Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy Birthday America!!! (10 Great National Parks to Visit on the 4th of July)

Fireworks over the National Mall.
Image courtesy nps.gov
Happy Birthday America!!!

Today, our great country turns 238 years old! And what better way to celebrate than to explore a "revolutionary" national park! :)

Sites all over the National Park System will celebrate our nation's birthday with fun and educational activities. From historic weapons demonstrations and ranger-led programs to spectacular and breathtaking fireworks displays, there are a ton of ways you can spend Fourth of July in our national parks.

With a little help from our friends over at the National Park Foundation, I've compiled a list of national parks that will help you get that Fourth of July/Independence Day spirit!

And trust me: you really get into the spirit! I spent one Fourth of July several years ago in Philadelphia and Independence National Park . . .  it was amazing! Great historical programs, museums, exhibits and sites, awesome concerts (that year a la John Williams and Elton John) and the breathtaking night-time fireworks spectacular. . .  Spending a Fourth at a national park site closely related to our nation’s independence is a memorable experience that everyone should do at least once.  So go ahead, get out there and be a part of history; there’s only so much you can experience in front of the TV. :)

Now, if only I was in the New England area. . . .  *sigh* Guess I’ll have to settle for TV watching again this year. . . But in the meantime. . .

Explore on, Junior Rangers! :)

What will you do for the Fourth of July? Share with us in the comments below! :)




10 Great National Parks to Visit on the 4th of July
(Alphabetized List)

Colonial National Historical Park
Various sights at Colonial National Historical Park.
Banner courtesy nps.gov
1. Colonial National Historical Park (Virginia) - This site comprises Historic Jamestown (the first permanent English settlement in North America) and Yorktown Battlefield (the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War in 1781). 

Major Points of Interest: Jamestown - Join Jamestown's famous 17th century residents portrayed by interpreters as they conduct living history tours at various points throughout the site. Yorktown Battlefield - Moore House and Surrender Field, both key places of the British surrender.

Junior Ranger Program? Yes, Jamestown and Yorktown. Booklets can be purchased at their respective bookstores.

No Independence Day Events Scheduled.

Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry. Image courtesy nps.gov
2. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (Maryland) - Visit this star-shaped Fort which was valiantly defended during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 and the birthplace of our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," written by Francis Scott Key.

Major Point of Interest: Fort McHenry. Tour the fort, barracks and related structures. 

Junior Ranger Program? Yes.

Independence Day Events:

FORT! FLAG! FIRE!  Baltimore's Star-Spangled Summer! (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) - Living History Programs with flag talks, weapons demonstrations, fife and drum concerts and more!

The Glorious Fourth. . .An Old-Fashioned Fourth of July! (12 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.) - Enjoy fife and drum music, cannon firings, musket salute for 18 states, period dancing and games, and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence.



Independence Hall
Independence Hall.
Image courtesy nps.gov
3. Independence National Historical Park (Pennsylvania) - Spanning over 55 acres on 20 city blocks in the city of Philadelphia's historic district, this NPS site, known as the "birthplace of America," preserves and interprets a number of our country's most important resources associated with the founding of the United States of America.

Major Point of Interest: This site is home to Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed in July 1776.

Junior Ranger Program? Yes.


Independence Day Events

A Celebration of Freedom Ceremony (10 a.m. - 11 a.m.) - music, Declaration of Independence readings, and more.

Independence Day Parade (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

Let Freedom Ring Ceremony (1 p.m. - 2 p.m.) - History program with "pomp and circumstance"

The Committee of Five (2:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.) - ranger-led gallery tour about the men selected to draft the Declaration of Independence

Twilight Tour (6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.) - Tour the park on a walking tour with the Friends of Independence



George Rogers Clark Memorial
George Rogers Clark Memorial
Image courtesy nps.gov
4. George Rogers Clark National Historical Park (Indiana) - This site memorializes Fort Sackville and Lt. Col George Roger Clark's victory over the British on February 25, 1779. This victory assured the US' claims to the frontier.

Major Point of Interest: The George Rogers Clark Memorial

Junior Ranger Program? Yes.

No Independence Day Events Scheduled.


Hartwell Tavern at Minute Man NHP
Hartwell Tavern. Image courtesy nps.gov
5. Minute Man National Historical Park (Massachusetts) - Visit where it all began and see the site where the first shots of the war rang out at Lexington and Concord in April 1775.

Major Point of Interest: This site is home to Hartwell Tavern, a landmark in the community where news and issues of the day were shared and discussed by travelers to and from Boston.

Junior Ranger Program? Yes.


Independence Day Events

Declaring Independence (1 p.m.) - A reading of the Declaration of Independence.



Wick House at Morristown NHP
Wick House at Morriston NHP
Image courtesy nps.gov
6. Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey) - This site served as General Washington's encampment of the Continental Army during the winter of 1779, where they survived the coldest winter on record.

Major Point of Interest: This site is home to Wick House, an authentic 18th century structure used as a headquarters by Maj. Gen. St Clair during the Jockey Hollow Encampment. 

Junior Ranger Program? Yes.

Independence Day Events

Reading of the Declaration of Independence (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) - Enjoy a host of activities throughout the day including: musical entertainment, picnicking, the proclamation of the 350th anniversary of New Jersey, Reading of the Declaration of Independence, bell-tolling, musket firing, free tours of the Presbyterian Church and graveyard and a ribbon-cutting/tour of Fort Nonsense.



National Mall Fireworks
National Mall Fireworks. Image Courtesy nps.gov
7. National Mall (Washington, D.C.) - Some of the best fireworks and musical performances are held here at this annual celebration of independence. This year continues the bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812 and marks the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner. 

Major Points of Interest: Everything! From the Lincoln Memorial to the newest memorial dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., you'll find something that will deepen your appreciation of our nation’s history and this important civic space which is home to some of the most iconic monuments and memorials in the US.

Junior Ranger Program? Yes, including a new program, March on Washington.

Independence Day Events

Parade (11:45 a.m. - 2 p.m.)

US Navy Band Concert (5 p.m - 9:30 p.m.)

A Capitol Fourth Concert (8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.)

Fireworks! (9:10 p.m. - 9:27 p.m.)




Star Fort at Ninety Six NHS.
Image Courtesy nps.gov
8. Ninety Six National Historic Site (South Carolina) - This site commemorates the first Revolutionary War battle south of New England (Nov 19-21, 1775) and the longest field siege of the Revolution, lasting 28 days (May-June 1781). This site played an important role in a series of events which led to the defeat and surrender of the British at Yorktown in 1781. 

Major Point of Interest: This site features a one-mile paved historic interpretive trail with wayside signs, reconstructed siege works and Stockade Fort, the original 1781 Star Fort, and the town site of old Nintey Six, historic roads and more.  

Junior Ranger Program? Yes.

No Independence Day Events Scheduled.

Saratoga NHP. Image courtesy nps.gov
9. Saratoga National Historical Park (New York)- At this site, in the autumn of 1777, American forces met and defeated a major force of the British army and forced them to surrender. The Battle of Saratoga was one of the most important victories over the British and as the turning point in the war, it renewed patriots' hopes for independence and secured critical foreign recognition and support.

Major Point of Interest: This site is home to Victory Woods, a 22-acre parcel of land which marks the final encampment site of the British army prior to its surrender to American forces on October 17, 1777.

Junior Ranger Program? Yes.

Independence Day Events

Naturalization Ceremony (1o a.m.) - Celebrate as 20 immigrants become naturalized citizens of the United States! Enjoy period music, weapons demonstrations, and toast along with 13 toasts to Independence and the "new" United States with free lemonade.

Declaration of Independence Reading (2 p.m.) - Toast along with the 13 toasts to Independence and the "new" United States with free lemonade.



The Face of the Statue of Liberty.
Image Courtesy nps.gov
10. Statue of Liberty National Monument (New York) - Dedicated on October 28, 1886, this gift of friendship from France to the United States is recognized around the world as the universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

Major Point of Interest: What else? The Statue of Liberty! Enjoy the grounds or a ranger-led tour. Or if you're lucky enough have obtained advance reservations, visit the Museum, the Pedestal and the Crown and conquer the 377 steps to the top and to the rewarding vistas from one of the Crown's 24 windows. 

Junior Ranger Program? Yes (NOTE: You must download and print your own copy to bring to the park; there are no booklets available due to Hurricane Sandy which destroyed all their available copies.)

No Independence Day Events Scheduled.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

State Program Spotlight: Introducing. . . The Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program!

Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program Logo
Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program
Logo. Image courtesy floridastateparks.org
Calling all Junior Rangers in Florida:

The Florida State Parks Service has just launched a BRAND NEW Statewide Junior Ranger Program! Starting TODAY, July 1, 2014, when you visit a participating state park or trail (which is mostly all of them) you can become a Florida State Park Junior Ranger!

Finally! I always thought they should have a "real" program like the NPS does, and I'm glad to see that it is coming to fruition. The prospect of this new program is exciting and I hope it will add a fun and educational dimension to a state park visit where kids can actually learn something about the park they're visiting and not just how nice the beach/facilities are. 

The old "program" (if you could call it that) was a bit of a mess as very few parks offered it and sometimes it was only a ranger program held maybe once a week during the day. The whole thing was just very un-promoted and unadvertised. I myself only found out Florida had a Junior Ranger program by accident when I visited the small nature center at Bahia Honda State Park last year and saw the booklet with the patch already stapled to it just lying there on a table unsupervised . . . Yeah. Very appealing, lol.

But enough about the old. This is a brand new program, so we all need to be patient as the kinks get worked out. The ranger I spoke to over the phone said that it was a mostly self-guided program geared toward elementary-aged students, but she assured me that kids of all ages would enjoy completing the activities. When I asked about the rewards aspect of the project and the PASSPORT (capitalized per FSP website), things got a bit more confusing, but I think that's just cause they're trying to figure it out as they go (and I don't blame her for not really knowing; it just started today after all!), but here's what I got out of our brief dialogue: 


Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program Rewards
Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program Rewards
Illustration (from L-R) Badge, Patch, Pin.
Image courtesy floridastateparks.org
1. Visit a participating Florida State Park or Trail and ask for their Junior Ranger Kit.
2. Complete 6 activities from your Kit and review your work with a Ranger.
3. You are sworn in and issued a completion certificate, ID card and PASSPORT, AND you also get a program patch from the park site you are visiting (similar to the NPS patches, I guess)
4. As you complete other programs in the Florida State Park system, you obtain more stamps for your PASSPORT.
5. Once you complete your entire PASSPORT book, you turn it in to get your Official Junior Ranger Badge, Patch or Pin.

Please read more about the program after the jump. Looking forward to visiting a Florida State Park very soon (and I guess I'll find out first-hand how they handle the not-so-Junior Rangers who want to participate, haha). But in the meantime. . . .


Explore On, Junior Rangers! :)




About the Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program

Banner from the Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program webpage
Banner from the Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program webpage
Image courtesy floridastateparks.org
This brand-new program, available starting July 1, provides the opportunity for park visitors to learn, serve and share our parks' natural and cultural resources. Completing Junior Ranger activities based on four categories (Cultural Resources, Natural Resources, Recreation and Service), kids will learn important aspects about protecting Florida State Parks. In addition, Junior Rangers will become eligible for Junior Ranger rewards such as badges, patches and pins, and in the future, program merchandise will be available for purchase.

How It Works
(direct from floridastateparks.org)


1. Visit a participating Florida State Park and ask for their Junior Ranger Kit.
2. Complete 6 CORE Activities from the Kit.
3. Review the 6 CORE Activities with a Ranger.
4. Recite the Junior Ranger Pledge to receive a Certificate, Member ID Card, and the Official Junior Ranger PASSPORT!
5. Complete more activities to earn stamps for your PASSPORT.
6. Turn in your completed PASSPORT to receive an Official Junior Ranger Badge, Patch or Pin!

For a map of Participating Parks, visit floridastateparks.org or click here (PDF).


Source: floridastateparks.org

Monday, June 30, 2014

Completed: Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Junior Ranger Program and Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Junior Ranger Program

Package from Captain John Smith Chesapeake
NHT and Star-Spangled Banner NHT
Hello Junior Rangers!

Last year (gah--has it been that long?), I had posted that I had sent out completed Junior Ranger books to both Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT and Star-Spangled Banner NHT that I had downloaded and completed. And then I never posted about it again. 

Maybe some of you were wondering what happened.

Well, so did I--cause I never heard back from either of them.

It was sort of surprising to just never hear back anything, but I had sent them out during that tumultuous time where the government was on the verge of shutting down and there was all that sequester business going on, so I just figured maybe there was some staffing cuts and no one was around to send me the badges. . .  And over time, with all the packages I had sent out during that time, these had simply fallen through the cracks.

Recently, I had been conversing via email with one of your fellow readers who commented about working towards earning these badges, and it reminded me about my own package that I had mailed out. Looking back, I realized it really had been quite some time since I mailed them so I reached out to both the Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT and the Star-Spangled Banner NHT explaining the situation and asking if they would send them to me. A nice ranger named Christine wrote back from Chesapeake and after apologizing for what happened, promised to mail them right away. And here they are!



Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT Junior Ranger Badge
Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT Junior Ranger Badge – awarded for completing the Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT Junior Ranger program.

Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Junior Ranger Badge
Star-Spangled Banner NHT Junior Ranger Badge – awarded for completing the Star-Spangled Banner NHT Junior Ranger program.

And that’s it! Please read a little bit about the trails, which I have posted below, and if you are interested in early-North American history and the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake region, check out the sites featured along these trails. But in the meantime…

Explore On, Junior Ranger! :)

Want your own Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Junior Ranger Badge and Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Junior Ranger Badge? Visit the trails' Junior Ranger Pages and follow the links to their books. After you complete the program, you’ll get a badge for your efforts. :)




About the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

Captain John Smith Statue at Historic Jamestown, Virginia
Photo courtesy smithtrail.net
The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail follows in the footsteps of Captain John Smith as he journeyed through the Chesapeake Bay area four hundred years ago. Along with a small crew, he set out in an open boat to explore nearly 3,000 miles of the Chesapeake Bay and rivers, documenting American Indian communities. The map Smith created and the journals he kept during his travels are a remarkable record of 17th-century Chesapeake. These items, published upon his return to England, described the region's lush resources and his many encounters with the native peoples of the Chesapeake, which in turn attracted great attention to the region. His map and writings would later influence the exploration and settlement of eastern North America for many generations to come. 

Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT Logo
The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail allows you to experience and learn about the Chesapeake Bay through the routes and places associated with Smith's explorations between 1607 and 1609. It follows Smith's two main voyages on Chesapeake Bay in 1608 and his voyages between 1607 and 1609 on the York, James and other rivers in the region. The trail encompasses approximately 3,000 miles in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The trail was officially launched in 2007 in conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. 




About the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

Star Spangled Banner NHT Logo
The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a 560-mile land and water route which connects historic sites in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Officially established in 2008, the trail tells the story of the War of 1812 as it waged on for three years in the Chesapeake Bay region and commemorates the events which led up to the Battle of Baltimore, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write our National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The trail, which traces American and British troop movements during the War of 1812, introduces its visitors to the Chesapeake communities which were affected by the war and highlights the region's distinctive landscapes and numerous waterways.  

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Program Spotlight: Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (NHT) NPS Junior Ranger Badge Program

Hello Junior Rangers! So a week ago I posted about the package I received from Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail for completing their online Junior Ranger program. Well, today I decided to post about the Anza Trail and Anza's Junior Ranger Program so that you all can get more information about what it takes to become a Junior Ranger at Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail!

So first, I'll start with a brief overview of the trail's history and features and then get to the good stuff... :)




About the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

Presidio of San Francisco - A Part of the Juan Bautista de Anza NHT
The Presidio of San Francisco, a part of the Juan Bautista
de Anza National Historic Trail. Photo courtesy NPS.gov

Illustration of Juan Bautista de Anza on Horseback
Anza on Horseback
Illustration courtesy NPS.gov
The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail commemorates and protects the historic overland route plotted and traveled by Juan Bautista de Anza and the 300+ colonists who followed him during the years 1775-76 from Sonora, Mexico to what is now San Francisco, CA. His successful establishment of Spain's northernmost colony in Alta California changed the course of California history. In 1990, the Anza Trail was designated a National Historic Trail by Congress through an amendment to the National Trails System Act. The portion of the trail administered by the National Park Service in the United States spans 1,200 miles from Nogales, Arizona to San Francisco, CA, and traces the route of the 1775-76 Anza Expedition as closely as possible. There is another 600 miles of historic trail in Northern Mexico. 

Though there is no official Visitor's Center dedicated to the trail, portions of the US trail can be explored by "car, foot, horse, bicycle or train" with several Expedition Points of Interests and Interpretive Sites along the way. 

While several of these sites are administered by the Arizona and California State Parks system, there are eight (8) National Park Service sites affiliated with the trail:

Mission at Tumacacori National Historic Park
Mission at Tumacacori National Historic Park
Photo courtesy nps.gov

1. Tumacacori National Historical Park (Tumacacori, AZ) - As the expedition headed towards Tubac, Pedro Font held mass at this mission on October 17, 1775.

2. Saguaro National Park (Tucson, AZ) - At this beautiful national park visitors can enjoy the same picturesque views of the desert landscape that Anza and the settlers saw in 1775.


Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins NM
Photo courtesy nps.gov
3. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (Coolidge, AZ) - On October 31, 1775, Anza and Pedro Font visited these ruins on a side trip from one of their campsites. 

4. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area  (Thousand Oaks, CA)- Here you can explore the rugged landscape and Mediterranean climate which the Anza expedition members probably would have encountered during their journey in February 1776.
Channel Islands National Park
Channel Islands National Park
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

5. Channel Islands National Park (Ventura/Santa Barbara, CA) - On February 23, 1776, Anza and the settlers saw these offshore islands as they camped on the mainland near the Santa Clara River.


Volcanic Peaks at Pinnacles National Monument
Majestic Volcanic Peaks at
Pinnacles National Monument
Photo courtesy nps.gov
6. Pinnacles National Monument (Paicines, CA) - As they traveled north to San Francisco, Anza's expedition members may have seen these majestic volcanic peaks towering above California's Salinas Valley. 

7. Presidio of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) - This site, which a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, was selected on March 28, 1776 by Captain Anza to be the site for the Presidio and Mission of San Francisco.
Martinez Adobe at John Muir National Historic Site
Martinez Adobe at John Muir NHS
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

8. Anza Trail Exhibit at the John Muir National Historic Site (Martinez, CA) - This NPS site is the home of the Vincente Martinez Adobe which was once occupied by the descendants of the 1776 Anza Expedition. The Anza Trail Exhibit is located inside the Martinez Adobe.

Juan Bautista de Anza NH Trail NPS Passport Stamp
Juan Bautista de Anza
National Historic Trail
NPS Passport Stamp.
Image courtesy

TucsonPresidio.com
Bonus Tip: For those of you who are NPS Passport stamp enthusiasts like me, there are 33 (!) Passport stamps to collect at sites along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Click here for a complete list of Anza Trail affiliated NPS Passport stamp locations.

For more information about the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, please visit their official NPS website and NPS partner site, Anza Historic Trail



source: nps.gov


The Junior Ranger Program at
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail


Online Banner greeting Junior Rangers to the Juan Bautista
de Anza National Historic Trail Junior Ranger program.
Image courtesy anzajuniorranger.org
The Junior Ranger program at Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is an online program designed to be completed in the comfort of your own home. This activity requires an Internet connection (of course) and a valid email address. The program can be found at http://www.anzajuniorranger.org.
"You meet Commander Anza in the plaza near your small farm in Sonora, Nueva Espana (Mexico). He is recruiting people to go to Alta California. [M]any of the families in your area are very poor and moving...means the possibility of a new and better life." excerpt from the introduction to the Anza Junior Ranger online program, anzajuniorranger.org 
Anza Recruitment Letter from the Anza Junior Ranger
Program. Image from anzajuniorranger.org
In this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Junior Ranger activity, you are a potential colonist joining Commander Anza's expedition to the Presidio of San Francisco. As a colonist, you will choose your identity (solider, farmer, priest, mother, or single woman--yes, single woman is a choice) and travel along the expedition route, visiting historic places along the way and making important decisions at certain trail stops.

But first you will have to decide: will you leave your farm, sell off your belongings and pack up your horse and mule? Will you say goodbye to family and friends you may never see again?

This program was a fun and engaging way to learn about Anza and the trail. Selecting my identity among the character images and descriptions was nice because you get to live the expedition through the eyes/perspective of that traveler  (I went with Isabel the single woman cause I thought it was such an odd choice to have on a kid's adventure story. . .lol), and according to the site the stories are different for every character. It involved a lot of find-this-place-on-the-map map reading, but making decisions along the way was entertaining. Hopefully the other online-only programs will be as engaging as this one. :)


Explore on, Junior Rangers!

How to Become a Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Junior Ranger:

To get your own badge, complete the online activity and when you're finished, complete the online form. You will also have an opportunity to print out an Anza Junior Ranger certificate after you complete the form. A ranger will contact you via email to obtain your address and other demographic information. A badge will be mailed to you when you reply to the email with the required information.