National Parks in VT and NH

East Coast Trip (7 of 9):

We like visiting National Parks. There are 57 major parks - mostly in the West of the United States. There are about 400 units, battle fields, homes and other assets maintained by the National Park Service.

There is only one National Park in Vermont and it's the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. It's dedicated to "Conservation". In the 19th Century, native lumber was chopped down to make a quick dollar. Of course, you have to manage forest resources to ensure their long term survival, their products and their harmony with the rest of the eco-system. This National Park concentrates on this theme. It's quite a small park. Ali and I did the "standard recommended" walk and it was 6 miles. The park is about 3 miles by 2 miles in size and mostly forested. As the Bill for the establishment of the park was signed in 1992 by President George HW Bush, this is one of the newest Parks in the United States.

In the afternoon, we crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire and visited the "Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site". This is the home and studios of the Artist and Sculpture Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He (and his pupils in his studios) built many large sculptures in Victorian times. These include Civil War Monuments, coins and city decorative pieces. There are about 100 items on the site. The house has been restored as it would have been at the beginning of the 20th Century. Very interesting. I'll be honest and admit that I had never heard of him until today!

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