NPS Adventures 2026: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

 I have been trying to get us to Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Kentucky for several years now. I always felt it was out of the way of where we were. This year the hubby said that we are just going to go.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is located in Hodgenville, KY. The visitor center is open 9-5 daily. 

Because we spent too much time exploring the Obed Wild and Scenic River, we got there around 3:30 and was told that memorial building closes at 4:30. We promptly headed up the Memorial Building. The Memorial Building is the first Lincoln Memorial in DC and houses the Birth Cabin. The building was constructed between 1909 and 1911 to preserve the historic cabin.

After viewing the birth cabin, we walked the path to Sinking Spring which was a dependable water sources for the Lincoln Family. Unfortunately you can not get close enough to the spring to actual drink of the water. 

Unfortunately due to time constraints, we did not get to the Boundary Oak or follow the Pathway of a President. There is a second segment of the park which is the Boyhood at Knob Creek up the road which we did not see either. I believe is was there as a kid back in the 1990s. 

Even though it was a quick visit, it was a nice visit. It is definitely worth checking out. If you find yourself at Mammoth Cave or in Bowling Green definitely take the time to check it out.

I am up to 67 National Park Sites now. I wonder what will be number 68. Stay tuned to find out. 

NPS Adventures 2026: Obed Wild & Scenic River

I am not one for checking out scenic rivers per se but when there is one along our route it was a no brainer to stop. I was figuring it would be a quick stop for a stamp and we'd be on our way. However, sometimes these NPS stops don't always go as planned. 

Obed Wild & Scenic River Visitor Center is located in Wartburg, TN. The actual river is out of town. The visitor center is open 9-5 daily. There is not much in the visitor center but the rangers were very helpful. They gave us a few places to view the river. They also suggest another National River to check out but it was out of the way. 

We decided first to check out the Nemo Bridge. It used to be a railroad bridge back in the day. It now is bike and walking trail crossing the Obed River. I did not walk the bridge but we saw views of the river and the bridge. Maybe one day I will be back to actually walk across the bridge.

We planned on doing a short hike the Lily Bluff Overlook Trail. We never found the overlook. We got to the right area but I don't think we followed the road far enough. 

We did find a trail head though. From the looks of it was the Bridge Trail which was a .5 mile round one way trail that was moderate to strenuous. We actually had shoes on for this one. We made it about 1/4 of the way before turning around. It would have eventually led us to the overlook I think. 

Despite our mishap with the Lily Bluff Overlook Trail, we still got to see the river and it was gorgeous.

If you ever find yourself on the back roads of Tennessee between Knoxville and Louisville, check out Obed Wild and Scenic River. It's worth the detour.

Next time maybe we will take the detour to check out Big Fork South National River. 

There are  400+ National Park Sites across the US and I've now been to 66 of them. Stay to tuned to see which one is number 6-7. 

NPS Adventures 2026: Manhattan Project K-25 History Center

 The last time we went through Knoxville, I wanted to stop at the Manhattan Project NPS but we didn't have any time. This time I made sure we had a chance to visit at least one of the sites throughout the Knoxville Area. There are many locations including several museums. I gave the hubby the option which museum we were going to visit. We decided on K-25 History Center.

K-25 was one of the gaseous diffusion plant that helped create the atomic bomb during WWII. It was a mile long building where they diffused the uranium. It is located really in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Oak Park. 

K-25 is not really a museum. It is really just a display of history of K-25 on the second floor of this building. 

There is a model of the entire mile long complex.

There are videos, timelines, and diagrams that explained how their diffused the uranium.

You can look out the windows and view the outline of the complex that has since been knocked down. 

It is not that exciting of a place in the typical museum sense. However the science and history lessons presented through video are fascinating. When I saw what little there was too see I was disappointed but it was actually worth our time. I was glad I still went in with an opened mind.

There is still a lot of places we have not seen of the Oak Park Manhattan Project, including the Y-12 plant (which I need to figure out how to actually get a tour of). I know we will continue to knock them off as we find ourselves in the Knoxville area. If you are ever in the Knoxville Area the Manhattan Project sites are worth checking out. 

Stay tuned to find out which Manhattan Project we visit next in the next few years. 

NPS Adventures 2025: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

 One of my 25 in 2025 items is to visit at least one National Park Site. I had four on the list for spring training and that trip got cancelled. We tried to stop and see Mississippi National River and Recreation Area when we were in St. Paul but couldn't find close parking. EAA didn't have the stamp for EAA National Park but I guess technically I was there. With the change in vacation plans, I was hoping to get to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park while in Dayton. We had to pivot at the last minute but it ended up working out.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is located in Dayton and consists of several different locations throughout Dayton. Hours vary by location. Due to our limited time, we went to  The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center. It is open Wed-Sun 9-4. The early opening time worked in our favor. Other sites include The Wright Cycle Company Fourth Shop, Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center, Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site, Dayton History at Carillon Historical Park, and Hawthorn Hill.

The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center is dedicated to the early years of the Wright Brothers. The ground floor shows the history of flight including a replica of the first plane.

Upstairs is a replica of the Wright Brothers Print Shop. 

I learned that the Wright Brothers were fascinating men. I would have loved to have spent more time reading and checking out other sites. Maybe in a future trip. Who knew they owned a bicycle shop and a printing business before getting into airplanes. The Wright Cycle Shop is next door to The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center and if we had more time we probably would have checked it out.

By far the highlight of the The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center was the Aviation Trial Parachute Museum. This small one room museum tells the history of parachuters. The docent was an amazing man to talk to. The museum is in the process of moving to bigger location so all their items can be on display. The hubby was truly fascinated by this small museum. We even got to sit in a jump seat of a fighter plane. 

I knew Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center was on Wright-Patterson AFB along with the National Museum of the US Air Force. I secretly hoped to check it out but really didn't have high hopes since the Air Force Museum was going to take hours to go through. Fortunately we got through the museum in record time and we could go check out the Flying Field Interpretive Center.

I wasn't entire sure Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center was going to be open but I figured we could at least see the Wright Brother Monument. Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center is open Mon-Fri 9-4. The app was telling me only Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It turned out it was open and I got another stamp. There is a small museum about the history of flying. 

The Wright Brother Monument is across the road from the Interpretive Center. 

Since we were already at the Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center and the actual flying field was about 4 miles away, we decided to go check it. The Flying Field is actually on the Air Force Base -- you just don't need to go through any check points. After following the signs and GPS through a wooded area, we came to a clearing which is where the Wright Brothers practiced flying. The original barn is still there. There is a walking path that you can follow with interpretive signs. It was too hot to do any kind of walking. 

I was impressed with the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. I definitely want to check out the other sites especially Hawthorn Hill -- Orville Wright's Mansion. 

If you love flying or airplane or even history Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is worth checking out. It is very well done and there's a lot to see and do. 

149. See the Everglades

 We had a free day in Florida if we wanted it. I realized if we headed south after leaving the Tampa Area we could potentially go to the Everglades before heading to Port St. Lucie. It was a bit out of the way but we had the National Park Pass yet and the hubby agreed. 

Everglades National Park is huge. It has three entrances and you can't go from each entrance to the other without leaving the park. I didn't think it was really possible to go to the Everglades until I discovered that the Northernmost Visitor Center, Shark Valley would be feasible. Flamingo Visitor Center in Homestead is the main visitor center.

We had several options of things to do in the Shark Valley Area. We could bike/walk the 15 mile loop at Shark Valley (um.. no), take a tram ride in Shark Valley, or do an airboat ride. The hubby was like we are not going to be cheap are we? The airboat was more than the tram hence the cheap comment. I was surprised he wanted to do an airboat ride. 

Once we decided on an airboat ride, we had to decide on a company. There are many different companies to choose from depending on where you are. However, there are only 3 companies that are authorized by the National Park Service -- all in Shark Valley. Cooperstown, Gator Park, and Everglades Safari Park. They all are within a couple miles of each other on US 41. After reviewing the websites, I decided Everglades Safari Park was the most bang for the buck. If you just want a airboat ride, I would suggest Cooperstown.

Included in our admission ($34/adult plus $5/adult NPS fee if you don't have a pass), was a 40 minute airboat ride, an alligator show, a nature trail/observation deck, and a small animal enclosure. 

Honestly it was very unorganized. We waited a good 30-45 minutes before we could even go on the trail. The trail is not long but it was a nice walk. Most people skipped the animal enclosures. Then we waited another at least another 10-15 minutes for a 5-10 minute animal show. The show was a very good. For those that are afraid of alligator tricks, they just talked about alligators and feed them some treats to be able to handle them. He also showed us a snake. For $5, you could get your picture taken next to a baby gator. It wasn't even a good shot.

Finally, we could get on the airboat ride. The wait was worth it. I just wish it was a bit more organized. It might have been because it was a Wednesday afternoon in not quite peak spring break season but I was getting antsy. Good thing I planned on us being here for several hours.

The airboat ride was amazing. As we glided over 6 inches of water, we saw several gators, an osprey, and many dragonflies. It was load but no louder than a regular boat engine but we were in the front of the boat. They do give you earplugs. Our guide would slow down whenever he saw an alligator. It was a great ride. The weather held out.

I would HIGHLY recommend seeing the Everglades. There is so much you can do from hiking, biking, and airboat rides. You can kayak or do other boat tours. A lot of what is available depends on where you are in the Everglades. It is the largest sub-tropical wilderness in the US and is worth checking out. I would suggest going in the dry season so it's not so buggy. 

2352. Conquer the Three Dune Challenge at Indian Dunes State Park

 Heather wanted to go to Pullman National Monument to get her stamp and I wanted to go to Indiana Dunes National Park. I figured the hubby would not want to hike or see the dunes because he doesn't like hiking or sand. He said he would like to check it out but I figured Heather and I would get to do some hiking instead of just whatever minimal sightseeing the hubby would insist on. Since it was only 30 minutes or so from Pullman to Indiana Dunes, Heather was game since she didn't get to see much of the park when she was there with the family.

Indiana Dunes National Park spans the northern coast of Indiana along Lake Michigan from Gary to Chesterton. The main visitor center is in Porter with a Nature Center in Gary. The hubby didn't want me to go to Indiana Dunes because we'd have to go to Gary. Then I had to educate him about the size of the park and told him we were going to Porter. 

New this year, Indiana Dunes National Park started enforcing an entrance fee -- $25/car for 7 days. Since I have the National Park pass this year, we had no fee which is another reason I wanted to go. You may your fee or show your pass at the Visitor Center. Also in the visitor center is the movie which we did not watch, the gift shop, passport stamp, and very informative rangers about what to hike.

After showing our pass and getting our stamps, Heather and I looked at the map and tried to decided where we wanted to explore. We kept coming back to the 3 Dune Challenge. The 3 Dune challenge is in Indiana Dunes State Park and would require a separate fee. I looked at it before we left and kind of wanted to do it. I said if you wanted to do it, I'll pay the fee. After getting some guidance from a ranger, we headed over to the state park.

The State Park is on the same road as the visitor center about a mile or so further. After paying our daily fee of $12, I directed us to the start of the trail which was at the nature center. 

The Three Dune Challenge is exactly that. You climb the three highest dunes in the area -- Mt Jackson, Mt Holden, and Mt Tom. It is a 1.5 mile loop. The trail is clearly marked which makes getting lost pretty hard to do.

We started out and there is a small dune that isn't even marked. I laid down. I thought it was Mt. Jackson. Oh no. It was just a small hill. 

We got to Mt. Jackson and it was a 176 foot climb in the sun on sand. I wore hiking sandals thinking I won't get sand in my shoes. Yeah but I had hot sand and sticks on the bottom of my feet. Not a wise move. The climb wasn't too bad. The hot sand made it worse than it really was. 

Then we came to Mt. Holden. O.M.G. I thought I was going to die. Mt. Holden is 184 feet in elevation at 38% grade. That's almost half a right angle. That's steep. The only saving grace was it was in the shade for the most part. There was also spots to stop and rest and catch my breath. I'll be honest, I didn't think I was making it to the top. It was that tough. Made I made it. 

Unlike Mt. Jackson, there were no benches to sit on at the top of Mt.. Holden so I found a shady spot on the sandy and rested. There was a path to the beach but what you climb down you must climb up. So we opted not to. 

We continue on way to the last dune, the tallest dune Mt. Tom. We come down the hill and Mt. Tom shows us his hand.. or more like a glorious stair case. Yup to get to the top of Mt. Tom you can climb a set of stairs. No near vertical climb for us. 

The stairs were easy compared to Mt. Holden and then you were greeted with views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline. 

To get back to the visitor center, it was more stairs, a walk through the campground and a short hike. Easy-peasy.

We did it. We conquered the Three Dune Challenge and lived to tell the tale. We also got a sticker and a bought the shirt. Now I can truly say, been there, done that, got the shirt.

If you are ever at Indiana Dunes National Park or northern Indiana in general, go do the Three Dunes Challenge. Just wear good shoes, take water (my saving grace), take your time, and go early. We did it mid afternoon and it wasn't too bad but it can be a scorcher especially climbing Mt. Jackson. 

Now maybe one day, I can go back and explore the rest of the National Park.