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Wednesday January 21st, 2004 Timucuan Ecological and Historical Reserve 10. Kingsley Plantation Timucuan Preserve / JAN 21 2004 / Jacksonville, FL
Located at the Kingsley plantation on Fort George Island. I did not see the "old style" stamp at this location, which has previously been reported. There is a second VC a mile or two further down the (dirt) road at the newly restored Ribault Club that is operated jointly by the state of Florida and the NPS. There was no stamp, but they sold the passport and the stamp series sheets there. I would expect a stamp to be located there eventually, and the ranger there thought such stamp might be identical to the Kingsley Plantation stamp.
11. Timucuan National Preserve / JAN 21 2004 / Jacksonville, FL Located at the Fort Caroline NM VC
Fort Caroline National Memorial 12. FORT CAROLINE NATIONAL MEMORIAL / JAN 21 2004 / JACKSONVILLE, FL Located at the Fort Caroline NM VC. Marks the site of an early French fort. Its hapless soldiers planned to attack St. Augustine (pre-Castillo de San Marcos) but were blown off course and shipwrecked to the south, where they were slaughtered (and hence the origin of the "Matanzas" portion of "Fort Matanzas").
Tuesday January 20th, 2004 Fort Matanzas National Monument 8. Fort Matanzas Nat'l Monument / JAN 20 2004 / St. Augustine, FL Bonus 7. depiction of the fort Both stamps at the VC. Matanzas is Spanish for place of slaughter (or just "slaughter"?).
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument 9. Castillo de San Marcos Nat'l Monument / JAN 20 2004 / St. Augustine Bonus 8. depiction of the prominent tower at the corner of the fort's San Carlos Bastion. Bonus 9. self-inking stamp depicting the shape of the fort This is the oldest masonry fort in the USA.
Monday January 19th, 2004 Canaveral National Seashore 5. Canaveral National Seashore / JAN 19 2004 / Titusville, FL Located at the fee station on the road to Playalinda Beach. There may be a second stamper in the ranger station at this location also, but I did not check.
6. Canaveral National Seashore / JAN 19 2004 / New Smyrna Beach, FL Located at the Canaveral National Seashore Visitor Information Center at the north end of the park. Six bonus stamps are here as previously reported: Bonus 1. a gull Bonus 2. a loggerhead turtle Bonus 3. a dolphin Bonus 4. four shells including a large whelk Bonus 5. a willet Bonus 6. a jumping turtle with the word "DYNAMITE!!"
January 19th was a federal holiday and thus the Titusville HQs were closed (I checked). Surprisingly, the Merritt Island NWR VC was also closed. Not only was it closed, but the whole area around the VC, which includes hiking trails, was locked behind a gate. Not sure if this is standard policy of the NWR system.
7. CANAVERAL NS / JAN 19 2004 / NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL Located at the Eldora Statehouse a short distance from the VC
Sunday January 18th, 2004 Cumberland Island National Seashore 3. Cumberland Island NS / JAN 18 '04 / St. Marys, GA Located at the VC in St. Marys. A new VC is being built next to the existing one. 4. Cumberland Island NS / JAN 18 2004 / St. Marys, GA (a slightly different stamp you must ask for, located at the Sea Camp Ranger Station on Cumberland Island). There is also a stamp reported to be at the museum in St. Marys, but it is open only 1-4 PM as staffing permits, which conflicts with the ferry service to the island, unless you just stamp and run at the island (not recommended-the island is worth a whole day visit at least)
Saturday January 17th, 2004 I was in Georgia and Florida this past week visiting parks. Finally realized that it is easier to fly somewhere and rent a car than drive all night!
Fort Pulaski NM 1. Fort Pulaski Nat'l Monument / JAN 17 '04 / Cockspur Island, GA Located at the VC. Interesting fort that proved the point that masonry fortifications were outdated versus modern artillery assaults. The fort still bears scars from the Civil War.
Fort Frederica National Monument 2. Fort Frederica National Monument / JAN 17 -- / St. Simons Island, GA Located at the VC. The stamper only went up to 2003 so expect a new one at this location soon.
I liked all the live oak trees and the 1970s era orientation film.
Wednesday December 24th, 2003 Got the Taft NHS Stamp in Cincinnati due to unexpected travel to that area:
3. William Howard Taft National Historic Site / Cincinnati, OH (DEC 24 2003)
Monday December 22nd, 2003 I stopped by the Hagerstown HQs of the C&O Canal and picked up the two stamps available
1. C&O Canal NHP Headquarters / Hagerstown, MD 2. POTOMAC HERITAGE / NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
I was told by the ranger there that the old C&O Sharpsburg stamp has once again been moved to Ferry Hill (which was the old HQs until 2002). Ferry Hill is closed until at least April, however, and due to its odd hours it would be a good idea to call ahead even after then, unless you are already in the area (near Antietam).
Saturday October 18th, 2003 Women’s Rights NHP 27. Women's Rights Nat'l Historical Park / OCT 18 '03 / Seneca Falls, NY Also at Women's Rights NHP: 28. Erie Canalway NHC / OCT 18 2003 / Seneca Falls, NY
Finally, I stopped at the Hector Ranger Station of the Finger Lakes National Forest to get the North Country NST stamp reported there, but it was closed [on a Saturday around 12:30 PM]. Had lunch with a friend of mine who works at Cornell. I return to DC the next day, but did not obtain any more stamps.
Friday October 17th, 2003 I ended up sleeping in my car because all the campgrounds in Vermont were already closed. Saratoga NHP 22. Saratoga Nat'l Historical Park / OCT 17 2003 / Stillwater, NY with 8 circular bonus stamps of various unit designations and symbols. In blue: MAS II REG, [flag and cannon], N, USA // In red: 62, 24,53,21 here is a special card to stamp these ones onto which explains them in detail. Also at Saratoga: 23. Erie Canalway NHC / OCT 17 2003 / Stillwater, NY
Fort Stanwix NM had the following 3 stamps: 24. Fort Stanwix National Monument / OCT 17 '03 / Rome, NY 25. Erie Canalway NHC / OCT 17 2003 /Rome, NY 26. North Country National Scenic Trail / OCT 17 2003 / New York Parking for Fort Stanwix is also in a garage....this one cost me $1.00 for over 2 hours!
Thursday October 16th, 2003 19. Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site / OCT 16 2003 /Cornish, New Hampshire I liked this park because it was dog friendly! My favorite statue was the "Amor Caritas" in gold....very striking! See the too of this page for a small image.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP 20. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP / OCT 16 2003 / Woodstock, VT 21. (Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP) / OCT 16 '03 / Woodstock, VT [note parenthesis] #20 is in the Billings Farm VC at the NPS desk. #21 is in the Carriage House VC across the street. The Carriage House VC is the real NPS VC.
Wednesday October 15th, 2003 John F. Kennedy NHS 17. John F. Kennedy Nat'l Hist. Site / OCT 15 '03 /Brookline, MA Parking was easy, right in front of the house on the street!
Longfellow NHS 18. Longfellow National Historical Site / Oct 15 '03 / Cambridge, MA Parking was not easy at all. I didn’t want to miss the hourly tour, so ended up paying $14 to park in a parking garage at the edge of the Harvard campus for slightly less than 2 hours time! At least the house tour was good and quite extensive. There is also a large bonus stamp here depicting the house and reading "Longfellow National Historic Site // Cambridge, Massachusetts"
Tuesday October 14th, 2003 Minute Man NHP: 10. Minute Man NHP /OCT 14 2003 / Concord & Lexington, MA [black ink] 11. THE WAYSIDE / OCT 14 2003 / MINUTE MAN NHP, MA 12. NORTH BRIDGE VISITOR CENTER / OCT 14 2003 / MINUTE MAN NHP, MA
Minute Man NHP is another very popular park and was quite crowded considering it was a non-holiday weekday. There were several large groups of school-aged kids on field trips. The Wayside was not, however, crowded.
13-16 same as 5 with a slightly larger font size for 13 and 15 (Blackstone River Valley NHC): 13. located at River Bend Farm VC Uxbridge, MA [black ink]. There was NO ONE else there, not even someone working in the VC. 14. Museum of Work and Culture, Woonsocket, RI 15. NHC HQs in Woonsocket [black ink] 16. NPS VC across the street from the Slaters Mill in Pawtucket, RI
Monday October 13th, 2003 Saugus Iron Works NHS 6. Saugus Iron Works NHS / OCT 13 2003 / Saugus, Ma [a in MA is lowercase] 7. ESSEX NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA / OCT 13 2003 [this is a non-standard, larger than normal stamp] Also the bonus stamp at Saugus of the mill with waterwheel
Salem Maritime NHS 8. Salem Maritime Natl. Hist. Site / OCT 13 2003 / Salem, MA
This park was a zoo! I hadn't realized how popular of a tourist destination was. Parking could only be had in a garage for $10 (event parking rate). The only stamp to be found was at the NPS VC by the wharf. The stamp there is apparently from the other VC but was sent there when the wharf VC's stamp broke. Also, no Essex stampers were to be found.
Adams NHS 9. Adams Nat'l Historical Park / OCT 13 '03 / Quincy, MA also a bonus stamp depicting the houses where John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born. These stamps were both in the main VC. I did not have time to get to the small info station elsewhere in the park where another stamp has been reported.
Sunday October 12th, 2003 At Roger Williams NM: 3. Roger Williams National Memorial / OCT 12 2003 /Providence, RI 4. Blackstone River Valley Nat'l Heritage Corridor / OCT 12 2003 /Massachusetts & Rhode Island
The Roger Williams Memorial proved a challenge to visit as most of the roads in downtown Providence were close due to the running of a marathon and I had never been there before. It took nearly an hour to find the site!
New Bedford Whaling NHP: 5. NEW BEDFORD WHALING NHP / OCT 12 '03 / NEW BEDFORD, MA also the whale bonus stamp reading "N.B. WALKING TOUR". This was a pleasant park and was not crowded at all (almost no one on the streets even!)
Saturday October 11th, 2003 I just finished a 10 day stamp collecting, etc. trip to the Northeast and obtained the following stamps:
Weir Farm NHS 1. WEIR FARM NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE / OCT 11 '03 / WILTON-RIDGEFIELD, CT
Lebanon Historical Society Museum 2. Quinebaug-Shetucket NHC / OCT 11 2003 /Lebanon Hist. Soc. Mus. [black ink] I also got a bonus stamp reading "MONC" at the nearby Jonathan Trumbull house
Sunday, September 7th, 2003 I stopped by Ford's Theatre today. It is closed til at least mid-October. There are two stamps currently available in the Petersen House, across the street:
FORD's THEATRE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE / <empty> Petersen House, HWLD / Washington, D.C.
Maybe eventually they'll get one for all the "gum trees" outside the Petersen House too! [Added September 11th, 2004 – Was by there last month, and all the gum trees are cut down!!! So sad…]
Saturday, September 6th, 2003 I was out at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP today. They have a new blue inkpad at Belle Grove, so now the CECR stamp is blue in both places (though still with traces of red, it must not get used much). You still have to ask for both, they aren't setting out.
August 4th, 2003 10) MATTAMUSKEET / NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Both located in the Mattamuskeet NWR VC/Visitor Contact Station. You will pass hrough Swanquarter NWR if you take the Ocracoke to Swan Quarter ferry. Mattamuskeet NWR contains the largest natural lake in NC and the Mattamuskeet Lodge, which was once the world's largest pumping station (for draining the lake for farmland). The lodge has a tower that looks very much like a rather tall lighthouse.
August 3rd, 2003 Cape Hatteras NS 5) Cape Hatteras Nat'l Seashore / Bodie Island, NC located in the VC 6) PEA ISLAND / NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE located in the refuge VC 7) Cape Hatteras Nat'l Seashore / Buxton, NC located in the bookstore. No stamp in the Double Keepers Quarters which is now the VC/museum. Also, I did not find the Hatteras Light House Bonus stamp. 8) Cape Hatteras National Seashore / Ocracoke Island, NC located in the VC.
Saturday August 2nd, 2003 I was in the Outer Banks this weekend and obtained the following stamps, with text exactly as typed:
Wright Brothers NM 1) Wright Brothers Nat'l Memorial / Kill Devil Hills, NC located at the information desk in the VC.
2) Wright Bros. Nat'l Memorial / Kill Devil Hills, NC 3) 1903 First Flight Centennial 2003 / Wright Brothers N MEM both located in the bookstore inside the VC. Number 3 technically should not be counted as an official stamp because it is larger than normal stamps, is from a self-inking stamper, and has a picture (of the memorial) instead of the usual text only.
Ft. Raleigh NHS 4) Ft. Raleigh Nat'l Hist Site / Manteo, NC located in the VC
Tuesday, July 20th, 2003 I have confirmed 3 locations of a stamp reading: Jefferson Memorial /
Washington, D.C. 2) Information counter upstairs in the Jefferson Memorial 3) Bookstore underneath the Jefferson Memorial
Sunday July 6th, 2003 I almost didn't get the DEWA Millbrook Village stamp today - the Spangenburg Cabin was locked (but it had been open July 5th based on the guest registry I could see through the window). I finally found a ranger (not Sue) in period costume who kindly went with me and unlocked the general store to get the stamp.
Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. One stamp: D & L National Heritage Corridor / Eastern, PA (sic). Ask for it at Two Waters Landing were you pay for entrance to the National Canal Museum / Crayola Factory. Current admission is $9 if above age 2; Parking is $2/hour.
Saturday July 5th, 2003 Upper Delaware S&RR 1) Barryville Ranger Station - did not stop 2) Milansville Ranger Station - closed on a Saturday 3) HQ - closed on a Saturday. This may be the only location to get the retired Narrowsburg stamp. 4) Information center in Narrowsburg. 2 stamps a) Upper Delaware S & RR / Beach Lake, PA b) Upper Delaware / Zane Grey Museum 5) Roebling Bridge Information Center / Eagle Institute - no longer open. It is only a quarter mile from the Zane Grey Museum anyways. 6) Roebling Bridge Tollhouse - open but not staffed. No stamp here. 7) Zane Grey Museum - the same two stamps (exactly) as at the Narrowsburg Information center.
Friday July 4th, 2003 Streamtown NHS (visited July 4,
2003) -
Thursday July 3rd, 2003 I was at the Delaware Water Gap HQs on Thursday when they were open. They have 3 stamps (Bushkill, Dingmans, and Middle DE SRR) however, only the Bushkill one is out. The other two were hidden inside the plastic stamping location.
...and at the Bushkill VC, the stamp pad is dry because of all the practice I needed it for to get a decent stamp. They had a really old practice passport at Bushkill, where it was possible to see all the stamp variations for it and Kittatinny going back to 1999 or so. Grey Towers NHL - no stamp here but it is worth a 1-2 hour visit if you are in the north part of the Delaware Water Gap. It is a free US Forest Service site, former home of Gifford Pinchot, founder of the Forest Service. I especially liked the outdoor dinning table that was more like a swimming pool! I stayed at Highpoint State Park in NJ for the next 3 night – It has what may be the nicest campground in the Mid-atlantic. |