A Centennial Celebration of Scenery, History, and Culture

One hundred years ago today, conservation efforts in the United States reached a watershed moment, when, on August 25, 1916, President Thomas Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, which created the National Park Service (NPS).

There already existed a number of national parks and national monuments up to this point, starting with Yellowstone, the first national park, and Devils Tower, the first national monument.  Those two sites, and the sites that were created after them, would now all be under the oversight of a specific federal agency within the US Department of the Interior.  From this point onward, the NPS has come to include numerous other sites of natural, ecological, cultural, and historical significance.

As of yesterday, August 24, 2016, there are 413 NPS sites, with Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine being the most recently created site.  (As it turns out, President Obama has set aside more acres of land for preservation than any other president.)

I've been watching the Ken Burns documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea, having just finished episode 3 today.  The first episode especially presents the idea that the national parks are a uniquely American concept:  In other parts of the world, especially Europe, the wealthy and elite controlled, and even limited, access to great natural wonders.  But in the United States, the national parks were created with the intention of giving access to these places for everyone, making the experience of these wonders something democratic.

In many ways, the sites preserved by the NPS help Americans, and all others who come to visit, put us in tune with the soul of the United States of America.  Certainly many of the places in the NPS system were made for superlatives, like the Grand Canyon.  And even the extremes of elevation in the United States are under the oversight of the NPS, the highest point in Denali National Park and the lowest point in Death Valley National Park--not to mention extremes in temperature.  Indeed, these sites allow us to experience scenic wonders, as well as those places that shaped the history and culture of the United States to be what it is today, giving us a deeper sense of the pivotal events by preserving where they took place.  Their preservation demonstrates that our society continues to value their significance, whether it's the Ellis Island Immigrant station or the town at Nicodemus National Historic Site.

Given the breadth of the NPS's offerings, today's Centennial celebration of the NPS is something very special indeed.  And it's made me think back upon all my experiences in national parks and other NPS sites, and I share now 100 such experiences narratively.  Many of these experiences I've recorded through the use of a National Parks Passport since December 2004--please see the picture below that Mom kindly took of me with my passport.

The first National Park I have memories of visiting is Glacier National Park in Montana, back in the summer of 1997.  My family's visit there was part of a great long train trip in which we traveled in a loop around the western United States, and Glacier NP was our first stop.  We stayed in Whitefish, a town to the west of the park, and to get there, the Amtrak Empire Builder route traveled along the southern edge of the park, along the border with Flathead National Forest.  We traversed around the park's scenic areas, beholding many waterfalls and lakes like St. Mary's, with absolutely clear water.  We also got pictures at the Continental Divide at Logan's Pass.

(A couple of years later, we visited Niagara Falls, which is part of the Niagara National Heritage Area that was designated in 2008 and includes the region of western New York.)

In the summer 2000, while vacationing in Maine, we spent a few days at Acadia National Park, the easternmost national park, on Mount Desert Island.  (Acadia actually marked the centennial of its creation as a national monument last month.)  We drove around on the Park Loop Road, and stopped to hike trails to see sights such as Jordan Pond, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Echo Lake, The Bubbles, Otter Cliffs, and Schoodic Point.  The highlight I most distinctly remember is ascending Mount Cadillac.  Later on during our Maine vacation, once we had reached the easternmost edge of Maine's Atlantic Coast, we crossed the US-Canada border to visit Roosevelt Campobello Island International Park.

In summer 2001, I paid my first visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, and have been there two other times, on August 12, 2008, and just last month in July  2016, making it the National Park I have visited the most.  During the first two visits, we rode up Trail Ridge Road, from Estes Park the first time, and from Grand Lake the second time.  On our first visit, we rode to the Alpine Ridge.  During the second visit, we rode all the way to the Continental Divide at Milner Pass, one of the few places I've been in my life where there's actually a line to pose for pictures.

On our drive there, we stopped to hike the Coyote Valley Trail, within sight of the Never Summer Mountains.  While in the area of this trail, Mom and I actually waded across the width of the Colorado River, whose source is in Rocky Mountain National Park.  (Incredible to think of the Colorado River's humble beginnings, which, hundreds of miles downstream, give way to incredible scenic wonders like Glen Canyon and the Grand Canyon.)

Further along the road, we stopped at the Holzwarth Historic Site, formerly a western dude ranch.  We also stopped to view Lake Irene.  One point in the drive to Milner Pass took us through a stretch of road that went through multiple hairpin turns, one right after the other.  After turning around to head back to Steamboat Springs, where we were staying, we went along the East Inlet Trail to Adams Falls.

Last month, I made a short visit to Rock Mountain NP, and took a walk along the shoreline of Lily Lake, which was so serene and peaceful, especially when I heard the distinct rustling of the breeze in the aspen trees.  This visit was definitely one of my most memorable of my national park and NPS experiences.

In summer 2007, while my family was vacationing in the Lake Tahoe area, we drove down to Yosemite National Park.  It's well known for its falls and other attractions in the Yosemite Valley, but we entered the park by an area I had little familiarity with: the Tuolumne Meadows, a scenic alpine meadows area.  We then drove on the Tioga Road to the Yosemite Valley, where we saw Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, El Capitan, and Tenaya Lake.

In summer 2010, my parents and I were vacationing in the Smokies region, and visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  On our first day of visiting there, we drove on the Cade's Cove Road, which took us by scenic wonders, and historic sites, like Cable Mill, and a couple of historic churches, Baptist and Methodist.  On our second day of visiting the park, we drove the full length of Newfound Gap Road, which leads to Newfound Gap, at the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.  This is also the point where the road intersects the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, one of a few trails in the NPS system.  We drove through the North Carolina side all the way to the edge of the park and into the Cherokee Reservation.  On this drive, we also stopped at the Mingus Mill, the Mountain Farm Museum, and waded in the Oconaluftee River.  (We were fortunate to be there the week before Memorial Day, when the crowded tourist season starts.)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway, whose northern terminus is in Shenandoah National Park.  In summer 2005, while on our way back from a vacation in Lake Lure in western North Carolina, we stopped at the Folk Art Center.  (There are some other scenic drives that can be had on a number of other parkways in the NPS system.)

The NPS also preserves scenic areas along our nation's bodies of water.  In 2009, I started attending Valparaiso University, which gave me a few opportunities to visit Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which is about 15-20 miles of Valparaiso, along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.  I actually had the opportunity to attend a lecture given by former Indiana Dunes NL Superintendent Constantine Dillon, who produced movies before his NPS career.  He talked about the great wealth of riches the Indiana Dunes has, especially in biodiversity, and how it has yet to reach its full potential.

One very memorable experience was going to Porter Beach in late October 2012, and feeling the fierce winds blowing on my face off hundreds of miles of open Lake Michigan waters, which was due to the massive, intense Sandy superstorm system.  I also was at that same beach about three years later hanging out with my friends as we wrapped up a post-college reunion get-together.  I also had a nice visit to Kemil Beach at the end of my freshman year.  The great thing about the Indiana Dunes beaches is that one can see the Chicago skyline from them.

Besides the sand of the beaches and dunes, there are also lots of wooded areas included in the Indiana Dunes NL.  I was once attending a retreat near the woods, and one morning, I went on a hike with some fellow retreatants through the woods, past the Chelburg Farm, which is the site of the annual Maple Syrup Festival.

Speaking of historic structures, the Indiana Dunes NL also is the site of the five Century of Progress Homes: the Wieboldt-Rostone House, the Florida Tropical House, the Cypress Log Cabin, the House of Tomorrow, and the Armco-Ferro House.  I've had the opportunity to attend twice the annual tour of these homes.  These homes were at the Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago in the early 1930's, and they were then moved to Beverly Shores.  They are leased out to individuals willing to restore them to the condition they had at the fair.  (By the way, if you're interested, you can check the website for info on getting tickets for this year's tour in early September.  And act quickly, because the tickets sell out fast.)

United States Federal Route 12, heading from its split with US 20 in the Miller area of eastern Gary, goes along a very scenic drive through the Dunesland to Michigan City, paralleling the South Shore Line tracks for much of that distance.

Another memorable NPS shore area I've visited is Cape Hatteras National Seashore, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  This National Seashore contains two of the five Outer Banks lighthouses.  There's Bodie Island Lighthouse, which has a nice wildlife viewing area by it.  Then there's Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse, according to the Cape Hatteras NS website.  Dad and I actually hiked up 257 steps to reach the top, for some great views of the Outer Banks and the Atlantic Ocean.

We also took a ferry to Ocracoke Island, which has the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse, which is not open for public viewing.  Ocracoke Island also has a herd of "Banker" horses.

During that same trip, we visited the Wright Brothers' National Memorial, the site where the Wright brothers made the first successful flights in history from a heavier-than-air craft.  There are actually markers noting the distances covered by those first four flights, reconstructions of the facilities they used while working on their aircraft, and a monument set on a hill.  We had the unique experience of visiting this site a few months before the centennial of their first flight on December 17, 1903.  (Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park also preserves some history related to the life and work of the Wright brothers.)

And during that same 2003 summer vacation to the Outer Banks, we also visited Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, which preserves an area that was among the earliest British settlements in North America, back in the 16th Century.  The site preserves an Earthen Fort from that time, as well as other cultural aspects of English, African, and indigenous peoples who lived there.

Before we got to the Outer Banks, though, we had the opportunity to visit some other historical offerings the NPS stewards.  First was George Washington Birthplace National Monument, along Pope's Creek, in the Virginia Tidewater Region.  The house Mr. Washington was born in burned down in 1779, but the foundation is still marked out.  Nearby, the house's kitchen, which was a separate structure, still stands.  There's also a memorial house that was constructed in honor of Mr. Washington, and is furnished in a way that is typical of 18th Century Tidewater Virginia.  And there's a living history farm, too.  (Leading to his Mount Vernon home is the George Washington Parkway, a scenic drive that passes along the Potomac River in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area.  Adjacent to it near the Pentagon is the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove.)

Later that day, we stopped at Yorktown Battlefield, part of Colonial National Historical Park.  We toured the area around Redoubts 9 and 10, which saw the last part of the action in the Siege of Yorktown, right before the British Army under General Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington, which was the engagement that finally forced the British to sign a treaty ending the American Revolutionary War.  (This war's beginnings are preserved at Minuteman National Historical Park in Massachusetts, and the NPS has sites pertaining to other battles and important events in this period of American history, especially at Boston National Historical Park.)

Colonial National Historical Park also includes Historic Jamestowne, the 1607 English settlement.  There are archaeological ruins that remain, including the fort, the church, and the House of Burgesses building.  The Jamestowne Veerhoos Archaeorium has a number of other artifacts from the settlement.  Connecting the two sites is the Colonial Parkway, one of many NPS scenic routes.

I am very drawn to the history of this country's founding.  So I was most excited to finally have the chance to visit the sites of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia earlier this summer, including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Center, the Declaration House (a reconstruction of the home where Thomas Jefferson rented an apartment in which he drafted the Declaration of Independence), Congress Hall, Old City Hall (where the US Supreme Court met when Philadelphia was the temporary US capital city), and the President's House site (where Presidents Washington and Adams lived).  (Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City preserves the site where the federal government under the US Constitution first met.)  I was fortunate enough to be there on June 14, Flag Day, and I attended a ceremony at Independence Hall, at the place on the day the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes.  June 14 was also the day they created the Continental Army, in 1775.

I also visited the smallest NPS site in the whole system, Thaddeus Kosciuzko National Memorial, at 1/50 of an acre.  It preserves the house in which Polish nobleman Thaddeus Kosciuzko rented an apartment for a few months during the 1790's when he sought payment from the US Congress for his efforts in helping the Americans in the American Revolutionary War.  (Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska is the largest NPS site, at 13.2 million acres.  Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas is the smallest national park, at about 6000 acres.  A website I found, though, claims the David Berger National Memorial is the smallest NPS site, honoring one of the Israeli athletes who was murdered at the 1972 Munich Olympics.)

There's a memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence in Constitution Gardens, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  The National Mall is one of a number of urban parks the NPS oversees.  Adjacent to the Mall is President's Park, south of the White House.  I remember waiting there to go into the White House for a timed tour back in the 1990's.  This is also where the National Christmas Tree is, with a lighting ceremony every year in early December.

The National Mall has a number of other monuments and memorials, and I've had the opportunity to visit them during numerous visits to Washington, D.C.  There's the Washington Monument with its unbeatable views from the top--and somehow, during two of my visits, I've ended up seeing it in the midst of restoration efforts.

There are sites that honor other important Americans, like the Jefferson Memorial.  On the other side of the Tidal Basin, with its lovely cherry trees, is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, the latest NPS site I've visited for the first time, finally getting the chance to see it earlier this summer on June 15.  It has a number of Dr. King's thought-provocative quotes.  Nearby is also the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, with its focus on the different significant periods in US history that occurred during his administration.  There are many memorials to wars, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the World War II Memorial, which was especially moving for me to see.  (The NPS also preserves sites related to World War II history at Valor in the Pacific National Park, which includes the USS Arizona Memorial.  And then there's Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in California, which preserves that aspect of that era.)

I've also visited the Lincoln Memorial, at the west end of the National Mall.  Also related to Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C., we visited Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, which includes Ford's Theater, where President Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865, and Petersen House, across the street, where he passed away the next morning.  (I purchased my NPS passport in the Ford's Theatre gift shop.)  (The NPS also preserves sites pertaining to the beginning of the Sectional War, Fort Sumter National Monument, and the end, Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park, and sites of major battles that occurred throughout that conflict.)

On the opposite end of his life's spectrum, my family and I visited Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in central Kentucky, while we were headed to a vacation in Nashville.  At the top of a hill is the Memorial Building, which contains a replica of the log cabin in which he was born.  On the site are Sinking Spring, from which the farm where Mr. Lincoln was born gets its name, and Boundary Oak, another natural landmark.  (Later in that trip, on the way home, we made a short stop at Mammoth Cave National Park, and I got the chance to ascend down to the entrance of one of the caves, one of many caves sites in the NPS system.)

In the late 1990's, on a vacation that took us further south in Illinois, we visited the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, which preserves the home where the Lincoln Family lived in Springfield.  In addition to touring the home, we also walked around to see the other homes in the nearby neighborhood that are preserved from the 19th Century.

Indeed, the NPS preserves a number of home sites related to US presidents, and even first ladies, as well as other prominent Americans.  One memorable NPS site visit for me was to the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site.  There, I had the extraordinary opportunity to tour the home where he was born and lived while growing up, as well as visit the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church sanctuary, where Dr. King, Jr., served as pastor, and the graves of Dr. and Mrs. King, by the King Center.

And the NPS preserves sites related to the development of the nation:  During a vacation that took my family to St. Louis, we visited Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.  This is around the eastern terminus of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, one of many historic trails in the system, at the other end of which is Fort Clatsop, near Astoria, OR, part of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.  (I was in the vicinity of the Lewis and Clark trail when I spent a week in and around the Winnebago Reservation in northeast Nebraska.)  We had the opportunity to visit the Gateway Arch, the tallest monument in the world at 630 feet--we even got to ride a tram up to the top.  We also visited the Old Courthouse, which is part of this NPS site.

There are other sites that speak to aspects of commerce and industry in our country's history:  During a layover between trains in Washington, D.C., I went to Georgetown, the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, the longest NPS site stretching 184.5 miles, preserving a corridor that helped moved goods in the early years of the American republic.  (While riding the Amtrak Capitol Limited Route, which I've done on three round trips so far, the train passed alongside part of this canal corridor, all the way to Harper's Ferry, WV, which is the location of a national historical park.  The Appalachian National Scenic Trail also passes through this town, too.  And the NPS has its hands in preservation efforts for other historic corridors, like the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and Route 66.)

And then there's Pullman National Monument, one of the newer historical NPS sites, in the Pullman neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.  It encompasses a factory where Pullman company workers made train cars, and the town George Pullman built, with some splendid homes that still stand in the neighborhood, as part of his vision for a place where the company's employees would live.  I made a short visit there today to mark the NPS Centennial.

Thanks to the man I saw in Arcade Park in the Pullman neighborhood who kindly took this picture of me posing with the Pullman National Monument Visitors' Center in the background.  Below is a picture of the stamps I got at the Visitors' Center for my NPS passport.

One of the other more recently-designated NPS sites I've passed by is the Sewall-Belmont House of the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C., during my recent visit there this past June while sightseeing before catching my train west to Chicago.  (While riding the Megabus into Washington, D.C., earlier that day, the bus traveled along a short portion of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.)

Truly, truly, we the people of the United States are so privileged to have access to this wide array of national treasures, managed by the the NPS, and this list of my experiences so far, while exhaustive, is only scratching the surface.  As the NPS heads into another century of stewardship of these sites, I look forward to visiting even more of them, to get to know this great country even more deeply.  I am thankful to those who came before us who worked so hard to preserve these places so people then, and for the generations to come, my own and those beyond, could continue to enjoy them.  Indeed, we behold these places as our own, thanks to the work of the National Park Service, which safeguards them.

Here's to a great century of accessing these amazing places, and looking forward to another one, and beyond, of experiencing the riches of the United States.

A Breaking Watershed Point in the Course of History

It was 150 years ago today, on August 20, 1866, that President Andrew Johnson issued Proclamation 157, which formally brought to an end all the hostilities of the American Civil War, as the insurrection status had ceased in all the southern states that had ceded from the United States.

This anniversary today comes at the end of a string of 150-year anniversary commemorations that have occurred over the past few years, which have given opportunity to reflect on the significance of this conflict, which I refer to as the Sectional War:  After studying about it in American History class in high school, I came to realize that the title "Civil War" isn't the best fit for this conflict.  In the case of other civil wars throughout world history in other countries, the term is used to describe a conflict in which people of the same country fight against each other.  I feel that definition only partially describes this conflict.  The people of the Southern states sought to remove themselves from the Union and even formed a separate country, though its status was in question.  After consideration, I decided upon the title "Sectional War" because this conflict was based in sectional differences that existed in the United States in the 19th Century, which were largely defined by Northern and Southern States, distinct socially as much as they were geographically.

Now, I'm a big buff of the American Revolution, which I feel was a significant period in USA history because it set the tone for the kind of nation the USA has become, establishing it in principles of freedom and liberty.  Yet there's no doubt that the Sectional War is significant because it was a point when those ideals were tested when sectional differences among the people in the North and the South reached a breaking point, resulting from a strained relationship between them.  The conflict ended slavery, which brought notable changes to the society of the South, and steered the course of USA history to what happened over the next century and a half, especially in regards to social inequality and race relations.  Even the present controversies today regarding police shootings of innocent African-Americans has roots in the Sectional War.

Indeed, the battles that we have remembered these past few years and the whole war itself have been more than just about a fight over sectional differences.  They have come to reflect much more on the course of this nation's history.  While a strained relationship that reached a breaking point, giving way to war, had the outcome of ridding the evil of slavery, there's more work to be done to enhance race relations in this country, as scars still remain.  It's time to build on the momentum gained through legal actions like the abolition of slavery, the Reconstruction amendments to the US Constitution, and the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960's to work to overcome racism, achieving the vision of our founders more holistically for our entire society.

(Re)connections

The last time I had seen a sign like the one above was over five years when I was on a storm chase trip with a group of meteorology students from Valparaiso University.  Our pursuit of storms took us to the High Plains of Eastern Colorado, where we witnessed all chaos break loose in the skies above after four days without storms.  We left the state under cover of darkness on I-70, with a severe thunderstorm following us, which dumped so much hail that plow trucks came in for the clean-up.

The last time I had received a hearty Colorado-style welcome from my relatives clustered in and around the fine city of Denver was eight years ago.  So it was certainly about time I had a chance to go back to the wonderful state of Colorado.  I was very pleased the opportunity came recently to do just that, as I joined with much of my family there for a weekend in celebration of my Great Aunt Carmen's birthday.

Indeed, this trip was all about reconnections, starting when I boarded the Amtrak California Zephyr train at Chicago Union Station, which I rode to Denver Union Station.  I had ridden this line going eastbound 19 years before when my family took a great long train trip as a vacation, looping around the western United States.  This ride would be my first time riding westbound on the California Zephyr.

Ah, how wonderful it was to pass through the resplendent suburbs along the BNSF Corridor headed out of Chicago toward Aurora, and then to pass through vast fields of Illinois (see picture below).

Between Sandwich and Princeton, IL

Then it was time to cross the Mississippi River to pass through Iowa field, the first time I crossed the Mississippi River in over three years.

The Mississippi River crossing, just east of Burlington, IA, with the US 34 bridge off in the distance

While passing through Iowa, I thought of one particular line from the movie State Fair:  "I owe Iowa-y more than anyone can pay, so I think I'll move to Californi-ay"--since I was on the California Zephyr passing through Iowa.  Another special moment came on the train ride when we stopped in Ottumwa, IA, a city whose name stirs up strong memories on my Mom's side of the family, being where my Grandfather Martin grew up.  When I stepped off the train to stretch my legs there, I was fully aware of how fitting it was to be in this town on July 26, the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the traditional names of the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Here's the sunset over south central Iowa, west of Ottumwa.

While the destination of my trip was ultimately for a family weekend, I also relished the opportunity to experience camraderie with others along the way, especially fellow passengers with whom I shared the train ride--one of a few reasons why I enjoy Amtrak long-distance travel so much.  As my Abuela likes to say, "Happiness is making friends along the way."  And that literally happened later in the evening.  There were two gals sitting behind me, and at one point, one of them got up looking for a trash receptacle.  When I noticed her looking around, I indicated to a trash receptacle not too far away.  She was so glad to hear me say that, and then she said, "You're my new best friend."  I then got talking with her, Alex, and her friend Kenzie, for a little bit.

Later that night, the train reached Omaha, which turned my thoughts to the St. Augustine Mission on the Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska, up the Missouri River from Omaha, and Father Dave, who just moved from being mission director there to a new assignment in Omaha.

The next morning, I awoke to a splendid sunrise (see picture below) over the fields of northeastern Colorado--though there's a small possibility that maybe it was in southwestern Nebraska.

My feelings soared up as we traveled through those wide open Plains, continuing along Route 34, which the California Zephyr nearly paralleled from Chicagoland, all the way through Fort Morgan.  (We traveled along part of US 34 in eastern Colorado when navigating around a storm on the storm chase trip five years ago.)  Ah, what beautiful country it was in Colorado as we neared Denver, and I beheld the scenic view of the mountains coming into focus off to the west, which is one big reason why I enjoy visiting there (see picture below).

I enjoyed some more conversation with fellow passengers as the train made a series of maneuvers, backing up into Denver Union Station.  Upon our arrival, I exchanged high-fives with Alex and Kenzie, grateful for sharing in their company and friendship for the 20-hour ride, before disembarking.  I then walked over to another platform at the station and boarded RTD's new B Line train to the Denver suburb of Westminster, where my cousin Laura and her husband Doug live.  This line had literally just opened a couple days before.  It was exciting to take in the new public transport offering in the Denver area, as the RTD is expanding its routes significantly.  And I appreciated the convenience of boarding the B-Line just feet away from the Amtrak platform at Denver Union Station.

After getting myself settled at Laura and Doug's house, I departed for my day's outing.  I stopped by the National Center for Atmospheric Research on a lovely mountainside just beyond Boulder to view their museum on weather, and also visited their library, which I enjoyed seeing, with all its meteorology materials (see picture below).

I then headed through Boulder, which was an interesting city drive, onto US 36 toward Estes Park.  I made a short stop at Rocky Mountain National Park, as I wanted to visit a national park during the National Park Service's Centennial Year.  I found a nice spot to walk around at Lily Lake.

Thanks to the fellow visitors who took the two above pictures of me.

It was so calm and peaceful, with a distinct rustling noise in the trees as the wind blew, which I found out later were aspen trees.

I then got on US 34 headed east to Loveland, then cut north towards Fort Collins, with the scenic mountain views to my left as I traveled through open fields.  I then arrived at the apartment of my good friends Nathan and Aura Lee, where I spent a good chunk of time visiting and catching up with them over dinner.  It was wonderful to see them happily married for over a year now, and tending well to life as graduate school students at Colorado State University.  I was also honored to be their first guest in their new apartment.

I then enjoyed a pleasant drive back to Westminster along I-25 through the open country with rushing breezes across my face.

I spent almost all of the next day, Thursday, at Aunt Carmen's house in Denver.  It was wonderful being back at her place, receiving her kind hospitality.  I also enjoyed a lovely walk around her neighbor, making a point especially to climb up a hill with a water tower at the top, and great views of the Denver skyline, the Metro Area, and the mountains (see the three pictures below).

The Denver skyline appears in the center of this picture, off in the distance.

The Rocky Mountains are faintly visible in the distance.

In the afternoon, her son John and his wife Charlotte, and their granddaughter Jenesis arrived from California, and we spent the afternoon and evening visiting, as we awaited for the arrival of my parents and Abuela, the last people to arrive from outside the Denver area.  I went with John and Charlotte for groceries, which was my first visit to a King Sooper's, a grocery store chain in the Denver area.  We were glad to receive Mom, Dad, and Grandma Vel, who experienced a significant flight delay, but were nevertheless in good spirits upon their arrival (see picture below).

My Mom is a pinkish shirt to the far left.  My Dad is just to her right in the picture, in an orangish shirt.  My Grandma Vel is to the far right in the picture.

The next day, Friday, I took advantage of the opportunity to bike around the north Denver Metro Area, going from Westminster to Old Towne Arvada, finding some nice bike trails to use.

In the afternoon, our grand family weekend together commenced, when we assembled at Aunt Carmen's house to make our carpool arrangement.  I met up with Cynthia and Mark Grubbs, whom I had seen back in April when they came to Chicago, as well as their children, Mark and Jennifer, both of whom I hadn't seen in a while.  Before leaving the Denver Metro Area, we stopped at Fort Logan National Military Cemetery to pay our respects to Uncle Leonard, which I specifically requested, and to which Cynthia, and the others, agreed.  Then, we were off into the mountains, for an approximately 2-hour ride on scenic mountain-view roads to Cripple Creek and the Alpine Vista Retreat vacation rental home we had for the weekend, enjoying the ride with the Grubbses.

John took this photo of me at a grand welcome sign, just outside of Cripple Creek on Colorado State Route 67.

The city is at an elevation of 9494 feet above sea level, and we had to go up a road 800 feet to reach the house.  So we were pretty close to 2 miles in elevation, which made quite a difference with cooler temperatures than at the mile-high elevation in Denver.

After we marveled at the grandeur of the house (see picture above), and got settled, with a drawing from a hat used to determine who would take which room, preparations for dinner commenced.  Meanwhile, the five of us present under the age 30 (see picture below) headed into town to amble around for a few minutes before going back for dinner, and to welcome the two other family groups who arrived later in the evening.

The "Under 30 Club" in downtown Cripple Creek, taken by a person enjoying the evening downtown.
From left to right: Jennifer, Jenesis, me, Chris, and Mark

We made so many wonderful memories all throughout that weekend.  We spent time hanging out at the house, playing games like Bunco (see picture below) and Ladder Golf.

We enjoyed each other's company and hearty laughs.  We had a fine time gathered together on Saturday afternoon showering Aunt Carmen with gifts and loving sentiments to celebrate her birthday.

Aunt Carmen is beaming as she comes to the table with the family for cake, gifts, and loving sentiments.

The accolades certainly got started early on Saturday as my Grandma Vel started gathering people she saw awake as early at 7 AM to sing "Las Mañanitas" to Aunt Carmen.  It was special for me because it was the first time I had ever been with Aunt Carmen on her birthday. (And come to think of it, this was also the first time I had spent time in Colorado with Grandma Vel there, too.)

We spent some time in town, too.  Cripple Creek (see picture below) is a nice place, once a big mining town.

We attended Mass at a lovely church, St. Peter's (see picture below), with a guest priest from Kenya, talking about his missionary work.

There was also a sign at Bobbie B's Ice Cream Shoppe that claimed Cripple Creek was where the root beer float was invented, and I enjoyed a root beer float there (see picture below).

Dad got this picture of me at Bobbie B's.

There were other nice shops, too.  And I enjoyed seeing the herd of donkeys that wander around town (see picture below).

Charlotte took this picture of me keeping calm as the herd of donkeys approaches me.  I was grateful for her agricultural expertise when interacting with the donkeys.

I also had opportunity to take hikes up a ridge that overlooked the town and the valley.

Mark Grubbs, Sr., got the pictures of me above and below.
In the above, you can see the house we stayed at near the bottom of the picture.
In the picture below, you can see the city of Cripple Creek near the center of the picture, off in the distance.

At night, there were great views of the stars from the wrap-around porch, and during the day, there were times when we could view rain shafts.  And I woke up early both morning to watch the sunrise over the mountains--on Monday, I watched the whole transit from the sun's first rays to the disc of the sun emerging from the mountains (see picture below).

And in addition to Aunt Carmen's birthday, I also had the chance to mark the birthday of Colorado on Monday, August 1.  I felt some songs stirring within me on Monday morning as a group of us sat out on the porch overlooking the valley, awaiting our departure back to the Denver Metro Area, and I burst out "America, the Beautiful", with "spacious skies" above us, and "mountain majesties" all around.

When we stopped for a meal at the Hungry Bear restaurant in Woodland Park, and our waitress found out toward the end of our meal that it had been Aunt Carmen's birthday, she brought out a cup of hot chocolate and led a singing of "Happy Birthday" for her (see picture below).

Heading back to Denver with John, Charlotte, and Jenesis in their truck took us along roads I recall from the storm chase trip 5 years ago, as we traveled along I-25 from Colorado Springs to Castle Rock, to have a chance to view the Rocky Mountains, and especially Pike's Peak, which I gazed upon once more, in all its grandeur.

After getting back to Aunt Carmen's house, Laura, Doug, Mom, and Dad accompanied me to Union Station, which provided Laura and Doug their first chance to ride the B Line, which was exciting.

Dad took this photo of our having some fun before boarding the B Line at Westminster Station.
From left to right: Laura, Mom, Doug, me.

In the couple of hours before my train came, we ambled around in downtown Denver.  We rode on the Mallride bus to Civic Center, and then walked over to the Colorado History Center--which was free of charge in celebration of Colorado's Statehood Day--to spend a few minutes looking around at exhibits about life in Colorado, which covered a good amount about the state.  (It's also where the "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" sign was that appears at the start of this post, a photo which I believe Laura took me, or maybe Doug.)

A giant map of Colorado on the floor in the museum, with Dad and Doug walking around on it.

And then, it back to Union Station to board the California Zephyr train to head back east to Chicago, just like I did 19 years ago.

Mom got this picture of me, all excited and ready to board the California Zephyr at Denver Union Station

While waiting in line, I met up with four women from Pennsylvania who all rode the same train as I did from Chicago to Denver.  As the train headed out of the Denver Metro Area, I got some great views of a stunning sunset over the mountains (see both pictures below).

I was up early the next morning to take in some views of the sunrise over the fields of western Iowa (see picture below).

While taking in the sunrise, I had a fellow passenger get this picture of me in the sightseeing/observatory/lounge car.

And despite the rain, which was fell throughout much of our time in Iowa, I stepped off at Ottumwa to get a "postcard" picture, and thanks to the fellow passenger who took it (see below).

I passed some of the time in conversation with a woman named Peggy sitting next to me, especially as the train entered the Chicagoland area.  I got to pointing out many places along the route, especially when we got to Berwyn, where I could see Clarence Avenue from the train, one sign among many of being back home, just like the Sears Tower as we entered the railyards just south of Chicago Union Station (see picture below).

While exiting Chicago Union Station, I saw an advertisement for Colorado (see picture below), which immediately took me back in my mind to the wonderful vacation I had just had there.

With this trip, I got to add to the "Infinite Stories" that Amtrak makes possible, as it says on this ad in Chicago Union Station, which was right next to the Colorado ad.

I tend to have a deliberate reason for the shirt I wear each day.  As I packed for this trip, I decided that on Saturday, Aunt Carmen's birthday, I would wear a shirt I purchased commemorating Pope Francis's visit to the United States back in September 2015.  I felt it was appropriate to wear this shirt on that day because of the title of his trip, Love is Our Mission.

Charlotte got this picture of me along a street just north of downtown Cripple Creek.

Indeed, Love is our Mission.  Pope Francis said in his homily at the Concluding Mass for the World Meeting of Families, before a million people gathered in Philadelphia, that the love God shows us we show to one another, starting in the family:  It's where we cherish the relationships we have with those closest to us, and learn to support one another, helping each other through the difficulties we face in life, aiding each other in our various pursuits, offering little acts of kindness to one another day by day.  That is the kind of love we celebrated as we gathered to mark Aunt Carmen's birthday.  What love she has shown to her children and beyond to the succeeding generations, especially as I experienced in her gracious hospitality.  This love keeps on giving, as our wonderful throng experienced in each other's company on this weekend.

And the love doesn't stop there.  As it truly represents the love God has shown us through the Paschal Mystery of Christ, it pours forth and envelopes others.  It allows us to engage in meaningful relationship with other people, as I experienced on my train rides, enjoying the company of fellow passengers, and even visiting with my dear friends in Fort Collins.

Indeed, love is a source of great joy, something to give thanks to God for, something to celebrate and experience each and every day.  I think one of the best parts of this vacation was reconnecting with the love of the family I spent time with during a marvelous weekend.

Reveling in Rio, Simple Style

The world has come together again for another Olympic event, and as is my custom, I make a point to be present to watch it get started.

The disappointment that Chicago was not selected host of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games has long worn off for me.  So on Friday evening, August 5, I was able to get right into enjoying the Opening Ceremony for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.

In comparison to other summer olympics opening ceremonies I've watched, especially Beijing 2008 and London 2012, the one aspect of ceremony in Rio de Janeiro that stood out to me was its simplicity.  And it was nice, especially given how the ceremony in Beijing tried to hard to impress the global audience.  The 2016 ceremony kept to the point of expressing Brazil, even displaying results of investing heavily in a projector.

Rather than go through all the details of the country's story, the focus was kept on the major themes of the indigenous peoples, the arrival of the Europeans, and then the music scene, including the Samba.

I also thought it was a nice touch to have a tree planted for each participating country, as a way to go beyond the doomsday talk of global climate change to some form of meaningful action.

I couldn't help but notice the sense of simplicity even in the Brazilian National Anthem. as the seated performer softly strummed the song on a guitar.

Indeed, Rio de Janeiro didn't need to pull out all the stops with lots of bells and whistles to put on a good show for the opening ceremony.  Certainly it kept a good show going for a while, as I don't recall an opening ceremony ending as late as 11:30 PM CDT on NBC's coverage.  The Rio Olympics kept the opening ceremony plain and simple, and that was nice.

Here's to the athletes, that they engage well in the competitions of these two weeks.

Abraham Lincoln, in Places

It's Abraham Lincoln's half-birthday today.  This occasion takes me back 10 years and 12 days ago when my family was headed south to spend a few days on vacation in Nashville, TN.  While passing through Kentucky, we stopped at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, near Hodgenville, KY.  The site is nestled among some wooded areas and fields at what was once Sinking Spring Farm.  Visitors can see that spring, and ascend 56 steps (one for every year of Mr. Lincoln's life) up a hill to a structure that houses a replica of the log cabin in which Mr. Lincoln was born.

As the NPS ranger led our tour, he stopped by a wall near the visitor's center, which had some quotations in which Mr. Lincoln described himself.  After reading them, the ranger asked us what our impressions were of him based on the quotations.  As I considered them, I couldn't help but notice how self-effacing Abraham Lincoln was.  The words he used suggested he didn't think too highly of himself.  In fact, he claims the circumstances surrounding his birth would fit a line from Gray's Elegy, "The Short and Simple Annals of the Poor".  Yet from such humility, he rose to become an important leader who played a significant role in a momentous time in our nation's history.

The summer before, in late July 2005, I had another opportunity to get to know Mr. Lincoln when my parents and I visited the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, IL.  We went there just a few months after it opened.  The depth of the two main exhibits on his life gave so much insight into what formed his character, especially the circumstances of the times in which he lived.  The part about his years as president opened up about all the criticism he and even Mrs. Lincoln received.  The two multimedia shows also illuminated the importance of his story in American history itself.  As we walked through the exhibits, there were signs indicating the location of where certain events being discussed occurred, and their distance from the museum.  While some were nearly 800 miles away in Washington, DC, some were just blocks away in Springfield.  It was really cool to see that how much history related to Mr. Lincoln happened so close by.  And how wonderful a privilege it is to have these institutions and historical sites that evoke a physical sense of place that helps us consider the significance of the history that impacts our today, especially in regards to places and circumstances that shaped people like Abraham Lincoln.

Travels through Way More than Just Cornfields

Summertime brings opportunities for travel.  It was 11 years ago on this day that my family foursome started out on a journey to Lake Lure, NC, to spend a few days together with a number of other family members on my Mom's side.

On our way there, we passed through Indiana.  We stopped in Indianapolis, the capital city, to tour the fine-looking State Capitol Building, which are #59 and #60 on my Indiana 200 list.  Before Indianapolis became the capital city, Corydon (#61), along the Ohio River, was the capital on a temporary basis, until a more permanent location could be determined.  Certainly Indianapolis works well as a capital city, given its central location in state, and where many interstates converge, beftting of Indiana's nickname of "The Crossroads of America".  Indianapolis is also quite the bustling, vibrant metropolis.  It also has the home of Benjamin Harrison (#62).

After touring the capitol, we went to eat lunch in by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, surrounded by a circular street (#63).  It was a nice visit in Indianapolis, before we hopped back on the road.

Further south along I-65 is Columbus (#64), which is famous for its art, and fittingly has a distinct bridge for I-65 traffic over the road that leads to town.  Nearby is Brown County State Park (#65), a scenic natural area.

Earlier this summer 2016, I passed through Indiana while riding Amtrak's The Capitol Limited route east to Washington, DC.  The route guide provided fascinating details about the towns we passed through.  Here are some highlights for Indiana locations:

#Hammond-Whiting (#66 and #67) was once the home of Alvah Curtis Roebuck (#68), who helped started a mail order company with Richard Sears.

Gary is the location of US Steel (#69).

South Bend (#70), which sits on a bend of the St. Joseph River (#71), is home to the renowned University of Notre Dame (#72) and once the location of the Studebaker Corporation (#73), of which there is a museum here.

Elkhart (#74) was once considered the Brass Musical Instrument Capitol (#75), and has a large RV manufacturing base (#76).  Miles Laboratories (#77), which originally made the Alka-Seltzer (#78), was also founded here.

It's also right in Indiana's Amish country (#79), with Amish Acres being a notable attraction in nearby Nappanee (#80).  Shipshewana (#81) is another notable Amish city in northern Indiana.  Nearby is Goshen (#82), site of Goshen College (#83), a Mennonite school.

Waterloo (#84) is the "Crossroad of Northeast Indiana", according to the official Waterloo government website.  Not too far away is the city of Fort Wayne (#85).  Among other notable attractions, it has Johnny Appleseed Park (#86), and hosts a Johnny Appleseed festival in September annually (#87).  Its public library has a sizable genealogy center (#88).

Indeed, while traveling these roads through Indiana might make the average person think there's nothing but cornfields, there's so much else to see in Indiana.  It's just like the ads for Indiana Beach (#89) by Lake Shafer (#90) in Monticello, IN (#91), "proving once again that there's more than corn in Indiana!" (#92)