May 2023

Casa Grande might have been a family home, or it could have been a trade center. Perhaps it was a religious complex or an astrological observatory. The truth is that nobody knows, but a trip to this intriguing national park site will leave visitors with an admiration for the ingenuity of the Ancient Sonoran Desert People as well as a lot to wonder about.

Where is it?

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located at 1100 W. Ruins Drive in  Coolidge, Arizona, which is about a 1-hour drive from either Phoenix or Tucson. The park features:

• Visitor center
• Museum
• Introductory film
• Self-guided tours of the site
• Periodic guided tours – check with the park for dates and times
• Covered picnic tables
• Free admission

Access the park’s website here.

Casa Grande

Why is Casa Grande Significant?

Occupied from 450 AD to 1450 AD, Casa Grande is part of what was once a community of Hohokam (pronounced: hoho-kahm) people near the Gila River in south-central Arizona. In fact, archaeologists have found evidence of several similar communities in the area, though none have a structure like Casa Grande. Considered one of the largest prehistoric structures in North America, Casa Grande was built sometime between 1300 AD and 1350 AD. The site’s first recorded history comes from the journals of Jesuit priest Father Eusebio Kino, who arrived in 1694 and gave the Great House its name. Although, by that time the site had been abandoned for almost 250 years.

The people who lived in the Casa Grande community were farmers who grew gourds, corn, beans, tobacco, and cotton. Interestingly, an elaborate system of irrigation canals provided water for the crops and the people. The park also features a mound that is believed to have been a sports arena or some type of ball field used for the same type of games that are known to have been played by the Aztec people of Mexico. These unique sports fields have also been found in other area villages. Since the people who lived at Casa Grande left no evidence of a written language, little is known about them or where they went when they left the site.

Wooden beams and iron bars were used to stabilize the walls of the structure when the first repair efforts began in the 1890s.

The Great House

Casa Grande is built of caliche (kuh-leechee) which is a hard clay like substance made up of mud, sand and calcium carbonate and is found underneath the topsoil in dry areas such as the Sonoran Desert. Dry caliche can be as hard as concrete which is probably why the structure has survived for so many centuries.

Perhaps the Ancient Sonoran Desert People dug up the caliche while digging their irrigation canals, and then carried it to the construction site in baskets. 

Detail of the caliche.

The Community

Other remains of the Casa Grande village.

Archaeological evidence suggests that in addition to farming, Casa Grande’s people also made pottery, implements, and arrowheads. Archaeologists also know that the Hohokam people were traders. Known trade items include small copper bells, parrots, and crop seed that came from Mexico. Shells from California, which were used to make jewelry, have also been found. As cotton farmers, the residents of the Casa Grande community were also weavers. Woven cotton items likely would have been a prime commodity for trade.

Undated historical photo showing the village.

The park’s visitor center has a wonderful museum with exhibits showing some of the pottery and implements found at Casa Grande. Between 1860 and 1880, the village was on a stagecoach route originating from a railway station about 20 miles away. Unfortunately, stage passengers who stopped at the site not only vandalized the structures, but they also collected souvenirs and scratched graffiti into the walls. We can only imagine how many priceless artifacts were pilfered before the government stepped in to protect the site.

National Park Service photo of a stagecoach at Casa Grande circa 1888-1889.

Establishment of a Park

Archaeologists and anthropologists who visited Casa Grande in the late 1800s urged the government to repair and protect the site’s structures. Their convincing worked, and in 1889, congress voted to protect the site from further vandalism and erosion and began some repairs such as the rods and beams we mentioned previously.

West wall of Casa Grande, 1880. National Forest Service photo.

Three years later, President Benjamin Harrison set aside one square mile of land surrounding the Great House as the first federally protected prehistoric and cultural preserve in the U.S. and called it Casa Grande Reservation.

West wall of Casa Grande, 2023.

President Woodrow Wilson designated Casa Grande Ruins as a national monument in 1918. An electrical powerplant, the visitor center, paved park road, and paved parking lot, as well as a new steel shelter for the Great House were all completed in 1932.

Casa Grande’s 1932 steel shelter is still in great condition today.

We were fortunate to have been able to join a ranger talk during our visit to the park. One of the most fascinating parts of the presentation was the history of the steel shelter. Designed by renowned architect Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr., the structure can withstand hurricane force winds and allows airflow around the structure while not obstructing visibility of the ruins. Its four slanted legs are actually drainpipes that allow water from the roof drain into underground pipes and away from the Great House. Now, that’s ingenious!

We will close the post with one more historic photo of the Great House, courtesy of the National Forest Service.

Casa Grande circa 1900.

Thank you for taking the time to visit Casa Grande Ruins National Monument with us!

While you’re here, you might want to check out these other great national monuments:

Fort Union National Monument

Devils Tower Road Trip: Things to Do

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Safe travels, y’all!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2023        

The home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello sits atop a hill on some of the 5,000 acres of land that he inherited from his father. Begun in 1768, it took Jefferson forty years to complete the house. This was partially due to his love of architecture and partially due to the fact that family members moved in and needed space. Our tour guide told us that Mr. Jefferson’s sister moved in with her eleven children during the years in which he was supposed to be enjoying retirement.

Thomas Jefferson’s bed is tucked into an alcove between the actual bedroom and his office.

About 60 percent of the current contents of the home did belong to Jefferson, though some items have been lost, are in other museums, or in the hands of private collectors. We saw several of his inventions, including a two-sided clock that can be seen inside the house and above the door on the porch, a dumbwaiter hidden in the side of the dining room fireplace that goes to the wine cellar, and a contraption which held a second pen and copied everything as he wrote.

The property, along with the University of Virginia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university, which is just a few miles from Monticello, was established by Jefferson who also designed the original buildings. Construction began on the most famous building, The Rotunda, in 1822, and was completed just after Jefferson’s death in 1826.

Sundial and view from the north terrace Another view from the north terrace: The Rotunda at the University of Virginia. Jefferson wanted to be able to see the university from his home. Now it is visible through a hole in the trees. The Rotunda, which was designed to be a library, at the University of Virginia up close with the symbols of the ultra secretive Seven Society and a statue of Thomas Jefferson The Rotunda from the lawn. The Palladian architecture looks very similar to Monticello, but was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome.

Monticello was also home to more than 100 enslaved laborers, including Jefferson’s half sister-in-law, Sally Hemings. It is now known that Jefferson fathered at least six of Hemings children, four of whom lived to adulthood. The story of Sally Hemings is fascinating, though little is known about her – not even what she looked like or where she is buried. What is known about her is detailed on the Monticello website here: https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/. There are also Amazon Video and Netflix documentaries about her and her ancestors for those who want to learn more. Notably, James Hemings, Sally’s older brother, was Jefferson’s chef at Monticello. James went to Paris with Jefferson while he was serving as Minister to France. James was trained in French cooking there and became a master chef. Sally arrived in Paris two years later while serving as Jefferson’s daughter’s companion and maid. Interestingly, slavery had been outlawed by then in France so legally James and Sally were free while they lived there.

Another view of the house looking south

Mulberry Row, a community in itself, is where the laborers lived and worked at Monticello. Here the excavated remains of homes and several shops, such as ones where carpentry and blacksmithing among other crafts and trades took place, can be seen today. The lush flower and vegetable gardens that were once tended by enslaved people are still grown at Monticello along Mulberry Row. For more information on Mulberry Row click here: https://www.monticello.org/slavery/landscape-of-slavery-mulberry-row-at-monticello/.

Jefferson was penniless when he died on July 4, 1826. His heirs were tasked with selling off acreage, possessions (sadly this included slaves who were said to have represented 90 percent of his property) and eventually the grand house to pay the debts. Monticello passed through several owners before being purchased by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in 1923.

Past Mulberry Row is a path that leads to Monticello’s cemetery where Thomas and Martha Jefferson are buried along with many members of their family. Though no known African-Americans are buried in the family cemetery at Monticello, archaeologists discovered an unmarked Jefferson-era slave cemetery in 2001. This discovery was important because it is known that 400 – 600 enslaved people worked and lived at Monticello, and until the cemetery was found nobody knew where they had been buried.

Thomas Jefferson’s grave

We could go on for days about what we learned at Monticello, however, we have to end somewhere. In closing, we leave you with these final tidbits:

*Monticello had up to five bathrooms (privies), or air closets as Jefferson referred to them on his blueprints for the home. Historians know that the house did not have flush toilets, but not much else is known about the workings of them.

*Though Jefferson was representing the government as the Minister to France, all expenses involved with living and entertaining there were out of his own pocket.

*The Hemings family were inherited by Thomas and Martha Jefferson upon the death of Mrs. Jefferson’s (and Sally Hemings’) father, John Wayles.

*Sally Hemings quarters were discovered and excavated in 2017 then restored and opened to the public in 2018.

*Jefferson was only thirty-three-years-old when he was asked to write the Declaration of Independence. It only took seventeen days for him to compose the document and two days for the Second Continental Congress to make changes and declare independence on July 4, 1776. We never knew that any government got things done that quickly!

Finally, we highly recommend clicking on https://www.monticello.org/ to learn about the third President of the United States and his beloved home.

Thank you for hanging with us through this long post. We hope you will join us again soon for another great road trip. Until next time…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2021

Where is Cahokia Mounds?

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located at 30 Ramey Street in Collinsville, Illinois. The grounds are open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. The site features:

• Interpretive Center, museum, and gift shop
• Hiking trails
• Guided tours – reservations required
• Self-guided tours of the site

Cahokia Mounds is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a National Historic Landmark, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is a link to the website: Cahokia

This view of the grounds shows some of the smaller mounds which may have been used for individual residences.

Why is Cahokia Important?

Dating to 1000 AD, Cahokia Mounds is the largest prehistoric Indian site north of Mexico. The site encompasses 2,200 acres of what once was an even larger ancient settlement occupied by a culture of people who were farmers, hunters, and traders. At one time mound complexes reached as far as current day St. Louis, Missouri. Today’s site contains 120 mounds. The Mississippians who built the mounds did so by digging earth from “borrow pits” and hauling it in baskets on their backs or by hand. Cahokia’s mounds contain an estimated 50 million cubic feet of borrowed earth. As the mounds grew, so did the community, and Cahokia became a center of Mississippian life and culture.

Mound view at Cahokia. This may be one of the twin mounds shown at the bottom of the grand plaza in the image below.

Cahokia’s Mounds and Buildings

Most of the mounds at Cahokia are rectangular pyramid shapes with flat tops although there are some round mounds that were used for burials. The people buried in the round mounds were probably chiefs or others of great importance to the community. Cahokians were usually buried in cemeteries. The exception to that point may be Mound 72, which is covered later in the post.

This artist’s rendition shows what Cahokia might have looked like at its peak.

Buildings at Cahokia were constructed of poles and thatch though some were also overlaid with a combination of clay and grass. Archaeological excavations have uncovered lodges, grain storages, and communal buildings. Evidence also shows that residences usually housed one family. The tops of the largest mounds were reserved for ceremonial structures or the homes of rulers.

Another site image showing what the buildings may have looked like as Cahokia grew.

Interestingly, professional anthropological studies and archaeological excavations did not begin at Cahokia until the 1960s. So in the grand scheme of things, what is known about the site is relatively new. Studies continue today, so there is a near constant stream of up-to-date information and theories. Undoubtedly, the examination of Cahokia will go on indefinitely.

Monks Mound

Monks Mound is the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas. Its name comes from the French Trappist monks who lived nearby and farmed the terraces of the mound in the early 1800s. The Cahokian chief, Great Sun is said to have ruled from the top of Monks Mound, therefore, Cahokia is sometimes referred to as City of the Sun.

Monks Mound

While construction of Monks Mound began around 950 AD, workers continued to enlarge it over the next 300 years. The building on the top terrace measured 48 feet by 104 feet and some believe it reached 50 feet high.

Monks Mound:

• has a base that covers 14 acres
• is 100 feet tall
• contains 22 million cubic feet of earth

View of Monks Mound from the second terrace looking toward the stairs that lead to the top. In all, 156 steps lead from ground level to the top. The “Birdman” is now the historic site’s logo.

Monks Mound once had four terraces. The artist’s rendering below shows how it may have looked at Cahokia’s peak.

Cahokia’s Stockade

The stockade was a two-mile long barrier, most likely used for defense. However, some theorists believe that it may have served as a barrier to separate the elite from the other residents of Cahokia. The portion we see today is obviously a replica, though the Stockade Trial follows the boundary line of where the eastern part of the original stockade stood.

Cahokia’s stockade probably looked similar to this but on a much larger scale.

Mound 72

While Monks Mound is the grandest because of its size, Mound 72 is probably the most anthropologically interesting of all of Cahokia’s mounds. In 1967 excavations of Mound 72 revealed 270 ceremonial burials. The majority of the bodies were discovered in mass graves and were determined to be young women who died sacrificially.

Cahokia’s Mound 72 was reconstructed after extensive excavations.

Excavations of Mound 72 also revealed two bodies, probably great leaders, atop a cache of 20,000 marine shell disc beads formed in the shape of a large falcon. Six additional bodies, which anthropologists determined were elite men, were found with a large number of burial offerings. Offerings included arrowheads, jewelry, and other artifacts, some of which came from as far away as the areas that are now the states of Tennessee and Oklahoma. Further excavations revealed the bodies of 39 people that, unlike the others, had met a violent end. Anthropologists studied their teeth and determined that those 39 unfortunate souls were probably immigrants or enemies of the Cahokians and not locals.

Cahokia’s Woodhenge

Woodhenge is a solar calendar that the ancient Cahokians used to determine the equinoxes and solstices for agricultural purposes and ceremonial dates.

Reconstruction of Cahokia’s Woodhenge

Excerpts from the site’s information board:

“At least five large post-circle monuments were built at this location from AD 1100 to 1200, each with a different diameter and number of posts. Woodhenge III is the circle most extensively excavated and is the one reconstructed here, in the original location.” “The most important alignments are the winter and summer solstices, marking the southernmost and northernmost sunrise positions, and the fall and spring equinoxes, when the sun rises due east, midway between the solstice posts. Also, at the equinoxes the sun appears to emerge from the front of Monks Mound, perhaps confirming a link between the sun and the chief who ruled from the top of the mound.”

Chief Great Sun atop Monks Mound at sunrise

Cahokia’s Demise

Scientific evidence finds that Cahokia’s inhabitants had begun their departure by 1250; however, the city had been completely abandoned by 1350 – 1400. The once thriving City of the Sun had been home to an estimated 20,000 people at its peak. No one really knows what happened to the Cahokians, but one theory suggests that flooding led to the demise of the great city. Another theory suggests that drought caused the residents to move elsewhere to grow their crops. Still others believe that disease or a 13th century earthquake may have been factors. Most likely, we will never know the reason, but the ancients did leave us with their legacy, one that piques our curiosity and inspires our desire to know more.

Trail and small mound

Our visit to Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site was great, but it would have been even better if we had been able to visit the Interpretive Center to learn more about the site. Unfortunately, the center which houses the museum is closed for renovations until the spring of 2023. Therefore, in our quest to “pass along the knowledge”, we have included a link to the introductive video from the interpretive center here.

Thanks so much for joining us on our tour of Cahokia Mounds!

We have more Native American history! Check out these interesting sites:

Pecos National Historical Park

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

San Antonio Missions

Travel safely, and we will see you on the road.

  Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022                  

• Website link: Rocky Mountain National Park
• Note: a timed entry system may be in effect, so plan ahead for your visit.
• Accommodations: Campgrounds for RVs and tents, as well as backcountry camping in the park. Additional hotels, campgrounds, and other amenities, including restaurants, available in Estes Park, Grand Lake, Lyons, and Loveland.
• What to do: hike, bike, climb, backpack, fish. Spectacular scenic drives. Horseback riding is also available in the park (seasonal).
• When to go: Anytime. Summer and early fall are the best times to go, however, the park is most crowded during these times.

It’s no wonder that almost 4.5 million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park in 2021, with almost one million people visiting in July alone! The park is spectacular from top to bottom and everywhere in between. We can’t figure out why it took us so long to get there, but we’re so glad we finally went. In fact, we didn’t want to leave, even after spending several days in the park. Rocky Mountain National Park is a UNESCO international biosphere reserve and is home to a multitude of animals and birds, as well as glaciers and one of the few alpine tundra ecosystems in the lower forty-eight states. So, pack your bags and hop on board for our tour of one of the great treasures of the national park system.

Rocky Mountain National Park is approximately:

70 miles from Denver, Colorado — 470 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah — 500 miles from Amarillo, Texas — 515 miles from Albuquerque, New Mexico — 740 miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Our trip is going to start from Denver, Colorado, the closest major airport city to Rocky Mountain National Park.

⇒From Denver, take E-470 (toll road) to I-25 north toward Longmont, Colorado. Continue north to Loveland, Colorado. At Loveland, take US Highway 34 west to Estes Park. Drive time between Denver and Estes Park via this route: 1.75 hours.

Travel tip: the drive from Loveland to Estes Park is very scenic through the Big Thompson River Canyon. The road was rebuilt and reopened in 2018, and the scenery should not be missed.

⇒At Estes Park, continue on US Highway 34 west to the Fall River entrance and visitor center OR take US Highway 36 to the Beaver Meadows entrance and visitor center.

⇒Alternate route: from Denver, take I-25 north to Highway 66 west toward Lyons, then take US Highway 36 to the Wild Basin entrance station and continue north to Estes Park. Drive time between Denver and Estes Park via this route: 1.5 hours.

Travel tip: the Fall River entrance (US Highway 34) leads to Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved highway in the U.S and designated All-American Road. Weather permitting, this road is a must-do while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. For spectacular views, stop at all of the pull-outs along the road, as well as the Alpine visitor center which is about half-way between the east and west sides of the park. A cafe is available at this visitor center seasonally.

View from Alpine Visitor Center

We are taking the Highway 34 (Fall River entrance) to start our tour. First stop: Sheep Lakes area for a little elk watching. Elk rutting or mating season occurs during the first few weeks of fall, and we were able to see several elk bulls with their harems during our time in the park. What a thrill to see nature at it’s best! The ones above are young bulls.

Our next stop is at the Alluvial Fan. This fan was created during a natural dam break at Lawn Lake in the 1980s, which sent trees and boulders tumbling four miles down the mountain and flooded the surrounding park areas and the city of Estes Park with millions of gallons of water. Today, this is a popular hiking and picnicking area featuring the Roaring River, cascading waterfalls, and huge boulders.

Alluvial Fan

Now we begin our climb to the top of Trail Ridge Road, along which are several scenic pull outs with amazing views. Here are a few of our favorites taken from below the treeline.

Ypsilon Mountain (13,520 feet)

Fall Colors

And our favorites from above the treeline in the alpine tundra as we make our trek up to the Alpine Visitor Center.

Late summer on the tundra (Sundance Mountain – 12,466 feet) Terra Tomah Mountain with glacial cirque and icy remnants (12,723 feet)

With only about a six-week summer season, it is amazing that wildlife and plants can survive at this elevation, but they do. Did you know that the cute little animals below spend 80 percent of their lives hibernating?

Yellow-Bellied Marmot Pika

In addition to these animals and the elk, we also saw big horn sheep, deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, many different birds, as well as trout in the clear water of the alpine lakes. And speaking of alpine lakes, Rocky Mountain National Park has a lot of them. We loved hiking to and around several of the lakes on the Beaver Meadows side of the park. There are numerous hiking trails throughout the park, providing adventures for every level of hiker, backpacker, or climber.

Sprague Lake with Hallet Peak, Tyndall Glacier, and Flattop Mountain in the background Bear Lake with Hallett Peak Reflection

Bear Lake with changing trees

Nymph Lake with water lilies

Dream Lake

Emerald Lake and Hallett Peak

The hike from Bear Lake to Emerald Lake took us about four hours round trip, including stops. There is about a 600 foot elevation gain along the trail. The elevation at Emerald Lake is 10,110 feet.

Travel tip: the parking lot at Bear Lake fills quickly during peak seasons. Arrive early in the morning to secure a parking space, or take the shuttle from either the Estes Park Visitor Center or the park and ride lot near Glacier Basin inside the park. Don’t forget that a timed entry ticket is required for the Bear Lake area and most other sections of the park.

Bull elk and part of his very large harem

It was wonderful getting to see the park as it was changing into its fall colors. Doesn’t the picture above remind you of autumn? This bull had about twenty cows in his harem, plus their calves.

Over on the west side of the park, which is accessed via Trail Ridge Road, there are many pull-outs and scenic vistas, along with several trailheads and the Holzwarth Historic Site, which is open from mid-June through September. Here’s a link: Holzwarth Historic Site. Drive time between Estes Park and Grand Lake via Trail Ridge Road: 1.5 hours without stops.

Bonus stop: Estes Park. This beautiful mountain town is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. It features unique shops, wonderful restaurants, and a multitude of lovely hotels. The most famous hotel, The Stanley, opened in 1909 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. A stay at The Stanley inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. We recommend taking one of the interesting tours of the hotel. Parking is $10.00 plus the cost of the tour.

The Stanley Hotel

During peak seasons, parking can be difficult in downtown Estes Park, but there is a large free parking lot next to the police station. The restaurants we recommend are Claire’s on the Park – 225 Park Lane, and Hunters Chop House – 1690 Big Thompson Avenue.

⇒Side trip: Loveland. This city has a small town feel with big city amenities. Loveland has great shopping (The Promenade Shops at Centerra), a state park, beautiful city parks, and natural spaces. There are also many nice hotels (Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn, among others) and RV parks (Riverview RV Park, which is located next to the Big Thompson River). Take an after-dinner stroll around Lake Loveland, or take a Sunday afternoon walk through the Benson Sculpture Garden. (Website link: Benson Sculpture Garden.) One of our favorites was an early evening hike on Wild Loop trail at Devil’s Backbone Open Space. (Website link: Devil’s Backbone Open Space.) The restaurant we recommend is McGraff’s American Grill -1602 E Eisenhower Blvd. Drive time between Estes Park and Loveland: 40 minutes.

One of the beautiful sculptures at Benson Sculpture Garden

Devil’s Backbone Open Space

We will end this post with one last picture. Below is Longs Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, standing at 14,259 feet.

Thank you so much for joining us on our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park! We always love having you along for the ride. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own. ©2018

Featured Serene setting in the Green Mountains near Woodstock. Everywhere we went in Vermont was just this pretty.

Although, Woodstock, Vermont is a popular tourist destination, it is repeatedly called one of the most beautiful towns in the US, and we agree. It is one of the prettiest towns we have visited. We think it is the quintessential New England town.

Street view of downtown Woodstock

Visitors should take some time to stroll around downtown. There are great shops selling all kinds of interesting things. We loved F. H. Gillingham & Sons General Store. We are also giving a big shout out to Mon Vert Cafe. They had good service and good sandwiches. The chicken salad was delicious. Give them a try if you’re in Woodstock, and be sure to get a brownie!

Another street view

Woodstock was first settled in 1768. It soon grew into a thriving community, which took advantage of the Ottauquechee River to power its mills. Other businesses sprang up to sustain the growing town’s economy. At last count, the population of Woodstock was somewhere around 3,000. Many of the residential properties are second homes to people who live in larger cities, such as Boston, which is just a couple of hours away. Did you know that there is a ski area in Woodstock, too? It’s called Suicide Six, and it is touted as one of the best smaller ski areas in Vermont.

Private residence – white paint with black shutters, so typical of Vermont If you have been following our New England posts, you know how we love the pretty  churches, and this one didn’t disappoint. Another private residence. Federal-style architecture is very popular in New England homes.

Across the road from the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock lies the Billings Farm & Museum. Once owned by the Frederick H. Billings family, the site is now owned and operated by the Woodstock Foundation, Inc., which was established by Laurance and Mary Rockefeller before they donated their home to the National Park Service.

Barns and Silos Happy Heifers

Billings Farm is a full dairy operation. There is an agriculture museum and gift shop inside the visitor center. The old 1890 farm house and creamery has been restored to its original state and can be toured along with the home’s heirloom garden and apple orchard. In addition to the cows, many other animals call this farm home. Below are pictures of some of the cutest residents.

Hello, cutie! Good afternoon, ladies. It’s milking time, girls. Having a little snack.

A combination ticket will gain admittance to the Billings Farm & Museum and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park for two days. Here’s a website link for additional information: Billings Farm & Museum.

About three miles east of downtown Woodstock is the Taftsville Historic District, a 19th century industrial village that grew up around a metal tool factory established in 1793. Today, the Taftsville Country Store, built in 1840, is a popular tourist stop, as is the Taftsville Bridge, built in 1836.

That is all for this post. We hope you have enjoyed our highlights of Woodstock, Vermont. Be sure to check out our post on the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, too. Come back to our site often for more great destinations, road trips, Quick Stops, and some great places to camp. We absolutely love having you along for the ride!

We are going to close with a picture of the Vermont State House in Montpelier, the smallest capital city in the US.

This State House was first occupied in 1859, after the previous building was lost in a fire. The copper and wood dome wasn’t gilded until the early 20th century. The statue atop the dome is called “Agriculture”, and is based on the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres.

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road. 

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2020

Featured Serene setting in the Green Mountains near Woodstock. Everywhere we went in Vermont was just this pretty.

Although, Woodstock, Vermont is a popular tourist destination, it is repeatedly called one of the most beautiful towns in the US, and we agree. It is one of the prettiest towns we have visited. We think it is the quintessential New England town.

Street view of downtown Woodstock

Visitors should take some time to stroll around downtown. There are great shops selling all kinds of interesting things. We loved F. H. Gillingham & Sons General Store. We are also giving a big shout out to Mon Vert Cafe. They had good service and good sandwiches. The chicken salad was delicious. Give them a try if you’re in Woodstock, and be sure to get a brownie!

Another street view

Woodstock was first settled in 1768. It soon grew into a thriving community, which took advantage of the Ottauquechee River to power its mills. Other businesses sprang up to sustain the growing town’s economy. At last count, the population of Woodstock was somewhere around 3,000. Many of the residential properties are second homes to people who live in larger cities, such as Boston, which is just a couple of hours away. Did you know that there is a ski area in Woodstock, too? It’s called Suicide Six, and it is touted as one of the best smaller ski areas in Vermont.

Private residence – white paint with black shutters, so typical of Vermont If you have been following our New England posts, you know how we love the pretty  churches, and this one didn’t disappoint. Another private residence. Federal-style architecture is very popular in New England homes.

Across the road from the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock lies the Billings Farm & Museum. Once owned by the Frederick H. Billings family, the site is now owned and operated by the Woodstock Foundation, Inc., which was established by Laurance and Mary Rockefeller before they donated their home to the National Park Service.

Barns and Silos Happy Heifers

Billings Farm is a full dairy operation. There is an agriculture museum and gift shop inside the visitor center. The old 1890 farm house and creamery has been restored to its original state and can be toured along with the home’s heirloom garden and apple orchard. In addition to the cows, many other animals call this farm home. Below are pictures of some of the cutest residents.

Hello, cutie! Good afternoon, ladies. It’s milking time, girls. Having a little snack.

A combination ticket will gain admittance to the Billings Farm & Museum and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park for two days. Here’s a website link for additional information: Billings Farm & Museum.

About three miles east of downtown Woodstock is the Taftsville Historic District, a 19th century industrial village that grew up around a metal tool factory established in 1793. Today, the Taftsville Country Store, built in 1840, is a popular tourist stop, as is the Taftsville Bridge, built in 1836.

That is all for this post. We hope you have enjoyed our highlights of Woodstock, Vermont. Be sure to check out our post on the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, too. Come back to our site often for more great destinations, road trips, Quick Stops, and some great places to camp. We absolutely love having you along for the ride!

We are going to close with a picture of the Vermont State House in Montpelier, the smallest capital city in the US.

This State House was first occupied in 1859, after the previous building was lost in a fire. The copper and wood dome wasn’t gilded until the early 20th century. The statue atop the dome is called “Agriculture”, and is based on the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres.

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road. 

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2020

Featured Tiffany Glass Window – passing the torch to future generations

• Website link: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park
• What is it: it was the home of three families who were passionate about preserving and protecting our lands and resources for future generations to enjoy
• Where is it: Woodstock, Vermont near the bank of the Ottauquechee River
• We recommend purchasing combination tickets for the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller estate and the also-must-see Billings Farm & Museum, which is across the street.
• Accommodations and restaurants in Woodstock, Vermont
• When to go? June through October. The visitor center is open and guided tours of the mansion are available 10:00 – 5:00 from Memorial Day Weekend to October 31.

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion

What a beautiful property! Full of history and the stories of the three families that called this place home.

Exquisite gardens

Charles Marsh (1765-1849), a Woodstock, Vermont lawyer and later a US Representative, built the original house in 1805. His son, George Perkins Marsh (1801-1882), was also a lawyer and member of the US House of Representatives. George was appointed as a US Minister to the Ottoman Empire and then to the Kingdom of Italy, where he died in 1882.

One of the carriage roads on the property. Can’t you imagine hitching a horse to a buggy and taking a ride through these beautiful grounds and woods?

George Perkins Marsh was concerned with conservationism and land stewardship. He advocated passionately for preservation of the natural environment, and in 1864, published a book, Man and Nature, which spoke of the importance of minimizing man’s impact on our natural resources.

Pool, Belvedere, and Greenhouse

In 1869, the estate was purchased by another lawyer, Frederick H. Billings, who had gained his wealth by handling land claims during the California Gold Rush. Billings was also a founding partner of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The Billings family enlarged the home and transformed the previously boxy, Federal-style home into the trend-of-the-era Queen Anne Victorian that remains today.  The Tiffany Glass Company designed several stained glass windows for the home as well as some of the wallpapers and fabrics that remain in the home today.

The belvedere: a summer house or cottage, usually with a view. We loved this tiny treasure.

Billings, also a passionate conservationist, reforested the surrounding woodlands that had been stripped of their trees, and established the dairy farm that lies across the road from the mansion. While not part of the national park (although, they partner with each other in many ways), the Billings Farm and Museum is owned by the Woodstock Foundation, Inc., which was formed by Laurance and Mary Rockefeller.

Looking out from the porch. At one time, there were very few trees in this view due to deforestation. Thankfully, Frederick Billings was good steward of the land.

 Mary French Billings Rockefeller, the granddaughter of Frederick Billings, inherited the estate in 1951. She and her husband, Laurance, another passionate conservationist who was an advisor on preservation and conservationism to several presidents, were the last owners of the property. They donated the house and surrounding land to the National Park Service in 1992. Mary died in 1996, and Laurance died in 1997.

Outstanding gardens and plantings at every turn

Trivia: Laurance’s father, John D. Rockefeller donated the land that would become Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Laurance donated the land, an 1,100 acre ranch that he and his father acquired over the course of several years, that is now the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve, which also lies within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park.

Another view of the beautiful grounds

Now for a few shots inside the mansion. General tours cover the first and second floors. Special tours, such as the “art tour”, are given during certain times on select days. Check the website link above for details of these additional tours.

Another Tiffany Glass window as seen in the parlor/music room. Note the fabulous Tiffany wallpaper. This textured wallpaper has been on the walls of this room since the Billings’ renovation in 1869! The Dining Room. The woodwork in this home is outstanding. The parquet floors are works of art in themselves, and all of the other woodwork is breathtaking. One of the bookcases in the library.

The home remains as the Rockefellers left it when they donated the property to the National Park Service, even down to the family pictures sitting on the mantel in the library and Laurance’s pipe sitting in a tray in the bedroom.

Master bedroom sitting area. (We’re pretty sure that fan is not orginal to the house)

The mansion is home to an extensive art collection. The collection contains paintings by renowned artists, such as Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Cole, who were associated with the Hudson River School art movement, which, through art and advocacy, promoted conservationism and also led to the establishment of the national park system.

Albert Bierstadt’s The Matterhorn (date unknown)

Many other paintings, sculptures, and photography are also part of the extensive collection of art in the home. We were disappointed that the “art tour” wasn’t offered on the day that we were there. Perhaps another trip to Vermont is in order.

We’re going to wrap up here. Thank you so very much for touring the Marsh – Billings – Rockefeller National Historical Park with us. We love having you join us on all of our travels! Please stop by our site again for more exciting destinations, parks, or maybe just a Quick Stop. We appreciate your “likes” and comments.

We will close this post with a look at the Ottauquechee River as it flows through Quechee Gorge about five miles from the park.

Quechee Gorge

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2019

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Featured

Where is it?

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is located at 5242 S. State Hwy ZZ,
Republic, Missouri.

The thistle and other wildflowers were showing off their end of summer beauty when we visited Wilson’s Creek.

The park features:

• Visitor center with gift shop
• Museum
• Self-guided auto tour
• Hiking and horseback riding trails
• Civil War research library – by appointment only

When using Google Maps for directions to this park, be sure to use the address above in Republic, Missouri. This public service announcement is brought to you by our wild goose chase through Springfield, Missouri’s industrial district.

Here is a link to the park’s website: Wilson’s Creek 

Wilson’s Creek

Why is Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield significant?

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, which took place on August 10, 1861, was the second major battle of the Civil War and the first battle west of the Mississippi River. Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was killed in the battle and was the first Union general to die in action in the Civil War. Confederate troops, who outnumbered the Union troops by almost double, won the battle giving the Confederacy control of southwestern Missouri.

Interesting map showing Civil War battles in the western U.S.

Trivia: Nearly as many men died in Civil War prison camps as died in the Viet Nam War.

Did the battle at Wilson’s Creek result in Missouri’s secession?

No, although the state remained deeply divided throughout the Civil War. While some Missourians wanted to secede from the Union to join the pro-slavery Confederate States, others chose to side with the pro-abolitionist Union. Missouri, according to Wikipedia, “…sent armies, generals, and supplies to both sides, maintained dual governments, and endured a bloody neighbor-against-neighbor intrastate war within the larger national war.”

The Ray House

Ray House, Wilson’s Creek

An excerpt describing the Ray family and their house from the National Park Service’s wayside information board:

“The Ray House is the only park structure on its original site that dates back to the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. Postmaster and farmer John Ray built it in the 1850s. For ten years it served as the Wilson’s Creek Post Office, a stopping place on the old Wire Road that connected Springfield, Missouri with Fort Smith, Arkansas. In 1861, twelve people were living here: John and Roxanna Ray, their nine children, and a mail carrier. Their slave “Aunt Rhoda” and her four children occupied a small cabin to the rear of the house. On August 10, 1861, they found themselves in the path of war.”

The Ray’s original springhouse still exists today.

The Ray family used the cool springhouse as a place to store perishable foods, and it also provided them with water. Their house served as a Confederate field hospital during and after the battle. Water from the springhouse was vital to the wounded soldiers as well as to the surgeons tending to their injuries.

John Ray stood on his front porch and watched the battle take place in his cornfield and on Bloody Hill. The rest of the family hid in a cellar, but when they emerged hours later, soldiers who lay wounded and dying were everywhere in and around their house.

Trivia: Senator John J. Crittendon of Kentucky had two sons who became generals during the Civil War – one for the North and one for the South.

Bloody Hill

This is an unnamed section of Bloody Hill where Lyon began his advance. The Ray House is located near the barely visible clearing on the horizon at center right.

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek began and ended at Bloody Hill. Union soldiers managed to hold their ground for a while, but they were dreadfully outnumbered. Finally, with a quarter of their men lost after five hours of courageous fighting, the Union soldiers were forced to retreat. Among the dead was their leader, Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon. Lyon was a fearless warrior though. He was shot in the knee and in the head, and his horse was also killed. Even after suffering two life-threatening wounds, he mounted another horse and continued to lead his men in the battle. A third and final shot to the heart was the mortal wound.

A three-quarter mile trail at Bloody Hill takes visitors through the Union line and other areas where the battle took place.

In the chaotic aftermath of the battle, Lyon’s body was somehow forgotten on the battlefield. Confederate soldiers found his body and took it to the Ray house where they placed it on a bed in their living room so a surgeon could assess the wounds. (The bed is on display in the park’s museum.) Lyon’s final resting place is in a family cemetery in Eastford, Connecticut, although he was initially buried on a farm in Springfield, Missouri. Click here to read some interesting personal recollections of Lyon’s post-mortem and first burial.

Trivia: The Gettysburg Address is one of the greatest and most famous speeches of all time, but it contained just 272 words and was only two minutes long.

Thank you for joining us on our visit to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield!

Need more road trip inspiration? Click on these great destinations:

Antietam National Battlefield

Portland, Maine

Gettysburg National Military Park

Travel safe, and we will see you on the road.

Mike and Kellye  

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022

Featured

About the site

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site preserves the history of White Haven, the 200-year-old estate that was once home to Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant. The park is located at 7400 Grant Road, St. Louis, Missouri.

The house was painted Paris Green in 1874 during Grant’s presidency and was repainted the same color during its restoration in the 1990s. The red buildings behind the house are the icehouse and chicken coop. We only took a couple of non-post-worthy pictures inside the house because our guide, Ranger Evan, was extremely interesting to listen to as she led us through the property.

Highlights of the park include:

• Visitor center and gift shop/bookstore
• Introductory film
• Museum
• Self-guided walk through the grounds
• Self-guided tour featuring the historic trees on the property
• Ranger-led tours of the house
• Junior Ranger programs
• John Y. Simon Research Library – by appointment only

The park’s website link: Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

Importance of the historic site

Ulysses S. Grant was not only the victorious commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War, but he was also the 18th President of the United States. Grant served two terms as president from 1869 – 1877. His wife and First Lady, Julia Dent Grant spent her childhood at White Haven. Her father, Frederick Dent, who was a successful merchant and land speculator, purchased White Haven in 1820 as a country get away from the family’s city home in St. Louis. It is hard to imagine today that the family’s second home was only twelve miles from their primary residence.

Historic photo, White Haven, circa 1860 Another view of the house that we almost matched to the historic image above. The white structure behind the house is a kitchen and laundry.

Ulysses and Julia at White Haven

Ulysses met Julia in 1843 when he visited White Haven with his former West Point roommate who happened to be her older brother, Fred. After courting for only four months, Julia accepted Ulysses’ proposal, which they kept secret for over a year. However, due to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War they wouldn’t marry until 1848. Ulysses served in the U.S. Army for eleven years prior to resigning and joining his wife at White Haven in 1854 to try farming. He built a cabin on an 80-acre plot that Julia’s father had given the couple as a wedding gift, and they named the property Hardscrabble. While Grant owned one enslaved worker, a man named William Jones who had been given to him by Julia’s father, he also hired free men to work on the farm.

Hardscrabble – photo from the Library of Congress. The Grants lived in this cabin for only three months. Upon the death of her mother, Julia’s father asked her, Ulysses, and their two children to live in his White Haven home with him. They never returned to Hardscrabble. The cabin can now be seen at the family amusement venue, Grant’s Farm, which is next door to the historic site.

Grant’s Pre-Civil War Years

By 1858 Grant, now with four children, was unable to support the family by farming, but instead of selling his one slave to make money he freed the man. Slavery was a topic on which he and his father-in-law greatly differed, as Frederick Dent’s White Haven was a slave plantation. Nonetheless, after failing at farming and on the verge of being penniless, Grant leased Hardscrabble and moved his family to St. Louis where he began a real estate venture. Unfortunately, real estate was not a successful career either, so he moved his family to Galena, Illinois and went to work in his family’s leather goods business. During this time Frederick Dent lost much of White Haven to foreclosure. He also began deeding acreages to his children. Then in December of 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. By February 1861, six other states had seceded and had formed the Confederate States of America. The Civil War had begun.

This view of the back of the house shows the kitchen and laundry that was separate from the house.

Grant’s Civil War Years

After the war began, the governor of Illinois appointed Grant to lead a regiment of volunteers. Grant was so successful in training the men and gaining their respect that President Abraham Lincoln promoted him to Brigadier General. As the war continued, Lincoln became displeased with the North’s military leadership. Therefore, in March of 1864, Lincoln appointed Grant General-in-Chief of the U. S. Army, a rank that had only ever been held by George Washington. Over the following year Grant, who sometimes joined his subordinates in battle, successfully led the North to victory. Despite heavy casualties, he settled for nothing less than unconditional and immediate surrenders, which earned him the nickname, “Unconditional Surrender Grant”. The war ended on April 9, 1865, with the South’s General Robert E. Lee surrendering to Grant at Virginia’s Appomattox Courthouse.

Lee surrenders to Grant – Library of Congress image

Grant’s Post-Civil War Years

After the war, President Andrew Johnson appointed Grant Secretary of War of the reconstructing nation. During and after the war the Grants had purchased White Haven from Julia’s siblings and father and regained Hardscrabble. In 1868, Grant was elected President of the United States, having won against incumbent Andrew Johnson. The Grants moved into the White House in 1869 and hired Ulysses’ cousin’s husband to manage the farm at White Haven. By this time, Dent’s former enslaved workers had left, and French and German immigrants were hired as laborers. Grant had a barn and stables built at White Haven and began buying horses. The Grants visited White Haven as often as possible and planned to spend their retirement years there. However, the farming and livestock operation failed to make money, so in 1875, Grant sold White Haven’s assets and leased out the property. They would never return.

This stable housed Grant’s thoroughbreds. Today it houses the park’s museum.

Trivia: General Grant and Julia had been invited to join President Lincoln and the First Lady in the balcony of Ford’s Theater on April 15, 1865, the night the President was assassinated. However, the Grants had declined the invitation due to Julia wanting to visit relatives in New Jersey.

Ulysses and Julia in 1864 or 1865 – National Park Service photo.

Grant’s Post-Presidency Years

Julia had wanted her husband to run for a third presidential term, but he refused by publicly renouncing his interest. The former President and First Lady set off on a two-year world tour, fulfilling Grant’s lifelong dream of travel.  Upon their return to the U.S., he sought to win the Republican nomination for president in the 1880 election, but the party chose James A. Garfield as their candidate. Ulysses and Julia settled in New York to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer in the summer of 1884. Early in 1885, the former president began writing his memoirs. Three months before his death, Grant found that he had lost his fortune to an investment scam perpetrated by his son Jesse’s business partner. Because of the swindle, the Grants also lost White Haven. He completed his memoirs just three days before his death on July 23, 1885.

Ulysses S. Grant

Museum Exhibits

Click on an image to view as a gallery.

Saddles Bonnet, tooled leather book, and leatherworking tools Hat, bonnet, and books that belonged to Julia’s parents Coffee service given to the Grants on their 25th wedding anniversary Mother Goose book and microscope that belonged to the Grant children After Grant’s death: mourning accessories and commemorative items The Grant Family: Nellie, Ulysses, Jesse, Frederick, Julia, and Ulysses, Jr.

Trivia: Ulysses S. Grant is not the former president’s actual name. His given name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. However, when his congressman submitted Ulysses’ application to West Point, he mistakenly wrote down Ulysses Simpson Grant, Simpson having been Ulysses’ mother’s maiden name. After attempting to correct the mistake at West Point to no avail, Ulysses finally gave up and signed his name as Ulysses S. Grant. The name would follow him throughout the rest of his life and into history.

Thank you so much for joining us on our visit to Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. We learned a lot during our visit, and we hope you did too.

Want to learn about other American presidents? Click on these great parks:

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Monticello

Travel safely, and we will see you on the road.

Mike & Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022

Featured

While the title of our post is Route 66 – Missouri, we have covered the route stops we made in Kansas too. Kansas only has 14 miles of the route, but we didn’t want to leave it out. Enjoy the trip!

Americana at its best!

The Route

U.S. Highway 66, better known as Route 66, was the first paved highway to connect the Midwest to the West Coast. The highway runs 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles, passing through the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. After the creation of the first national highway system, construction on the road began in 1926.

Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985 which led to the demise of many small towns and businesses whose survival depended on the road. Today the cities and states through which the old route passes preserve portions of the original road. Additionally, in 2001, the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program was established to help preserve historic places along the route. Administered by the National Park Service, the program collaborates with businesses, cities, and others by providing cost-share grants for restoration of some of the route’s icons.

Our kind of backroad. With the occasional farm, a few scattered houses, and a town once in a while, Route 66 through Missouri looked much like this.

Click here for a short National Park Service article on the history of Route 66.

Cuba, Missouri

The Missouri stretch of the Mother Road begins in St. Louis, or Joplin depending on which direction you’re going. However, our journey began in St. Louis, and we hopped on and off the route as we navigated our way through the city. Our first stop was in Cuba where we had lunch at Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q. The restaurant is not an original icon on the route, though with their delicious food it is undoubtedly a new one. Who doesn’t love a barbecue restaurant that has five different sauces on its tables along with cucumber and onion salad on their menu as a side?

Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q

Next door to Missouri Hick is the historic Wagon Wheel Motel which opened in 1936 as tourist cabins along with a gas station and cafe. Originally named Wagon Wheel Cabins, the motel was a popular stop on Route 66. During the mid 1940s the gas station and cafe were sold separately to other owners. A change of the name to Wagon Wheel Motel came with a change in ownership in 1947. In 2003, the motel was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and upon receiving grant assistance through the National Park Service, it was renovated in 2010. The Wagon Wheel still hosts overnight guests as the oldest continuously operated motel on Route 66. Today the gas station and cafe house a gift shop.

Route 66 icon – Wagon Wheel Motel The Wagon Wheel Motel’s gas station and cafe

Navagating the Route

By the time we left Cuba, we had figured out how to travel the route using Google Maps. Even though we had three Route 66 guidebooks at our fingertips, Google turned out to be a better option for us. Google doesn’t show the route as a major highway, nor does it use the old road for trip planning. However, Route 66 is designated on Google Maps and can be seen by zooming in on the screen. Our trick was to ask Google for directions to the next town on the route and selecting the “avoid highways” option. This method worked very well for us though we did refer to the guidebooks at times. Sometimes the route dead ends, which requires getting on the interstate.

The Fanning Route 66 Outpost and General Store is located four miles west of Cuba, Missouri in the unincorporated community of Fanning. The Route 66 Red Rocker sits next to the Fanning Route 66 Outpost and General Store.

Built in 2008 for the purpose of becoming the world’s largest rocking chair, this big guy actually claimed the Guiness Book of World Records title. However, a bigger rocking chair in Casey, Illinois took the title away in 2015. Renamed Route 66 Red Rocker, it is now touted as the biggest rocker on the route. The gigantic chair is 42 feet tall, 20 feet wide, and weighs in at 27,500 pounds.

Uranus

Yes, it’s a place. Yes, it’s a funny name. And yes, there’s a guy in Missouri who is laughing all the way to the bank! According to the guy, Louie Keen, who is the owner and mayor, Uranus is not a town it is a destination. We thought Uranus was the ultimate tourist trap, and we are (almost) ashamed to admit that we dropped a wad of cash there.

Uranus – good for some kicks on Route 66

The fudge factory does, in fact, have some of the best fudge we’ve ever tasted. We ended up leaving there with some of the chocolate-peanut butter, the cookies and creme, and Butterfinger flavors. All were sinfully delicious. Unfortunately, the gigantic gift shop attached to the fudge factory was out – yes, out – of Christmas ornaments. What tourist trap gift shop runs out of Christmas ornaments? Anyway, since ornaments are the only souvenirs that we ever buy, we had to settle for this car air freshener:

We’re almost afraid to open the package for fear of it smelling like an overly strong pine scented cleaning product. Maybe we will just leave it in its wrapper and find a place for it on the back of the tree.

Nope, definitely no false advertising here. There really is a Circus Sideshow Museum in Uranus, and at $6.00 per person… Well, let’s just say it was a deal for somebody, but not us. Though for those who’ve never seen a real merman or a two-headed baboon, it might be worth the money.

There’s even a jail in Uranus.

Moving on to Lebanon

Lebanon, Missouri was a nice place to stop for the night. While we did cruise Route 66 through the town, we didn’t find much in the way of nostalgic sights. Like so many cities on Route 66, old motels and gas stations that are now other businesses or in ruins are basically all that are left. We did, however, find a lovely city park that had murals and timelines depicting the city’s history and Route 66 heritage.

Mural in Boswell Park, Lebanon, Missouri

After being in the car all day, we were glad to have time to learn about the city and take a short stroll around the park’s pretty garden area.

After leaving the park, we headed to the most famous Route 66 icon in Lebanon: The Munger-Moss Motel. Nellie Draper Munger and her husband, Emmett Moss opened a cafe and filling station on the site 1945. In 1946, they added the motel which, under different ownership, still welcomes guests today.

Route 66 icon

Although the motel looks very nice, the vintage sign is what we fell in love with. With its mid-century style and bright colors, it brought back childhood vacation memories for both of us.

The neon sign was refurbished in 2010 with a grant share through the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see it at night. Though we did get to eat dinner at a great restaurant, Brickhouse Grill, which serves classic American fare ranging from wings and burgers to steaks and seafood. The food and service were wonderful, creating a perfect ending to a long day on the route.

Carthage, Missouri

For those who might be wondering why we skipped Springfield, it’s because we chose to visit a couple of national park sites instead. Since we’re trying to visit all of them, national parks are always our first priority. After the second park, however, we got back on Route 66 at Carthage. Carthage has several notable Route 66 sites, but our mission was to see the Jasper County courthouse.

Jasper County courthouse

The Jasper County courthouse was built in 1894-1895 and is constructed of local Carthage marble This gorgeous building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Town square, Carthage, Missouri

While we were there, we took a stroll around the town square. Our walk led to learning about a Civil War battle that we had not heard of before. The Battle of Carthage took place right where we were in the town square on July 5, 1861.

From Carthage, we took Route 66 west to Joplin. There are some murals that we wanted to see there, but not much else with regard to nostalgia. However, we arrived in the 5:00 traffic, and by the time we got to our turn-off downtown, we found the streets blocked off for some sort of street fair. Of course, we were disappointed, but we decided to skip Joplin and drive on to Galena, Kansas.

Mural in Galena, Kansas

The Kansas Stretch

The Kansas stretch of Route 66 was only ever 14 miles long, but remarkably, 13 of them are still drivable. Our first stop was in Galena which is a delightful small town.

Cute Texaco gas station that is now a curio shop, but since it was early evening when we arrived, they were already closed.

Our camera battery died after the shot above, but that didn’t stop us. We drove through the charming little town that helped inspire the Pixar movie “Cars” and used our cell phones for photos. Another converted gas station, Cars on the Route, is a cafe and gift shop that features some of the characters from the movie. We didn’t see Lightning McQueen or Doc Hudson, but the place was fun to see and photograph.

Cars on the Route. We do love retro gas stations. A replicated “Tow-Mater” at Cars on the Route “Red” was the shy fire engine in the movie.

After Galena, we drove 12 miles to our next stop near Riverton, Kansas. Brush Creek Bridge is the only Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge remaining on Route 66 in Kansas. Two others were dismantled in the 1990s. The concrete bridge was built in 1923 and is still drivable! Also known as Rainbow Bridge, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Grant share funds helped make repairs to the bridge in 2005.

Rainbow Bridge

Thanks so much for joining us on Route 66 through Missouri (and Kansas)! Stay tuned for “More Kicks on Route 66” through Oklahoma which is coming soon.

Need more road trip inspiration? Check out these great destinations:

Bar Harbor, Maine

Abilene, Texas Road Trip: Things to Do

Death Valley National Park

Travel safely, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022

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Today we’re taking a random places road trip, and we are so happy to have you along for the ride. Enjoy!

Pike Place Market, Seattle. Established in 1907, it is the oldest running farmer’s market in the U.S. The original Starbucks opened here in 1971. The Green Monster left field wall at Fenway Park, Boston. The reason the wall is there? To keep people from watching the game for free. In 2003, 269 barstool seats and 100 standing room only spaces were added to the deck on the wall, however tickets for those seats are hard to come by. By the way, the scoreboard on the Green Monster is still updated by hand. Fenway Park has been the home of the Boston Red Sox since 1912. Smokey Bear’s gravesite, Capitan, New Mexico. The idea of a fire prevention mascot was conceived in 1944 when the National Forest Service came up with a character called Smokey Bear. In 1950, a black bear cub was found badly burned after a forest fire in the Capitan Mountains of the Lincoln National Forest. The firefighters who found him named him Smokey. A popular living symbol of fire prevention, Smokey made his home at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. until he died in 1976. He was returned to Capitan where he was buried in what is now Smokey Bear Historical Park. Ernest Tubb Record Shop, Nashville. Home of the Midnite Jamboree, which started right after the Grand Ole Opry show was over on Saturday nights. Ernest helped many artists get their start right there in that store until 1974 when the show was moved to another venue. The Midnite Jamboree was moved back to the store in 2021. Tubb was born in Texas, 35 miles south of Dallas. He performed and wrote songs up until his health required him to quit in 1982. He died in 1984. In March 2022, it was announced that the store is being sold and the Midnite Jamboree would be ending. Geographic Center of the U.S. The actual survey marker is 22 miles north of town, but Belle Fourche, South Dakota does a great job of letting people know it’s close by. UFO Museum and Research Center, Roswell, New Mexico. Occupying a 1930s era movie theater, the museum was opened in 1991. In addition to the exhibits, mostly about the so-called Roswell incident, they also have a gift shop that carries things like bumper stickers that say, “I Like Aliens, They Taste Just Like Chicken”, and other gotta-take-one-of-these-home souvenirs. Granary Burying Ground, Boston. Established in 1660, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock are all buried here, along with some of Ben Franklin’s family members and victims of the Boston Massacre, among others. It is estimated that more than 5,000 people are buried in this small cemetery, though there are just over 2,300 markers. Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, Nebraska. Site of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Scout’s Rest Ranch, which was his home from 1886 to 1913. This beautiful barn was built in 1887 to house his purebred stallions and other livestock that lived on the 4,000-acre ranch. His mansion is shown below. Buffalo Bill Cody’s home at Scout’s Rest Ranch Reflections on the Colorado River, Moab, Utah. Did you know that the Colorado River Basin is part of eleven national parks? The Colorado River also flows through seven states, two Mexican states, and it forms a partial border between Arizona and Mexico. Provincetown, Massachusetts. Fleeing religious persecution in England, the Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed first at Provincetown in 1620 where the men on the ship signed the Mayflower Compact. The compact was a document whereby they agreed to self-rule the colony they were set to establish in the New World. After finding no fresh water in the area, they sailed across the bay to Plymouth, and the rest, they say, is history. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado. Freelan O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, opened the hotel in 1909. In the 1970s Stephen King visited the hotel and was inspired to write his novel The Shining. Today, the Stanley Hotel claims to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country with none other than Freelan and his wife, Flora (among other spirits) roaming the hallways. We toured this stunning hotel, and even went in the basement, but we didn’t see any paranormal activity – or Jack Nicholson!

That’s going to do it for today. Thanks so much for joining us on our random places road trip. We hope you will return to our site again for more sights, scenery, trips, tricks, and tips. Be sure to sign up to be an e-mail follower so you never miss a post, and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Tell your friends! We want to be friends with them, too.

Happy hump day, everybody!

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022

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Where is Fort Craig?

Fort Craig sits near the Rio Grande River about 35 miles south of Socorro, New Mexico.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees this historic site, so it is not a national park. Click here for the BLM website.

Southern New Mexico’s desert terrain.

The site features:

• Visitor center
• Restrooms
• Sheltered picnic tables
• Self-guided tour on accessible pathways
• Free admission

Why is Fort Craig significant?

Fort Craig was built on the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, which means Royal Road of the Interior Land. Following the Rio Grande River, the National Historic Trail runs roughly 400 miles from El Paso, Texas to Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico. However, the original trail began in Mexico City and ended at San Juan Pueblo north of Santa Fe. Explorers, missionaries, traders, and settlers utilized the trail from 1598 to 1882.

The map below shows El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro meandering its way along the Rio Grande River through New Mexico.

When the Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty was signed in 1848, ending the Mexican-American War, Mexico surrendered what are now the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, and Utah. The US paid $15 million for 525,000 square miles of land, which also included parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming. Shortly after the end of the war, settlers began arriving in the new frontier via the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. Fort Craig was established in 1854 to protect travelers from attacks by disgruntled Apache, Commanche, and Navajo people who resented the intrusion. By the onset of the Civil War in 1861, Fort Craig was home to infantrymen, calvary, and Buffalo Soldiers. Just one year later, those men would clash with the Confederate Army in the Battle of Valverde.

This National Park Service image shows the desolate Jornada del Muerto.

Jornada del Muerto

Fort Craig replaced Fort Conrad which was located about nine miles to the north. Both forts were not only necessary for the protection of travelers on the Camino Real, but they also served as resting places and water stops for those who had managed to cross the Jornada del Muerto section of the Camino Real. Jornada del Muerto means Dead Man’s Journey and is a ninety-mile-long stretch of mainly waterless, barren desert. Still, with very little water, its desert wastelands, and sometimes rough volcanic terrain, the Jornada del Muerto remains largely uninhabited today.

Located roughly 10 miles south of Fort Craig, Jornada del Muerto Volcano is an eroding shield volcano that last erupted 760,000 years ago. Photo courtesy of Cody Boehne.

Fort Craig

Fort Craig was a self-contained community with a hospital, living quarters for officers and enlisted men, and large store houses. With such large store houses, Fort Craig, was able to supply other nearby forts. Children who lived at the fort attended school, and enlisted men’s wives worked doing laundry. There was also a sutler’s store which was a general mercantile usually owned by a civilian, a blacksmith shop, corrals, and carpenter’s shop. However, with the end of the Civil War and Indian Campaigns as well as travelers using train travel rather than the Camino Real, Fort Craig was abandoned in 1885.

The Ruins

Two of Fort Craig’s three large store houses. This storehouse image shows the rock back wall and adobe side walls.

Store houses, which were dug six feet underground, had soil reinforced above-ground adobe walls and wooden roofs. The interior walls and roofs were covered with jaspe, which was a locally made type of plaster.

These crumbling rock walls are all that remains of the fort’s sallyport (entrance) and guardhouse. For a time, the guardhouse also served as a prison. Remains of the commanding officer’s quarters. These are the remains of the officer’s quarters. These old adobe walls may soon be lost to the elements.

Towns north and south of Fort Craig flourished as trade centers while soldiers continued to protect travelers on the Camino Real. Although, when the Civil War began, Fort Craig would face different kind of enemy.

The Battle of Valverde

Edward Richard Canby, Fort Craig’s commanding officer, likely stood watch as Confederate troops gathered along the eastern banks of the Rio Grande preparing to fight. But Canby was ready. He had 1,200 seasoned soldiers ready to do battle, plus 100 Colorado Volunteers, 500 militia, and 2,000 New Mexican Volunteers led by Kit Carson. The Battle of Valverde was fought in February of 1862 at a shallow ford in the Rio Grande River a few miles north of Fort Craig.

This Library of Congress image shows the Valverde Battlefield.

Colonel Henry Hopkins Sibley was intent on marching his Confederate troops into battle in order to claim the New Mexico Territory which included Arizona. His plan was to capture Fort Craig, take their supplies, then head north to capture the territorial capital of Santa Fe. Sibley wanted to move on to seize Fort Union and then take the Colorado gold fields. By conquering these sites, Sibley believed he could easily take California, thus expanding the Confederate States of America to include west coast ports. Obviously, that didn’t happen.

Soldiers sketch of the Battle of Valverde. “Photo credit: Wikipedia.

While Canby led his men north into battle, Carson and some of his men held down the fort. The battle ended with the Confederates claiming victory, but they were unable to take Fort Craig. Upon Sibley’s command to surrender the fort, Canby refused, and the Confederates retreated. In all, casualties included the deaths of over 100 men, injuries to more than 200, and several missing.

Fort Craig Cemetery

Some of the Valverde battlefield casualties may have been buried in Fort Craig’s cemetery, however, the burial ground no longer exists. In 2004, reports surfaced of a man having the mummified body of a Fort Craig Buffalo Soldier in his home. Upon the death of the man, Dee Brecheisen, a Vietnam War veteran and Civil Air Patrol pilot, officials began investigating. Mummified remains were indeed found, along with some artifacts, though it was speculated that many other stolen artifacts had been sold.

Pot sherds fill a flowerbed next to Brecheisen’s house. Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Reclamation.

Authorities believe that Brecheisen had also robbed graves at other old forts as well as some Native American burial grounds. His obituary referred to him as a collector as well as one of the State of New Mexico’s foremost preservationists of historical facts and sites, he shared his extensive knowledge with historians around the state, adding significantly to New Mexico historical literature. Fort Craig’s cemetery excavations began in 2005 by archaeologists with the Bureau of Reclamation. Further excavations were made in 2007, and sixty-seven of Fort Craig’s remaining bodies were reinterred in the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

We would like to thank all of our followers and readers for your continued support of our site and for joining us at Fort Craig, New Mexico!

Do you enjoy Civil War history? Check out these other historic sites:

Antietam National Battlefield

Gettysburg National Military Park

Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Travel safely, y’all.

Mike and Kellye  

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2023

We have visited a lot of beautiful missions as well as ruins of missions, but none of them compared to San Xavier del Bac (pronounced: san ha-vee-air dell bock). Known as the White Dove of the Desert, San Xavier is located on the Tohono O’odham (pronounced ah-dum, similar to autumn) San Xavier Indian Reservation. Today San Xavier maintains its original purpose as a parish church and school and is a National Historic Landmark.

San Xavier del Bac

Where is it?

The mission is located at 1950 San Xavier Road, Tucson, Arizona in the village of Wa:k, which is part of the Tohono O’odham Reservation. The site features:

• Mission church
• Gift shop
• Museum (currently closed)
• Guided and self-guided tours
• Grotto Hill – adjacent to the church
• Free admission

Click here for a short essay about San Xavier’s history.

Grotto Hill, which is not part of the mission, sits adjacent to the church and features a replica of the grotto at Lourdes.

Jesuit priest Father Eusebio Kino, who was the founder of twenty-four missions in the southwestern US, Mexico, and Baja California, founded San Xavier in 1692. In 1783, the Franciscan mission priest Fr. Juan Bautista Velderrain obtained a loan from a Sonoran rancher to build the church we see today. Spanish architect Ignacio Gaona utilized O’odham workers for the actual labor. Construction materials include fired brick, lime mortar, and masonry vaults for the roof. The church was completed in 1797 and is considered one of the most outstanding examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the US.

This is an undated photo of San Xavier del Bac. Note the residences that surround the church. Photo credit: Library of Congress.

Throughout the years, San Xavier has undergone many repairs and restorations beginning with an earthquake in 1887 that collapsed one of the mortuary chapel walls and damaged the church. Additional restorations have been done periodically when the mission has had the funds to do them, and conservation efforts continue today. Even so, we don’t think the building has changed much according to the old photos.

Circa 1887 – probably after the earthquake damaged the mortuary chapel and church. Photo credit: Library of Congress.

Trivia: Wa:k means Bac in the O’odham language. Bac means where the water comes from beneath the sand.

The Church

San Xavier del Bac altar

Unfortunately, the stunning sanctuary was undergoing repairs during our visit and was full of scaffolding, so we only got a few good pictures. There were also worshipers in the church at the time, and we didn’t want to disturb them. Nevertheless, we were drawn to the elaborate altar with its colorful details and beautifully carved santos portraying Catholic saints. Scalloped shell motifs can be seen inside and outside the church and were used to honor the pilgrimages of Santiago, also known as Saint James the Greater, the patron saint of Spain.

The Last Supper mural on the wall of the sanctuary. The walls of the sanctuary feature many frescoes. Apse frescoes and windows.

The Mortuary Chapel

Mortuary Chapel

We have seen mortuary chapels at other missions. They are used similarly to a funeral home where people go to mourn the dead before burial. San Xavier’s mortuary chapel is a place for people to light candles. A lighted candle is a prayer offering, a symbol of one’s devotion to Jesus, Mary, or one of the saints.

A glimpse inside the mortuary chapel. From the courtyard between the church and the mortuary chapel.

The Facade

San Xavier’s facade is certainly attention grabbing because it welcomes visitors directly into the church. Although, if we had not followed along with a volunteer tour guide, we wouldn’t have noticed the interesting details. Details of the facade include depictions of the crops that the O’odham people grew, such as squash, grapes, watermelons, wheat, beans and corn. These plants are easily seen in the top section. Also in the top section are male and female lions. Note that they do not look like African lions, but they look like the puma or mountain lions that the O’odham people would have been familiar with. Interestingly, the lions are said to represent the king and queen of Spain because Arizona was still part of Spain when San Xavier was built. Perhaps the most intriguing parts of the top portion are the curlicues on either side of the facade.

Top and middle sections of the facade

Look closely at the tops of the curlicues. On the left-hand side is a mouse and on the right-hand side is a cat. The belief is that if the cat ever catches the mouse, it will be the end of the world. A large scallop shell sits prominently between the statues of two saints, while two additional saints are featured on the bottom section. Some of the original paint can still be seen on the saints and on some of the embellishments.

Detail of Santa Barbara. Note the original paint colors on her clothes and the embellishments.

We found the Baroque details, especially the curtains, quite interesting because those wouldn’t have been seen anywhere in the area at that time. Of course, architect Ignacio Gaona would have seen these adornments throughout Spain or other parts of Europe and most likely brought the ideas to San Xavier.

Unfinished Business

Even after two centuries and several renovations, portions of San Xavier are still unfinished. For example, the east tower doesn’t have a dome to match the west tower. The east tower has gone through recent structural repairs, however, causing its new paint to appear stark against the rest of the building.

There are several theories about the unfinished church that give pause for thought. One theory, and probably the most likely, is that the church ran out of money. Another a popular belief is that construction was halted after a worker fell to his death from the east tower. Further theories suggest that an unfinished building wouldn’t be taxed. Perhaps no one will ever know why the church has remained unfinished for so long, but we believe it is perfect just the way it is.

Sanctuary ceiling – unfinished details.

Miscellany

The historic photo below shows the Tumacacori santos in San Xavier’s baptistry.

Tumacacori santos

When the residents of Tumacacori left in 1848, they took the santos from their church to their new home at San Xavier. Today the santos are back home in the museum at Tumacacori National Historical Park. One of Tumacacori’s santos, however, does remain at San Xavier and is sometimes mistaken by visitors as a mummy. Originally the saint was a carved depiction of the crucified Christ, though now encased in glass, the reclining figure has been redesignated as Saint Frances Xavier who was the first Jesuit missionary. The statue remains in the west transept of the church.

We are closing the post with one last shot of the church’s west tower.

Thank you for joining us on our trip to San Xavier del Bac!

Looking for more road trip inspiration? Check out these other amazing destinations:

San Antonio Missions

Catoctin Mountain Park and National Shrine Grotto  

Antietam National Battlefield

Safe travels, y’all!

Mike and Kellye

Altar photo credit: Geremia, Wikimedia Commons. Apse photo credit: Nicholas Hartmann, Wikimedia Commons. 

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2023        

Walker’s Point, Kennebunkport, Maine. This home served as the Summer White House of President George H. W. Bush. The land upon which it sits has been owned by various members of the Bush family since the late 19th century.

If you follow our posts, you’re already familiar with Quick Stops. Quick Stops are designed to give a nod to locations to which we can’t devote an entire post. The destinations are completely random and totally fun.

Just get in the car and we will be on our way!

It is in York, Maine. Officially named Cape Neddick Light Station, construction was completed in 1879. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

The rough sea crashes against the rocks near Nubble Light The Quechee Church, built in the late 1800s.

Quechee is an unincorporated village in the city of Hartford, Vermont that sits along the banks of of the Ottauquechee River.

The Quechee Bridge, originally built in 1970, was restored after being damaged by flooding due to Hurricane Irene in 2011. Even though it isn’t very old, we think it is pretty. Below is a view of the Ottauquechee River and beautiful Vermont countryside as seen from the bridge.

A photograph of the Nubble Lighthouse, which is considered to be a classic example of an American lighthouse, is said to be included in the collection of photographs on the golden records aboard the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts. The golden records, which depict life and science on earth, were placed on the Voyagers in the event the spacecrafts fell into the hands of intelligent beings elsewhere in the universe. The Nubble Light image keeps company with images of other landmarks, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, among others. Additional items included on the golden records are depictions of family units, athletes, and various cultures and races, as well as natural sounds from earth, such as thunder, animal sounds, and human laughter. And, now you know…

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2021