Category Archives: Travel

Travel – National Parks Travel Tips (Part Two)

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A trip to one of our national parks can be a wonderful vacation filled with amazing adventures for you and your family.  The United States National Park Service administrates the 59 National Parks, 108 National Monuments, 78 Historical Sites and hundreds of other sites throughout the United States.  Pull out a United States map and take a look, there are probably several national park sites within an easy drive from your home.

In this post, I am going to discuss one of my favorite topics in regards to the national parks … taking photographs.

National Parks have many scenic views of picturesque lakes, majestic mountains, magical forests and arid deserts, the photo opportunities are endless.  One of our family traditions is the classic photo at the national park sign.  (I can hear my children now complaining, “Not another picture by a sign, why do we have to do this?)  These are some of my favorite photos taken at the national parks and I am so glad we have them.  One wall in our home is filled with all of these photos displayed in white mats and simple black frames.  Below each photo, on the mat, I’ve written the date of each visit.  Looking at these photos I can see my children growing from year to year and the wonderful memories we’ve shared at those national parks.

Bryce NP 1992    Arches NP 2004
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When I am taking photos of the park’s beautiful landscape I usually take several photos of just the scenery but then I’ll take more with the family.  For example, everybody takes a classic photo the family standing with Mount Rushmore in the background.  It is a great photo but not a very original idea.  Now, look at the some photos taken during a visit to the Petrified Forest National Park in 2011.  The photo is of the petrified agate log bridge but look to the right and you will notice my husband standing there taking his own photo of the log.  I love taking photos like this because when I put them into the scrapbook I place them side by side and caption the photos as “my view and his view”.

Petrified Forest NP 2011 2    Petrified Forest NP 2011 5

When visiting the national parks one of our favorite activities, when available, is taking a cave tour.  Caves can be a difficult environment in which to take photos, generally caves can be dark with very limited lighting.  Using a flash would be helpful but you don’t want to distract the other visitors with a bright flash going off in a darken cave.  When we visited Mammoth Cave NP in 2010, we stopped to take a photo of my son and daughter in one of the larger caverns with the lights on.  When taking photos sometimes it is a good idea to tell the story of the experience.  Shown below is a photo showing one of the stairways used by the visitors to descend into the caves.  Another example of photos telling the story of a trip was taken in Rocky Mountain NP in 2012.  Driving through the park, visitors can climb to very high elevations and I took a photo of my daughter with an elevation sign that read two miles above sea level to explain how high we actually were.

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When we visit NPS sites we usually like to take tours and try to experience special activities.  One example of this type of photo was taken at Wind Cave NP in 2004 and shows my husband and daughter standing under a sign that reads “tour starts here”.  Another example is a photo taken in 2011 at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St Louis, MO.  There is a ride there that will take visitors to the top of the Gateway Arch and I took a photo of my daughter holding the tickets.  Another fun photo was taken at the Badlands NP in 2004, we had pulled into an area where we could watch the prairie dogs and I got out of the car and took the photo of my husband and daughter looking out into the prairie with their binoculars, a very cute photo.

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Sometimes the scenery with inspire a creative photo.  Usually when we are on vacation at the beach we write our names, location and date of the visit in the sand with a stick.  When we visited the White Sands National Monument in 2012 I took the classic writing in the sand photo.  Along with this photo I took some great action shots of my daughter running down the sand dunes, she was having a great time.

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Occasionally we take silly photos, like the one my husband took when we were visiting Saguaro NP.  It’s a funny photo of my daughter and I touching the prickly saguaro and we are making silly faces.  Sometimes shopping in the park gift shop will inspire a funny photo, like the one of my daughter wearing a stovetop hat at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site in Kentucky or the silly moose hat she is wearing at Rocky Mountain NP.

Lincoln birthpalce 2010 2    Rocky Mountain NP 2012 2

Have fun taking photos and send me some of your favorites – I would love to see them!

For additional ideas and tips when visiting a National Park please check out National Park Travel Tips (Part One).

Travel – National Park Travel Tips (Part One)

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Within the National Park Service there are 59 National Parks, 108 National Monuments, 78 Historic Sites and hundreds of other sites which they administrate and maintain.  The national parks in particular are popular travel destinations which offer beautiful scenery as well as offering hiking, camping, boating and other recreational activities.  Across the United States there are numerous opportunities to enjoy these magnificent parks.  So, get out a map and look for the national parks in your area or plan a longer road trip and visit several along the way.

The first thing to do when planning a trip to a national park is to book lodge or campsite reservations.  Sometimes accommodations within a national park can be very limited and popular destinations book far in advance, so researching the information regarding accommodations is very important.  Facilities can range from luxurious lodges to very rustic campsites and these decisions are determined by your personal preference.  Our family had stayed at all different types of accommodations and we have enjoyed every one of them.  Honestly, unless you are very particular about your sleeping arrangements, in the evening when bedtime comes around you can be so exhausted from the day’s activities that you are asleep before your head hits the pillow!  When we have been on past road trips and visiting several national parks in a period of time longer then a week, we have found that a combination of campsites and lodges accommodations can be a great balance because sometimes you want the luxury of a comfortable bed and a private shower or bath.  If the national park you are visiting is close to a city, sometimes the hotel accommodations are more plentiful and rooms are available in all price ranges.

Visiting a national park can be an exciting adventure for you and your family.  To make the trip a successful one a little advance research is a good idea.  Once you decide on a destination and have accommodation reservations made, try to gather as much information as you can regarding the area in which you are planning to visit.  The local library is a good resource for tour and guide books on a particular national park or check out online book sources like Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  I always like to read a book about the history of the area before visiting.  Then, when we are on the trip, sometimes it is a good idea to have something to read in the evening when you are back at the campsite or lodge.

When I first visited Yosemite National Park I purchased a book by John Muir.  Muir was a naturalist and author who wrote about his adventures in Yosemite and the importance of protecting and preserving areas like Yosemite throughout the United States.  His activism efforts lead to founding the Sierra Club which is one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States.  I really enjoyed reading about his adventures in Yosemite and then visiting the places he was talking about in his books.  I think I appreciated my time in Yosemite more when looking at the beauty of the scenery through the eyes of John Muir.

The next major decision when planning a national park trip is determining a schedule of activities and things to do.  Gathering information about the activities of the national park is a very helpful way to setting the trip budget because it allows for additional expenses such as: guided tours, rock climbing, horseback riding, raft trips, etc.  Once the trip dates are confirmed, I would advise booking any type of popular activities in advance.  Sometimes these activities fill up quickly especially during the peak summer vacation months.  Nothing can ruin a trip more than arriving at a destination and finding out that activity you were looking forward to experiencing has been sold out.  When we visited the Grand Canyon we wanted to take the mule ride on the Bright Angel Trail, so we booked the ride in advance and were able to pick the day and time that fit into our trip schedule.  On this same trip we also reserved a popular river raft tour on the Colorado River in advance so as not to miss out on this exciting adventure.  As early as possible, take the time to get these important reservations made and it will eliminate the stress so you can enjoy the trip knowing that your activities are confirmed!

Listed below are several additional tips and suggestions to help when planning a national park trip.

Tips and suggestions when planning a trip

  • When starting to plan a trip to a national park, a great resource is the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov  This website will have information regarding specific national parks such as: hours, fees, reservation, history, geology, animal, plant info as well as a special section for kids.
  • Be sure to involve the kids in the planning process, talk to them about what sites they would be interested in visiting.  Plan a balance of adult and children activities to keep everyone happy.  Be flexible in planning the activities and don’t over schedule, smaller child need time to simply play and run or maybe even take a nap.
  • When traveling, be sure to break up the trip with frequent stops at rest areas or for meal times.  Sometimes national parks are located far away from cities and facilities may be limited.  Be sure to check in advance for this type of information.  Plan ahead with extra snacks and drinks or perhaps pack a picnic lunch.  When on the hiking trails or outside the car, be sure to carry enough water for everybody and especially in the southwestern national parks in the summer it can get very hot and you will want to avoid dehydration.
  • Before leaving, consider purchasing a special map for the kids so they can enjoy following along during the trip.  This will answer that inevitable question of, “are we there yet”!  Also, when you know the specific national park you are visiting, check out the children’s section in your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com, sometimes you can find a fun book for them to read about that particular park.
  • If you are traveling to several national parks, consider purchasing the National Park Annual Pass.  The pass is $80 and valid for a full year from the month of purchase.  Do the math and see if this would be economical purchase for you.  If you are traveling with a senior citizen, consider the Senior National Park Pass which costs $10 and is valid for a lifetime.  The purchaser must be 62 years or older and the Senior Pass admits the pass holder and up to three additional adults traveling together in the same vehicle.  (Children under 16 are always admitted free in a national park)  We found out about this from a park ranger when we were traveling with my husband’s mother and we joked that from now on when we visit a national park we are taking her with us because basically we could get in for free!
  • When at the national park visitor center, consider purchasing the Passport to Your National Parks Stamp Book.  This is a great way for the kids to collect stamps from the parks they visit and a fun way to remember the places.  One of our first stops in any national park we visit is the visitor center for maps and current park info, while there our daughter always heads to the passport stamp section to get the park’s stamps for her passport book.
  • Another great idea for the kids is the educational Junior Ranger Program and it is totally free.  When you are at the park’s visitor center pick up a copy for your child.  Usually the booklet has activities and questions for them to answer while they are exploring the park.  When the book is completed return to the visitor center for them to participate in a quick ceremony administrated by the park ranger, the child will raise their right hand and repeat the Junior Ranger oath before receiving the park’s Junior Ranger patch.  We always try to do this with our daughter and it is a great photo opportunity!
  • Taking a pet, particularly dogs, on a trip may sound like a good idea but most national parks have rules and regulations.  Always check in advance for information regarding pet limitations as this will be helpful in determining whether to leave them at home and making alternative arrangements.
  • When visiting the national parks, be sure to observe all the rules and regulations such as speed limits.  Be sure to take into consideration any special safety signs such as bear warnings.  Respect the park’s wildlife and be sure to observe bear safety rules when on hiking trails and other areas of the park.  It is always a good idea to make a quick check of the weather report at the park’s visitor center and while there also check for road or trail closures.  Heat or high altitude conditions can effect visitor’s health, so take precautions and be prepared.  When we go on hikes in the national parks, we always carry a small backpack with a small first aid kit, flashlight and enough water for everyone.  Consider purchasing a couple of reusable water bottles prior to your visit for use while hiking, this is an excellent way to be green (earth) smart.
  • Since one of the goals of the National Park Service is protecting and preserving our national parks, be aware of your impact on the environment.  Consider parking your vehicle and walk, bike or take the park’s public transportation when available because these simple choices will reduce the carbon emissions into the environment.  Be sure to observe the recycling cans while at the visitor center, lodges, campsites, etc. while in the park.  Conserve water whenever possible while in the parks, such as washing dishes at campsites.  When at the campgrounds be sure to minimize your campfire impact, when leaving extinguish the fire fully and be sure to dispose of waste properly.
  • When camping in the park, before to check all camping equipment before leaving.  If the tent is new, consider setting up and taking down the tent.  Solve any possible problems and check that all equipment is functioning properly, such as the camp stove or lantern.  Be sure to have extra batteries for flashlights, etc.
  • Please stop and take a moment with your family to enjoy the national park with all the beauty and activities that are available.  If you have limited time when visiting the parks, be sure to stop at the visitor center. These facilities offer information and other services, excellent natural and historical displays and orientation movies as well as shopping and sometimes dining opportunities.  Be sure to take a drive on any of the scenic roads because it is a great way to explore the park.  Take the time to get out of your vehicle and walk even a short distance on one of the park’s hiking trails.  This is a great idea especially when a park can be crowded during the busy summer months.

Finally, I hope that you and your family consider a trip to one of our national parks.  There are so many diverse natural and historical sites to see and I’m sure any one of those chosen will provide you and your family with experiences and moments that will be remembered for a lifetime.

For additional ideas and tips when visiting a National Park please check out National Park Travel Tips (Part Two).

Travel – Manzanar, CA

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We have driven California Highway 395 for years heading to and from Mammoth Lakes, CA.  Every time we pass the Manzanar National Historic Site we always want to stop but we never have the time.  Finally in 2005, we made special plans to finally stop there.

Manzanar is a difficult part of the history of the United States and California.  After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941, the United States officially entered into World War II.  Citizens became concerned over the threat of another direct attack on the West Coast and California.  The United States Government and the Federal Bureau of Investigation took swift action and arrested 2,192 people of Japanese descent.  This action was meant to monitor and control the activities of these potential hostile “enemy aliens.

On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed an Executive Order authorizing the construction of “relocation centers”. This resulted in the forced relocation of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds were actually native-born American, into ten “relocation centers” located in several states, one of those was Manzanar.

NOTE:  Since the end of World War II, there has been debate over the terminology used to refer to Manzanar, and the other camps in which Americans of Japanese ancestry, were incarcerated by the United States Government during the war. Several different terms have been used to describe these camps; “War Relocation Center,” “relocation camp,” “relocation center,” “internment camp”, and even “concentration camp”.  The controversy over which term is the most appropriate is still being currently debated.

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Manzanar was the first of the relocation centers to be established in March 1942.  Originally it was supposed to be a temporary “reception center”, known as the Owens Valley Reception Center, run by the US Army’s Wartime Civilian Control Administration.  In June 1942 it became a permanent facility and was renamed the Manzanar War Relocation Center. The first Japanese Americans, “incarcerees”, to arrive at Manzanar helped to build the administration offices, barracks, recreational hall and the additional buildings needed.  The number of incarcerees increased steadily until July 1942 when there were 10,000.

Manzanar vintage photo 1    Manzanar sign 2

Manzanar is located in California’s Owens Valley between the towns of Lone Pine and Independence, about 230 miles northeast of Los Angeles.  Situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this area had long been the home of the Paiute Native Americans, who had several villages throughout the valley.  Ranchers and miners established the town of Manzanar, a Spanish word that means apple orchard, in 1910 but the town was abandoned when the City of Los Angeles purchased the water rights of the Owens Valley in 1929.

The Manzanar Relocation Center leased 6,200 acres from the City of Los Angeles.  The residential area where the incarcerees lived covered about one square mile and had 36 blocks of 20 ft. by 100 ft. barracks.  Each barrack was divided into 20 ft. by 20 ft. separate living areas for each incarceree family, the partitions did not reach the ceilings and offered very little privacy.  In addition, each residential block had a communal mess hall, laundry room, recreation hall and a communal latrine used by both the women and the men.

Manzanar also had 34 additional blocks that provided staff housing, administration office, two warehouses and a garage.  The facility also had a school and auditorium, a post office and store, and even a newspaper office.  Each relocation center was intended to be self-sufficient and Manzanar provided various services, such as: beauty and barber shops, shoe repairs.  In addition, the incarcerees raised chicken and hogs, and they also grew vegetable gardens and cultivated the existing apple orchards.  The incarcerees even made their own soy sauce and tofu.  The facility offered almost every convenience found in most American cities.  The visual exception was the sentry posts at the main entrance, eight watchtowers manned by armed Military Police located around the perimeter and the entire facility was enclosed by barbed wire.

For the Japanese American incarcerees, life in Manzanar became their new normal.  Meals were based on the military daily requirements.  Since wartime rationing made meat scare, the chicken and hog farms helped to supplement their meals of rice and vegetables.  The incarcerees did earn some money and were employed in various jobs at Manzanar, with workers earning $8 to $19 per month depending on their skill level and in addition each incarceree received $3.60 per month as a clothing allowance.  Even given the Owens Valley extreme weather conditions, summer temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and winter temperatures of 40 degrees with occasional snowfalls, the incacerees became accustomed to the conditions.  Some were able to build elaborate gardens with bridges over water with waterfalls and rock ornaments found in a typical Japanese garden, some of these garden ruins can still be found at Manzanar.  Incacerees were also able to participate in a variety of sports including baseball, football, martial arts and even golf on a nine-hole golf course.

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Although the majority of the incarcerees accepted their fate during World War II, there was some resistance with problems concerning unfair wages, black marketing of sugar, shortage of meat and rumors of camp informers that reported any suspicious behavior to the camp administrations and even the FBI.  One serious incident occurred in December 1942 and became known as the Manzanar Riot.  When the Japanese American Citizens League leader, Fred Tayama, was beaten by six masked men after months of tension in the camp, a man named Harry Ueno was suspected of involvement in the planned attack and was arrested.  A few days later a crowd of several hundred incarcerees gathered in protest and the military police threw tear gas to disperse them.  Suddenly, the military police fired into the crowd, one man died and nine others were wounded before the situation ended.

Manzanar was closed permanently in November 1945.  The incarcerees were officially released and each person was given $25 and a one-way train or bus fare.  Many left the camp voluntarily but some refused to leave because they had no place to go after losing everything at the time of their forced incarceration.  During the time Manzanar was open, 146 people died.  The cemetery site at Manzanar is marked by a monument built by an incarceree stonemason in 1943, the inscription written in Japanese 慰靈塔 reads, “Soul Consoling Tower”.  When we visited, there were strings of origami and often Manzanar survivors or visitors leave other items or offerings.

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After the camp closed, the barracks and other structures were removed with the exception of the two sentry posts.  Over the years since closing, former incarcerees formed the Manzanar Committee which worked to establish Manzanar as a National Historic Site to provide historical and cultural interpretation of the relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II.  Finally in 1992, Manzanar was designated a National Historical Site  and five years later the National Park Service acquired 814 acres of land from the City of Los Angeles.

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In 2004, an Interpretative Center was created inside the restored Manzanar High School which has exhibits that tell the story of the Manzanar Relocation Center.  At the site, all that remained where several building foundations, the cemetery monument and the garden ruins.  The National Park Service has restored the sentry posts at the camp entrance and built a replica of a guard tower and provided a self-guided road tour and informational markers.  At the time that we visited in 2005, there were plans to reconstruct on of the residential blocks.

TRAVEL NOTE: Since the subject of Manzanar and the War Relocation Center for Japanese Americans during World War II is such a serious one, we would advise visiting with older children.

RECOMMENDED READING:  “Farewell to Manzanar”, is a book first published in 1973 and written by Jeanne Watatsuki Houston, who was incarcerated there as a child.  The book tells the story of the Watatsuki family and their experiences at Manzanar.

Travel – Custer State Park, SD

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIn 2004, we took our annual road trip from California (where we were living at the time) to visit relatives in Illinois.  We always seemed to take the same trip every year and visited the same places in Utah and Colorado.  Don’t great me wrong; we really like that part of the country!  We enjoy the beautiful scenery along the route, visiting cities like Las Vegas, Denver and Salt Lake City and Zion, Bryce and Rocky Mountain National Parks.  This time we decided to make our return trip from Illinois to California by the northern route and planned to visit some different places.

Our major destination for this trip was Custer State Park.  This would be our “home base” for several days with daily trips from there to see nearby attractions, such as: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind and Jewel Caves and the Mammoth Site.  The Black Hills of South Dakota has so many historic places to visit and the scenery is absolutely amazing and beautiful in this area of the United States.

Custer State Park, founded in 1912, is named for the famous Lt. Colonel George Custer.  It is the first and largest state park in South Dakota with over 71,000 acres of spectacular views of granite peaks and an abundance of wildlife with more than 186 species of animals that live or migrate through the park.  Visiting this area a person can truly gain a sense of why the Native Americans considered this area so scared.  There are a variety of outdoor activities available at the park, such as: fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, chuck wagon cookouts and Buffalo Jeep Tours.  (Our daughter was only four at the time we visited, so we didn’t participate in many of those activities but it gives us a reason to come back!)

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We stayed at the State Game Lodge during our visit to Custer State Park.  This location was the “Summer White House” for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953.  We actually stayed in the Coolidge Room, which was a comfortable two-room suite that the President Coolidge stayed in during his time at the State Game Lodge.  (It was a little pricey, but how often do you get to sleep in a room that a President once slept in?)  The beautiful stone and wood lodge, built in 1920, is located in a picturesque mountain valley filled with ponderosa pines and oak, birch and aspen trees with the Coolidge Creek running through the valley.  The lodge served as a perfect location and “home base” for several days while we visited all the attractions in the surrounding area.

During our stay, we ate at the Historic State Game Lodge Dining Room.  It offers a casual but elegant dining experience with a dinner menu of entrée selections featuring local game such as trout, pheasant, buffalo and venison.  (Our daughter was so excited to eat her first buffalo burger!) The dining room also serves breakfast and lunch.

Custer State Park is a wonderful place for scenic drives.  When we visited the park we saw bison, pronghorn antelope, mountain goats, deer, wild turkeys and burros and even an owl that my husband was able to spot!

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When driving on the park’s roadways remember the following:

  1. The speed limit is generally 25 miles or less.
  2. Use caution as traffic can suddenly stop, especially for animals sightings.
  3. Please pull off the roadway while photographing the scenery and wildlife.
  4. Remember all the animals in the park are wild and can be potentially dangerous.  Bison can be extremely fast and lethal when provoked.
  5. Don’t forget a camera and a pair of binoculars!

We highly recommend the following three drives for their beautiful scenery and wildlife:

Wildlife Loop Road – This 18 mile drive takes visitors through open grasslands and hills.  In this area you are likely to see bison, pronghorn antelope, white-tailed deer, elk, wild turkeys and burros.    This particular drive is never the same twice, so if you are staying over several days, we recommend taking the Wildlife Loop Road drive more than once.  (When we visited the park in the off season, this area was so quiet and peaceful; we were almost the only car there.  We were very excited to see a large herd of bison, there were even some young calves.  The herd of bison was an amazing sight to see in the distance as they come over the hills!)

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Needles Highway – (SD Highway 87 between Sylvan Lake and Legion Lake) The 14 mile drive takes visitors on winding roads through several granite tunnels into beautiful pine and spruce forests and meadows lined with birch and aspen trees.  The highlights of the drive are the amazing views of the granite rocks formations called “Needles”.  (At the “Needle Eye” we stopped to take photos and even a fun video of my husband drive through the narrow tunnel!)

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TRAVEL NOTE: Tunnels on the Needles Highway are as low as 10 feet, 7 inches and as narrow as 8 feet, 4 inches.

Iron Mountain Road – (U.S. 16A) Only 17 miles of this scenic highway are in Custer State Park.  If you are traveling to or from Mount Rushmore the highlights of the drive are the three granite tunnels which frame Mount Rushmore in the distance and the three wooden pigtail bridges that were built in the 1930s.  The particular drive is very popular and should definitely be on the list of things to do!

TRAVEL NOTE:  Tunnels on Iron Mountain Road are as low as 12 feet, 2 inches high and as narrow as 13 feet, 2 inches wide.

Custer State Park information

  • Custer State Park’s biggest and most exciting attraction is the free-roaming herd of 1,500 bison.  The bison herd is one of the largest public-owned herds in the world.  Bisons, or tatanka, can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds and they were essential to the lives of the Lakota (Sioux) Native Americans who lived in this area and provided them with food and clothing.At the end of September is the annual Buffalo Roundup and auction which began in 1965.
    Several hundred bison are sold at the auction each year so that the park bison herd can remain at a manageable number for the rangeland forage. The event, which is open to the public, attracts more than 11,000 people each year. Preceding the roundup/auction, is a Buffalo Roundup Festival where more than 150 exhibitors offer their western themed arts and crafts and there is also a chili cook-off with the only requirement being that buffalo meat be used.

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  • The “Begging Burros” of Custer State Park are located in a specific area, so check with a park ranger for their current locations during your visit to the park.  There are approximately 50 burros and they will approach a car to “beg” for food.  Be attentive when traveling through the park as sometimes the burros will block the roadway as they cross from one side to the other.
  • Be sure to stop by the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center in the park.  It is a wonderful place to find out about the park’s natural history and cultural heritage.  The exhibits include wildlife dioramas and information on the annual Buffalo Roundup.  Many of the park’s naturalist programs begin at the center.

Custer State Park is located nearby other Black Hills attractions, such as Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave and Wind Cave National Parks and the Mammoth Site.  By planning in advance, this area of South Dakota can be a wonderful family destination!

For more travel information on Custer State Park, please see their website at www.custerstatepark.com and for information about park accommodations at Custer State Park’s four lodges, visit www.custerresorts.com