#115 Shiloh NMP

Shiloh National Military Park marks the site of the first major engagement in the Western Theatre of the Civil War. The bloody two day battle in April of 1862 did not result in victory for either side. The Union forces held the battlefield itself, but failed to pursue the Confederates, who could claim the battle was a success because they were able to stop what had planned to be a much larger invasion. The Confederates did suffer a major loss, General Albert Sidney Johnson, who was considered by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, as the finest military officer in their army.

See More picture of Shiloh here.

#114 Brices Cross NB

This Battlefield site marks the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, where in June of 1864, an outnumbered Confederate force secured their supply lines between Nashville and Chattanooga, delaying an inevitable defeat for a few months longer.

See More Pictures here.

#113 Tupelo National Battlefield

Tupelo National Battlefield commemorates the site where Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest attempted the cut the Union's railroad line that was supplying the March to Atlanta. His attempt was unsuccessful, and the Union army continued toward victory in the Southern theatre.

See More pictures here.

#112 Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway runs as a two lane road for 444 miles from Natchez, Mississippi to the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee. It commemorates and old Native American route that was also used by the early settlers. Improvements in transportation made the obsolete. Today it is a 40mph meandering drive through three states, which also has a few historic sites along the way. I drove it in two and a half days, but a week could easily be spent driving this incredible National Park. The picture above is of part of the historic Trace. Many sections of this old road can be found near the modern paved route.

See the pages for the Natchez Trace Parkway here: One, Two, Three, Four, & Five.

Out West 2009

I always get asked what trip I am doing next. This is my proposed trip Out West that I will be taking in June of this year. As of now, I am about 80% sure that I am going.
My Dad is going with me for the first part, up to Salt Lake City, and then I will be driving the long Northern half home by myself. Look for frequent blog posts and web pages starting June 5th.

JFK Presidential Library & Museum

This is the JFK Presidential Library and Museum located outside of Boston. This picture was taken on our Boston Harbour Cruise last September.

Pictures from inside the Library are located here and here.

#111 Natchez NHP

Natchez National Historical Park commemorates the history of Natchez, Mississippi.

The park consists of three distinct parts. Fort Rosalie is the site of a fortification from the 1700s, built by the French, and later controlled by the United Kingdom, Spain, and the United States. The William Johnson House (bottom picture) is the home of William Johnson, a free African American barber and resident of Natchez whose diary has been published. Melrose (top picture) is the estate of John T. McMurran, a lawyer and state senator who was a planter in Natchez from 1830 until the Civil War.

The fort is not open to the public. The other two units of the park include displays related to life in antebellum Natchez.

The collection at Melrose's two-story Greek Revival main house and its slave quarters includes painted floor cloths, mahogany punkah, a set of Rococo Revival parlor furniture, a set of Gothic Revival dining room chairs, and bookcases with books dating to the 1700s. These were collected from Natchez families including the McMurran family. The collection in the Johnson house includes furnishings from his life and family. Archaeological objects found in the park are also on display.

#110 Vicksburg NHP

This park preserves the site of the 47 day siege during May and June of 1863. This Union victory was crucial in allowing the United States to win the Civil War because they controlled the important transportation route of the Mississippi River and it's tributaries. The site's most popular features are the restored gunboat, the USS Cairo, and site of Grant's Canal, a failed attempt by US Grant to change the course of the Mississippi River to avoid Confederate guns at the town of Vicksburg.

See more of my pictures here.

#109 Poverty Point NM

“Poverty Point is the largest and most complex Late Archaic earthwork occupation and ceremonial site yet found in North America”. This is part of the Statement of Significance during June 13, 1962 for the placement of the site in the National Historic Landmark Program. The site is listed in the sites of the National Park Service, although the land has not changed hands from the State of Louisiana to the Department of the Interior. It is currently run by the State Parks of Louisiana.

See more pictures here.

#108 Arkansas Post NM

Arkansas Post National Monument marks a number of significant events that happened on this site. First, It was the site of the first European settlement in the area in 1686. It was also the site of Revolutionary War and Civil War battles, as well as being the first capital of the Arkansas Territory. The site focuses on the number of flags that have flown over this strategic piece of land.

See more of my pictures here.

#107 Little Rock Central High School NHS

Little Rock Central High School was the site of a Civil Rights showdown in 1957 that saw nine black student attempt to attend the school in accordance with the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education ruling. Violence escalated and the students were removed from the school. They returned the next day, with the help of the National Guard as ordered by President Eisenhower.

When I visited in 2005, the visitor's center was located in a restored Mobil Gas Station across the street from the school. It moved to the new building in 2007. The High School building itself is still used for it's original purpose.

See more of my pictures here.

Silly Dog

Monument to the Navigators

Hot Springs Mountain Tower

This is a photo from on top of the Hot Springs Mounatin Tower, mentioned in yesterday's post.

See More pictures here.

#106 Hot Springs NP

Fordyce Bathhouse

Hot Springs National Park, located in Central Arkansas, is a very underrated National Park. It preserves a number of mid 1800s Bathhouses, which drew their water from natural hot springs located under the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain, one of the mountains in the Ouachita Mountain Range of Western Arkansas. The centerpiece of the park is Bathhouse Row, which preserves nine of the bathhouses, all not all of them are open to the public. The park's headquarters are located in the Fordyce Bathhouse. The other part of the park is the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, which provides amazing views of the town and the surrounding area.

Views of Bathhouse Row here.
Pictures from the Mountain Tower here.

#105 Cane River Creole NHP

This is another fairly new National Park. It preserves 67 structures in two locations, The Magnolia Plantation and the Oakland Plantation. The park was set aside to protect examples of French and Creole architecture, as well as the multi-cultural history of the area.

See more pictures from the yet to be fully restored Oakland Plantation.

#104 New Orleans Jazz NHP

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is a unique National Park located in New Orleans that celebrates and preserves the development and progression of jazz, America's most widely recognized indigenous music. The park was dedicated in 1994, and right now only includes a visitor's center in the French Quarter and one preserved building, the 1820s Perseverence Hall, a historically important venue for concerts, dances, banquets, and recitals.
The Hall had not been opened in 2005 when I visited, so all I was able to visit was the visitor's center. This park needs quite a bit more work before it is complete.

See more of my pictures here.

#103 Jean Lafitte NHP

Bataria Preserve

Chalmette Battlefield

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park contains six separate units preserving natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi Delta region. The six units of the park include the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, the Prairie Acadian Cultural center in Eunice, the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux, the Chalmette Battlefield located just south of New Orleans, the Bataria Reserve and the French Quarter Visitor Center in the city.

Pictures from the New Orleans unit here.
Pictures from the Chalmette Battlefield here.
Pictures from the Bataria Preserve are here.
Pictures from the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center here.
Pictures from the Acadian Cultural center in Lafayette here.

Pat Ollinger & I

This is a picture of Pat Ollinger and I from 1976. The lovely wallpaper was in our kitchen in the Maidstone house.

Aalsmeer Flower Auction

The Aalsmeer Flower Auction is located just South of Amsterdam and is a live auction where growers from all over the world come to bid on flowers. It is truly one of the most fascinating side trips from Amsterdam, but one that very few people do because it requires a very early morning, since the auction only runs from 7-11 A.M.

See more pictures here.

#102 Gulf Islands National Seashore

Gulf Islands National Seashore protects the recreational, natural and historic resources in the Gulf of Mexico Barrier Islands. The park includes areas in Florida and Mississippi. Both areas were damaged by hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, and much of the park's infrastructure has yet to be repaired. The area I visited was the Davis Bayou, which has a hiking trail through a coastal forest and two bayous.

Here are more of my pictures.

#101 Tuskegee Institute NHS

Tuskegee Institute NHS preserves much of the campus of the historically black college located in Central Alabama. A former slave, George Washington Carver, was it's most famous president.

See more pictures here.

#100 Tuskegee Airmen NHS

The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site is one of America's newest, established in 1988. It preserves Moton Field, the principal training site for the African American fighter pilots that flew during World War II as the 332nd Fighter Group of the US Army Air Corps. The site is yet to be thoroughly developed, but does incluse a temporary Visitor's Center.

See More Pictures Here.

#99 Horseshoe Bend NMP

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park marks the sight where the United States Army, under the control of Andrew Jackson, defeated the Creek Nation in the last battle of the Creek War. The battle marks the largest Native American loss of life in a battle. The result of the battle was large tracts of land in Georgia and Alabama being ceded to the United States. This is one of those NPS properties that preserves a part of American history that isn't one of our proudest moments.

See more pictures here.

#98 Martin Luther King Jr. NHS

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Site preserves a number of building in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn district pivotal to the life of the Civil Rights Pioneer. The Buildings include King's birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King and his father were both pastors.

See more picture here.

Final Four Friday

This picture is of Janeen and I at Michigan State's practice session on Final Four Friday.

See more pictures here and here.

PictureMail

We're at the game! Go Green! Go White!

The Concordia Guys

These are the Concordia guys from the night of my wedding rehearsal. From left to right, Martin Becker, Me, Mike Johnson, Keath Patterson and Stan Gerdes.

#97 Carl Sandburg Home NHS

Carl Sandburg Home National Historical Site preserves the home where the pulitzer prize winning poet and write spent the last 22 years of his life. Tours of the home, Connemara, are given daily.

#96 Congaree NP

Congaree National Park, in Central South Carolina, preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. It is a sanctuary for animal, bird and plant life. It offers hiking, canoeing and Bird-watching options.

See more pictures here.

Dane Jacob Smith

This is my new nephew, Dane, with his Aunt Janeen.

#95 Fort Pulaski NM

Fort Pulaski National Monument is located outside Savannah, Georgia, where the Union Army successfully tested the first rifled cannon, which made brick fortifications obsolete.

See more pictures here.