’uli’uli site in a ravine about a half hour from Honolulu.  An aqueduct separated prisoners of war from incarcerates. The aqueduct provided water for both internment and prisoners of war camps.  The camp closed in 1946.

1/20 F – Snorkeling Day – When planning this trip I spent hours trying to get entrance tickets for Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, State Park.  I continued trying to use their web site while in Hawaii but to no avail.  So, this morning I was up at 6am to drive a half hour to the park to get two of the limited “walk-in reservations” when they opened at 6:45am.  I then drove back to Honolulu to pick up Helen and our McD’s breakfast and headed back to the park.  We arrived just before our scheduled 9:30 entrance time. Parking is only $3 but space is limited. They permit thirty walk-ins every 15 minutes until 1:15pm. If you are not there on time, you lose your tickets!  The beach is open 6:45am-3:15pm W-Sun.  It is a marine life conservation area and underwater park.  There are many employees, and they work hard to protect and preserve the reef. 

We paid the entrance fee ($25 each), watched their 9min video, listened to their safety and rules lecture, and then walked down to the Bay

We picked up our snorkel equipment ($30 each) and opted for the wet suit top instead of the PFD.  Morning view of the Bay and Koko Head.

When we arrived it was close to Low Tide, so there were only a couple of feet between you and the reef all the way out to the break water.  Helen followed an octopus for about 20min until it went in a hole to get away from an eel.  

In the afternoon, she followed a multi-brown colored “Flying Gurnard” bottom feeder.  It had a large rectangular head, little fins to stir up sand for feeding, and large well-developed wings to maneuver.  At one point it lifted an antenna from its head.  The rangers said that no one had seen that fish here before.

Took another evening walk and ate at the Sura Hawaii Korean BBQ.  We found it interesting that we were not permitted to take leftovers with us.  It might be a food safety thing.

1/21 Sa – The National Heritage Area Act (12/22/2022) – established the National Heritage Area System (Community-Led Conservation and Development) in the Department of Interior.  As of 2023, 62 National Heritage Areas (NHAs) have been designated.  A new goal for me is to visit all these areas.  Fortunately, I have already visited most of them.  I try to stay “ahead of the game” by visiting areas that have been proposed for inclusion in the system.  Such was the case here in Hawaii for Ka’ena Point, the western most point on the island of Oahu.  So, today I traded our Mustang convertible for a 4WD Jeep to access this area.

Kaʻena Point, from Makua to Waialua, is the site of the last intact sand dune ecosystem in Hawaiʻi and is said to be named after a sibling of the Hawaiian goddess Pele. Kaʻena Point also includes a leina ka ‘uhane, an important cultural site that, according to some Hawaiian traditions, is where the souls of the deceased leap into the next plane of existence and are reunited with their ancestors.  Ka‘ena is also home to various protected species including laysan albatrosses, wedge-tailed shearwaters, monk seals and fragile native plants.  Today was the first cloudy day of our trip and it started to rain as we entered the park.

At the end of the paved road, I put the Jeep into 4WD and we bounced and splashed over a rough one lane track for about a half mile until we reached a closed gate.

We sat there for half an hour deciding whether or not to hike further along the coast toward the point.  While waiting, a Hawaiian carrying a heavy ball on his shoulder passed by our Jeep. 

The weather forecast was rain for the next two hours.  So, we decided to head back toward Honolulu.  When we got to the paved road, we were stopped by police who said they were looking for the man that passed by our vehicle.  Continuing, we drove by a Space Force Station

And then stopped at Kaneana Cave (Makua Cave).  It is named for the Hawaiian god Kane, who represents the god of creation. For Hawaiians, this cave is believed to be the beginning of human creation.  

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We had to be careful because Nanaue – Shark Man lives in the cave and is known to eat humans.  Our headlamps illuminated floral offerings left for Nanaue.

After returning to Honolulu, we walked Waikiki Beach and then had pizza while watching the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Buffalo Bills in another NFL playoff game.

2023

Photos from 1982 – >40 years ago!

Polynesian Cultural Center 1982

Coconut Dance

Dole Pineapple Factory

1/22 Su – Travel Day, dropped Helen off for her 8am flight to LA, returned to the hotel and prepared for my 3:15pm flight to Guam.  Arrived in Guam (8 hour flight) at 7:15pm local time 1/23/23 – I had crossed the International Date Line.  Took a taxi to the Guam Airport Hotel and crashed.

1/24 Tu – I was up early to catch my 8am (45min) flight to Saipan.  It is the main island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).  Landing on Saipan – Mt Tapotchao (1,545ft) in background.

My objective was to visit the American Memorial Park, which is an Affiliated NP Unit, as well as other sites on the island related to the Battle for Saipan during World War II.  It took place June 15-July 9, 1944, to unseat the Japanese occupiers.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. mobilized and started planning its strategy for the invasion of Japan. In order to do that, it needed “stepping stones” (islands) to move its forces and supplies closer to the objective.  The Mariana Island campaign was part of that strategy.  Our forces started with Saipan, then took Tinian followed by Guam.  My first stop was at the Japanese air raid shelters near the airport.

Some of the Japanese structures have been re-purposed.

Nearby is the Japanese Memorial of the Dead

Our forces attacked along the southwest coast of the island.  This is a coral reef area with beautiful sandy beaches.

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Some armaments remain – an American tank that did not make it.

Japanese tank

The American Memorial Park is in Garapan, the capital of the CNMI. 

The Court of Honor and Flag Circle – The American Flag is displayed at the center of the Flag Circle and is surrounded by the flags of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard, the armed services divisions that participated in the campaign.

The Marianas Memorial is nearby – it is dedicated to Indigenous Chamorros and Carolinians of the Northern Mariana Islands who died during World War II. Caught in a war not of their making, the people of the Northern Marianas, like many civilians throughout the Pacific, became victims of war. The Marianas Memorial honors Chamorros and Carolinians who lost their lives as a result of war-related causes from the beginning of American aerial bombardment in Saipan on June 11, 1944, to the closure of civilian camps on July 4, 1946.

Ranger Kaneshi mailed me helpful information before my visit.

Watched the video, toured the museum, bought postcards and a park T-shirt

Drove to the North of the island, which was the last to fall to American forces. Last Japanese Command Post

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Korean Memorial

Okinawa Memorial

Japanese Peace Memorial

As American forces progressed across the island, Japanese propaganda leaflets were distributed that stated the soldiers would kill all males and take the women and children away in their boats.  As a result, many individuals and families committed suicide.  This is Banzai Cliff, one of the places families came to die.  They would line up by age with the second youngest pushing the youngest over the cliff.  This would continue until the eldest jumped to his/her death.

Additional Memorials across the street

Another suicide location was “Suicide Cliff” in background.

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The taking of the Japanese airstrip, which was renamed Isley Field, allowed our CBs to expand the runways to accommodate our long-range B-29 bombers.  

The subsequent taking of Tinian and Guam resulted in additional runways, which then permitted the U.S. to use its long-range bombers to bomb Japan.  August 5, 1945, the B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay” took off from Tinian carrying the atomic bomb nicknamed “Little Boy,” which was dropped over Hiroshima.  Three days later, the B-29 “Bockscar” (on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum near Dayton OH) left Tinian and dropped a second atomic bomb, “Fat Man,” on Nagasaki, Japan.  The devastating results of these bombs led to the surrender of Japan, September 2, 1945, on the USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay.

I got settled in the Saipan Beach Hotel, and then went to the Naked Fish Restaurant across from the American Memorial Park for some delicious Fish Tacos.  I brought a roll of CNMI Quarters with the American Memorial Park on them for distribution while on the island.  These locals, building a traditional canoe at the beach, were happy to receive them.

1/25 W – Left Saipan at 9:50am and arrived in Guam at 10:35am.  Payless car rental upgraded me to a new BMW SUV, and I started driving south on Rt 1 along the west coast of the island.  This was my second visit here – see Blog for April 2015.  I passed through Hagatna (capital) and stopped at the Asan Beach Unit of the War in the Pacific National Historical Park.  This was one of two locations where U.S. forces came ashore on July 21,1944.

My next stop was the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center.  It was closed today but an employee kindly let me in.   

Agat Bay was the second location where US Marines and Army troops stormed the beach.

I had two objectives for this visit to Guam.  The first was an attempt to climb Mt LamLam (1,332ft) the highpoint of the island. 

I found the trailhead across from the Cetti Bay Vista Point.

I brought water and snacks and was ready to go at 2pm.  I carried my camera on a tripod in one hand and had my hiking stick in the other.  Mt LamLam on the left, Mt Jumullong Manglo (1,263ft), with a cross on top, is on the right.

The path (unkept trail) is steep and slippery in spots and passes religious altars and crosses along the ridgeline.  Locals carry big wooden crosses on their backs to the summit of Mt Jumullong Manglo early on the morning of Good Friday.

Umatac Bay from trail

Long story short, it was 90 degrees with high humidity and insects on a steep, rough, slippery trail through razor grass and thick vegetation growing over lava rock.  I made it about two-thirds up the mountain and decided that, for safety, I needed to turn around.  In fact, near the bottom, I slipped on some loose dirt and ended up with a few bruises on my left side and a swollen hand.  Thankfully, I protected my camera.  Here is a photo of the Cetti Bay Overlook taken from a point close to the bottom of the trail.

You will recall that I stated that Mauna Kea, the highpoint of HI, was the tallest mountain on earth, when measured from the sea floor – 33,000 feet.  Well, the greatest vertical distance between two adjacent points on earth is between the bottom of the Mariana Trench and the top of Mt LamLam – 37,533 feet.  Mount Everest is 29,032 feet.

An Oreo McFlurry seemed like a good option for a snack on this hot day.  I dropped my bags off at the Harmon Loop Hotel and proceeded to my second Guam objective – the Ritidian Unit of the Guam National Wildlife Refuge.  It was one of the highlights of our Guam trip when Helen and I visited in 2015.  I arrived at 5pm – check the hours on the sign.

Overlook

Since I could not enter, I started searching a primitive back road for some other access to the beach.  After about a half hour I found the Ritidian Beach Eco Camp.  I took the steep descent to a structure just above the beach.  There was a small group there enjoying the beach and drinks in a pavilion.  I spoke with a photographer who was setting up his camera.  He stated that he photographed tourists as they did two ATV tours of the area.  The “Jungle Tour” was in the morning and the “Beach and Star” tour was in the afternoon and evening.   He was preparing for the latter.    

I noticed that my car was the only one down there, all the people had come in large ATVs.  I looked back at my descent route and saw why – a steep decline with a couple of sharp turns.  I carefully backed up and tried to go up – no luck, wheels spinning.  Fortunately, my BMW had 4WD.  After I locked into low, I was able to slowly make it out of there.  The photographer had suggested that I stay around until dusk to see him photograph the Korean tourists against a starry sky with the reflection of the moon over the ocean.  So, I parked at a spot I could exit from and walked back to the beach for a stroll.  The day tourists had left, and those that remained for star gazing and photos were off eating a prepared dinner.  So, I had the beach, all the way to the cliffs where the Wildlife Refuge was located, to myself.

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It was one of those special times you have during your life – walking through small waves along a pristine beach while the sun set, and the moon and stars rose in the darkening sky.

I listened to the astrological lecture from the Korean tour guide (in Korean!) and then watched with interest as some of the clients posed for and paid for their photos.  You can get some idea of the kinds of photos taken from the pics that follow, but they cannot compare to the classy professional ones taken by the photographer.

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As I was leaving, I had to be careful not to hit feral pigs crossing the road.

Got back to the hotel late, had a beer and snacks while I wrote my diary.

1/26 Th – Helen’s Birthday! 1pm 4-hour flight to Tokyo, 2-hour layover in the United Lounge, and then a 10-hour flight to LAX. The plane left Japan at 6pm and landed in LA at 11am on the same day I left (again crossed the International Date Line). The long flights on this trip had irritated my back, so I splurged and at the last minute bought a Business Class upgrade for $999 – very unlike me, I got my flight on rewards points.  BUT I was able to write in my diary, read, AND stretch out in a horizontal position and sleep!

Landing in LA – can you see the Hollywood sign?

Kate picked me up; we stopped at the bank to buy quarters – limit of $100 each.  I was searching for D mint marks on select National Park quarters to complete sets for our grandchildren.  That was followed by a stop at Vons grocery store.  Not surprisingly, we found Helen working with plants on Kate’s patio.  Kate prepared dinner and an apricot tort for Helen’s 78^th birthday.

1/27 F – Goodwill shopping, exchanged quarters at the bank, and then foot peddled a Swan boat at Echo Lake.

We had a very enjoyable and delicious dinner at the Perch Rooftop restaurant overlooking LA.  This was a Christmas present (2022) from Kate.  She reserved the best (corner) table on the rooftop.  Not only that, the bartender knew how to make an excellent Manhattan!

1/28 Sa – Had our traditional large Mexican breakfast (brunch) at Millie’s and then drove downtown to the La Brea Tar Pits.

The tar, really asphalt, has been trapping animals for thousands of years, and is continuing to do so.

On-going excavations –

You can bring up holograms on your phone of some of the animals discovered here – great fun for kids like me.

We then drove to the Olvera Historical District and Mexican Market in central LA by Union Station. The Avila Adobe, part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, is the oldest building in LA (1818).  Had dinner at the El Paseo Inn; waitress made delicious fresh Guacamole at our table. Kate bought new sandals and a yellow woven blanket.  I thought they both deserved a serenade before we departed.

1/29 Su –Our flight departed LAX at 11am, we had a 3-hour layover in the United Lounge in Denver, arrived in Columbus at 10:30pm, and were home about midnight. 

It was an enjoyable trip with many concomitant learning experiences.

9/3 F – drove to Indianapolis to spend the weekend with Peter and Heather as their guests (Christmas present), We walked the dogs, had pizza, and played cards.

9/4 Sa – stopped at the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site in Indianapolis.  Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis TN.  Robert Kennedy, who was in Indy and running for President, gave an impromptu speech speaking to a mostly African American crowd.  Authorities advised Kennedy not to speak fearing a riot.  Riots were breaking out all over the U.S.

Kennedy announced the assassination and spoke of how MLK devoted his life to love, peace, and justice.  He stated that his brother, President John F. Kennedy, was also killed (1963) by a white man and that Americans must work at understanding why these things happen and rise above these tragedies. 

His improvised speech is credited with preventing a riot in the city.  The Black community felt genuine empathy in his words.  They heard a powerful speech emphasizing the need for healing in this country.

Next on our agenda was a one-hour boat tour through Bluespring Caverns in southern IN.

It is the longest known subterranean river cave in the U.S.  It is a karst (limestone) cave with about 21-miles of surveyed passages.

Continued to the West Baden Springs Resort Hotel outside of French Lick IN.

Built in 1902, with a 200-foot free-span atrium dome (largest in the world at the time) and extensive grounds, it was known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

Had dinner and breakfast the next morning in the impressive atrium

Helen turned $1 into $41.84 at the slot machines in the French Lick Casino!

Dinner in the Atrium

Ceiling Reflection off Glass Table

Evening of Pool, OSU Game (beat Notre Dame), and Euchre

9/4 Su – late breakfast at the resort with Peter and Heather and then a casual 3hr drive to the Cincinnati Airport.  My Alaska Air flight to Seattle left at 6pm, the next flight at 9pm, and I arrived in Anchorage at midnight.