Niagara Falls, Ontario

Niagara Falls, Ontario

I’ve visited the falls several times. My first visit was with my parents and sisters in the late 1960s. My daughter and I stopped by for one afternoon and one night on the way to Maine in 1993 and we rode the Maid of the Mist. We were in Toronto for a week in 2004 and drove over for a day; we did Journey Behind the Falls. I’ve never spent any time in the area, however, to see anything other…

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Southwest Michigan

Southwest Michigan

My daughter took a new job early in 2021, moving to central Michigan between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. I‘ve visited many times since then, for a few days here, a week there, a month around the holidays last year and finally decided to write up some activities and places I’ve visited and enjoyed across several towns in the area. I’ll probably update this post each time I visit if I find new activities unlike separate posts for other destinations. Kalamazoo…

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Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

I visited two years ago when I was getting my new South Dakota driver’s license, but only spent a couple days after weeks in Rapid City. After getting some other documents updated, including a change to my mail service and a new address, I needed to update my DL, too, so came for a week. It is a beautiful city, with a great historic downtown. Falls Park is literally the center of the city, and a gorgeous area to enjoy…

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Show Me Presidents: Truman and Grant

Show Me Presidents: Truman and Grant

I’ve been using my NPS map to plan my wandering the past few months. The NPS.gov site is great, of course, and I love the app, but the printed map shows all the NPS sites all over the country making it easier to plan road trips. Independence I came to Independence to see both the Harry Truman National Historic Site and Truman Presidential Library and Museum. I also drove out to his family farm another day. The house is by…

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Pea Ridge and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefields

Pea Ridge and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefields

Leaving Hot Springs, I got an early start so I could stop at Fort Smith National Historic Site. Such interesting history, glad I took the opportunity to visit. The area was the site of a fort as early as 1817, the second fort was built in 1838. It was occupied by Confederate soldiers in 1861 but Union soldiers forced them out in 1863. It was originally built to “keep peace” in Indian Territory (i.e. Oklahoma) between the local tribe, the…

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Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs National Park

On the drive from Chattanooga to Hot Springs I went through Little Rock. Fortunately, the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site had Saturday hours. I didn’t make it in time for the 1300 guided Ranger tour, but I spent an hour and a half in the visitor center then about an hour following the NPS app audio tour of the grounds. I was very glad for the opportunity to visit and learn more about this event. They have…

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Shiloh National Military Park

Shiloh National Military Park

The visitor center at the park is closed for new exhibits for several months but I wanted to visit Shiloh National Military Park anyway and tour this important battlefield. The movie is still showing in the theater. Like most of the informational videos in the parks, it provides a great overview of the battle. April 6 & 7, 1862, “Nearly 110,000 American troops clashed in a bloody contest that resulted in 23,746 casualties; more casualties than in all of America’s…

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Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

Continuing my visits to Civil War battlefields, I went to Chattanooga. I wanted to visit Chickamauga, the first preserved Civil War battlefield, created in 1890. There are multiple areas that are part of the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. Chickamauga has a great visitor center, a video about the battle and siege of Chattanooga. There is a QR code for an online tour or an audio tour with your phone. The Lookout Mountain and Point Park Visitor Center has more…

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Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina

There are several Revolutionary War battlefields in the area I wanted to visit: Ninety Six National Historic Site, Cowpens National Battlefield and King’s Mountain National Military Park all part of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. Each has a nice visitor center with info on the battles. I was lucky to stop by Ninety Six on the weekend when they were having a special event, 96 Crossroads, always on the first weekend of April. There were guided battlefield tours as well…

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Marietta, Georgia

Marietta, Georgia

I wanted to see several sites in Atlanta plus the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield but didn’t want to stay in Atlanta. The traffic there drives me mad, worse than Washington or Chicago, so I found a nice place in Marietta. There is plenty to see here and it’s not far for a visit to Atlanta. Recommendations I enjoyed walking around downtown, Marietta Square, and Glover Park. It’s a beautiful area, a lovely walking district, with many stores and restaurants. There is…

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