Three New National Parks

I have a friend who has created a monster.  Said friend has turned my son onto the Junior Ranger Parks program. It is actually a fairly inexpensive way to see new places and learn about cool things.  It is also a great way to get your family outside an moving.  

Over the Thanksgiving break, we managed to make it to three National Parks.  Two of them were parks I used to run in while we lived in Virginia, and it was nice to go back and walk around. 

 The first place we visited was Independence Hall.  The last time we were in Philadelphia it was closed, so since it was only a half mile away from our hotel we decided to go back (we had only seen the Liberty Bell last time).  I have to say, I actually learned stuff I did not know about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and I was pretty cool being in the place where our country was formed.  We also went to a few of the other smaller buildings surrounding it like the printing press and where Ben Franklin's house had once been.  I think the boys liked the printing press the most.

 The next one, I have to admit, we did not wander far from the visitor center at.  I used to run here ALL the time, and pick up ticks ALL the time.  There are some really great walking paths around it (with bridges, monuments, the creak,  and an old cemetery), and the history behind how the Civil war began is pretty interesting.   I just was not in the mental space to wander to far.  It is where my tick phobia began.

The third place was Prince William Forest.  I have to admit, I had forgotten how amazing the trails are.  While we were walking around, I really just wanted to be running on the trails.  The history here is pretty cool (it used to be a spy training place, camp for kids from DC, and a pyrite mine), but I just really love the trails.