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Sunday April 24th, 2005 Headed back north to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP for the new stamps. At the Chancellorsville VC, I was dismayed to learn that a Salem Church stamp is still not available there. In fact the Eastern National person working there was adamant that no such stamper even existed, despite me quoting some passages from the long Salem Church thread attesting to its existence. Clearly, I wasn't going to get that stamp today, so I updated my copy of the Chancellorsville stamp and left: Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP / APR 24 2005 / Chancellorsville, VA I stopped at Salem Church briefly, since it was on the way, in the remote chance that it would be open. (It wasn't.) Chatham, however, was and I obtained this stamp: FREDERICKSBURG & SPOTSYLVANIA NMP / APR 24 2005 / CHATHAM I think that's the first stamp I've obtained that I played a role in its coming into existence! Chatham itself is one of the hidden gems of the park and should definitely not be missed! Saturday April 23rd, 2005 Left Rockville around 6AM and arrived at Colonial NHP around 9:30PM. First stop was to see the Green Spring, which is completely undeveloped at this point. All I saw from the road was some ruins. Next stop was the Jamestown Glasshouse, which now has this stamp: Jamestown Glasshouse / APR 23 2005 / Jamestown, VA The Jamestown VC was next. I was surprised to discover that the VC that had been standing there when I last visited a couple years was gone; all that remains is a grassy field. A new VC is being constructed in time for the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in 2007. For now, a temporary VC has been constructed near the parking lot. This stamp was inside: Colonial National Historic Park / APR 23 2005 / Jamestown, VA (the ink was a lighter shade than most pads in the Mid-Atlantic Region) Next stop was the Jamestown Settlement museum, operated by the State of VA. It is expanding too, in preparation of 2007. The replicas of the Susan Constant, Discovery and Godspeed were the highlights of this site for me. It is rather expensive however, at $11.50 per adult. On the plus side, the cafeteria is pleasant and the prices are reasonable. I headed to Yorktown next. At the NPS VC I obtained these stamps: Colonial National Historical Park / APR 23 2005 / Yorktown, VA Cape Henry Memorial / APR 23 2004 / Yorktown, VA The Cape Henry Memorial stamper is not out in the open. You must ask for it. After this, we made a mad dash to try to get to Petersburg Five Forks VC before they closed so I could update the Poplar Grove stamp, but did not make it. Instead, we went to Pocahontas SP, just SW of Richmond to camp. Tuesday March 15th, 2005 Leaving Anza-Borrego, I went up a huge mountain with great views of the valley, then passed through the tiny town of Julian. The rest of the drive back to San Diego was scenic but uneventful. Cabrillo NM was the last park I visited, and it is certainly one of the more spectacularly situated parks in the NPS. It is on a peninsula a little west of downtown San Diego and at quite a bit higher elevation, affording wonderful views of the enter city, Tijuana, and even Rosario (the next town south of Tijuana) as well as several mountainous islands off the coast of Mexico that I hadn't known even existed prior to my visit.
At the VC are two stamps: Cabrillo National Monument / MAR 15 2005 / San Diego, CA bonus stamp of the old Point Loma lighthouse
One of the main draws of this park is the large tidal pool region on the oceanside of the park, so I would recommended timing your visit to coincide with a low tide, especially one of the low tides closest to a full or new moon. I visited during high tide, so this experience was largely lost on me, except for a lone anemone that must have really had a thing for the terrestrial life. This trip brought my lifetime total to 245 NPS Units visited and 43 months straight where I obtained at least one new stamp.
Monday March 14th, 2005 First stop of the day was the West Entrance Station for the final JOTR stamp:
Joshua Tree National Park / MAR 14 2005 / Joshua Tree, CA
It's not surprising that there is a stamp here, since it is along the most heavily traveled route to the heart of the park and no VCs are along this route. I spent time in the park hiking several of the nature trails, which are from about 0.25 to 1.5 miles long. I liked the Hidden Valley trail the best. I then drove out the South Entrance of the park again. I had intended to take Box Canyon Road to Mecca and south along the west shore of the Salton Sea. Unfortunately, it was closed for construction, so I had to backtrack to Coachella and then head south. The Salton Sea is an odd sight to see in the middle of the desert. It seems to be entirely fenced in too, or at least that's the impression I got from the western side. Next stop was Anza-Borrego Desert SP, California's largest state park. Also, one of the most heavily visited. There were plenty of people on this Monday out there, no doubt checking out all the flowers. At the VC by Borrego Palm Springs, just west of the town of Borrego Springs were two stamps:
Juan Bautista de Anza NH Trail / MAR 14 2005 / Anza-Borrego *new* bonus stamp of a covered wagon Unfortunately, the ink pad provided contained pale purple or magenta ink.
The campground here was partly destroyed in September 2004 by a flash flood. Perhaps it scared away all the name sake borrego, because I didn't see any.
Sunday March 13th, 2005 I was in San Diego for a meeting at the end of last week and so I extended it so as to visit a few parks in southern California that I hadn't visited yet. The weather was beautiful and all the rain they've been getting meant that the desert was covered in wildflowers such as chia, Arizona lupine, desert dandelion and even ocotillo blossums.
I rented a car at San Diego's Lindbergh field, which is conveniently located very close to downtown San Diego and drove til about 1am to Indio, CA past San Jacincto and Santa Rosa NMs. I stopped at a 24-hour Wal-Mart because I needed some food and figured it would be the only place open at that time. I was surprised to find it full of people casually shopping until i realized that living in the hot dry desert probably has converted a lot of people into night dwellers.
In the early morning, I entered Joshua Tree NP from the south and got my first stamps of the day at Cottonwood VC:
Joshua Tree National Park / MAR 13 2005 / Cottonwood *new* bonus stamp of a palm tree
The Cottonwood Spring oasis nearby is very nice.
Heading north, I stopped at White Tank Campground which has a nice trail and is probably the most scenic campground in the park. Further north, I exited the park at the North Entrance stamp, which I confirmed does not have any stamps. A couple of miles north of here is the Oasis of Mara [Unit], which contains the park's HQs and main VC (Oasis VC). There were two stamps located there:
Joshua Tree National Park / MAR 13 2005 / Twentynine Palms, CA bonus stamp of a joshua tree
From Twentynine Palms, I headed east to Indian Cove, where the ranger station has two stamps also:
Joshua Tree National Park / MAR 13 2005 / Indian Cove Joshua Tree National Park / MAR 13 XX / 29 Palms, CA only black ink is supplied and the second of these stamps must be asked for. It expired in 1999, but is somehow still around.
I made my last stop of the day at Blackrock Nature Center in the NW of the park, where I camped for the night. The campground here probably has more Joshua Trees than any other campground, but does not have the large boulders that add so much character to some of the other campgrounds such as White Tank, Jumbo Rocks and Indian Cove. Two stamps are here:
Joshua Tree National Park / MAR 13 2005 / Blackrock Nature Center *new location* bonus stamp of a joshua tree
February
12th, 2005
SANTA MONICA
MOUNTAINS NRA / FEB 12 2005 / 1000 OAKS, CA Bonus Stamp: R brand for the ranch, part of the California Parks passport program The green ink page was over-inked. I hate that!
Next, I drove up to Ventura to visit the VC for Channel Islands NP. It was too smoggy to actually see the islands, unfortunately. Two more stamps: CHANNEL ISLANDS
NAT'L PARK / Feb 12 'XX / VENTURA, CA
Saturday January 15th, 2005 Arrived around noon by plane and immediately headed to the French Quarter. We discovered that free parking can be had in the parking garage of Harrah's in exchange for 30 minutes of gambling. (We did, playing nickel slots, and actually came out $10 ahead for our effort).
There are two sites for stamps in the French Quarter:
New Orleans Jazz NHP (currently located at 916 N. Peters Street, but eventually will move to a permanent facilities elsewhere): (reconfirm) New Orleans Jazz NHP / Jan 15 2005 / New Orleans, LA (reconfirm, change of ink color to black) bonus stamp depicting park emblem and musical staff
Jean Lafitte NHP French Quarter VC: (reconfirm) Jean Lafitte Nat'l Hist Park & Preserve / Jan 15 2005 / New Orleans, LA
Tuesday January 18th, 2005
After hanging out with friends in Baton Rouge for a few days, I started out on a loop through Louisiana and part of Mississippi. First stop was Natchez NHP. There are several sites associated with this park:
Melrose (an historic estate house): (reconfirm) Natchez National Historical Park / Jan 18 2005 / Melrose (reconfirm) Natchez National Historical Park / Jan 18 2005 / William Johnson House
The house tour is interesting but rather expensive ($8 for a 45 minute tour).
Natchez Visitor Center (Official Tourist center for all visitors to Natchez). This is staffed in part by NPS employees and contains an Eastern National Bookstore. There is a general orientation film on Natchez ($2/person)
At the NPS info desk: (reconfirm) Natchez National Historical Park / Jan 18 2005 / Melrose (reconfirm) Natchez National Historical Park / Jan 18 2005 / William Johnson House (reconfirm) NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY / Jan 18 'XX / NATCHEZ, MS (date expired 2003)
In the EN bookstore: (reconfirm) Natchez National Historical Park / Jan 18 2005 / Melrose (reconfirm) Natchez National Historical Park / Jan 18 2005 / William Johnson House
The remains of Fort Rosalie (original French fort) are few blocks away on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi, but are not developed. A ranger told me that a VC will eventually be located here as well, but that is several years off and contingent on receiving funding.
William Johnson House (Home of a prominent pre-Civil War freed slave):
Unfortunately this house in downtown Natchez (walking distance to the Natchez VC) was closed the day I visited (Open Thurs-Sun only). However, I saw two stampers on the desk that are almost certainly the Melrose and William Johnson House stampers that are available at the other three locations. The master list currently does not mention these stampers, but should.
I headed up the Natchez Trace Parkway, but this is the wrong time of the year and the first two VCs (Mt. Locust Inn and Rocky Springs) were closed. In fact, the whole trace was quite empty of people despite it being a beautiful day with temps in the 60s. At least, the hike around the old Rocky Springs town site was interesting, as well as the views of the sunken trace. So, discouraged, I altered my route a bit and headed up to Vicksburg NMP and visited some of the detached units of the park a day earlier than planned.
Wednesday January 19th, 2005 Visited the main unit of Vicksburg NMP. There are two stamps:
At the VC (reconfirm) Vicksburg Nat'l Military Park / Jan 19 2005 / Vicksburg, MS
At the U.S.S. Cairo Museum (reconfirm) U.S.S. Cairo Museum / Jan 19 2005 / Vicksburg, MS
I then crossed the Mississippi river bridge into Louisiana to visit the last of the detached units of the park, the Grant's Canal Unit. This is the site of a portion of the remains of an unsuccessful attempt by the Union to route gunboats and other boat traffic such that it didn't pass directly by Vicksburg (and its guns).
Next stop was Poverty Point NM which is kind of an anomaly in the National Park System because it is entirely run by the state of Louisiana as a STATE Historic site. The Hike to the top of the largest mound (Mound A) was interesting, as was the driving tour. The size of the earthworks are not easy to appreciate, but there is a film in the VC and a viewing tower (which was unfortunately closed during the time of my visit).
(reconfirm) Poverty Point State / Historic Site / Jan 19 2005 (non-standard stamp, no border)
Thursday January 20th, 2005 I headed into Natchitoches, LA ("Oldest own in the Louisiana Purchase"). The town VC located just up the hill from the Roque House does not have any stamps. Neither does the Roque House, which is directly on the Cane River. (A prior report from 2003 indicated a stamp was at this location. This is no longer the case as the Roque House is now (since 12/2004) a non-NPS affiliated Indian Trading Post).
Next stop was Cane River NHA HQs at 452 Jefferson Ave (corner of Jefferson and Touline in the Dayfair Office Bldg.)
(reconfirm) Cane River National Heritage Area / Jan 20 2005 / Natchitoches, LA
Not many people must know about this site because the stamper was still set to April 19 2004, which was when Dick Schaefer confirmed it! This is surprising, because the stamper is sitting on top of a desk behind the reception desk in plain site. Unfortunately the main house closed to tours as of November 2004 for renovation work.
I then headed down to Oakland Plantation, which is the Creole Plantation that the NPS is restoring as one of the two major sites that comprise Cane River Creole NHP. This plantation should not be confused with Oaklawn, which is another plantation located a few miles away. There were two stamps at this lightly visited site:
(reconfirm) Cane River Creole N.H.P. / Jan 20 2005 / Natchez, LA (reconfirm) Cane River National Heritage Area / Jan 20 2005 / Natchitoches, LA
I couldn't find Cane River Creole HQs in Natchitoches, so I got directions at Oakland and headed back up to Natchitoches, where I got this stamp at : (reconfirm) Cane River Creole N.H.P. / Jan 20 'XX / Natchez, LA
This stamp expired in 2004. The ranger was surprised and plans to order a new one. I also got a personal tour of the warehouse (actually a former bar and restaurant) where artifacts from Oakland and Magnolia are being stored and catalogued while those two sites are made ready for visitors.
While back in Natchitoches, I was surprised to discover the existence of the National Center for Preservation Technology any Training (NCPTT) (run by the NPS) on the campus of Northwestern State University (visible from the road at 645 College Drive). I wonder if it will go the route of some of the other NPS training facilities (Albright in AZ, Mather in WV) and obtain a stamp?
Next, I went to Magnolia Plantation, which is the other major unit that makes up Cane River Creole NHP. The main house is privately owned, but some of the outbuildings (most notably the slave quarters) are being restored by the NPS. There are currently no visitor facilities at this site, though supposedly the site can be toured with 24 hours advance notice.
Final stop of the day was at the Jean Lafitte NHP Prairie Acadian Visitors Center in Eunice, LA. I arrived with only 10 minutes to spare, so did not get to see the extensive displays in much detail.
(reconfirm) Jean Lafitte Nat'l Hist Park / Jan 20 2005 / Eunice, LA
Friday January 21st, 2005
I visited three of the JELA sites: Acadian Cultural Center (reconfirm) Jean Lafitte Nat'l Hist Park & Preserve / Jan 20 2005 / Lafayette, LA This site has a good film on the origin of the Cajuns.
Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center (reconfirm) Jean Lafitte Nat'l Hist Park & Preserve / Jan 20 2005 / Thibodaux, LA
This site shares space with a public library and there are several prominently posted signs giving very detailed descriptions of the consequences that will befall you if you attempt to enter the premises with sunflower seeds in your possession.
Barataria Visitor Center (reconfirm) Jean Lafitte Nat'l Hist Park & Preserve / Jan 20 2005 / Marrero, LA
This site was nearly devoid of people, in marked contrast to my other visit a few years ago on a Sunday. The ranger said scenes from an upcoming movie based on the book "All the King's Men" about Huey P. Long and starring Sean Penn and Jude Law was being filmed in the park on the day of my visit.
I then returned to my friends' home in Baton Rouge for the weekend.
Sunday January 23rd, 2005
Made a quick stop at the last of the six JELA sites before heading to the airport.
(NEW) Jean Lafitte Nat'l Hist Park & Preserve / Jan 23 2005 / Marrero, LA (reconfirm, now retired?) CHALMETTE NAT'L HIST PARK / JAN 18 'XX
I didn't actually see the second stamper, but it appears as though it was replaced just a few days before my visit because the scratch paper still had two impressions from the old stamper. I took the scratch paper with me. The ranger working the desk didn't seem to be a big fan of the stamp program and did not know what had happened to the old stamper. But, it is safe to assume that it is retired.
Friday, December 17th, 2004 I picked up the stamp for the African American Civil War Memorial yesterday. This memorial is right at the one entrance/exit of the U street Metro Station in DC. The stamp itself is at the African American Civil War Memorial Museum, 1200 U Street, about 2 blocks from the memorial and less than a block from the U St. & 13th entrance/exit of the U Street metro Station.
The Museum is open M-F 10-5 and Saturday 10-2. It's a small museum, needs only 30 minutes or less to see everything. They are very friendly there and know the history of the area quite well. I had a very interesting conversation with the one museum employee and learned that this area of DC was once a "contraband" tent camp during the Civil War and that its location was on the "commute" Lincoln took from his summer home (Anderson Cottage) to downtown and that as a result he got to know the locals. They invited him to their church services, which brought him to tears, and he ended up attending services here many more times.
Stamp: African American Civil War Memorial / DEC 17 2004 / Washington, D.C. *NEW*
Sunday November 28th, 2004
Only stop of this day was Charles Pinckney, where I reconfirmed the stamp in the main house:
Charles Pinckney NHS / NOV 28 2004 / Mt. Pleasant, SC
There is a short nature trail and a film to watch. I thought it was a pleasant site and it does a great job of telling the story of Charles Pinckney, who though largely forgotten today, was one of the most influential representatives to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, despite being the second youngest Representative at just 29.
Saturday November 27th, 2004
First stop was Liberty Square in Charleston. The place to park is the Aquarium parking garage. There isn’t much to do here outside, but the interpretive signage inside is nice. In the bookstore is only one stamp (not 2 as previously reported):
Reconfirmed: Liberty Square / NOV 27 2004 / Charleston, SC
I missed the 9:30 boat to Ft. Sumter, so I waited around until the next one left at noon. The boat had at least 200 people on it. Upon arrival at Ft. Sumter, a ranger meets the boat to give a 15 minute overview of the fort. My recommendation is to skip this and head for the museum immediately, before the crowds get there. You are only given a bit over an hour at the fort, and unless you budget your time well, there will not be enough time to see everything.
In the bookstore within Battery Huger, I reconfirmed: Fort Sumter National Monument / NOV 27 2004 / Charleston Harbor, SC
Saw a dolphin just a few yards off of the Ft. on the return boat back.
Last stop of the day was nearby Ft. Moultrie (only 1 mile from Ft. Sumter, but that’s by water—the land route takes 30 minutes or so)
In the bookstore, I reconfirmed: Fort Moultrie National Monument / NOV 27 2004 / Sullivans Island, SC
This fort is a mishmash of styles, because it was used from the time of the revolutionary War through WWII, and each era lead to reconfiguration.
Friday November 26th, 2004
I went down to SC the day after Thanksgiving to visit some parks. This has become a bit of a tradition for me, as it is the third year in a row I’ve gone down there. Finished all the parks this time, unless SC NHC or Gullah-Geechee (which doesn’t exist yet) get a stamp in the next year!
Left Roanoke at a bit past 5:00 AM. First stop was Kings Mountain NMP. I arrived around 10am. I had been here two years prior, but the stamp had changed, so this was a “stamp and run stop”:
In the bookstore, I reconfirmed: Kings Mountain Nat’l Military Park / NOV 26 2004 / Blacksburg, SC Overmountain Victory Nat’l Hist. Trail / NOV 26 2004 / South Carolina
Second stop was Historic Camden, where I was offered the 17-and under reduced entry rate though I am the ripe old age of 30. This means I’ll only look like I’m in my early sixties when I am 100 years old. The full tour here lasts close to two hours, but is fairly interesting.
In the gift shop, I reconfirmed: Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site / NOV 26 2004 / Camden, SC *black ink*
There is also a BONUS stamp that is given to everyone who signs up for the tour. It is circular, about 150% the size of a passport stamp and pictures the Kershaw House with the US flag and the Union Jack. Reads: “Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site Camden South Carolina”
Last stop of the day was at Congaree NP to get the NP (as opposed to the NM) stamp:
In the VC, I reconfirmed: CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK / NOV 26 2004 / HOPKINS, S.C.
Congaree was sure a lot quieter this year than it was last year when I visited during a special event. Unfortunately I arrived 30 minutes til the gates closed so I didn’t do any hiking.
I then drove the rest of the way to Charleston, where I bivouacked in a very large campground full of RVs. As is often the case, I was the only one in a tent.
Saturday November 6th, 2004 I stopped by a couple parks in Virginia today to confirm stamps. Appomattox Court House NHP has this stamp:
*new* Appomattox Court House NHP / NOV 06 2004 / Appomattox, VA located in the book store
There is also a bonus circular stamp about twice the size of a regular passport stamp reading: *new* APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE / NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. In the center are three "teepees" made from guns and a house and pine trees (black ink) This symbol is found throughout the park on the interpretive signage. This stamp is located in the VC and must be asked for. It was part of the Time Traveler program which promoted historical sites and museums in VA for children to visit. It has a passport too. http://www.timetravelers.org/index.html
Booker T. Washington NM had this stamp: *new* Booker T. Washington NM / NOV 06, 2004 / Hardy, VA
Sunday October 24th, 2004
I took the scenic (but slow) route through Apache Canyon to get to Casa Grande Ruins NM. The main ruin is covered by a huge protective “ramada” designed by Frederick Olmstead, Jr.
I got the free xeroxed literature on Hohokam Pima NM, which mentions that there is no stamp for the site and no free literature. Of course there is free literature for it, because the paper with those words is, indeed free! Anyways, I found out from one of the rangers that the older superintendent of Casa Grande Ruins NM recently left. He never ordered a Hohokam Pima stamp because he believed stamps had to be earned by actually visiting the park, and since Hohokam Pima is closed to visitors by the Gila Indians (on whose reservation it is located) there is no point in having a stamp. However, a new superintendent recently came to Casa Grande Ruins, and he may have a different philosophy. Anyone up for a write-in lobbying campaign?
I had a map of Hohokam Pima which I found on this (MSN) bulletin board (sorry, I can’t give credit to who posted since I forget who that was). So, armed with the map, I tried to find the park. The map shows a road (BIA-60) that bisects the park east-west. In reality, it is only a very crude 4x4 trail. I was not going to attempt it in a passenger car, especially since it would already probably be considered trespassing. However the map also indicates that Interstate 10 intersects the park between exits 167 and 175. There is no roadside signage of course. And so, ironically, Hohokam Pima, which is the only unit of the NPS that is officially closed to the public may in fact be the most heavily visited park in the entire system! I returned my rental car around 7pm, so had to kill 4 and a half hours at the airport until my red-eye flight back to DC. Finally made it back around 10:30 AM, which is the time I walked into my workplace, direct from the trip, as I didn’t go home first. All in all, October is a good time to visit AZ. I visited 14 new parks. I will post all the stamps I obtained to my webpage within the next few days.
Saturday October 23rd, 2004
Tuzigoot National Monument / OCT 23 2004 / Clarkdale, AZ
Second stop was Montezuma Well where I confirmed Tristan’s recent discovery:
MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT / OCT 23 2004 / CAMP VERDE, AZ
And at the Montezuma Castle VC, the same stamp:
MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT / OCT 23 2004 / CAMP VERDE, AZ
Friday October 22nd, 2004
At the Walnut Crater VC:
At the Sunset Crater VC:
At the Wupatki VC:
I camped in upper Oak Creek Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona. Very cold! My tent was covered in frost in the morning.
Thursday October 21st, 2004
The stamps are somewhat
different than listed in the master list: *bonus* Petrified Forest National Park / Petrified Forest with a petrified log on its side
At the Painted Desert VC:
Unfortunately, the Painted Desert Inn NHL closed for renovations about one week prior to my visit. Expect it to be open in 1 or 2 years. I had planned to camp near Flagstaff but ran into a blizzard (!!) so opted for a motel instead. It was the most expensive Super 8 motel I ever stayed at -- $75 dollars! I was sure to eat plenty of donuts and hot chocolate the next day.
Wednesday October 20th, 2004 Longish drive to Gila Cliff Dwellings NM in New Mexico, though it took me considerably less time to get from Silver City to the Monument than the signs suggested! This park lacks a standard format official brochure. I suspect this is because the monument is run by the USFS and the VC is operated by both the USFS and the NPS.
At the VC:
There is a staffed contact station at the trailhead to the ruins. No stamp however. The ruins are in a very lush (by western standards) valley and the loop hike to them is very pleasant. Stayed overnight in Springerville, AZ which I thought would be well off the beaten path, but was bustling with activity and the first motel I went to had no vacancies!
Tuesday October 19th, 2004
At the fort: This stamp has a broken tens place for the date, so my stamp actually reads OCT X9 ’04. Expect a new stamper here in the near future.
Second stop of the day was Chiricahua NM, the “wonderland of rocks”
At the VC:
I hiked a loop made up of the Echo Park, Hailstone, and Ed Riggs trails. The first one is fabulous. I wished that I had had more time to do the all day hike out to the Heart of Rocks area. Camped overnight at the Bonita Canyon Campground in Chiricahua, which was probably the nicest campground I stayed in during this trip, scenery-wise. It was about half full. Monday October 18th, 2004
At the VC:
Sunday October 17th, 2004 In the western section at the Red Hills VC: SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK / OCT 17 2004 /TUCSON MTN. DISTRICT, AZ In the eastern section:
A park volunteer gave me a personal tour along the Cactus Forest trail in the Rincon Mountain District. A highlight was a rare cristate saguaro. He had way over 1000 volunteer hours in the past year and even more ours than many employed rangers! I wonder if there is a stamp at the distant Manning Camp ranger station, which is a long hike from any road.
I passed through on a Sunday, so didn’t visit the WNPA store in Tucson which is closed on Sundays. Also, I didn’t have enough time to check out Ironwood NM, which isn’t managed by the NPS. At the advice of a ranger in the Rincon Mountain District, I stayed overnight at Colossal Cave County Park. I was amused that the park shares its name with one of the precursors of the famous text adventure Zork. It was interesting trying to sleep while the Halloween program with “spooky music” played in the distance for a Halloween Program they do October evenings.
Saturday October 16th, 2004
Friday October 15th, 2004
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