Piggybacking on @birming’s post on turning a problem into a perk, I wrote about how I’ve gotten some good out of a bad situation by adopting a similar approach.
I ran across this post from March outlining the trips we expected to take this year while looking for something else. Of the 8 listed as “booked,” we only did 2 as originally planned, and only a smaller portion of one other we had listed. Of the 9 “still plotting,” we’re doing exactly 0 of them.
I’ve been prepping our tailgating stuff for tomorrow, our first home ASU game of the season, and was reminded of how we met the rest of our tailgating crew. Here’s the fun story.
Visiting the Flight 93 National Memorial
Nine days ago, we visited the Flight 93 National Memorial, the site of the plane that crashed en route to the Capitol Building on September 11th, 2001. This was my second visit, and it hit just the same as my first time there.
As you’d imagine, it’s an incredibly somber place, especially for anyone who remembers that day. The exterior of the memorial is angled to align with the flight path, capped by a memorial plaza and a solitary stone in the field where the plane crashed—killing everyone on board, but saving so many others.
The visitor center is relatively small but quite powerful; it feels weird to have a park bookstore there, or even a passport stamp available. No photos or videos are allowed inside, and most people have shed at least a tear or two by the time they depart. I opted not to listen to the phone calls left by those on the plane this time, a good call given how it crushes rushes you.
The approach
The end of the approach, overlooking the memorial plaza and crash site in the distance
The angles here are piercing. This is the edge the visitor center, as seen from near the end of the approach above
Along the memorial plaza walkway
Deer wander near the crash site, denoted by the large boulder
The Wall of Names, Ceremonial Gate, and boulder in the distance
The Wall of Names, looking back up at the visitor center and approach. The gate and boulder are behind you, all lined up with the flight path.
The Ceremonial Gate, with the boulder visible in the distance.
Two of several outdoor interpretive displays near the memorial plaza—a small nod to the more complete interpretation in the visitor center museum.
The Tower of Voices, which had yet to be built during my 2016 visit. This was designed as a musical instrument, built with 40 wind chimes to sound in the breeze. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough sustained wind to hear much during our visit, though you can hear what it sounds like thanks for a nearby push-button speaker.
There’s more to the site, of course, but I didn’t capture it on this visit. Besides, photos don’t relate the feeling you have in reliving this day, you just need to go there yourself. So if you find yourself in western Pennsylvania, I recommend you stop by.
We had to cancel some camping plans with friends to book this upcoming “flyover state” trip, which brought me to the cancellation page on recreation.gov. Wow, it’s been a disappointing year for our initial trip plans—12(!) camping cancellations since returning from our big trip in March.
We use our own travel management system that I built in Notion many years ago for collecting all of the relevant info, confirmations, files, links, and trip ideas for our various adventures.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t lean on good ol' scratch paper for the in-process notemaking phase.
We just booked another trip to Nebraska, and I’m not sure what’s happened to us. 🤣
The Pro Football Hall of Fame
Our first stop on Sunday morning was the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. I enjoyed my visit back in 2013, but Jen hadn’t yet been. She’s a Lions fan, so there wasn’t much for her there (😂 I kid).
Anyway, it was especially fun to visit this year because Eric Allen, who played at ASU, was just inducted this year. Needless to say, nearly all of my photos feature former ASU or 49ers players—my two beloved teams. I won’t post too many photos, as I took plenty…
ASU
49ers
Of course, I could have added about two dozen photos of busts, but I’ll spare you those. Needless to say, it’s a spot that football fans should visit.
Stopped for a beverage on our way to the airport. Picked the best rated brewery we could find in the region, which is in downtown Cleveland. Had trouble parking, didn’t realize it’s gameday for the Browns. (Side note: almost illegally parked in front of topless unhoused woman.) Apparently the dejected crowd will soon make their way in (“look for the sad zombie walkers, they’re the Browns fans,” explained the helpful bartender. “Come order your food as soon as they start trudging in.”). 😂 Anyway, they have a decent hazy here.
Arrived at our last planned stop of the trip: Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This marks Jen’s 394th national park unit (of 433). After two plus decades of park visits, she’s now in line to finish this goal in summer 2027. 👏
A few shots from Port Clinton. Posting this tiny lighthouse in case I adopt a “lighthouse in every state” quest. Also, I love this little free library, which is adorned with a fighter plane and dedicated to a specific member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
National Parks that usually involve a ferry ride
I dropped Jen off at the ferry over to Put-In-Bay so she can visit Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, her 393rd national park unit (yay!).
I’ve already been there, of course, and we have a few other things we’d prefer to see today instead of spending extra time on the island. So we decided that she would make it a quick trip over-and-back just to see the park unit, and I would stay behind, saving us a $44 ferry ride plus an $18 parking fee. So here I am, enjoying a coffee and typing out a quick blog post.
National Parks that usually involve a ferry ride
Her morning itinerary got us to thinking about how many national park units usually involve a ferry for most visitors. Here’s the list that came to mind, as I walked her to the ferry terminal:
- Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial (OH)
- Isle Royale NP (MI)
- Statue of Liberty NM (NY)
- Governors Island NM (NY)
- Cumberland Island NS (GA)
- Dry Tortugas NP (FL)
- Channel Islands NP (CA)
- Pearl Harbor NMEM (HI)
- Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie NHP (SC)
- Buck Island Reef NM (USVI)
- Apostle Islands NL (WI)
- Lake Chelan NRA (WA)
- Kenai Fjords NP (AK)
- Fort Matanzas NM (FL)
- Biscayne NP (FL)
- Glacier Bay NP & PRES (AK)
- San Juan Island NHP (WSA)
- Virgin Islands NP (USVI)
- Virgin Islands Coral Reef NM (USVI)
- Voyageurs NP (MN)
As with any list, there are arguments to be made around what should be included and what shouldn’t. For instance, I think you could also make an argument for including Golden Gate NRA (specifically due to Alcatraz, which is definitely its best known attraction), and even Pictured Rocks NL, which sees a lot of tour boat traffic in the summer, even though neither unit requires a boat ride. And Virgin Islands NP and Virgin Islands Coral Reef NM are on St John, and the entire island is usually accessed via ferry from St Thomas, so I’ve included both of those, even though you can easily drive to either unit once you’re on the island itself. Kenai Fjords NP often involves a boat ride too, but I think far more visitors also make the hike to Exit Glacier, so…should the boat ride count? I say yes; after all, the fjords is in the damn name itself. There are other parks with sites or areas that are only accessible via ferry, but they do not serve as a primary attraction, so they don’t make the list.
Are there any others I’ve forgotten or ones you wouldn’t include?
We visited the River Raisin National Battlefield Park today, which features a nice new visitor & education center, which is good because there’s not a whole lot to see otherwise. But I was disappointed to see the corporatization of the site, with dedicated sponsored rooms for LEGO & Cabelas
Stopped by a couple breweries, and even managed to enjoy me some Broccoli 🥦 (one of my fav hazies)
We (somewhat unexpectedly 😂) found ourselves heading into Indiana last night. This morning, we stopped by some local “attractions:” the site of the first professional baseball game, Johnny Appleseed’s grave, and the state tri-point of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Today we visited James A Garfield National Historic Site—famous for the Front Porch campaign, as well as serving as the first “presidential library.” Garfield had one of the oddest Presidencies; unexpectedly nominated, then assassinated by a patronage seeker just months into his term.
With yesterday’s park visits, Jen now has less than 10% remaining on her national parks quest (391/433), with three more park visits likely before we fly home on Sunday night.
I had some questions during the baseball game, so I texted my buddy Jeff.
Had an unexpectedly good time at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park for Jen’s MLB Ballparks quest. Such an intimate stadium! So far, I’ve only seen home wins.
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site was our second stop today. The portage essentially functioned as a “canal lock” for raising the railroad up various steep grades in crossing the Appalachian Mountains—an important advancement in moving goods westward.
