Visiting the Palo Alto Battlefield was a very interesting stop on our tour of National Parks this year. The battle at Palo Alto took place in May 1846, early on in the two year war between the US and Mexico over land in the territory of Texas (western portion of Texas today and parts of OK and NM).

One of the most amazing things we get to see as full-time RVers is the public lands in our great nation . While in Rockport, we drove almost an hour to visit Padre Island National Seashore . It did NOT disappoint. The day we went was very windy, but the beach was clear and sunny.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was absolutely incredible! The rock formations in this park are the work of centuries of weather, wind and water.

❓Did you know that the colors come from different minerals in the groundwater that are deposited on the rock as the groundwater seeps out and travels on the surface of the rock?

Miners Castle at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is truly a site to see! There are multiple vantage points and some with handicap accessibility. The bay in this part has an average depth of 10 feet, making it very easy to view the bottom. We were really surprised at just how clear the waters were!

If you’re in Munising a quick and easy place to get to for an afternoon outing is Munising Falls . It is about a 50 foot waterfall that is close to town and a short walk from the parking lot. The brown water is caused by tannins in the water from various trees (namely pine, hemlock, and cedar).

The last portion of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum that we want to share is not something you get to see at a lot of museums. As it’s no longer needed to manage the lighthouse, the Keeper’s house is maintained as a museum. It captures how the keeper and family would have decorated and used the house in the late 1800’s. They have bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and office. It was really neat to see. This site is on the National Register of Historic Places

Do you have a National Parks Pass ? We bought one this year since we plan to see several over the next 12 months. While in Buffalo, we visited the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Historic Site . It was pretty neat!

The other day we went to the Historic Zoar Village (pron. like soar/oar/boar with a z at the front). Zoar, OH was founded in 1817 by a group of religious refugees from Germany. Biblically, Zoar was one of 5 cities of the plain slated for destruction in the book of Genesis. The other 4 cities were Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboim, and Admah. Lot plead to God to keep Zoar as a place of refuge for Lot and his two daughters. It’s easy to see why Zoar, OH received this name.