2024 parks and museums

In the previous post I covered the National Parks we visited in 2024, but we also visited many National Monuments and other National Park Service units, plus state parks, museums, and such. So this post summarizes those.

Again, you can also see the attractions from 2023, from 2022, and from 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the park category (with earliest or latest posts at the top), and the museum category (with earliest or latest posts at the top).

Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida:

Alligator

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Florida:

Cannon beach

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center in Florida:

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Florida:

Tents

Island ‘Ting with Sebago Watersports in Florida:

Boat

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida:

Pond and bridge

World of Coca‑Cola museum in Atlanta, Georgia:

Gift store

Myrtle Beach State Park beach in South Carolina:

Beach

Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina:

Visitor Center

Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina:

Bodie Island Light Station

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site in North Carolina:

Visitor center

The Birthplace of Pepsi in New Bern, North Carolina:

The Birthplace of Pepsi

Colonial National Historical Park: Yorktown in Virginia:

Yorktown

Colonial National Historical Park: Jamestown in Virginia:

Smith

Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia:

Street

Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Virginia:

Horses

Blue Ridge Parkway north end in Virginia:

Visitor center

Manassas National Battlefield Park in Manassas, Virginia:

Henry Hill Loop Trail

Gettysburg National Military Park: museum and visitor center in Pennsylvania:

Cyclorama

Gettysburg National Military Park: memorials and cemetery in Pennsylvania:

Battlefield monument

DC monuments by night tour in Washington, DC:

Lincoln Memorial

Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, DC:

Smithsonian Natural History Museum

Smithsonian American History Museum in Washington, DC:

Exterior

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia:

Harpers Ferry

Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland:

Cannons

Blue Ridge Parkway south end in North Carolina:

View

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Kentucky:

The symbolic cabin inside the memorial

Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois:

Lincoln's home

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village National Historic Landmark in Mitchell, South Dakota:

Archeodome

Legion Lake in Custer State Park, South Dakota:

Lake

Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, South Dakota:

Narrow and short tunnel

Mount Coolidge, Wind Cave National Park, Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, South Dakota:

Bison

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana:

Custer National Cemetery

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in Santa Clarita, California:

Vasquez Rocks

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California:

Animals

Museum of History in Granite in California:

Looking from the pyramid to the church on the hill

Fort Davis National Historic Site in Texas:

Sign

Galveston Island State Park beach in Galveston, Texas (post coming in January; this link won’t work until then):

Beach

River Bottomland Hardwood Trail hike in Springfield, Louisiana (post coming in January; this link won’t work until then):

Bridge

Some fascinating places.

Museum of History in Granite

On the other side of the I-8 freeway from the Encore Pilot Knob RV Resort was the Museum of History in Granite, along with the Center of the World, the Maze of Honor, and the Church on the Hill.

One could consider this a kitschy roadside attraction, and it is that, but it’s also a lasting testament to the passions of one man, wanting to record history in stone that’ll last for centuries. Reading about his history is interesting: born in France in 1929, moved to the US at age 11, became an investment banker, bought a war-surplus plane and learned to fly, then invented the sport of skydiving (or “sport parachuting”), and finally created the “town” of Felicity in 1985, establishing it (via a fairy tale he wrote) as the Center of the World, and created the History of Humanity in Granite. Read that history page for details.

An interactive map:

Sign

Sundial, using a sculpture of Michelangelo’s Arm of God from the Sistine Chapel:

Sundial

The official center of the world:

The official center of the world

Selfie in front of the pyramid that encloses the Official Center of the World:

Selfie in front of pyramid

Jenn standing astride the Center of the World:

Jenn standing astride the Center of the World

Looking from the pyramid past the Museum in Granite to the Church on the Hill:

Looking from the pyramid to the church on the hill

Museum of History in Granite:

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

Replica half-scale Liberty Bell:

Replica Liberty Bell

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

Museum of History in Granite

The Church on the Hill:

Church on the Hill

Church on the Hill

Museum of History in Granite

The Maze of Honor, where people can pay to have granite memorials (it’s mostly empty):

The Maze of Honor

The Maze of Honor

The Maze of Honor

The Maze of Honor

The Maze of Honor

Stairs from the Eiffel Tower:

Stairs from Eiffel Tower

Stairs from Eiffel Tower

Certificates for visiting the Center of the World:

Certificates for visiting the Center of the World

DC monuments by night tour

We did an evening guided tour of Washington DC from the Cherry Hill Park campground.

Selfie in the bus:

Selfie in bus

US Capitol:

US Capitol

US Capitol

US Capitol

Washington Monument:

Washington Monument

Back to our bus; there were lots of food trucks like this lining the roads in DC:

Bus and food truck

Treasury building:

Treasury building

Treasury building

The White House:

The White House

The White House

The White House

Guide talking about the White House:

Guide talking about the White House

Washington Monument:

Washington Monument:

Thomas Jefferson Memorial:

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Thomas Jefferson Monument

Sunset:

Sunset

Lots of tour buses:

Lots of tour buses

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial:

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial:

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Washington Monument and the Capitol beyond the reflecting pond:

Washington Monument:

Washington Monument:

Lincoln Memorial:

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial:

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

World War II Memorial:

World War II Memorial

World War II Memorial:

World War II Memorial

World of Coca‑Cola museum

We previously visited the Dr Pepper museum in Waco, Texas, so it seemed only fair to visit the World of Coca‑Cola museum in Atlanta, Georgia. The Coke museum was fancier, but we preferred the Dr Pepper one, if only because the Coke museum was way too crowded. Probably our fault for visiting on a Saturday.

Atlanta:

Atlanta

Atlanta

The World of Coca‑Cola museum:

World of Coca‑Cola museum

We had lunch at the nearby Bottle Cap Café:

Bottle Cap Café

Coke and coffee floats and a basic sandwich:

Bottle Cap Café

Selfie:

World of Coca‑Cola museum

Crowded waiting area before the theater:

World of Coca‑Cola museum

World of Coca‑Cola museum

After that was a 7-minute film, basically an emotionally-manipulative ad, showing people in major life events, and happening to drink Coke at the end. Then on into the main part of the museum:

World of Coca‑Cola museum

The Vault, with exhibits of the history:

The Vault

The Vault

The Vault

The Vault

The Vault

The Vault

The vault with the secret recipe, allegedly:

The Vault

More exhibits:

The Vault

The Vault

Exhibits

Exhibits

Exhibits

Exhibits

Exhibits

The Lab:

The Lab

Tasting:

The Lab

International beverage tasting:

Beverage tasting

Beverage tasting

Thailand’s Apple Kiwi Fanta was our favorite flavor (many others were not to our taste):

Beverage tasting

Beverage tasting

Gift store:

Gift store

Gift store

Back outside:

World of Coca‑Cola museum

An interesting museum, if too crowded.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

An out-of-sequence post: I noticed that I had missed posting about an attraction we visited while staying in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida.

We’re fans of Japanese gardens, and this was one of the better ones.

Entrance sign

Map:

Map

A slow line for lunch:

Long line for lunch

Cafe menu:

Cafe menu

Cafe menu

Jenn’s bento box:

Bento box

My teriyaki and spring rolls:

Teriyaki and spring rolls

An art:

An art

Yep, it’s Florida — caution, alligators:

Caution, alligators

Bridge:

Bridge

Turtles:

Turtles

Bridges:

Bridge

Another bridge

Gate:

Gate

Pond:

Pond

Tree:

Tree

Rock garden:

Rock garden

Rock garden

Rock garden

Lanterns:

Lanterns

Bridge:

Bridge

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Gate:

Gate

Gate

Lizard:

Lizard

Bonsai garden:

Bonsai garden

Bonsai garden

Bonsai garden

Turtle:

Turtle

Lantern:

Lantern

Courtyard:

Courtyard

Exhibit:

Exhibit

Tea room:

Tea room

Water feature:

Water feature

Lizard:

Lizard

Pond and bridge:

Pond and bridge

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Turtle and lizard:

Turtle and lizard

Pond and bridge:

Pond and bridge

A nice garden, worth a visit.