Parks 54 & 55: Hamilton Grange and General Grant National Memorials

5/10/15. Today, for a special Mother's Day treat, Catherine and Brad and I visited two national park units on our way to the New York Botanical Gardens where we spent the afternoon with the family.

First we drove up to Harlem to visit Hamilton Grange, the country home of Alexander Hamilton. The size of the home was quite modest, with a little museum in the lower floor. We learned a lot more about the controversial life of Alexander Hamilton, and the political happenings of his time period.

Next we headed over to the General Grant National Memorial. Sunday morning was a terrific time to go since there was parking available and not a lot of people. According to the National Park website, "The final resting place of President Ulysses Simpson Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict in American history as Commanding General of the Union Army and then, as President of the United States, strove to heal a nation after a civil war and make rights for all citizens a reality."

The memorial is a very impressive building in an impressive location. I'm surprised that I don't remember ever having visited before. We toured the inside of the building thoroughly and walked down by the river overlook before heading back to the car. It was a nice little piece of history to experience!