January, 2022
Part four for the east to west trip.
Part one is located here: NPT West to East Pt.1
Part two is located here: NPT West to East Pt.2
Part three is located here: NPT East to West Pt.1
Nat'l Parks Tour East to West Pt.2 Table Of Contents
- July 8 - Effingham, IL to Kearney, MO
- July 9 - Kearney, MO to Woodward, OK
- July 10 - Woodward, OK to Springerville, AZ
- July 11 - Springerville, AZ to HOME
- July 2021 - Epilogue for Leg One
July 8, 2021 Effingham, IL to Kearney, MO
You just don’t pay attention to things like - these NPS units are starting to stretch out a little as one continues to head west. The Lincoln Home Nat’l Historic Site in Springfield was interesting in that they kept a several block area pretty close to what it was like in the mid-19th century.
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| Four block area around the home maintains feel of 19th century neighborhood Lincoln Home NHS, Springfield, IL |
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| The Home of Abraham Lincoln & family, Lincoln Home NHS, Springfield, IL |
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| Current neighbors Lincoln Home NHS, Springfield, IL |
We decided we’d pass on the tour of the Lincoln residence, a couple of other adjacent homes were kept in order to tell the stories of not only the Lincoln family, but of their neighbors. Another early rendition of a planned community. The people here weren’t necessarily ‘rich’ but they were well-off; mostly what we’d call “upper-middle class” today.
I would have loved to have done the Gateway Arch Nat’l Park in St. Louis, but we’ve been there, done that a long time ago. The next closest was the Ulysses S Grant Nat’l Historic Site, not far from St Louis.
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| Ranger giving introductory comments at Ulysses S Grant NHS, St Louis, MO |
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| Basement space in home of Ulysses S Grant NHS, St Louis, MO - slaves would prepare food here in winter. |
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| Home of Ulysses S Grant NHS, St Louis, MO - paint color (Paris Green) are accurate for the era. |
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| Exhibits at Ulysses S Grant NHS, St Louis, MO |
Good choice; much easier to get into. Now, the story of the place was interesting. Fortunately, much of the complex was saved from the encroaching development all around the property.
449 miles and two stamps from two stops in two states.
July 9, 2021 Kearney, MO to Woodward, OK
It’s right about here that I think we both independently had enough. That’s not to say we weren’t enjoying the trip, but there is always that point in a ride where you’ve hit ‘done’ and decide you want to be home. The Pony Express National Museum in St Joseph was a private entity, but they had a stamp. So, the Parks Pass didn’t work here.
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| Pony Express National Museum, St Joseph, MO |
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| “The Pony Express Map” 1938 mural by George Gray originally for the Hotel Robidoux Crystal Ball Room, now in the Pony Express National Museum, St Joseph, MO |
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| Rider Hall of Fame exhibits in the Pony Express National Museum, St Joseph, MO |
No matter, another interesting tour of a process that simply didn’t last as long as many people think. From the inception of the pony express until the inception of a transcontinental telegraph, it was under two years. Technology wins again.
The Santa Fe Nat’l Historic Trail was a commercial trade route from Missouri to New Mexico. The trail passed through many areas that had yet been settled by European immigrants.
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| Graffiti carved into the walls of buildings of Fort Larned NHS, Kansas |
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| Parade grounds and administration buildings of Fort Larned NHS, Kansas |
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| Exhibits in Fort Larned NHS, Kansas |
For a time, Fort Larned became one of the key elements that kept the Santa Fe trail operational for much of the 19th century. Imagine being stationed out here in the middle of nowhere.
447 miles and two stamps from two stops in two states - one was a repeat.
July 10, 2021 Woodward, OK to Springerville, AZ
Now, part of this is the region where it’s even more of a trek to get to a unit location. There’s still neat things to see, but things really start running together.
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| Foyer at Washita Battlefield NHS, Cheyenne, OK |
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| Washita Battlefield NHS, Cheyenne, OK |
A single stop for the day for a stamp at the Washita Battlefield Nat’l Historic Site along with the Black Kettle Nat'l Grassland in Cheyenne, OK told the story from an Indigenous American point of view of the Great Plains Wars. This was a conflict with the US government about the location of indigenous people prior to another major conflict, the Battle of Little Big Horn.
We had a couple of things going for us for the day to be this long. I was still routing by trying to stay off of Interstates, yet the Panhandle of Texas approached, and I really didn’t feel like goofing around. There’s also that decision of where I’d like to try and end up today’s ride. I really wanted to make it home, but my wife was the sensible one, so I made the stop in a community here in AZ only a short distance from home (relatively speaking) we’ve been to in the past.
The weather really helped on this day. As we continued to trek west, the cloudy and cooler conditions from regional thunderstorms certainly tempered the heat. Continuing our hydration with periodic stops for a bit of a cool-down along with beverages; mostly sports drinks. It seemed to have helped, as I’m tired, but not feeling *too* bad. One brief burst of rain, while crossing the New Mexico high desert, and watching other storms in the area, made the choice of stopping the best one.
724 miles, two stamps and one stop. I need to be home for a day or two in order to really make sure my counts are accurate.
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