Park Unit 177: Tonto National Monument

 We took a break from the conference today and drove to Tonto National Monument in Arizona. From the website: The Salado Phenomena, 700 years ago, blended ideas of neighboring Native American cultures to emerge a unique and vibrant society. Tonto National Monument showcases two Salado-style cliff dwellings. Colorful pottery, woven cotton cloth, and other artifacts tell a story of people living and using resources from the northern Sonoran Desert from 1250 to 1450 CE."

We started at the visitor's center's museum to learn about the cultural history of the areas. Then we had a wonderful time walking up the steep hill towards the cliff dwellings. We actually enjoyed the cacti, plants, and amazing view more than the cliff dwellings (having seen others in the area). As the website states, this park was quintessentially Arizona. We're so glad we went!

Park Unit 176: Case Grande Ruins National Monument

We arrived in Arizon yesterday for the Literacy Research Association and found time in the schedule to visit some of the many national park units in the Phoenix area. This morning we headed northeast to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The NPS website invited us to: "Explore the history and stories of an extended network of communities and irrigation canals. An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether the Casa Grande was a gathering place for the Desert People or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of canals and trading partners is but part of the story of the Ruins."


This site was actually more interesting than expected. There was a small museum section of the visitor's center that provided an excellent overview of archelogists analysis of the area over various different time periods. There were models and maps and even a whole section of touchable items. Libbry really liked those; Catherine and I liked the rest!



We then ventured out to the archeological site and one of the volunteers started us off with some deeper explanations of the site and a wonderful story of how archeologists found another site close by (behind the Wal-Mart!) using LIDAR and found 700-800 houses that they are thinking was the residential part of this community. We also learned a lot about the cotton grown here over the millenia up until now.

Park Units 170-175: Theodore Roosevelt Island, George Washington Memorial Parkway; Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove, Dwight D. Eisnenhower Memorial; Arlington House; Hampton NHS

 We packed up our mountain of things from the hotel and checked out early this morning. We headed first to Theodore Roosevelt Island which is a memorial to the president and a beautiful little preserve with trails and a monument. The parking lot was almost full since there was a running group there, and it is always nice to see the parks being used. We crossed the narrow bridge to get to the island and made our way to the monument area, then returned to the car. A nice walk on a cold day!

Next we drove on the George Washington Memorial Parkway to the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove. Libby had fallen asleep so I crossed the bridge to the grove by myself. It was empty, peaceful, and had a magnificent view of the water to the Washington Monument. I would like this type of memorial to myself if I ever get famous, ha ha! I really loved the few moments of respite from the busyness we had over the last few days.

Next we headed back into the city to visit the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. We were waiting until the bookstore opened at 10:00 to visit. We were interested in this memorial because of the controversial design that the Eisenhower family did not want. It is a huge monument and makes a bold statement. Whether or not it is true to Eisenhower's life and personality is better left to someone more knowledgeable than us. It was a peaceful and quiet moment on a Saturday morning with no-one else around.

We got our stamps at the bookstore and headed in the car to Arlington House. Silly me, I did not realize that this was within the confines of Arlington National Cemetery. I thought it was separate and we could park there. Wrong! We had to park at the cemetery and then go through the visitor center for a security screening. Then we made a very long walk up a very steep hill through the cemetery. It took about 30 minutes to walk and it was cold and uphill. We were exhausted by the time we got to Arlington House. The site memorializes the family of Robert E. Lee and the enslaved people who ran the farm. We listened to a very interesting talk by one of the rangers about how the National Park Service has changed their views so dramatically about how they present the civil war - for example, labeling the southern states as "traitors" and focusing on the enslaved peoples lives. We were very pleased to hear about the new perspective that is being considered. When we were ready to go, the bookstore was closed and we panicked that we couldn't get the stamps (this is the location for the Roosevelt Island stamp and the LBJ Memorial Grove stamp too). We asked one of the rangers what we could do, and the happily produced a box with all the stamps that they keep at the house when the bookstore closes for lunch!

The walk down was easier and it was very interesting to be at Arlington National Cemetery again. It's so similar to the Calverton National Cemetery where my dad is buried, and has a stark beauty in the formality.

Finally, we headed north on I95 and stopped one more time at Hampton National Historic Site. "Once possibly the largest private home in America by 1790, the Hampton mansion serves as a grand example of late-Georgian architecture in America. Hampton is also the story of its people, as the estate evolved through the actions of the Ridgely family, enslaved African Americans, European indentured servants, and paid laborers within a nation struggling to define its own concept of freedom." We toured the outside grounds because we were too late for the house tour. We also met the same park ranger who had chatted with us at Fort McHenry a few days ago. He remembered us and asked about what parks we visited and we shared a good laugh about how hard it is to get to Arlington House. It was freezing cold but we enjoyed being outside for a little while and hope to return in the spring to see the house and enjoy more of the farm.

Park Unit 151-169: National Capitol Parks and Washington, DC

  Today was our big day in Washington, D.C.! We planned the day to take in as many of the capitol parks as we could. Since Catherine and I have already been to most of these parks (a variety of times) we focused on the overall experience of being in D.C. and taking photos. It was a VERY cold day for November but it was clear and beautiful.

    We left the hotel about 8:30 and walked first to Ford's Theater, which took us about a half an hour. We had Libby in the stroller and we were bundled up from the wind! From there we took in World War I Memorial, then we walked to the Capitol Mall and started with the Washington Memorial. From there, we used the DC Circulator Bus system to get around the other monuments. The bus was terrific with lots of room for the folded up stroller, but we didn't realize it doesn't stop unless you tell them you want to get off. Oh, well, we worked around this issue and backtracked a bit to get to the Martin Luther King, Jr. and FDR Memorials. What a contrast between the two! There were lovely views of the water and the Jefferson Memorial. We ate lunch in a sunny spot at the FDR Memorial while Libby slept in the stroller. We really loved this memorial and the sensory experience of it. We noticed the other visitor's interactions with the statues which brought them to life.

    We continued on foot to the other memorials, ending at the World War II memorial and taking the bus to the Smithsonian stop. We had planned to end with the Eisenhower memorial but we were too tired and cold so we added to our plans for tomorrow. We got the Metro back to the convention center and then walked back to the hotel. We were really exhausted from the cold and all the walking, but we had a marvelous day, really immersing ourselves in history!

    Here is the list of the DC parks from today.

• Belmont-Paul Women's Equality NM (Currently closed, so did this virtually)
  
• Carter G. Woodson Home NHS (Currently closed, so did this virtually)
• Constitution Gardens
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
• Ford's Theater NHS
  
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
• Frederick Douglas NHS
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
• Lincoln Memoral
• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
• National Mall
• National World War 1 Memorial
• Pennsylvania Avenue NHS
• Potomac Heritage
  
• Thomas Jefferson Memorial
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• Washing Monument
• World War II NMEM

Here are some of our photos:

Park Unit 150: Mary McLeod Bethune Council House

 

After spending the day at the NAEYC conference, we took time in the late afternoon to visit the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House. "Mary McLeod Bethune achieved her greatest recognition at the Washington, DC townhouse that is now this National Historic Site. The Council House was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was Bethune’s last home in Washington, DC. From here, Bethune and the NCNW spearheaded strategies and developed programs that advanced the interests of African American women". Not only was the history very interesting at this site, it was also cool to see the Victorian home as well. The ranger shared much of the history with us in an informal tour and then we explored the home. After leaving the house, we also explored some of the African American history in the Logan Circle Heritage Trail. This little bit of history was a wonderful way to end a busy day! Tomorrow we are off for more D.C. parks!

Park Unit 147-149: Fort McHenry National Monument; Greenbelt Park; Rock Creek Park

 We left today for a trip to Washington, DC as I am giving a presentation at NAEYC on Thursday. On our way, we were able to visit three parks - two in Maryland and one in Washington, DC.

The first park was Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. O! say can you see,...by the dawn's early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars... were so gallantly streaming...over Fort McHenry! The valiant defense of the fort during the Battle of Baltimore on September 13-14, 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the U.S. national anthem. The fort's history holds many other stories too, from the Civil War to WWII. 

 

 

 

We toured the fort, noting the similarities to Castillo de San Marco in Florida which is also a star fort. We enjoyed watching the school children who were there on a field trip, and the views of the river. The monument includes a beautiful park and walking path, that was being well used.

Next we drove to Green belt park in Maryland. The NPS website says, "Greenbelt Park is a hidden jewel located just outside of Washington, DC. It provides a sylvan escape from the busy city life where you can camp, hike, and enjoy time with friends and family." We drove through the park and enjoyed the acres and acres of woods, and the peace and calm. It felt like home and looked like much of NJ, but it was indeed an escape in the midst of the city. The park stamps were at the little ranger station where Libby enjoyed the taxidermied animals. She used her "cat" squeal to show her excitement. We loved the little smart car they use in the park.

We then entered DC and drove to Rock Creek Park. "This 1,754 acre city park was officially authorized in 1890, making it the third national park to be designated by the federal government. It offers visitors the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and find a peaceful refuge, recreation, fresh air, majestic trees, wild animals, and thousands of years of human history." I was impressed by the many locations within the park and many things to do. We went on a short hike with Libby in the carrier and enjoyed the woods. We also toured the visitor center displays that we great because they showed simply and boldly the wildlife and plant life in the area. We hope to return and do more activities here in the future, but for now we are on to our hotel in D.C.!