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Sunday April 23, 2006 I was in Louisiana (Baton Rouge) over the weekend for a friend's wedding. I spent Monday along the coast of Mississippi and in New Orleans, visiting places I used to visit back when I lived in LA in the 1980s and 1990s.
There is still a stamp at the Davis Bayou Unit of Gulf Islands NS. The William Colmer VC has been gutted and the park is waiting for funds to rebuild the interior. Most of the displays from the old VC were destroyed. East Ship Island almost completely disappeared due to Hurricane Katrina. The campground is a FEMA camp until at least February 2007. While walking around in the Davis Bayou Unit, I was prevented from walking out on the fishing pier, because it is no longer quite a pier. So, I laid down on a bench. There was a concrete slab with two large areas of tiling across from the bench. In each tiled area, there were 2 or 3 rusty large metal pipes that rose a foot or so above the tiled floor. It took me a moment to realize that that was all that was left of the restrooms.
Gulf Islands National Seashore / Apr 23 2006 / Ocean Springs, MS
The Fort Massachusetts stamp went back out to West Ship Island on Good Friday. I unfortunately did not have time to go chasing it.
Biloxi, Gulfport and Long Beach were devastated. I was surprised by the fact that in so many places, the building was simply no longer there. Seeing miles of shattered remnants of our consumer culture (destroyed Wal-Marts, Outback Steakhouses, even gaudy miniature golf courses) was quite strange. I do not think you can get the full effect without actually seeing it with your own eyes.
What I saw of New Orleans was not as bad as the quarter mile or so of Mississippi closest to the shore, at least in that more than 10% of the structures were still standing and structurally sound. I think that was deceptive however, as the neighborhoods had maybe a quarter of the traffic that I have experienced in the past. Most of he buildings (houses and businesses) will likely need to be torn down or at least gutted to the support structure and rebuilt. I got the impression that they still do not have electricity. The stop lights have been replaced with stop signs, though stop lights still hang at many intersections. In both New Orleans and in MS, I was amazed that very little reconstruction and actually rebuilding seems to have been done. I saw a large number of places for sale, including business sites, so I'm guessing many people have given up and left permanently. I wasn't so surprised about this in New Orleans, but was surprised in MS, where, at least in theory, they are not likely to flood to the rafters after every major storm and levy failure.
Sunday March 5, 2006 I just got back from a work-related conference in Orlando. I stayed an extra day (well really, just an extra afternoon) so I could visit De Soto National Memorial.
I can reconfirm the following stamp:
De Soto National Memorial / MAR 05 2006 / Bradenton, FL (black ink)
It was a gorgeous day in the low 80s with low humidity, and so this park was fairly busy.
Tuesday February 21st, 2006 I was originally going to go to the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, but decided to go back to Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace NHS. Fortunately, this time it was open so I looked around (lots of stuff) and took the tour. This isn’t the house he was actually born in, because that house was demolished. It is, however a vintage replica on the same site as the original house. I wonder if "Teedie" would know the difference? Two stamps here: Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace NHS / FEB 21 2006 / New York, NY Federal Hall National Memorial / FEB 21 ’06 / New York, NY The TRBI stamper’s ones digit in the date does not work so well. You must ask for the FEHA stamper. it is a non-standard (plastic) stamper, although the stamp itself is standard. After visiting this site, all I had time to do was head down to Washington Square Park in a vain attempt to find the Scrabble hustlers before catching my train back to DC. I am happy to report that I have know visited all NPS Units with "Roosevelt" in the name, leaving only the quasi-affiliated Roosevelt-Campobello site for a future trip. I also visited 5 new (for me) NPS units on this trip, bringing my lifetime total to 273.
Monday February 20th, 2006 I got down to Castle Clinton shortly after it opened at 8am. It was a frigid morning, and the crowds I had feared were not around this early. I picked up my observatory tour ticket and after a quick look around (there is not much to see here) got the stamp in the gift shop: Manhattan Sites Castle Clinton NM / FEB 20 2006 / New York, NY *new* FEDERAL HALL N MEM / FEB 20 2006 / NEW YORK, NY The ferry to Liberty Island was uneventful. The island itself was surprisingly peaceful this early in the morning. I had the view of the city all to myself! Security is a hassle as you have to go through it both before boarding the ferry and a second time before entering the statue. In the off-season, I discovered that ALL tours go up to the observatory level. Thus, when booking online ahead of time (as I did) it does not matter if you select observatory tour or promenade(?) tour. One stamp here, in the barely visited VC and info center: Statue of Liberty / FEB 20 2006 / New York, NY I continued on to Ellis Island. By this time, it was after lunchtime, and the crowds had arrived. There is a lot to see in this museum—give it at least three hours. I found $20 here...first time I have ever found a $20 bill. Ironically, according to the exhibits, there was a time when you could be turned away from entering the US if you didn't have at least $25. One stamp here, at the info desk in the entrance lobby: Ellis Island / FEB 20 2006 / New York, NY
Sunday February 19th, 2006 First thing in the morning, I went downtown to photograph the exterior of Federal Hall, after paying my respects at the World Trade Center site. Federal Hall is closed for renovation, and I do not know if a proposed opening date has been established. The one on the website of early 2006 does not appear to be correct. While in this area, I walked the block or so to Trinity Church (Wall St at Broadway). Several famous early American’s are interred here, including Alexander Hamilton, Albert Gallatin (of Friendship Hill fame), Robert Fulton and the printer William Bradford. After this, I headed up to the Museum of Modern Art, where I spent the rest of the daylight hours.
Saturday February 18th, 2006 I was at Hamilton Grange when they opened. After watching the short film, the ranger took me upstairs to see the house. It was a very good, albeit short tour. The auditorium was thereafter being used for a meeting of the local homeowners association. They had bagels and juice and everything out. I thought this site was supposed to be in a bad area??! Not anymore. The house itself will be moving in 2007 to a new location about a block and a half away. It will be rotated 90 degrees such that the proper front of the house is the front of the house and it will be placed in an area with trees. Currently, the house is wedged in sideways and what was once the side of the house is now the front. One stamp here: Hamilton Grange National Monument / FEB 18 2006 / New York, NY Second stop was General Grant. It is only about 1.5 miles from Hamilton Grange, so I walked. Not too many people at this, the largest mausoleum in the Western Hemisphere. One stamp here, with different wording than as listed on the Master List: *new* GENERAL GRANT NATIONAL MEMORIAL / FEB 18 2006 / NEW YORK, NY This stop was Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace NHS. This site is closed Sundays and Mondays, so I wanted to visit it today. However, it was closed for George Washington’s Birthday (which is actually today, the 22nd. I know this because it is my birthday as well.) There was someone else there and we were both somewhat flummoxed as to why the site was closed. The entire exterior of the building is being refurbished, so I couldn’t even take an outside photo. Last stop of the day was the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. As veteran stampers know, this is one of the last holdout affiliated areas to the NPS that does not have a stamp. I remember reading in this forum that it is because they feel they don’t need this incentive because their tours are fully booked as it is. After visiting, I would agree with that. (Though I think they should have a stamper anyways, it’s not like it’s some major capital investment!) I had booked my tour a couple weeks in advance, so I did not have a problem. However, do not expect to show up late in the afternoon and be able to purchase a ticket for the next tour. There are only 15 people per tour and only 4 tours per hour. I think 10 or the 15 tickets per tour are available for purchase online ahead of time. I strongly suggest this route if you plan on going on a tour of the tenement building. There are actually three main tours. I only did one. They are rather expensive (I paid $18.17) for the tour, including the (dis)service fee and the tours are only about 45-55 minutes long. My tour was, however interesting, but this is not the best value in the world. There is a 20 minute video in the VC which you can watch also, as well as plenty of books to read there as well. Strangely, there were a large number of books that are current bestsellers amongst the more intellectual crowd, most of which had nothing to do with the site itself. This was a very long day, and I was asleep before 9:30PM. Friday February 17th, 2006 I took Amtrak up to New York City in the evening. I arrived at about 2am, and did not have a place to stay, so decided to walk the 100 or so blocks to where I would be staying the next three nights and drop my bag off. This was slow, and it was very, very cold, but frequent stops and the lively street life made it entertaining--I proved to myself that there are people in Times Square at all hours of the day. I was very tired the next day however. Monday January 23rd, 2006 Undeterred by yesterday’s result, I went back to the Enterprise Mill. This time, I could get into the building, but the museum itself was closed. My literature from the internet said that the gift shop is open seven days per week. Not so! However, I went around back and knocked on the door and a man let me in. He was nice enough to allow me to get the new stamp: *new* Augusta Canal National Heritage Area / JAN 23 2006 / Augusta, GA I was told that the old, unofficial stamper had broken, so it should probably be removed from the Master List. I then headed back to Atlanta. I had debated going to the new Georgia Aquarium or the Atlanta Cyclorama. However, by the time I got to Atlanta, it was already 1pm and I had a 7pm flight, so I opted for the Cyclorama. A hundred years ago there were dozens or hundred of Cycloramas in the US and hundreds more abroad. There are now only about 30 still in existence, and only three in the US: The Atlanta one, the one avid park visitors know about in Gettysburg (that is under siege by those who want the park to resemble what it looked like during the time of the battle) and also one at the Met (I believe) in NYC. This one is the largest in the world, and has some 16,000 square feet of surface. There is a large (huge) central platform with stadium seating. During the presentation/narration of the painting, the entire center platform rotates. Worth a visit if you are in Atlanta. It is right next to Zoo Atlanta. No stamps here however. During this trip, I visited three new NPS Units, bringing my lifetime total to 268. I also brought my lifetime county count to 1726, or possibly 1727 but I need a really good map to be sure. Next month, I am finally going to visit all the Manhattan sites!
Sunday, January 22nd, 2006 I headed straight over to Ocmulgee NM. They were having kind of a slow day, so the rangers were very eager to start the movie immediately and then lead tours out to the thousand+ year old earthen lodge, which is now air conditioned. I hiked all around afterwards, and ran into a couple from England about 4 different times in different locations of the park. It was kind of spooky! I learned that Ocmulgee has a detached unit called the Lamar Unit a few miles from the main part of the park. There are mounds from a later period there (the Lamar Culture). It is however, not easily accessible by the public. One stamp in the VC: Ocmulgee National Monument / JAN 22 2006 / Macon, GA I then headed east towards Augusta, desperately trying to find radio stations covering my Pittsburgh Steelers along the way. I stopped at the Enterprise Mill in Augusta around 5:15 PM, but it was closed. I had not prepared ahead properly, and only noticed on Saturday evening that the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center is closed Sundays and Mondays in the winter. It was getting dark and drizzling so I went to my motel and watched the conclusion of the football game and the next one after that.
Saturday January 21st, 2006 I flew down to Atlanta after work Friday evening. Uneventful, which is the best kind of flight. I had planned to rent a car and then drive down towards Plains, GA, stopping to catch a few hours sleep in the car before visiting Jimmy Carter NHS. However, really late on GA Hwy 85 about an hour southeast of Atlanta, I suddenly came upon stopped traffic. I was in no rush, so I just put the car in neutral and waitied… Soon, two helicopters came in directly overhead and landed on the highway about 120 yards or less in front of me. It turns out that a head-on car accident had occurred not long before I got to that point. The vehicles were totaled. I just found an account of the accident online at http://times-herald.com/ One person died and two were seriously injured. Wow. I sat in the car and slept a little, waiting for the road to clear. Very surreal situation! This delay made my arrival in Plains later than expected. However, the VC was still an hour from opening when I arrived. So, I took a nap in the car, and didn’t awaken until 10am! At the VC in the old school are two stamps: Jimmy Carter Nat’l Historic Site / JAN 21 2006 / Plains, GA *bonus*State School of Georgia / Plains High School / [depiction of school]/ Jimmy Carter / National Historic Site Afterwards I toured Carter’s boyhood farm in the hamlet of Archery and the train depot and did a figure 8 in the Maranatha Church parking lot, where he frequently teaches Sunday School. His private home is, not surprisingly, closed to the public. It felt kind of odd visiting this site, knowing that he is still alive. I bet he feels the same way himself! Second stop of the day was Andersonville NHS. The VC is supposed to generically resemble a prison. It did, sort of. I was kind of pressed for time here, due to my extended nap, so I had to rush through the National Prisoner of War Museum and the National Cemetery. I did walk the outline of the prison, which was very interesting. I can only imagine how horrible this place must have been in 1864! Two stamps in the VC: Andersonville National Historic Site / JAN 21 2006 / Andersonville, GA *bonus* NATIONAL PRISONER OF WAR MUSEUM / [barbed wire and a star] / ANDERSONVILLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE Afterwards, I drove to Macon, GA and dined at Krystal. (I like Krystal and they do not have them or White Castle in the DC area where I live!)
Saturday November 13th, 2005 First stop was Akaka Falls SP, which is home to the largest falls in Hawai'i, and was impressive even after seeing all the waterfalls along the road to Hana a few days earlier.
Second stop was Pu'ukoholā Heiau NHS. Not many people at this site, and even the VC shuts down for lunch! The two visible heiaus were impressive. The third one is for the sharks in the shark-filled bay. Do not expect to go swimming here.
One stamp: Pu'ukoholā Heiau Nat'l Hist. Site / NOV 13 2005 / Kawaihae, HI
I got to the Kona airport about 4:30PM. After flights to Honolulu, LA, Minneapolis and finally DC, plus a metro ride and a 2-mile walk later, I finally got home around 9PM on November 14th. My luggage was rerouted by accident to Dulles instead of DCA. I got a call around midnight asking if I wanted my luggage delivered to me that night. I said okay. Unfortunately the delivery didn't happen until 3:30AM. Needless to say, I was very tired at work the next day.
Saturday November 12, 2005 In the morning I drove up to the 7,000'+ level on the Mauna Loa road to the end of the road. I hiked in an area of the park called bird park, which was full of a type of pheasant called a kalij which I do not think is native to Hawai'i. I also did the short hike through the Thurston Lava Tube. Which, despite the naive tourist that was there at the time I was, is not like Mammoth Cave at all, beyond the fact that both are caves. This one has a totally different feel and of course a totally different origin.
In the afternoon, I decided to forgo the 4 mile hike into Kaluaea Iki caldera due to rain and instead headed into Hilo. It was raining there too, so my sightseeing was minimal. I did learn that Hilo is known as the city of parks because frequent tsunamis kept destroying the part of the city closest to the water. Finally, they decided to convert most of that land into parks. No new stamps today.
Friday November 11th, 2005 I spent the day visiting the sites around the Kilauea Caldera and along the Chain of Craters road. This took all day. I was glad that I had budgeted 2 full days to visit this park, because it takes at least that long to see everything.
The highlight was seeing molten lava coming down the cliffs and then entering the ocean at the (now) end of Chain of Craters road, which is no longer the through route it once was, thanks to lava flows. It is not possible to get much closer than about a mile from the lava, so plan to go at dusk (like everyone else does) and take good binoculars. Three stampers here with identical text but all have different font styles and capitalization patterns:
At the Kilauea VC: Hawaii Volcanoes Nat'l Park / NOV 11 2005 / Hawaii Nat'l Park, HI
At the Jagger Museum: HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NAT'L PARK / NOV 11 2005 / HAWAI'I NAT'L PARK, HI
And finally a previously unreported stamp that you have to ask for at the Ranger Station at the end of Chain of Craters road (which sits literally in the middle of the road): *NEW* Hawaii Volcanoes Nat'l Park / NOV 11 2005 / Hawaii Nat'l Park, HI
Thursday November 10th, 2005 First stop today was Kalokō-Honokohau NHP. This site is between the Kailua Kona airport and the town itself. From the VC, it is about a 15 minute hike to the beach area and the fish ponds. The area of the park accessible by unpaved road slightly to the north is more scenic, in my opinion.
One stamp here: Kalokō-Honokohau Nat'l Hist. Park / NOV 10 2005 / Kailua Kona, HI
I had a really difficult remembering the names of the three NHPs on the west side of the island. It was only after visiting them all (and much practice saying the names) that I can now keep them straight in my mind!
Second stop was Pu'uhonua o Honaunau NHS (City of Refuge). This park is a much bigger draw than the other two NHPs. I think this is the only one that gets tour busses on a regular basis too. I also thought it was the most scenic and it certainly felt the most tropical, with tremendous numbers of palm trees everywhere.
While I was there, there was an endangered Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle ('hanu" inm Hawaiian) resting on the beach. A Japanese tourist decided to stand on the turtle's back. Fortunately this did not seem to harm the turtle, but I believe the tourist or the tour operator was given a $5,000 fine. Not a good idea to harass the local wildlife!
Two stamps at the info desk: Pu'uhonua o Honaunau NHP / NOV 10 2005 / Honaunau, HI *NEW* bonus stamp of a hanu. Appropriately in green ink.
I then circled down the south side of the island. For some reason the road to Ka Lae (Southpoint Road) is not permitted by most car rental companies. I started down the road, and got to an abandoned (?) (It was certainly in disrepair) Wind Farm, about a third of the way before turning back due to time constraints, but the road, though only 1 lane for both directions was much better than several other 1-lane roads I drove on that were not prohibited. This one has excellent sight lines, at least as far as I drove. At the end of the road, it is possible to visit the Southernmost Point in the 50 US states (but there are points on land in US territory further south). There is also a green sand beach that is a moderate hike from the end of the road. I guess it's possible to spend a whole day there if time (and rental contract) permits.
My plans to camp in Hawaii Volcanoes NP were nixed. The one campground on the main road (Kulanaokuaiki) was full while the other campground deep in the park and miles from anyone (hello ax murderers!) was desolate and empty (Namakani Paio). It was already dark so I decided to check out alternative lodging in the Volcano area rather than drive in to Hilo. The Volcano Lodge in the park wanted $170 for the cheapest room. I think that is a little excessive and a shame that staying in a lodge inside a National Park seems to be an experience reserved for the upper class only. Fortunately, the nice person at the desk let me use the desk phone (my cell phone was out of range) and even recommended a place to stay. I ended up staying in a cheerful room in the Volcano Bed and Breakfast (part of Chateau Kilauea Collection) for $76 per night (including tax). The house was quite cozy and I thought that that was a pretty good deal.
Wednesday November 9th, 2005 I was up at 3:30 in order to make it to Haleakala summit before dawn. At over 10,000' elevation, this place was quite cold despite being in Hawai'i! The viewing area filled up with cars before dawn, so if you get up early, but not too early, you might have to watch the sun come up from a lower elevation anyways. It was impressive to see the sun come up above the cloud-filled caldera. The incredibly large number of visible stars before dawn was even more impressive. However, I was freezing cold and extremely tired, so I headed back to my car and took what ended up being a three hour nap! I awoke to see only about 3 other cars in the parking lot that had been full with nearly 50 cars a few hours earlier.
I drove downhill to the Summit VC and got this stamp: Haleakalā National Park / NOV 09 / MAKAWAO, HAWAI'I
A bit lower down, an identical stamp can be found at the Headquarters VC: Haleakalā National Park / NOV 09 / MAKAWAO, HAWAI'I
I took a few short hikes, ate lunch and did a few other things before heading to the airport. I was unable to find a cheap direct flight from Maui to the Big Island, so I had to fly back to Oahu first. The plane leaving Maui was an hour late, so I barely made my connecting flight. The first thing I noticed about the Big Island was that all the street lights give off a yellow hew (sodium lamps). I later learned that this is to cut down on light pollution impacting the astronomical observatories on the Big Island.
Tuesday November 8th, 2005 I was staying at a hostel that offered free tours every day. On Tuesdays, they do the road to Hana. Having heard much about how twisty this road was, I decided to leave to someone else and enjoy being a passenger.
The drive to Kīpahulu VC in Haleakalā NP took hours. Highlights were the black sand beach and cave swimming in Wainapapa State Park. At Kīpahulu, my group hiked about 2 miles to Waimoku Falls through fields full of wild passion fruit trees and bamboo groves.
There is one stamp at the VC:
Haleakalā National Park / NOV 08 2005 / Kīpahulu, Hawai'I (Note the two kahakōs (macrons), which are not indicated on the Master List)
Monday November 7th, 2005 On my first day on Maui, I took a 3/4 day trip to Molokai to visit Kalaupapa NHS. I took a flight on Paragon Air wherein the only ones on the plane were the pilot and myself. First time I have done that, but it certainly sped up the boarding and debarking procedures! Even though it is a short flight from Maui, Kalaupapa felt really remote. The airport is little more than a large shed. There were about 6 people around when I landed and I had to wait at the airport for almost an hour until the rest of my tour arrived on various planes. (We picked up the mule riders a bit later). I really enjoyed the tour of Kalaupapa and the original Kalawao settlement (which is even more scenically situated than Kalaupapa on the other side of the peninsula). At this point, only 37 former leprosy victims are alive and there are actually more NPS Employees living at Kalaupapa! As best as I can tell, only 23 of them are still able-bodied and living in Kalaupapa. None are younger than mid-sixties. I barely saw anyone outside of our tour group except at the cafe, the airport and the Park store. Even the grocery store was not open.
In the park store I obtained this stamp:
KALAUPAPA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK / NOV 07 2005 / KALAUPAPA, HI
I was amused that when the tour guide told everyone about the NPS Passport stamper, several people stamped their actual passports. After getting back to Maui, I spent a couple hours in Iao State Park, which has many opportunities for scenic pictures.
Sunday November 7, 2005 I had only one full day on Oahu and I spent most of it in Pearl Harbor. I arrived at the USS Arizona Memorial a half hour before it opened, and was surprised by the length of the line. I ended up being part of the 4th group of 200 or so to see the film and take the ferry to the island. There is quite a bit to see while waiting to go to the Memorial over the USS Arizona, so this was not a problem. The fact that the memorial was extremely crowded was. There are plans to build a larger museum, and fundraising is underway. The memorial itself is quite somber and also spartan. There are not many interpretive signs. One thing that surprised me was how much oil was still welling up from the ship. I had heard about this before and expected to see a drop here and there, but there was practically a slick of oil, and large globs were continually bubbling up from the ship, almost 64 years later.
Two stamps are available at different locations on the info desk:
USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL / NOV 06 '05 / PEARL HARBOR, HI USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL / NOV 06 2005 / PEARL HARBOR, HI
The first is the standard size, but the font is not. The second is larger than the stand stamp. In the afternoon I went to the USS Missouri. It is quite neat that the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri, which represent the bookends for the USA's involvement in WWII, are practically next to each other. The USS Missouri is run by a private organization, and tours are quite pricey I thought. I was surprised to learn that it was recommissioned for a couple of years during the first Persian Gulf War. At the site on the ship where the treaty to end WWII between Japan and the Allies, there are replicas of Japan's copy and the USA's (or Allies, I forget which) copy of the Peace treaty. I was amused to see that the Canadian signatory accidentally signed on the line of the Dutch signatory, which threw several of the signatories off by causing them to sign one line down further than they had to. As a result, the typed in names are crossed off by hand and the name of the person that actually signed is printed in place! Amazing such a mistake was made on such an important document!
The USS Arizona has a passport program. Before boarding (or in the gift shop aboard, though it is far into the tour so would have to be visited out of order) obtain the "Battleship Passport". There are 12 stamping locations scattered about the ship (+2 more accessible only on more expensive in depth tours) at locations such as the "Executive Officer's Cabin" and the "Tomahawk Deck". I had fun searching for all the sites with stamps. There is also a 60th Anniversary Battleship Missouri sticker that is free and can be obtained in the gift shops.
There is also a submarine that can be toured here, but I did not do that. The USS Utah Memorial is also nearby, but I am not sure if it is accessible by the public. Altogether, plan to spend an entire day in this area to see everything thoroughly.
In the evening, I flew to Maui.
Saturday November 6, 2005 I took advantage of some frequent flyer miles to go to Hawaii and visit the NPS Units in that state. After a very long time, I ended up in a hotel a block from the beaches in Waikiki. The first thing I noticed about Hawaii is the vast number of rainbows. One was even visible from the plane while landing.
Tuesday October 11th, 2005 I started this day (now dreary and drizzling again) by looking at the tornado display in Parker Dam SP. This area saw a huge tornado on May 31st, 2005 that was part of a number of powerful tornados to hit PA and OH that day that killed 90 people. I hadn't ever heard about this before, but noted that this occurred a couple of days after my family moved from PA to points south. After tmore travel on meandering back roads, I made it the HQs of the Path of Progress at "Zee Plaza" in Hollidaysburg, just south of Altoona. The woman at the desk said that I was the first person to ask for the new stamper. In fact, she had to ink the pad while I waited, as it was still in its pristine, uninked site (white foam).
*NEW* Path of Progress / OCT 11 2005 / Southwestern, PA *bonus* a stylized letter P with a road and a star inside of it (logo of the Path of Progress Route)
Note the comma after Southwestern in the official stamp. This should be considered an error stamper. I then drove over to Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS. The new stamp (all caps) mentioned on this site recently by Diane was still not out and the ranger who ordered it (and knew where it is) was not in today. So, I left a note for the new stamp and obtained the old one again:
Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS / OCT 11 2005 / Cresson, PA
Finally, I drove a bit out of my way to enter into Indiana County, PA, the last county in PA I had not been in, thus bringing my lifetime total to 1693 counties, including 8 states completed. I also increased my unique stamp count by 8 to 464 and my lifetime total of NPS units visited by 1 (FILA) to 258. Finally, I have now matched Mike Brown's streak of 50 consecutive months with at least one new unique stamp obtained.
Monday October 10th, 2005 I drove through some very remote areas of Pennsylvania today. The main stop was at the Drake Well in Titusville, PA. This site is a NHL administered by the state of Pennsylvania (thus no stamps at least not yet-maybe one day an Oil heritage Area stamp will be here?) and is the location of the world's first commercial oil well, the birth of the oil industry was here. i thought this was a good time to visit, with gasoline prices over $3.00/gallon in my area. The site consists of a largish outdoor area with a bunch of rusty oil derricks, etc. More interesting than it sounds. There is also a fairly large museum, which, unfortunately was closed. I was actually pretty mad about this because 1) It was an absolutely beautiful day, 2) there were a sizable number of visitors, 3) It makes no sense to close a tourist destination on a holiday such as Columbus Day, when people are out and about doing touristy things. (If this had been a non-holiday Monday, it would have been open!), and 4) The webpage makes no note of the museum being closed on Columbus day, but does note that it is open on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day (all days with much nastier weather!)
I camped at Parker Dam SP in Clearfield County, PA. The campground was about a third full, but I was the only tent camper and probably 20 years younger than the next youngest person. It was also very, very peaceful and quiet at night.
Sunday, October 9th, 2005 The rain finally let up. After an early lunch/late breakfast at White Castle (they don't have them where I live!) I went to Cuyahoga Valley NP: At the Hunt Farm: Cuyahoga Valley National Park / OCT 09 2005 / Hunt Farm
At the Happy Days VC: Cuyahoga Valley National Park / OCT 09 2005 / Happy Days VC
At the Peninsula Depot VC: Cuyahoga Valley National Park / OCT 09 2005 / Peninsula Depot Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad / OCT 09 2005 / Peninsula, OH
I did not track down the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - Canton stamper, but I suspect it is located at the Lincoln Highway Station - 1315 Tuscarawas St W in downtown Canton, very close to First Ladies NHS. At the Boston Store: Cuyahoga Valley National Park / OCT 09 2005 / Boston Store
I saw the stamper on the front desk at the HQs, just a couple yards from the window, but unfortunately it was a Sunday and no one was in there. I would have gone back on Monday, but that was Columbus Day and it would have still been closed.
I predict that the Frazee House will eventually have a stamper, but didn't stop this time,
At the Canal VC: Cuyahoga Valley National Park / OCT 09 2005 / Canal V.C.
I then set out to find the David Berger Stamp. I found it at the address listed in the Master List (26001 South Woodland Road, Beachwood, OH), but the community center is at the Mandel Jewish Community Center, NOT the South Woodland Road JCC or something to that effect. The stamper is in a drawer at the front desk of the main building. The person at the desk had only learned of the plans to have the David Berger Memorial moved to the site a couple of days earlier. At this point, no construction work has been done on site and it is unknown to me where the disassembled memorial is located (and presumably being restored). Also, the hours on the door seemed to indicate that it is open seven days a week, even Saturdays. This new site is quite extensive and contains a portion of the Cleveland Clinic, an outdoor pool area, picnic shelters, tennis courts, etc. i expect that the stamper will eventually be changed to reflect the new Beachwood location, but for now it still reads: DAVID BERGER NATIONAL MEMORIAL / OCT 09 2005 / CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH
I camped overnight again at Portage Lakes SP.
Saturday October 8th, 2005 I drove about 5 hours to Wheeling West Virginia in a steady rain. In Wheeling, I stopped at the Artisan Center and obtained this stamp: Wheeling National Heritage Area / OCT 08 2005 / Wheeling, WV
I did not stop at the VC for the other (identical) stamp as I had been there last August. I then continued on, driving in the rain to Canton, OH. I made it to First Ladies NHS with plenty of time for the last (2:30PM) tour of the day. The tour last about 90 minutes or so, between the two buildings and costs $7, or $5 with the annual park pass. The stamp is in the gift shop at the end of the tour: First Ladies NHS / OCT 8 2005 / Canton, OH
I then camped at Portage Lakes SP between Canton and Akron, where it continued to rain well into the night.
Monday, September 5th, 2005 At the Linville Falls VC: Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 05 2005 / Linville Falls Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 05 2005 / North Carolina - Virginia
Be sure to take the half mile hike to Linville Falls itself. This is the location of the deepest gorge in the eastern US (according to the literature I read). at the Linn Cove Viaduct VC: Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 05 2005 / Linn Cove Viaduct
The hike up Grandfather Mountain which starts here looked very promising, however, I only took it to the area a little past where it goes under the viaduct. at the VC desk in the Moses H. Cone house (the parkway Craft Center): Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 05 2005 / Cone Memorial Park
No stamp at the Doughton Park gas station.
The Cumberland Knob VC is, as previously reported, closed. I didn't even see any signage for it.
At the new Blue Ridge Music Center VC: Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 05 2005 / North Carolina - Virginia I expect this site to have a site specific stamper sometime soon. The exhibit on display now is borrowed from Ferrum College, but I was told that a permanent exhibit that is supposed to be very impressive is in development. The Luthier Shop located in this park is not yet open but will also have exhibits and demonstrations of instrument making and repair.
At the Rocky Knob VC: Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 05 2005 / North Carolina - Virginia I asked the volunteer why there is still no site specific stamper here. He said that he has told the interpretative ranger administration of the park about this several times but apparently they do not want to get a stamper. He had the sneaking suspicion that this VC will be closed soon, mainly because a new VC that has apparently already been allocated funding will soon be built in this area. He said the location of this new VC has not yet been determined, but will be in the vicinity of the current one.
Amazingly, despite the large number of site specific stamps now available along the Parkway, there are none between Moses Cone Memorial Park and the Peaks of Otter, a distance of approximately 200 miles!
Altogether I obtained 16 unique new stamps (by my way of counting) and visited one new park (ANJO), raising my lifetime total to 257. I also increased my lifetime number of counties visited by 4, to 1683.
Sunday, September 4th, 2005 First stop was the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, NC where this stamp is located at the info/ticket desk: Trail of Tears National Historic Trail / SEP 04 2005 / North Carolina
I then started up the Blue Ridge Parkway. First stop was Waterrock Knob. There is another strenuous hike here to the top of the knob. Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 04 2005 / Waterrock Knob
Next stop was the quite large, quite new looking Folk Art Center: Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 04 2005 / Folk Art Center
The small, picturesque VC at Craggy Gardens was next: Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 04 2005 / Craggy Gardens
Finally, I arrived at the Museum of N.C. Minerals five minutes until their 5pm closing time to find the door already locked. Fortunately, the ranger responded to my knocking and let me get the stamp (brought the stamper outside for me to use). However, due to this situation, I did not inquire about the other recently reported stampers at this location since I already obtained them a couple years ago. Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 04 2005 / Museum of N.C. Minerals
I camped overnight at Linville Falls campground after making the detour off the road caused by a hurricane last September. I learned the next day that the Linville Falls VC was also extensively damaged in September 2004, but amazingly was reopened in May of 2005.
Saturday, September 3rd, 2005 I spent a long time hiking in the park, including a more difficult than expected half-mile up to the tower atop Clingmans Dome and a pleasant hike at Mingus Mill. As a result I only got 2 stamps today:
At the Oconaluftee VC: Great Smoky Mts. / National Park / SEP 03 2005 / Oconaluftee Visitor Center N.C. Blue Ridge Parkway / SEP 03 2005 / North Carolina VA The circular border around the Blue Ridge Parkway stamp is missing a section below the "ro" in "Carolina". Like all the Great Smoky Mountain stampers, it is open of the plastic self-inking types.
I camped overnight at Smokemont Campground in Great Smoky Mountain NP.
Friday September 2nd, 2005 I was in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina over Labor Day weekend. I left MD around midnight and was at Andrew Johnson NHS around when they opened. Despite fears of local gas shortages in the area, I encountered no such thing and no lines even.
At Andrew Johnson NHS: Andrew Johnson NHS / SEP 02 2005 / Greeneville, TN Andrew Johnson NHS / SEP 02 2005 / Tailor Shop *bonus* TENNESSEE HISTORICAL / (3 stars) / JOHNSON HOME SITE / COMMISSION (circular, perhaps 50% larger than a regular stamp) The ranger was happy to provide the Tailor Shop stamper, but I had to ask for it. I also enjoyed the house tour and learned that most of Andrew Johnson's family may have had what we today would call bipolar disorder.
I drove down to Gatlinburg, arriving by early afternoon.
At the large VC on 441 on the way to Pigeon Forge: Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park / SEP 2 2005 / Gatlinburg, TN 37738
At the smaller VC in Gatlinburg at the intersection of 441 & 321: Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park / SEP 2 2005 / Gatlinburg, TN 37738
The best place to park for this stamper is in the parking garage immediately behind the site (it's $2 for the first hour I think). At the Sugarlands VC bookstore: Great Smoky Mountains National Park / SEP 02 2005 / Sugarlands Visitor Center
At the Sugarlands VC info desk: Great Smoky Mountains National Park / SEP 02 2005 / Sugarland VC / Tennessee
This stamp is about a third larger than a normal stamp. It is also an error stamp due to the spelling "Sugarland" not "Sugarlands" At the VC in Townsend: Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park / SEP 2 2005 / Townsend, TN 37882
At the Cades Cove VC halfway along the loop road: Great Smoky Mountains National Park / CADES / SEP 02 2005 / COVE / Tennessee
At the permit station/camping check in at the entrance to the Cades Cove campground: Great Smoky Mountains National Park / CADES / SEP 02 2005 / COVE / Tennessee
Note that this location is ambiguously described in the Master List I camped at Cades Cove campground.
Sunday August 7th, 2005
Drove to Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS in the morning. The main unit has the following stamp: ABRAHAM LINCOLN BIRTHPLACE NHS / AUG 07 2005 / HODGENVILLE, KY
A few miles away at the Boyhood unit is the following stamp: ABRAHAM LINCOLN BIRTHPLACE NHS / AUG 07 2005 / BOYHOOD UNIT
Saturday August 6th, 2005
Took the Mammoth Cave Historical Tour with about 40 other NPTC members + about 60 other people. The larger number of people was not really a detriment.
After lunch, was the Annual meeting. The special stamper this year read: 3rd Annual Stampers Convention / AUG 06 2006 / Mammoth Cave National Park
We had another dinner in the same location in the evening.
Friday August 5th, 2005
First stop was Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial: Lincoln Boyhood Nat'l Memorial / AUG 05 '05 / Lincoln City, IN
The Lincoln City post office is in the VC, so perhaps its cancellation should count as a "bonus stamp"?!
I then drove to Mammoth Cave. Met Mike Brown in the VC and shortly thereafter saw Nancy and other NPTC members at the hotel. We had an informal dinner in the evening in the coffee shop, which served the regular restaurant's menu items. Just one stamp, in the VC: Mammoth Cave National Park / AUG 05 2005 / Mammoth Cave, KY
Thursday August 4th, 2005 I flew to Louisville from Dulles after work. The drive to Dulles took longer than the actual flight. I think the line through security was almost as long. Nonetheless, I arrived close to Friday's first stop by 11PM (CDT) and so got a motel instead of catching a few hours sleep in the rental car (a free upgrade to a convertible PT Cruiser) that I ad originally planned.
Friday, July 22nd, 2005 I took a day off on Friday to do a "clean up" trip to some sites in NJ and PA that have stamps but are only open during weekdays.It was extremely hot and I was traveling with my dog, so I didn't linger at any one spot for long. stop was the HQs of the Schuylkill River NHA in Pottstown, PA, about a 3 hour drive from my home in MD.There is a park practically behind the HQ buildingis along the banks of the Schuylkill (the "hidden" river in Dutch). When getting the stamp, they ask that you sign their guess book.Only a few dozen people appear to have obtained this stamp since it debuted last year, but it was a veritable who's who amongst people in this forum!
Schuylkill River NHA / JUL 22 2005 / Southeastern PA
Next, I drove through Philly
into NJ (no toll on the Ben Franklin Bridge this direction!) to the Richard
J. Sullivan Center for Environmental Education and Policy, 15 Springfield Rd,
New Lisbon, NJ where I obtained this stamp: PINELANDS NATIONAL RESERVE / JUL 22 '05 / NEW JERSEY
Right next door is the Fenwick Manor Farm, home of alpacas! A little ways down the road is the office of Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, which makes up part of the New Jersey Pinelands. The forest office has this stamp, which still reflects its former name:
PINELANDS NATIONAL RESERVE / JUL 22 2005 / LEBANON STATE FOREST
(This stamp is larger than the normal EN-provided stamp. The ink page is in desperate need of a re-inking!)
About 45 minutes further down the road is the Warren E. Fox Nature Center, within Atlantic County Park. Last time I was here in 2003, they had thrown their stamper away because the date had expired. They are now storing the new one (as well as the EN Passport to Your National Parks" black plastic stamper station) on the very top of a shelf in the office (reception desk) area:
Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River / JUL 22 '05 / New Jersey
Next stop was the Ocean View Tourist Information, which can only be reached from the Garden State Parkway (milepost 18.3):
New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route / JUL 22 '05 (nothing at bottom of stamp)
I then drove down, almost to Cape May to take the ferry to Lewes, DE. This crossing takes about 90 minutes, counting loading and unloading times and cost me $30.00.My crossing was sold out, so I was glad I had a reservation. If you go this route, they recommend arriving one hour early. There is a nice Ferry Terminal, with even a miniature golf course (common in those parts), so spending an hour waiting is not such a big deal. I camped overnight at Killens Pond State Park, near Milford, DE. As we all know, there are no NPS stamps in DE.
The next day (today) I drove back the 120 or so miles to my home.
Sunday, July 17, 2005 I made a ~200 mile loop today to visit a few sites in my general area that have obtained new stampers since the last time I visited them:
At Fort Washington inside VC: Fort Washington Park / JUL 17 2005 / Fort Washington, MD Fort Foote Park / JUL 17 2005 / Oxon Hill, MD Piscataway Park / JUL 17 2005 / Accokeek, MD POTOMAC HERITAGE / JUL 17 2005 / NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
No sign of the bonus stampers. Also inside the Fort Washington VC, about 20 feet from the above stamps in a stand that I believe is still moved outside when the VC is closed, with a stamp pad that is very over-inked:
Fort Washington Park / JUL 17 2005 / Fort Washington, MD Fort Foote / JUL 17 2005 / Oxon Hill, Maryland
At the Thomas Stone NHS VC: Thomas Stone Nat'l Hist Site / JUL 17 2005 / Pt. Tobacco, MD bonus stamp depicting Habredeventure Amusingly, the tree on this stamp looks a lot like a Joshua Tree!
Inside Habredeventure at Thomas Stone NHS: THOMAS STONE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE / JUL 17 2005 / PORT TOBACCO, MD
At the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP Jackson Shrine: FREDERICKSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK / JUL 17 2005 / JACKSON SHRINE I think this one counts as an error stamper, as the parks name is incorrect on the stamp. (It is Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP!)
At the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP Salem Church: FREDERICKSBURG & SPOTSYLVANIA NMP / JUL 17 2005 / SALEM CHURCH
I confirmed that only one Salem Church stampers still exits. It is still supposed to be at the Chancellorsville VC when Salem Church is closed. The visitors' logbook in the church goes all the way back to 1984 and there are still many blank pages.
It seems to me that all the newest Eastern National stamps are being made using all caps. Has anyone else noticed this trend (or exceptions to this trend)?
Sunday June 12th, 2005 My last stop of the trip was Sailor’s Haven. I drove down to the ferry terminus in Sayville, NY. I was pressed for time, but the lot where everyone seems to park (across from the terminal) charges $9.00. The ferry itself was $10 and no fee for dogs.
The VC is located near where the ferry lands at Sailor’s Haven: Fire Island National Seashore / JUN 12 2005 / Sailor’s Haven
There apparently is no longer a stamp with the location "New York" as indicated on the Master List. The rangers were interested in my stories of travels to the parks I have been to. Besides the off-limits beach, the major draw is the Sunken Forest. There is minimal interpretive signage (or even brochure-age) but the forest is very interesting. I especially liked the forest edge on the beach side – it becomes very much like a desert in the area known as the swale, which lies behind the large beach dunes.
I got back to the mainland around 3:30 PM, and after enduring really bad traffic much of the way, made it back to my home in Maryland around 10:30 PM, paying only a bit over $20 in tolls this direction.
Saturday June 11th, 2005 I took the ferry from Patchogue out to Watch Hill ($14 RT for me, $4.50 for my dog, free parking). The main activity at Watch Hill is going to the beach, a place where dogs are forbidden during the summer. So, we walked the nature trail, which goes to what I assume is the watch hill that Watch Hill is named for.
In the VC immediately in front of where the ferries dock is this stamp: Fire Island National Seashore / JUN 11 2005 / Watch Hill
I got back to the mainland a bit after 1:30, so I went to the far eastern part of the park, the Fire Island Wilderness Center. There are about 15 parking spots in front of the Wilderness Center, but they are all marked "Authorized Vehicles Only" or "Handicapped", If you are stamping and running, there is a circle you can drive around and around on while your traveling companion(s) acquire the stamp. Mine isn’t old enough to drive yet, unless dog years can be converted to human years, so I had to park in the Smith’s Point County Park parking lot. This parking lot is the biggest parking lot I’ve seen anywhere outside of Disney World. It also costs $10.00 for parking! New Yorkers must never have learned the difference between progressive and regressive taxes. Smith’s Point is home to the TWA Flight 800 International Memorial and possibly other interesting things, but strict "no dogs allowed" rules seemed to prevent dogs from being anywhere other than the vast parking lot. Hoping the Fire Island Wildrness Center area would be different, I walked there. When I got within earshot, the ranger came out of the VC (which was empty except for him) and yelled that no dogs were allowed. I decided to ignore this edict and approached with my dog anyways. When I got closer, I told him I just wanted the stamp. He laughed and I got the stamp. Unfortunately the whole area is closed to dogs Memorial Day to Labor Day. The stamp: Fire Island National Seashore / JUN 11 2005 / Patchogue, NY
Next stop was the nearby William Patterson Estate. They were doing an encampment the day I visited, with people in 19th century garb doing 19th century things. One thing I learned was how the DuPonts killed off the hemp trade in the US by exerting their power and promoting their synthetic substitutes to rope and fiber. I was warned of the ticks in this area, and indeed they were bad. For reasons you might guess, I didn’t tour the house, but did obtain the stamp, which is located in the VC which is next to the house: Fire Island National Seashore / JUN 11 2005 / William Floyd Estate
I decided to return to Greenport via the two ferries across Shelter Island ($10 for the south ferry and $9 for the north ferry, rather more than the similar length White’s Ferry across the Potomac River near where I live.)
Friday June 10th, 2005 After putting it off for too long, I finally made a trip up to visit the "Parks of Long Island" (specifically Fire Island NS) this past weekend. I took a day off work in order to visit St. Paul’s Church NHS, which is closed most weekends. I arrived shortly after they opened during a steady drizzle in the morning, the first arrival of the day, after driving overnight and paying over $25 in tolls along the way. However, a horde of grade school students soon arrived, and were escorted around. St. Paul’s Church has a very eclectic assortment of gravestones, spanning hundreds of years. I also discovered I might have been related to one or more of the people that used to attend this church, as a line of my family settled in Westchester in about the 1650s.
One stamp in the VC next to the church: Manhattan Sites St. Paul’s Church NHS / JUN 10 2005 / Mount Vernon, NY
Next stop was Sagamore Hill, which I had visited last March, before they got new stamps. In the VC: Sagamore Hill NHS / JUN 10 2005 / Oyster Bay, NY Sagamore Hill NHS / JUN 10 2005 / Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard Sagamore Hill NHS / JUN 10 2005 / Sagamore Hill Nature Trail The second and third of these have the tiniest font I’ve ever seen on an NPS passport stamp.
In the Old Orchard Museum at the desk were two identical stamps: Sagamore Hill NHS / JUN 10 2005 / Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard Sagamore Hill NHS / JUN 10 2005 / Sagamore Hill Nature Trail
I actually earned the Nature Trail stamp, which descends down to Oyster Bay from a point near the back of the Old Orchard Museum. Not particularly scenic, but the bay view is nice. No one was around, so it would have been peaceful, except the mosquitoes were absolutely brutal, and I ended up running the whole trail, which left me winded on the return uphill portion of the loop.
I then drove to the Fire Island Light House. Unless you work there or have special authority, you must park in Lot 5 of Robert Moses SP. This presently costs $8.00.
The walk to the light house is maybe half a mile or less along a boardwalk. I had to take a longer route because the boardwalk is on state park land (I think) and no dogs were allowed. Of all the states I’ve been to with my dog (over 40 of them) I must say that New York is the least pet friendly state by far!
At the Light House, I obtained the following stamps: Fire Island National Seashore / JUN 10 2005 / Lighthouse Bonus: FIRE ISLAND / LONG ISLAND, NY with depiction of the lighthouse.
I didn’t go on the lighthouse tour since I had my dog with me. Instead, I drove to Fire Island NS HQs in Patchogue, NY. A fair was going on in the parking lot of the ferry to Watch Hill, which also is on the way to the HQs, and the street was mostly blocked off with lots of bored policemen.
At the HQs: *new* Fire Island National Seashore / JUN 10 2005 / Long Island, NY (note brown ink) This apparently replaces an older stamp with the location as simply "New York"
I then drove all the way out to Greenport, NY near the northeast point of Long Island to camp at the only private campground on the Island so far as I can tell. I couldn’t stay at a state park, because they all forbid dogs. I could perhaps have stayed at a Suffolk County Park, but they had a terribly Byzantine process for making reservations using something called a "green key" or a "tourist key" which costs something like $35 and once purchased gives you the right to reserve campsites, as long as you reserve at least 4 consecutive nights. I had considered staying in a motel or hotel, but all of the ones I called that were less than $100 per night didn’t allow pets except Howard Johnson, which is a chain I am not fond of due to past events, and they want a "one time" $50 pet charge on top of the room rate. I passed on that offer.
Anyways, I was happy to go out to Greenport because I had never been that far east on L.I. and also because it is the location of the HQs of the National Scrabble Association (Scrabble being one of my other hobbies I devote a lot of time to). I located the NSA HQs in a converted house a few blocks from the central business district. It seemed a conducive location for playing Scrabble.
Monday, May 30th, 2005 I spent the morning of my last day driving from Van Buren, MO back to St. Louis.
My first stop was the Ulysses S. Grant NHS. The new VC is now open. The former VC, the barn, is now being remodeled and will be a museum. The house is open for tours, but contains no period furniture yet. I obtained this stamp: Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site / MAY 30 2005 / St. Louis, MO
I then drove to downtown St. Louis to visit the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. There were a lot of people here, but not as bad as I had expected, considering it was a holiday. Underneath the arch, underground, I obtained these stamps in the bookstore at the checkout counter: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial / MAY 30 2005 / St. Louis, MO Lewis & Clark Nat’l Hist Trail / MAY 30 2005 / St. Louis, MO
At the info center near the center of the large VC I obtained these stamps (which I had to ask for, because they were not out in plain view): Jefferson National Expansion Memorial / MAY 30 2005 / St. Louis, MO Lewis & Clark Nat’l Hist. Trail / MAY 30 2005 / St. Louis, MO
I took the tram to the top of the Gateway Arch, which currently costs $10 for adults and takes about 1 hour round trip, though you can stay at the top as long as you want, though once you take in the view it is not very comfortable to stick around because of the crowds and confined space. Actually this is not a trip that anyone with claustrophobia, agoraphobia, or acrophobia should do, as all three phobias are challenged.
Once back on the ground, I spent my last hour before heading to the airport in the Old Courthouse (almost empty of tourists), where I obtained these stamps: JEFFERSON NATIONAL EXPANSION MEMORIAL / MAY 30 2005 / ST. LOUIS, MO LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL / MAY 30 2005 / ST. LOUIS, MO
Sunday, May 29th, 2005 I got an early start to this day, because the Indianapolis 500 was on this day, and I have not missed a single race on TV since 1985. Watching it is a tradition for me that even stamping can’t break.
Ozark NSR seems to be a real gem of a park, and I fantasized about having enough time to float the 100+ miles down the Current River on a multi-day inner tube trip.
First stop was at Round Spring. At the Info station where cave tours are purchased I obtained this stamp: *new* Ozark National Scenic Riverways / MAY 29 ‘05/ Round Springs, MO I think this stamp should be considered a typo, because the area is known as Round Spring (singular), not Round Springs (plural).
Second stop was in Alley where I obtained two stamps: At the Alley Mill: Ozark National Scenic Riverways / MAY 29 2005 / Alley, MO
At the Old Store VC *new location* Ozark National Scenic Riverways / MAY 29 2005 / Alley, MO
After this I returned to my motel to watch the race.
In the afternoon, I went to the nearby VC (Ozark NSR HQs) and obtained this stamp: Ozark National Scenic Riverways / MAY 29 ’05 / Van Buren, MO
I then drove down to the Big Spring area to locate the new stamp in that area. Once in Ozark NSR, I experienced my first ever police checkpoint within a National Park. All cars were being stopped and driver’s were required to show their licenses and proof of insurance (which I didn’t have since I was in a rental vehicle). In fact, I went through this checkpoint three times looking for the stamp, and was stopped each time!
The stamp is not at the ranger station (no Ozark NSR Ranger Stations so far as I can tell have stamps, though I did not confirm at the Akers and Pulltite Ranger Stations). The ranger said to go to the CCC Museum a couple miles away, but to hurry because it closes at 4:30PM. I arrived at 4:20 and the museum was closed. So I was unable to confirm the existence of a "Big Spring" stamp. Big Spring itself is rather impressive. It is the largest single orifice spring in the United States, and has a peak flow of 8840 million gallons per day. It is possible to walk right up to it.
Saturday May 28th, 2005 First stop of the day was at George Washington Carver NM where I obtained this stamp: GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER NM / MAY 28 2005 / DIAMOND, MO
Second stop of the day was Wilson’s Creek Nat’l Battlefield where I obtained this stamp: Wilson’s Creek Nat’l Battlefield / MAY 28 2005 / Republic, MO
I then drove east towards Ozark NSR, but it was a longer drive than I had calculated, and I arrived at my motel in Van Buren. MO after the nearby VC (2 buildings down the street!) was closed.
Friday, May 27th, 2005 I went to the Truman Presidential Library around 7:00 AM, hoping to see the gravesite. Unfortunately, the Library doesn’t open until 9:30 AM and the grave is in a courtyard area entirely surrounded by building, so I only saw it from about 50 yards away and through 2 panes of glass. I only went here because, with visiting parks I have incidentally visited over a dozen graves of US presidents and figured I might as well visit all of them as well.
First stop was the VC of Harry S Truman NHS, a few blocks away. I got there in time for the first tour of the day. The house is about half a mile away, a distance that is most easily walked from the VC. The tour was nice, but has some of the most anal rules of any house tour I have been on in the NPS. For example: no stepping onto the grass, no photography (even without a flash), no touching anything at all under any circumstances, even the door handles, No bags allowed, etc. I realize they are trying to preserve things, but they seem to have gone a bit overboard and breeched the bounds of paranoia!
At the VC, I obtained the following stamps (ink colors are approximated in this report by text color): Harry S Truman National Historic Site / MAY 27 2005 / Independence, MO Harry S Truman National Historic Site / MAY 27 2005 / Grandview, MO
A few blocks away (driving) lies the National Frontier Trails Center. This museum can be seen in 2 hours, reading at a casual pace. Watching the orientation film is a good start. A number of stamps can be obtained here:
Oregon-Calif. Trails Assn. / MAY 27 -- / Oregon Trail-Independence, MO [year expired] SANTA FE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL / MAY 27 -- / NM,CO,OK,KS,MO [year expired] Bonus stamp: "NATIONAL FRONTIER / TRAILS CENTER" Bonus stamp: "NATIONAL FRONTIER TRAILS CENTER / INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI" under a wagon being pulled by oxen Bonus stamp: "National Frontier / Trail Center / Independence, MO" under a yoke for oxen.
then drove a dozen miles or so to the Truman Farm in Grandview, which must have just opened for the season. The house tour had considerably fewer rules than did the tour in Independence. I was surprised that a stamp was also obtainable here in light of prior reports that a single stamper is located either in Grandview or Independence depending on whether the Grandview farm is open or not.
*New location* Harry S Truman National Historic Site / MAY 27 2005 / Grandview, MO Last stop of the day was Fort Scott NHS in Fort Scott, KS, which took less than 2 hours to get to from Grandview.
Ft. Scott Nat’l Historic Site / MAY 27 2005 / Fort Scott, KS
Note that the name of the park is abbreviated "Ft. Scott" not spelled out as "Fort Scott" as indicated by the master list.
I camped for the night in Crawford Lake State Park in SE Kansas.
Thursday, May 26th, 2005 I flew to St. Louis in the evening and then drove to Independence, MO via Jefferson City (in order to see Jefferson City, the 40th U.S. State Capital I have now visited). I slept in my rental car for a few hours and got to Harry S Truman sites at opening time. |