NATIONAL PARKS MAP WORSHEET

View National Parks in a larger map

Our 7th Park in our 5th States was Harry S Truman Historical Site, in Independence, MO.  The house is located at 219 Delaware Avenue in Independence, MO.  http://www.nps.gov/hstr/index.htm

In order to tour the home you must first get a $4 ticket at the Visitor's Center 5 blocks blocks from the house at 223 N. Main St. Independence, MO.  After nosing around the home and not being able to gain access you can see I was glad to finally find the Visitor's Center.  Admission is free with the Senior Pass and is also good at the Truman Farm which is located in Grandview, MO

All stamps, so far, have only been available at the Visitor's Center.  (I am working on getting my legs tan.  How do you think I am doing? )  This Visitors center had a video telling about the Truman's and what we were going to see in the home.

"I tried never to forget who I was and where I'd come from and where I was going back to...

After nearly eight years in the White House and ten years in the Senate, I found myself right back where I stated in Independence, MO."

I thought it was confusing and inconvenient that the home was 5 blocks from the Visitor's Center.  I also thought it was bad that there was very little cross merchandising with the Truman Presidential Library.  I understand that it is a different department and not run by the National Parks Service, but does the general public care??  They both compliment each other and you should see both.

Upon our arrival at the home we were welcomed by Clarence for our private guided tour of the home.  This is the only home the married Truman's every lived other than the White House.  It is as nearly as possible the same as it was when Bess passed.  Their daughter Margaret straighten it up, set the dining room table and it was donated.  It vividly show that the Truman's were humble and modest and being President did little to change that.  I was once again impress with a Park Ranger. I was very impressed with Clarence's knowledge and enthusiasm for this historical site.  He made the trip worthwhile.  (Still working on that tan!)

Harry and Bess Truman, front porch, 219 Delaware, Independence, MO  1953

Missy and Roger, front porch, 219 Delaware, Independence, MO  July 24, 2012

I really appreciate that we have people who have kept and preserved Historical Sites such as this.  This is not the best park you will ever visit but we are a better and wiser people for having it.  

Our 6th Park in the 5th State was Fort Scott National History Site, on Old Fort Scott Blvd, Fort Scott, KS. With it's 20 well maintain building you get a good look into what was happening and what life was like during this period.

The Fort probably didn't look this good and I know the women weren't this pretty!!

The Dragoons were the beginning of our Calvary and fought in a large area.  They have a nice stable that shows how the horses with kept and taken care of.

In the center of the parade ground, away from everything and everybody was the gun powder and bullets.

It was a hot day but the kids enjoyed their visit to Ft. Scott.

Bye from Ft. Scott, KS

Our 5th Park in our 4th State was Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Rd., St. Louis, MO.  

I really didn't get the reason for this park.  This was the home where Grant's wife, Julia Dent, was raised,
"White Haven".  This park commemorates their lives and loving partnership.  OK

Don't waste your time on this park.  Or I missed the significance.... 

Our 4th Park in our 4th State was Jefferson National Expansion Memorial   http://www.nps.gov/jeff/index.htm   Or better know as St. Louis' Gateway Arch!  This is a major tourist attraction and was loaded with vacationers.  We had been here before, the temperature was 102, we ran in got our stamp and ran out.  

The National Parks Visitor Center is at the base of north end of the arch.  The reason for the name and this park is this is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson's role in the opening of the West!!  Definitely a distination trip!!  Enjoy....

On July 9, 2012 we visited our 3rd Park in our 3rd State the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, 401 S. 2nd St., Vincennes, IN.  One of the greatest feats of the American Revolution was Clark's capture of Ft. Vincennes February 25, 1779.  This assured the United States claim to the frontier, as area nearly as large as the original 13 states. 

In the rotunda are 7 murals painted by Ezra Winter, depicting the story of the expedition. 

In the center of the rotunda is a 7.5 foot bronze statue of Clark on a marble base.

The bronze with it's marble base weight 12 tons.  Our trip was made special by the Park Ranger who insisted on getting a picture of the two of us by the statue to show its enormity.  This Park Ranger was one of those special people who through her enthusiasm for George Rogers Clark you learned and enjoyed your visit.

The memorial is situated on the banks of the Wabash River.  This is nothing left of Ft. Vincennes.

 We would have never been to the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park if it had not been for the Ironbutt Assoication and the National Parks Passport Program.  We enjoyed this park so much, because of a wonderful park ranger.  Neither my wife nor I could remember leaning anything about George Rogers Clark.    We feel so good about what we learned and we really enjoyed our visit.  THANKS LADY PARK RANGER!!

On July 8,2012 we visited our 2nd Park in our 2nd State.  Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, 16 South Williams St., Dayton, Ohio.  http://www.nps.gov/daav/index.htm  Or as it makes more sense to me, it is the home of the Wright Bros., and this historic site does a good job of explaining their background and how they invited the airplane.

Ok, here we are, let's go in....

With this park and is the case with most of the parks, they are free and have a movie.  I like to see the movies.  I learn more and quicker than reading the volumes of words on the wall.  There is a 20 minute movies here than explains how the Wright Bros. got involved in aviation clear to how they put a engine on their glider.  This is not Kitty Hawk!!

I guess this is where the Heritage comes in.  Melissa says this show things that were invented in Dayton.

This is a replica of the glider flown at Kitty Hawk.  I was surprised to learn many many people and even countries were racing to be the first to fly.  One of the Wright Bros first achievements that led to manned flight was controls on the glider.  The used not only their hands and arms which controlled the wings, and their feet and legs to control the tail, but their torso/hips.  You can see the wooden half moon piece in the picture.  This was moved by the hips to turn the glider. They could now go up and down, right and left.  Next came the engine!!

Of course, everyone knows the Wright Bros owned a cycle shop.  The park is centered around one of their cycle shops.  The park felt it was significant to let everyone know that at one time the Wright Bros were in the printing business, too.

Not only did the Wright Bros fix and repair bicycles, but manufactured two lines of bicycles.  On one of the display airplanes they show how many bicycle parts were on the plane, chains, gears, and even pedals!

The physical plant of this park won't blow you away, but the history, genus and contribution to aviation of the Wright Bros and the way it is presented will.

Well it is off to another park.  Sure did enjoy this one!!

Melissa and I started our quest on July 3, 2012 in Springfield, IL.  Above I am preparing to apply my first stamp.

I am so nervous, our first stamp!!  I must get a perfect "stamp", date and place.

This is Lincoln's Home, our first National Historic Site, 426 S. Seventh St., Springfield, IL Note in the picture that the streets are gravel and the curbs wooden 4x4.  This was one of the first times we used our iphone to move from one station or in this case one house to the next for an audio tour.  You can also do this in the comfort of your own home!!  At each house there is a story was what was going on with these neighbors when Lincoln lived here.  We didn't get to see the movie or spend as much time here as we would have like.  Hopefully, at some time in the future we will get to go back. The site consisted of about 2 city blocks and you can visit several of the houses that looked as they did with Lincoln lived here.  http://www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm 

Nearby, is the Lincoln Presidential Library which we were told is well worth seeing.  It would be another reason to return to Lincoln's Home!!

And there you have it, first park, Lincoln Home National Historic site, July 3, 2012, first state, Springfield, IL

We stopped in Spingfield, IL on our way to the Honda Motorcycle Rally in Fort Wayne, IN.  "WING DING"

National Parks Passport Book

The object of this IRONBUTT rides is to visit 50 National Parks, or National Historic Site or National Monument in 25 states in a one year period.

Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park and was created more than 140 years ago.  Since Yellowstone, 396 sites have become part of the National Park System.

The Passport Book describes the parks and provides a place to collect interpretive stamps, and park cancellation.  Ink cancellations record the name of the park and the date of your visit.  Cancellations are free of charge and are usually available at the park's visitor center.