National Parks or Monuments

So, I am wondering what National Parks or Monuments I have visited: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

I have toured Big Bend in Texas.

I have toured the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.

I have driven part of the Blue Ridge Parkway both in North Carolina and Virginia.

I have been to parts of the Boston Historic National Park:  Fanuel Hall, Bunker Hill, the USS Constitution, and maybe more...

I have been to Bryce Canyon, Cape Hatteras, Cape Cod, Capulin Volcano, and Carlsbad Caverns.

I have driven through Cumberland Gap, through Delaware Water Cap, and by the Devil's Tower, and along the Erie Canal, but never saw any National Heritage Corridor signs.

I have been to Fort Davis National Historic Sight, toured Gettysburg, been to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons, the Great Smokey Mountains, driven through the Guadalupe Mountains, and driven along the Hudson River.

I have been to Lake Meredith and to the Minuteman National Historic Park. I have been to Niagara Falls, the Petrified Forest, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park,  one of the San Antonio Missions, driven through part of Shenandoah National Park, and toured the Springfield Armory.

I have driven through the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, been through Vicksburg, and been to the White Sands National Monument, to Yellowstone, and to Zion National Park....

Wow, I have been to a lot of places, but have a lot to go.....

Capulin Volcano National Monument

I think I have previously written about the Capulin Volcano National Monument http://www.nps.gov/cavo/. If not, this is the story:  last spring, visiting with some acquaintances, one mentioned the volcano...  I was all ears: I have lived in West Texas for 33 years, and never heard about this monument, about 6 hours or less from home.  I knew I had to see it... I decided to wait for the fall, and having done so, made the trip this weekend.  I planned a three day weekend, which I probably did not need.  Technically, I could have arisen early, driven to the volcano, toured it, and driven home... But I was ready for a trip out of town, to someplace I have not been before.

The volcano was neat:  I toured the very small visitor's center, and watched the video.  I drove up to the rim. Although I have had some hip problems lately, I put on my good hiking boots, and took the trip down to the crater.  Then, I hiked the rim trail, my trusty hiking stick in hand.  It really helped.  I went a ways into the lava flow trail, but lost the trail, so was able to just turn around and go back... The hiking tired me out, so a drive home would not be very sensible.

It was a good day: it was warm, but there were some clouds in the sky... There was a storm visible in the distance, but the rain did not touch the mountain.  The wind and cooler air from the storm made the hike better.  I saw a ground squirrel, a lizard, some unidentified birds, and lots and lots of crows at the sight.

On the way, I saw lots and lots of hawks, for sure, red tailed hawks, Swainson's hawks, and, I think, at least one kestrel.

It was a good trip to the volcano.

A Book or a Movie?

I spent Sunday evening reading a book:  Boderline by Nevada Barr http://www.nevadabarr.com/bkm04_thirteen_and_a_half.htm a best selling mystery writer who writes stories about a forest ranger, Anna Pigeon.  The stories are set in National Parks and are all mystery stories with lots of interesting information about the national parks, their animal, plant and geological formation inhabitants...

This story is set in the Big Bend National Park, about a river raft trip down the Rio Grande.  I was in that part of the world in 1996, briefly touring, and remember much of the scenery in my mind's eye.  It was fabulous, wonderful, delightful, dessicated. 

I do not think it is my memory of the area that affected me as much as the powerful emotional descriptions in the book, but today, at work, I could not decide if I had read about this story, or seen a movie about it... The images were that powerful, that emotionally evocative that it felt like much more than a reading experience....

I have not yet finished the book... I will read some tonight, but it has been a full evening, and I still have chores to do before I read.  I am anticipating the experience.

Having said that, I will encourage  you to read the Nevada Barr Anna Pigeon stories..