Park 1 (a): William Floyd Estate, Fire Island National Seashore, New York

5/27/12. This weekend we have been visiting grandparents on eastern Long Island, so we took some time off this Sunday morning to make a quick visit to William Floyd Estate which is park of the Fire Island National Seashore. The irony is that Muriel grew up in this area and never before visited this site!

General Wm Floyd's Gravestone

We thought it would be an easy ride, but like so many of the other park sites, we got off track and it took us a long while to find the entrance. We arrived on a hot and humid morning and found the trail for the main house. A ranger greeted us and said that there would be a tour soon. Since we had time to wait, we walked down a wooded trail to the family cemetary in the meantime.

According to the National Park Service Website, this Floyd family originated in Brecknockshire, Wales. The founder of the family in America, Richard Floyd (ca. 1620-1690), first appeared in American records in the late 1660s as a leading landowner on the North Shore of Long Island, first in Huntington, then in Setauket.

A half-century later, in 1718, his son Richard Floyd II (1665-1738), bought over 4,400 acres of property from William "Tangier" Smith of the Manor of Saint George. The first Floyd to live on the estate, Richard II's son Nicoll Floyd constructed the first portion of the "Old Mastic House" in 1724. He developed the land into a prosperous plantation, using both slave and free laborers to raise grain, flax, sheep, and cattle.

Floyd Family Cemetery

The estate contains the ancestral house, grounds, and cemetery of the William Floyd family. William Floyd, a Revolutionary War general and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born in the house in 1734. Between 1718 and 1976, eight generations of Floyds managed the property and adapted it to their changing needs. The family used the house and property in different ways over the years.

Old Mastic House

After visiting the cemetery, we strolled back to the main house, trying desperately to avoid the mosquitos, and was welcomed by the volunteer who began our tour. She had lots of energy and a real love for history as she quizzed while we went through the house. It was an usual house because of all the additions that had been added over the years. Typically, there were many time-period artifacts (including a very old piano) that were fascinating.

Once we left the main house, we found there was not much else to do on the property. There is plenty of land that stretches all the way to the water, but there are not any walking trails. We hope that funds might become available in the future for the National Park Service to open up more of this large and beautiful property as a park.

Park 2 (a): Floyd Bennett Field of Gateway National Recreation Area, New York

5/25/12. Today we were on our way to eastern Long Island in New York and we decided to stop at one of the stamp cancellation centers in Gateway National Recreation Area. We were planning to go to one of the areas in Staten Island, but we missed the exit and had to go over the Verrazano Bridge. No problem, however, since we knew there were also many spots on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, too!

We decided to stop at Floyd Bennett Field, which was easy to find, except for the entrance! We went down a couple of paved roads that felt like we shouldn't be on them, then turned around and finally found the right road for the entrance.



Window in Visitor Center

According to the National Park Service website, Floyd Bennett Field was opened as New York City's first municipal airport on May 23, 1931. Throughout the 1930's, it was the site of many important first and record breaking flights, which helped to advance aviation technology during the "Golden Age of Aviation." In 1941, Floyd Bennett Field was sold to the United States Navy and became Naval Air Station-New York. During World War II, Floyd Bennett Field was the busiest naval air station in the United States. The field was used for training and antisubmarine patrol flights. It was also the home of the Naval Air Ferry Command which was responsible for the acceptance, commissioning, and ferrying of naval aircraft from the factories to the fleet.

 
We left the cat in the car and Muriel, Catherine, Jason, and his girlfriend Kelsey enjoyed the visitor's center attractions. They little rooms that had once been service areas (like a barber shop) for the airport were now made into museum rooms with artifacts, videos, and interactive exhibits. We were the only ones in the visitor's center and we really enjoyed ourselves. This is a great stop for children and any airplane enthusiasts. The videos from when the airport was operational were especially interesting.

We stamped our passports (with the wrong date of May 22) and left to tour the rest of the park. Unfortunately, Hanger B was closed today, but we drove around the outside areas, looking at the old buildings and runways. Over all, a fascinating and very different kind of national park unit!

Park 6: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, New Jersey

5/23/12. We had a hard time deciding to head out for a park today because the weather was cool and thunderstorms were threatening. As it neared afternoon, the sun cleared and we headed north to Jersey City to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

(By the way, you'll notice in the title of the post that we in New Jersey consider that the Statue of Liberty is located in our state! All one has to do is to check a map to see that it is right off our coast.)

Mom entering Ellis Island Building

As we reached Jersey City, it started to pour heavily and we doubted our decision to visit the park today, but by the time we got to the ferry terminal, the rain stopped and it brightened a bit. Perhaps because of the weather, and the fact that it was still late spring, the boat was pretty empty.

We got off at Ellis Island first and spent some time admiring the architecture as we always do. Because we've been here many times, we didn't go on the typical tour. We spent a lot of time in the gift shop looking at books from the period and studying immigration photos. Ellis Island has two marvelous shops - one with national parks materials in the main hall, and another tucked in the corner with items imported from all over the world that represent the immigrants who entered through Ellis Island.

Beatiful Architecture of Ellis Island Building

We grabbed some pierogis for lunch and sat outside enjoying the spring day. We finally tore ourselves away so that we could catch the next ferry since we were running out of time at the end of the day.

Daughter on Ferry with Lower Manhattan in the background

We really enjoyed the ride to the Statue of Liberty as the sun had come out and the sky and water was calm and beautiful. We decided not to get off the ferry since the Statue is under renovation and there's not much to do on the island. And of course, we've visited her many times before! We sat on the top level of the ferry boat and we had an excellent view of the whole island. It gave us a perspective on the place that we didn't get from the ground and I'm glad we chose to stay on board.

We waited for the ferry to load again and made it back to the dock in Jersey City. We admired the old remnants of the train station as we walked back to the car, then took a quick ride through Liberty State Park to end our journey.

Park 5: African American Burial Ground National Monument New York

Today we had plans for a special show in New York City in the evening so we (Catherine, Muriel, and Jason) decided to head over to the city early and visit the African American Burial Ground Monument and Museum. We had a little trouble finding it and had to get out Google Maps for a little help, but it was worth the search!



The Monument is around the corner from the actual museum and we stopped here first to get a feel for the spirit of the place. It is a beautiful black granite monument that features a map of the Atlantic area within the "Circle of Diaspora" in reference to the Middle Passage, by which slaves were transported from Africa to North America. It is built of stone of South Africa and of North America, to symbolize the two worlds coming together.

5/22/12. After we visited the burial ground and monument, we moved inside to the small museum. Because it's a federal building, we needed to go through a scanner and metal detector. We were just in time to watch a lovely film about the museum and history. A marvelous park ranger with a presentation style more like a Baptist minister than a ranger gave us an overview of the museum. This little place is packed with interesting artifacts and designed in a more modern way that helps visitors to interact with the exhibits and even add their reflections and impressions to the exhibits. We got our stamps and enjoyed the fascinating artifacts and information almost until closing!

Park 4: Morristown National Historic Park and Jockey Hollow, New Jersey

Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historic Park

5/21/12. Muriel and Catherine had the week off, but Jason was taking a summer class, so we waited until his class was done, picked him up, and headed up north to Morristown, NJ. We found the Morristown National Historic Park fairly easily with Google Maps, but we were surprised that it was tucked in a residential neighborhood. This park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental army’s winter encampment of December 1779 to June 1780, where they survived through what would be the coldest winter on record.

We arrived just in time for an afternoon tour of the Ford Mansion, where Washington created his temporary office. Our tour guide/ranger was very knowledgeable, although she seemed a bit uncomfortable in her role. The house gave a good feel for what life was like among the relatively wealthy in a rural area. There were many interesting artifacts on display.

After the tour, we went back to the small museum which has three sections - two rooms with displays from the time period, and a larger auditorium that shows a movie of the time period. We were particularly interested in the two harpsichords from the period and we had trouble keeping our hands off them!

Driving Trails through Jockey Hollow

We got our stamps from the visitor center desk and then headed out to Jockey Hollow which is a short car ride away. We found the visitor's center and had a nice chat with the man who was in the gift shop/center. After Little Brother bought some audio cds of colonial music, we toured Jockey Hollow in the car. It had been raining lightly all day, but this gave the park an authentic feel of wilderness.

In Jockey Hollow, Washington anticipated a long encampment at this advantageous position, and decreed that his army was to build a "Log-house city" here. Eight infantry brigades occupied the site for seven months. More than 600 acres of oak, walnut and chestnut were converted into lines of soldier huts that rose on the hillsides. Impeded by the weather, the work of felling the great forest and erecting hundreds of cabins went slowly. Almost all of December, the men slept under tents or with no covering at all. A number were not under roofs until February the following year. There were about 1,000 to 1,200 log structures in Jockey Hollow.

The Wick House at Jockey Hollow

As we drove through the trails, we also encountered the Wick house, a small, 3 room farmhouse. The caretaker just happened to be coming over with another couple who were visiting and gave us a quick tour of the place. Mary Cooper Wick and her daughter Temperance were the only family members living on the 1,400-acre farm during the winter of 1779-1780. Henry Wick served as a volunteer with the Morris County cavalry. Mr. Wick had officers staying in his house that winter. Major General Arthur St. Clair, along with two aides, rented two rooms in the house for their office, dining room and bedrooms.

All in all, it was a lovely afternoon in a beautiful part of the New Jersey countryside. The wooded trails were peaceful and made us feel like we were in another world...

Park 3: Independence NHP

Our third trip to a National Park was to Philadelphia, the original capitol of the nation. When we got there, we found out that Independence Hall has been closed, and we weren't up for waiting in the mile-long line to see the liberty bell. Being natives of the area, we'd all seen it before so we knew we weren't missing much. But avoiding these two things made us more creative in what we visited. First and foremost, we stopped for our stamps. There were 8 of them there! It will take us a while until we can visit all the parks in Philadelphia that we have stamps for.

Jason discussing politics with the founding fathers

We started our journey at the National Constitution Center, which had a beautiful exhibit that did a great jobs of bringing up relevant topics to today. Even the kids there seemed really involved and interested. Next we headed over to the Free Quaker Meeting House, Carpenters' Hall, and Bishop White House.

Mom shaking hands at signing of the Constitution

After these we visited the Polish Center. Muriel's grandmother and grandfather immigrated from Poland, and we've always had a curiosity about our Polish heritage. The center was adorable and had lovely crafts and books and all, but it clearly ran on less money than the rest of the park. I wish I had the money to donate to really make it wonderful!

Our last stop of the day was to the rose garden, and once again, we had the perfect weather to take a stroll. The whole place was charming and we had a great time!

Park 2: Gateway NRA: Sandy Hook, New Jersey

Row of officers' quarters that overlook the water.

Catherine and Jason checking out
 one of the dilapidated buildings.

View of officers' quarters from across the field

5/13/12. For our second visit to a National Park, we (now including my brother) headed out to Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Park. We mostly visited the old military fort on the property, that was in operation from the late 1800's until the 1970's, and the visitors center, where we got more stamps for our passport. The fort was quite big, and we were surprised by all of the decrepit buildings. The officers' quarters along the shore were especially beautiful, it's a shame the homes haven't been kept up and are in such a bad state. We visited the the small house museum there, decorated in the style of the 1930's, with some information about the family that lived there. Mostly we had a blast theorizing about the old buildings and their function and what it must have been like 100 years ago.

We also met a park ranger who was great to talk to and very friendly! He showed us both the exhibit in the visitors center and in the house museum. The weather that day was just perfect, and it was so much fun! We could have maybe used some more time, but my graduation was in the afternoon, so we had to head back without seeing the lighthouse or spending any time at the beach. Still, a very successful day, I think!

Park 1. Fire Island National Seashore and Lighthouse



Catherine posing next to the lighthouse.

5/6/12. Today we completed our first visit to a National Park site for an official cancellation (stamp). We were visiting family on Long Island, and on the way home, decided to spare a few hours and see Fire Island, the barrier island off of Southern LI. It was a beautiful sunny day and decently warm for early May. It was before the real start of the season, so the park was quite empty. To get to the lighthouse, there was a long wooden walkway that wove around all sorts of plant life. The signs along the way about the birds and other animals in the area, and about the history of Fire Island were a lot of fun. 



Our first official (and cool non-official)
cancellation!

Muriel on the pathway leading
to the lighthouse.  

The visitor center (seen in the top photo to the left of the lighthouse) looked brand new and was lovely, with a replica lighthouse lens and some posters about the history of the lighthouse and its technology. Inside what used to be the caretaker's house, there is a lovely little museum, with some fun interactive exhibits. For instance, we played a game in which we identified different light signals that a lighthouse might transmit. We also played a search & find game with a diorama, finding seagulls and ship equipment.There is a shop inside the caretaker's house that has some beautiful crafts and a good selection of books about the area and lighthouses for all ages. This is where we got our first passport stamp (and where we bought matching T-shirts with rhinestone Fire Island lighthouses on the front, shell bracelets, and a framed panorama photo of the lighthouse and beach). 



So our first outing was a resounding success and felt like an exotic vacation hidden within our otherwise normal weekend. We hope you enjoyed your vicarious journey and maybe will consider visiting Fire Island too!

Beginning Our Adventure

       Welcome to One Park at a Time! We are a mother and daughter team - Muriel and Catherine - who has set out to see every National Historic Park and Site in the country- including those in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. We were inspired after watching Ken Burns' PBS film The National Parks: America's Best Idea.The National Park Service sells passports that can be stamped at each location, and our goal is to get every stamp.We will chronicle our adventures with photos, videos, memorabilia and other fun things. Brother/Son Jason will also be joining us on many of our trips. This is our digital scrapbook and we want to share it with you!

Come join us on our journey to discover the USA one park at a time!


To help you keep up with us, here are some useful links to get started:
   National Parks Passport Information (this has a list of the sites we'll be visiting for stamps)
   National Geographic Info on the National Parks (this offers various guides great for visiting the parks)