Here I am,  looking the Apocalypse squarely in the face.

This is in fact a  Thermonuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.  Deactivated fortunately. 

Niobrara National Scenic River.   This park extends east for 75 miles out of Valentine Nebraska. It is as advertised,  a scenic waterway.  I did not go the entire way,  just made a few selective stops, including a portion of the river that runs through the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, and the portion that runs through Smith Falls State Park.  (Smith Falls being a very fabulous waterfall the way it tumbles).  The best way to probably experience this park would be to do a float trip:  tube/canoe/kayak/raft.  We did not do that, being early May none of the  outfitters were running yet. This river, at least in May was very fast moving...you really would not even have to paddle to move swiftly downriver.

Minuteman Missile National Historic site.   This park  is in South Dakota, and has a few sites along I-90  between the entrance to the Badlands and Wall SD. And the concept of it may be the scariest of all National Park Units.  What you see is a silo in which sits a deactivated thermonuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.  Oish!!  At the one site we visited you can look down into the silo from above and see the missile sitting there.  There was another spot we could not make it to that gave tours of the missile facility. We could not do that because the tours were sold out, but the other place had a nice audio tour you could access with your cell phone. 

Other NP Units that I revisited on this trip going and coming included:

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, West Branch Iowa

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument,   Harrison Nebraska

Lincoln Home National Historic Site.   Springfield, Illinois

My personal count is I have  now vistited  386 of the 423 NP Units. 

Next up:  Pullman National Historic Site in Chicago.

@the-gipper said:

Notes on my National Park thing:

Of the  19 I have yet to do in the lower 48,    5 are in Washington State.  1 in Wash. DC ,  4 in Calif.  1 in Oregon, 1 in Idaho, 2 in N. Dakota,  1 in S. Dakota,  1 in Nebraska,  1 in Illinois,  2 in Mississippi.  Plan is to hit Nebraska one in May,  Illinois in July,  and maybe 2 of the Calif. ones in August,  and the 2 in Miss. next April. 

Of the Non-continental ones:   13 are in Alaska,  1 in Hawaii,  1 in Samoa, 1 in Guam, 1 in Puerto Rico, and 3 on St. Croix

Been to El Morro on the way to the Malpais and back from Zuni where my son was a teacher/coach for two years. Loved those spring waters of El Morro. My son gave me a Zuni ring which I wear and I had a Zuni woman make me a unique ring of pure silver with a design that included the Zuni river flowing through the Lava walls above the main part of Zuni and their sacred flat top mountain in the background with a real 2008 Buffalo 1/10 oz. gold coin in the middle. I furnished the coin and the design I had in mind and she did all the work since she was famous there for her intricate stone work in silver rings. I've gotten dozens of comments on it over the years when I wear it.

Of the  19 I have yet to do in the lower 48,    5 are in Washington State.  1 in Wash. DC ,  4 in Calif.  1 in Oregon, 1 in Idaho, 2 in N. Dakota,  1 in S. Dakota,  1 in Nebraska,  1 in Illinois,  2 in Mississippi.  Plan is to hit Nebraska one in May,  Illinois in July,  and maybe 2 of the Calif. ones in August,  and the 2 in Miss. next April. 

Of the Non-continental ones:   13 are in Alaska,  1 in Hawaii,  1 in Samoa, 1 in Guam, 1 in Puerto Rico, and 3 on St. Croix

Salina Pueblo Missions National Monument  Located a bit south and west of Albequerque.  It actually has 3 units, 2 of which I visited.   These are the location of  preserved ruins that combined an ancient Native American Pueblo location  (note: Pueblo means essentially a NA town/village/city)  with that of a Spanish mission built later located on the edge of the pueblo. The Pueblos could be 1000 or more years old, and the Missions built in the  late 1500s/1600s.

Petroglyph  National Monument.  Located on the western edge of the Albequerque metropolis,  this unit  preserves the location of ancient Native American  "Art work"  that has been created in the volcanic rock of that area. We chose an area where we had to walk 1.1 mile in and 1.1 mile back to where we could see the best Petroglyphs (seemed like  5 miles). 

Valles Caldera  National Preserve.    Located west of Santa Fe this preserve is the remnants of vast  extinct volcanic Caldera. A large part of the sunken caldera is a huge Vega (meadow)  of grasses.  

El Malpais National Monument.  Located in western New Mexico.  El Malpais translates to "The Badlands or Bad Place".  It preserves natural features, primarily a huge lava flow covering hundreds of square mile.  Also there are arches, and caves and lava tubes.

El Morro National Monument.   Located in western New Mexico near to Gallup.  El Morro tranlates to The Bluff. It preserves a location  at the base of a huge bluff that served as a respite for  ancient and not so ancient travelers from  the Pueblans to the Spanish explorers to American Pioneers.  There was a natural, clean water pool at the base of the bluff of which the water supply was constant (did not dry up nor go brackish).  The location was an "Oasis" of sorts,  and all along the base of the bluff all these people decided to start scribing their names and other information on the rock so there is a huge area called "Inscription Rock"  that preserves a lot of this writing dating way way back.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park.   This park, located in west central New Mex.  is a vast complex of  Pueblan ruins  where in ancient times  thousands of people lived.  There are at least   10 different "communities"  located in Chaco Canyon in various states of preservation.  It is believed that this complex would have been the largest city in this nation  in its day. It appeared to be the center of Pueblan culture.

Aztec Ruins National Monument.   This site also preserves a Pueblan community, much smaller than Chaco.   Here they have a reconstructed  Kiva.   A kiva is a round building that was likely the center of Pueblan social, cultural, and spiritual life. 

Fort Union  National Monument.   Let the website describe it:  Exposed to the wind, within a sweeping valley of short grass prairie, amid the swales of the Santa Fe Trail, lie the territorial-style adobe remnants of the largest 19th century military fort in the region. For forty years, 1851-1891, Fort Union functioned as an agent of political and cultural change, whether desired or not, in New Mexico and throughout the Southwest.

Pecos  National Historic Park.   Located just a few mile east of  Santa Fe, Pecos, like the Salinas sites, preserves  an ancient Pueblo along with an adjacent  Spanish mission. In addition, in another section thereof, it also  preserves the site of the battle of Glorietta Pass. This battle was the westernmost battle fought in the Civil War. The Confederacy wanted to try to take over and control the southwest, including California and Colorado for their gold and other resources and to attempt to enforce slavery in those state, but their attempts were thwarted by a Union victory by troops out of Fort Union. The Confederacy never successfully made it past Texas.

Also  had stops at the following other NP units:

Santa Fe National Historic Trail

Old Spanish National Historic Trail

El Camino Real de Tierra Adento  National Historic Trail

Capulin Vocano  National Monument,  which I had been to before.

While I get different numbers depending on how I count,  there are only   39 of the  423 total NP  units that I have not visited,  which would make it   384 of the 423 that I have been to.  There are only  19 in the "lower 48"  that I have not been to. 

Mill Springs  Battlefield National Monument.     Located in southern Kentucky near Somerset partially on the shore of the Cumberland River (now lake),  this park commemorates  the Civil War Battle that occurred here in January 1862.  The significance of this battle,  which was a victory for the Union, was that it kept the state of Kentucky in the Union.  Had it gone the other way, Kentucky may have joined the Confederacy.

St. Genevieve National Historic Park.    Located In Missouri on the Mississippi River about 60 miles south of St. Louis,  Ste.  Genevieve  is the oldest  town in Missouri,  and one of the 5 oldest towns west of the Mississippi.  It is called the "Mother of Missouri".  It has several historic structures that date to the early to mid 1700s when the town was first established as a French Colonial outpost for fur trading.  Today it is an extremely quaint town, historic small town. 

Both of the above parks had been established just since October 2020.    They, and a couple of others that I have not yet visited,  took the total NPS total units to  423.  I have visited  370...or is it 372?* of the  423.  Of the 53  I have not visited,  28 are on the "continental"  USA and the other 25 are in Alaska/Hawaii/Virgin Islands and a couple in some Pacific Island territories.   I take my next trip to New Mexico, in April, which is now opening up for travel  where I expect to visit  9 of the  28 units I have not yet been to in the "lower 48". 

My park visitation total seems to vary depending on the method I use to count it.  Needless to say, it is between 370-372.   I do know that the 28 left to do in lower 48 is accurate. 

@texasag1969 said:

Try to get vaccinated ASAP. They may start exceptions for those with vaccines on board. We are scheduled now for Feb 6 and will reschedule the 2nd 3-4 weeks from then. I plan to get proof in writing to take to Colorado in the summer just in case we need it.

My wife is a nurse in Ohio. They gave her a wallet card saying when she was vaccinated 

@texasag1969 said:

Try to get vaccinated ASAP. They may start exceptions for those with vaccines on board. We are scheduled now for Feb 6 and will reschedule the 2nd 3-4 weeks from then. I plan to get proof in writing to take to Colorado in the summer just in case we need it.

Hopefully  ASAP  after Feb. 8th which is when my age group is supposed to start receiving it here in Ohio.

@the-gipper said:

The state with the most stringent rules?:   New Mexico.   Mandatory 14 day quarantine for anyone coming into the state.    And of course you know where my next major vacation I had planned was to:   New Mexico.   Where I had planned to hit  9 new NP units.    If things  don't lighten up by the first part of March, I will have to alter my plans.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/map-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-inside-united-states-n1236157

Try to get vaccinated ASAP. They may start exceptions for those with vaccines on board. We are scheduled now for Feb 6 and will reschedule the 2nd 3-4 weeks from then. I plan to get proof in writing to take to Colorado in the summer just in case we need it.

What appears is that almost the entire Southeast is completely wide open for travel, except for some limited areas of Arkansas and Kentucky (not because they are less hard hit....they just prioritize tourist dollars over health and safety).   Most of the Northeast does have some stringent statewide restrictions in place.  The Midwest and the West Coast also have restrictions, sometimes in just specific cities.  I have actually twice had trips to Chicago called off because of restrictions, first last summer, then at Thanksgiving. 

The state with the most stringent rules?:   New Mexico.   Mandatory 14 day quarantine for anyone coming into the state.    And of course you know where my next major vacation I had planned was to:   New Mexico.   Where I had planned to hit  9 new NP units.    If things  don't lighten up by the first part of March, I will have to alter my plans.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/map-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-inside-united-states-n1236157

St. Genevieve National Historic Park.   Missouri.    This is like the oldest river town on the Mississippi above Louisiana

Medgar and Myrlie Evers National Historic Park.   Jackson Mississippi.  Home of the Civil Rights leader who was assassinated by white supremacists. 

This makes a total of  423  National Park Units.   I have been to 370.   for  total of  53 not visited by me. (though my goal is to only hit like  40 of them) Plan is to hit a couple here between February and April if possible  after I have gotten the vaccine.  Then to hit  9 of them in New Mexico in April,  if the quarantine in that state is lifted.  (right now they have some of the most strict quarantine rules on visitors in the nation).   Then one in May in Nebraska. One in July in Mississippi (Evers...as I will be going through Jackson then).  5 in August in Washington  plus 2-3 in Alaska if my scheduled cruise can still happen.   And then who knows a

@mjp28 said:

In your opinion only do you think that funding or lack of it in some areas enter into the condition of the side ?  Do you think that the "the government can't get to my all" a factor ? Can interested people fix up the sites on their own like weekend projects or do they not want that ?

Or does lack of interest by the public to have the government spend money on small sites a factor ?

I don't think your last sentence is a factor. Per se.  If there is a lack of interest in many of these "small" parks it is because they are just not well known.  

But I do think you are right about the statements made in your first paragraph.  Lack of funding is obviously an issue....ergo leaving a lot of needs "not gotten to".  There are a lot of people that do just what you say:  volunteer their time to work on park projects...but that would never really be enough. 

In the case of Yucca House....when reading the website there, it almost seems like it is the intent of the NPS to leave that place in in current fallow nature. Not sure why when many other similar park units undergo archaeological undertakings and preservation, where this one does not. 

@the-gipper said:

New National Park Units visited on my recent trip to  Colorado and Utah

Yucca House National Monument.   Yucca House are some ruins of an ancient Pueblo Indian Village in southwest Colorado, about 15 miles south of Cortez. The thing about this unit is that the National Park Service has essentially wholly neglected this unit. I don't know if this is purposeful or not. There is no visitor center, no established paths around the ruins.  The ruins are overrun by vegetation. They are really just out back of some farmer's ranch, with a sign and a gate to go through to get to them. This place is in some need of some serious archaeological attention, if they expect it to be a viable preserved unit. Right now all I saw was a place that was deteriorating in place. 

Hovenweep National Monument.  This unit straddles the Colorado/Utah border. Unlike the above unit, this unit has been well developed...and preserved.  There is a visitor center, and a hike around a canyon with many well ancient pueblo ruins that have been preserved. There are "castles" and towers, that look like preserved "medieval" structures, which, they sort of are. They have been there since sometime between the 1100-1300 period. 

Rainbow Bridge National Monument.   Rainbow Bridge is a natural bridge, which you have been seeing in my avatar the last couple of months. I will only say that I had issues with getting access to this monument, but I put it on my count as having gotten there nevertheless. 

Other national Park Units I re=visited:

My personal count is now up to 370  NP units.  Out of 421. (see previous post where 2 were added in September).  My goal is to hit all the ones in the "lower 48".  That means I have 28 to go. Again, see above re my plans to visit a number of them. 

In your opinion only do you think that funding or lack of it in some areas enter into the condition of the side ?  Do you think that the "the government can't get to my all" a factor ? Can interested people fix up the sites on their own like weekend projects or do they not want that ?

Or does lack of interest by the public to have the government spend money on small sites a factor ?

Yucca House National Monument.   Yucca House are some ruins of an ancient Pueblo Indian Village in southwest Colorado, about 15 miles south of Cortez. The thing about this unit is that the National Park Service has essentially wholly neglected this unit. I don't know if this is purposeful or not. There is no visitor center, no established paths around the ruins.  The ruins are overrun by vegetation. They are really just out back of some farmer's ranch, with a sign and a gate to go through to get to them. This place is in some need of some serious archaeological attention, if they expect it to be a viable preserved unit. Right now all I saw was a place that was deteriorating in place. 

Hovenweep National Monument.  This unit straddles the Colorado/Utah border. Unlike the above unit, this unit has been well developed...and preserved.  There is a visitor center, and a hike around a canyon with many well ancient pueblo ruins that have been preserved. There are "castles" and towers, that look like preserved "medieval" structures, which, they sort of are. They have been there since sometime between the 1100-1300 period. 

Rainbow Bridge National Monument.   Rainbow Bridge is a natural bridge, which you have been seeing in my avatar the last couple of months. I will only say that I had issues with getting access to this monument, but I put it on my count as having gotten there nevertheless. 

Other national Park Units I re=visited:

Rocky Mountain National Park  (before the fires shut it down)

Florrisant Fossil Beds NM

Great Sand Dunes NP

Mesa Verde NP

Natural Bridges NM

Glen Canyon NRA

Capitol Reef NP

Cedar Breaks NM

Bryce Canyon NP

Zion NP

Pipe Spring NP

My personal count is now up to 370  NP units.  Out of 421. (see previous post where 2 were added in September).  My goal is to hit all the ones in the "lower 48".  That means I have 28 to go. Again, see above re my plans to visit a number of them. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial,   Washington DC.   Located along the National Mall, near the Air and Space Museum.

Mill Springs National Battlefield.    Located in southern Kentucky. West of Corbin.  A Civil War Battlefield. 

This brings the total up to  421 total Units.   I have not been to these two.  I have certainly been on the National Mall, but this was not there at the time. 

My personal count stayed the same at  367....But it now means that there are 31 NP units....in the lower 48 that I have to go to.   I plan to hit 3 of these later this month. And then  another 9 in April;  1 in May.  1 in July maybe,  then 5 in August, which would make 19 of the 31.   Plus, I am thinking of perhaps hitting these new ones on short trips of only a couple of days.  I can drive to them easily enough. 

In January and February I spent  a week in Sedona AZ  courtesy of a Getaway into the Hyatt Pinon Pointe, plus another week in Las Vegas via AC at the Club de Soleil.

While in Vegas, I was able to visit two new  National Park Units that I had not been to before:

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.     This is a fairly new park unit that covers a huge swath of land that borders the north to northwest of Las Vegas.  Some portions of it are "badlands" type topography which is adjacent to the Las Vegas Shooting range.  And part of it takes in some of the "Big Dig"  that happened there. The problem is, there is nothing to see.  Except for those badlands which have no designated trails, most of the park is just  scrub desert.  There is no visitor center and no museum that houses the fossils like there are in other fossil oriented NP units.  There is just a sign and a story board that you can read.  This is one of my pet peeves about the NPS....they create a park, but do no development of it for years.  This park has been in existence since 2014, and nothing of note has been done to make a visit there informative in the 5-6 years it has existed.

Castle Mountains National Monument.    The same situation exists regarding this NP Unit.  Nothing much has been developed.   This unit is surround on like 3 and a half sides by the Mojave National Preserve (also a NP unit).  I am not sure why this has been made a separate unit to be honest.  Out of Searchlight Nevada you go down a fairly well maintained dirt road for like 17 miles along and through the park. You see the mountains there, but not much else besides tons of Joshua Tree. Don't get me wrong, it is very scenic and worth the drive down that road. But, again...nothing there.  Just a sign...and not even a story board.  It does look like they are working on an old ghost town that is there, which takes a 4 wheel drive vehicle to get to. 

During my two weeks, I did re-visit a number of NP units that I had been to before, including:

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Grand Canyon National Park

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Wupatki National Monument

Tuzigoot National Monument

Mojave National Preserve

Death Valley National Park

Manzanar National Historic Site

I need to double check but I believe that puts me at visiting 367 of the 419 NP units. 

@the-gipper said:

I assume you saw my son's photo of a Snowy Owl I posted on here.   Speaking of brothers and stars.....I plan to go up to my brother's place for a day or two when I am in Vegas.  He lives out past the north end of Death Valley....and there is absolutely nothing up that way. Highly remote. The stars should be crazy from there. 

Yes I saw the picture-impressive.  This morning I was looking through clear air above Estes west into the mountains past the Sheep Lakes area in RMNP. There was a very thick cloud in between the peaks snowing thickly like cotton and already fallen snow blowing off the side peaks so much so that it appeared like the two sources were converging into a river of snow flowing down the valley towards the lakes. Too bad I had no camera with me.

@texasag1969 said:

Stars are numerous and shining bright off my brother's back porch in Estes Park. Just got in tonight and all the weather cleared out just in time. No smog or ozone at all up here at 8,000 ft. And listening to a big ole hoot owl out there somewhere in the distance.

I assume you saw my son's photo of a Snowy Owl I posted on here.   Speaking of brothers and stars.....I plan to go up to my brother's place for a day or two when I am in Vegas.  He lives out past the north end of Death Valley....and there is absolutely nothing up that way. Highly remote. The stars should be crazy from there.