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Had an excellent time last night on our moonlight paddle down the Lower Salt River. A great way to celebrate Brittany’s birthday, finally meet up with an internet buddy, and very belatedly kick off paddling season. It’s always great to spend an evening on the river.

A landscape featuring rugged red rock formations at sunset with a green, bushy foreground and a clear blue sky.Two people are kayaking on a calm river surrounded by rocky hills and greenery.Kayakers navigate a tranquil river surrounded by silhouetted desert landscape and cacti under a vibrant sunset sky.A silhouette of mountains is set against a night sky with a bright moon and a small, illuminated patch of ground.

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While in Harrison County, OH, I stopped by the Custer Monument Historic Site, the old home site of the infamous general. He’s buried at Little Bighorn MT, of course. Note the horse and buggy passing by in the first photo—I sure saw a lot of that, especially early in the trip.

A grassy area features a sign for Custer Monument Historic Site, a small structure with a green roof, and an American flag.A bronze statue of a historical figure stands on a stone pedestal surrounded by greenery.A well-maintained grassy area features the Custer Monument Historic Site with informational displays and flags, set against a backdrop of trees and partly cloudy sky.

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I bet this was a fun company to work for. Here’s the video:

A large, decorative basket filled with oversized apples sits amidst a landscaped area with trees and lampposts under a cloudy sky.A large decorative basket filled with oversized apples is displayed outdoors, surrounded by greenery and under a cloudy sky.

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The pride of Newark is not what you expect. Loved finally getting here during my last trip.

A large building designed to look like a woven basket with handles dominates the scene.A building designed to resemble a giant picnic basket stands amidst greenery under a cloudy sky.

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An hourly struggle during my road trips. (via semi-rad)

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On my county quest, I visited 112(!) new counties during the trip. I finished PA, made good progress in KY/WV/OH/IN. That brings my total to 2015 of 3144 (67%).

My initial goal was to reach 2000 and 50% done in each state. I just need 5 in GA + 20 in IA + 3 in IN + 2 in MN + 20 in IA + 6 in WI.

A map highlights various counties in the northeastern and midwestern United States with blue shading, enclosed by a red oval.
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Buy the beer, get a coozie (and scan to protect your public lands). 💪

Cans of REP India Pale Ale with colorful designs and text promoting public lands are displayed in a refrigerator, some inside orange can holders.
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Jen’s in the home stretch for her quest to visit all 433 units of the National Park System. She’s only 50ish from finishing, which more getting marked off next week.

I’m now “current” on the 433 park units, and—mostly due to Jen’s quest—have now been to 226 of the 433 at least twice. #goquesting

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We also visited Hopewell Furnace National Historical Park in PA for Jen to see:

How American Industrialization Began: Hopewell Furnace showcases an early American landscape of industrial operations from 1771-1883, Hopewell and other iron plantations laid the foundation for the transformation of the United States into an industrial giant for the time. The park’s 848 acres and historic structures illustrate the business, technology and lifestyle of our growing nation.

A rustic building with a steeple, surrounded by lush green grass and trees, is situated next to a stone wall.A rustic old forge with wooden beams and pulley systems showcases historical industrial machinery.A rural scene features a gravel path lined with white and red rustic buildings, surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees.A rustic barn interior features wooden carts, a staircase, and a brick archway leading outside.A rustic building with a white steeple stands surrounded by lush green grass and trees, framed by a stone wall and a barrel in the foreground.An ornate, vintage cast iron stove labeled Hopewell Furnace stands on a wooden floor with its door open.

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We also hiked a short portion of the New England National Scenic Trail, which became an official national park unit several years ago, near Castle Craig CT. Jen needed it for her own parks quest, and I wanted to re-confirm it after losing my notes on which specific section I had previously hiked.

A rocky cliff overlooks a vast expanse of green forest under a cloudy sky.A lush green valley stretches out below rocky cliffs under a cloudy sky.A narrow, rocky path winds through a lush, green forest with a tree marked by a blue trail sign.A lush green forest stretches across rolling hills under a cloudy sky, with a distant view of a town or city.Castle Craig, a stone tower in Hubbard Park, stands at 976 feet offering scenic views and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Before visiting Carlisle School, we stopped by the Cumberland County Historical Society, which had a photo exhibit on the “contrast photos” from the school. Essentially, these were “before and after” marketing photos showing how much the Native Americans had been “Americanized” during their stay.

A museum exhibit displays information about contrast photos from the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, featuring historical photographs and descriptive text on a blue wall.A display features a booklet titled Souvenir of the Carlisle Indian School and a photograph of Tom Torlino, Navajo, depicting his appearance upon entering the school in 1882 and three years later.Two historical sepia-toned photographs depict Indigenous children in traditional attire, posed formally for the portraits.A wall display features a newspaper clipping titled The Morning Star and two sepia-toned historical photographs, each depicting formal portraits of Native American individuals and children.Two portraits are displayed, one of a man in formal attire from 1914 and another of Chauncey Yellow Robe in traditional indigenous clothing, accompanied by historical text about the photographs.

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We also made it to Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton PA, one of the premier train-related sites in the country. If you’re a fan of trains, you need to visit.

A cross-section of a steam locomotive is displayed in a museum setting, showing internal machinery and components.A historical train yard with vintage locomotives and rail cars is displayed against a cloudy sky.A vintage steam locomotive is parked in a maintenance or storage facility with tools and equipment nearby.A vintage mail sorting train car interior features a series of numbered cubbyholes, mail bags, and sorting racks.Two vintage trains are displayed on a brick platform with a cloudy sky overhead.A brick walkway leads to the entrance of the Steamtown National Historic Site, surrounded by industrial architecture and a metal structure.

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The vignette of a railroad tycoon at Steamtown National Historic Site ain’t lying.

A yellow book cover with the title TYCOON and the quote I owe the public nothing. by J. P. Morgan.
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I’ve never seen so many sinks in a brewery before! There were only 2 urinals and 3 stalls, so 10 sinks seems a bit…overzealous. Unlike the toilet seat covers, which are only available just inside the door (I guess they spent too much on sinks to afford 2 more seat cover dispensers). 🤷‍♂️

A clean public restroom features multiple sinks, hand dryers, and mirrors on the wall.A public restroom features multiple sinks, mirrors, and dispensers, with a tiled design throughout.

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After visiting Carlisle School, we also made sure to stop by Jim Thorpe’s gravesite. You’ll never guess which town it’s located in (apparently, that became a contentious issue: 🔗, 🔗).

A large stone monument dedicated to Jim Thorpe is adorned with engravings and surrounded by flowers.A statue depicts a person in athletic attire holding a football, posed as if running, on a pedestal with a plaque, set against a backdrop of trees.A statue of an athlete throwing a discus is mounted on a pedestal with a plaque and an AAU USA emblem, surrounded by greenery.A metal sculpture resembling a stylized lightning bolt stands on a concrete base, surrounded by informational panels and trees.

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I also made it to Frances Perkins National Monument in Maine, my 433rd National Park unit—officially “re-completing” my quest to visit them all.

Perkins was the first female Cabinet Secretary, best known for writing many New Deal laws, including Social Security, labor relations, and immigration. She had her hands in a lot, including

Unfortunately, the building itself was closed when we visited, as renovations are in progress leading up to the official “national monument grand opening” later this summer. But we did enjoy a hike around her property while there.

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Can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet, but I marked off my 432nd National Park unit during my trip—Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument in PA.

This was the first federal “off-rez” Indian school, made famous by being home to Jim Thorpe, the world’s greatest athlete."

Carlisle Indian Industrial School, as it was known then, was a major powerhouse in college football, the most successful one to ever go defunct. Coached by “Pop” Warner, it competed with and beat the best teams in the country, including Harvard, Yale, and Army (including Dwight D Eisenhower’s team). They’re often regarded as the “team that invented football.”

A few of the original buildings still stand, and it remains federal property today—the US Army War College—and requires a background check to visit.

A man holding a sign with the number 432 stands next to a commemorative stone monument with a plaque, set in a landscaped area with a building and trees in the background.A driveway leads through ornate brick pillars to a large white house surrounded by lush greenery.

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Junited 2025

I’m belatedly participating in #Junited2025, a month of sharing links to blog posts or blogs that deserve some extra love. I’ll keep adding to this throughout the month.

Here’s my list:

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I added several links to the new Travel sub-category on url.town. If you’re planning a trip, or enjoy travel goals as a framework for prioritizing new experiences over mindless consumption, then go take a look!

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Currently plotting a Sept road trip from Phoenix to Calgary and on to some of the Canadian Rockies parks.

Not sure of the route I’ll take yet—roughly contained within the large blue blob on the map—but let me know if you’re in that region and want to meet up.

→ https://rscottjones.com/meet-up/

A map outlines a route through parts of the western United States and southern Canada, including cities like Calgary, Bozeman, Denver, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.