A Quick Guide to National Historical Parks

October 27, 2015January 17, 201624 Comments

One of my favorite places to visit in the US is anywhere in the National Park System! There are 58 National Parks, 10 Seashores, 4 Parkways, 78 Monuments, 78 Historic Sites, 25 Battlefields, and 49 Historical Parks. In case you’re curious like I was, a national historical park differs from the rest because it is an area of historic and natural features with more than a single property or building. I’ve been to two such parks and highly recommend both of them!

Chaco Culture

After attending the amazing Balloon Fiesta, we took a day trip out to Chaco Culture National Historical Park. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque and is quite remote. Once you turn off the main highway, there is a 13 mile stretch of unpaved road that you drive on before arriving at the entrance to the park. We first learned about Chaco Culture from a family member who visited during a business trip to New Mexico, and we were amazed by his pictures. While researching more about the history of Chaco Culture, I kept finding it on lists of important ruins with the likes of Tikal, Petra, Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, and more! Done! We’re going there!

A Quick Guide to National Historic Parks- Chaco Culture- www.afriendafar.com #newmexico #chacocultture

About the history…Chaco Canyon was home to Pueblo people from 850 to 1250 and was the center of Chacoan culture in the San Juan Basin. They constructed great stone houses using masonry with hundreds of rooms. It is an amazing site to see because of its architecture, planned construction, and community organization. It is thought that the canyon held a relatively small permanent population with most of its infrastructure in existence for people who came for special events (ceremonial, commerce, trading). Today many Southwest Native American people consider Chaco to be a sacred place.

During the drive to the site, we passed cattle grazing, old windmills, and abandoned structures. In certain times of the year there can be flooding, so it’s important to check weather conditions. We stopped by the Visitor’s Center to pay our entrance fee and get a park map. The nine-mile Canyon Loop drive takes you by the six major sites. The first one we stopped at was the unexcavated Hungo Pavi, followed by Pueblo Bonito, and last, Casa Rinconada. Each stop has self-guided trail brochures which contain a ton of great information so you understand the history of the sites. Some of the common architectural features include the circular kivas which were rooms used for religious ceremonies. Pueblo Bonito is absolutely not to be missed because it was the center of the complex, the largest great house, has been excavated, and is the most researched. The masonry of the site is so impressive! The Great Kiva at Casa Rinconada is much larger and deeper than the regular kivas and is pretty amazing to see.

The park is one of only 4 sites in the NPS with the Dark Sky distinction and I would love to go back to camp and stargaze!

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau

If you’re planning a trip to the Big Island, on the way to or from Kona and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, consider a stop at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. Another name for this historical park is City of Refuge because until 1819 defeated warriors during war times or Hawaiians who broke a taboo could flee death by coming to this place of refuge. Once inside the great walls of the refuge, no harm would come their way, and a priest would absolve the person in a purification ceremony. It was also the royal grounds of the chief of Kona. The complex contains archeological sites including temples and well preserved carved wooden images. The main site of Hale o Keawe, contains the bones of the chiefs that help make the site sacred and is surrounded by the largest concentration of wooden carvings in the site. You can also play a traditional game that’s like checkers/chess and watch various cultural demonstrations! One of the many reasons I love Hawaii is for its history and culture which come alive while visiting sites like this one. The area is also known for excellent diving and snorkeling if you’re looking for places to enjoy those activities. Fun fact: this site makes up the background in the Where in the World is Carmen San Diego game when in Hawaii.

Have you been to any national historical parks? Tell us about it in the comments below! Let us know about any other parks you’ve been to as well.

We’ve linked up with Weekend Wanderlust,
The Weekly Postcard, and Weekend Travel Inspiration!

Stephanie at A Friend Afar

Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.

http://www.AFriendAfar.com

5 Reasons to Stay in Hana on Maui

October 13, 2015January 28, 20162 Comments

When planning our honeymoon in Hawai’i a couple of years ago, I had such a hard time deciding which islands to visit even though we were able to spend two weeks there. We decided on three islands total to give a good amount of time on each island; O’ahu was a given since we were flying in and out of Honolulu from the mainland. I had a hard time choosing between the Big Island and Kaua’i but ultimately decided on the Big Island because of my desire to visit Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. I also decided I’d save Kaua’i for a future trip. Since it was my first time visiting, Maui also quickly made the list because it’s my husband’s favorite island (side note: Hawai’i is his favorite place in the world- he’s been five times)! But in all the times he visited he’d never been to Hana, so we planned to stay the last couple of nights of our trip on the Eastern part of the island. Here are five reasons to stay in Hana on Maui based on the fabulous experience with our Hawaiian stay:

Hana is most well known because of the Road to Hana, which twists and turns alongside the Cliffside road. Depending on the time of year you’re visiting, the road can get crowded so staying overnight in Hana allows you more time for stops along the way without feeling rushed and limited by needing to turn around and head back.

2. Hana has some pretty colorful beaches to visit. Waianapanapa State Park has a black sand beach and freshwater caves to explore. Kaihalulu Beach takes a little more effort to find – a bit of a walk and climbing on rocks- but you’re rewarded with a gorgeous and unique red sand beach. If you want a more traditional beach that’s good for bodyboarding, Hamoa Beach shouldn’t be missed!

3. I loved the authenticity of the small town of Hana. We enjoyed exploring the lushness of the countryside. I also liked strolling around Hana, especially the grounds of Travaasa hotel and its gallery shop. We found a Thai restaurant that I still remember being delicious but sadly discovered on TripAdvisor that it has since closed.

4. A short drive south of Hana town you’ll find part of Haleakala National Park, with parking and swimming at Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools). There’s also hiking including the Waimoku Falls trail. We loved this hike with its gorge, bamboo forest & eventual waterfall destination. The lushness of the surrounding environment is so refreshing!

5. The final & perhaps best reason to stay in Hana is just to relax. The pace of life feels slower than when staying at a resort on the island. We rented a house for the nights we stayed, and my husband was absolutely thrilled with our porch. It was so peaceful to lay out there and look out to see the green of the forest and blue of the ocean and sky. I tend to be a frenetic traveler who wants to see and do everything but sometimes its nice and necessary to rest and spend quality time with your fellow traveler(s).

If you’ve been to Hana, add your reasons why to visit in the comments below! If you haven’t, tell us if you now want to go!

Stephanie at A Friend Afar

http://www.AFriendAfar.com

Two National Parks of the West: Joshua Tree & Hawaii Volcanoes

August 25, 2015January 18, 20164 Comments

As our dedicated readers have realized by now, I am quite enamored with the National Parks of the US. In fact I have a goal to visit them all! If you missed it, there was an earlier post on National Parks and Seashores of the East as well as Camping Out West. To celebrate the 99th birthday of the National Park Service (can’t wait for the 100th), I’m bringing you more inspiration about a couple of National Parks of the West. Our country is so beautiful so hopefully this post inspires you to add at least one more park to your list.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park wasn’t really on my radar until last year when my husband and I were deciding where to travel on a long weekend trip. It’s only a two hour drive from LA and 45 minutes from Palm Springs, but you feel like you’re a world away from civilization once you get out in the desert. Joshua Trees are so named because they reminded early Mormon settlers of the prophet, with their branches raised heavenward. You’ll also see yuccas and ocotillos in this meeting place of the Mojave and Sonora deserts. We entered the park via the Southern entrance at Cottonwood Visitor Center and were instantly amazed by the vast desert scenes along the stretch we first drove. Our first stop at Cholla Cactus Garden introduced us to cholla, which look like you’d want to hug them, but don’t try!

Most of the scenic stops are concentrated on Park Boulevard and include Jumbo Rocks, Keys View, and the one-mile Hidden Valley loop trail. There’s plenty to do including hiking, biking, and rock climbing. Don’t miss the short Skull Rock Trail near Jumbo Rocks, where you’ll see the famous rock that looks like a skull, or the sunset, which is pretty spectacular in the desert. Make sure you plan your visit during the cooler period (October-May) and bring lots of water since it’s the desert, and cell phone signal is hard to come by.

Hawai’i VolcanoES National Park

My husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii in October 2013, and one of the main reasons I chose the Big Island over Kauai was a desire to go see a volcano! Because of the government shutdown, it was touch and go for a while as to whether the park would be open during our stay, so you can imagine my immense relief when it reopened! It absolutely did not disappoint. I loved seeing the fumes from the lava during the day, but the highlight was to see the lava glow from the vent within Halema’uma’u Crater at night from the Jaggar Museum. Driving Crater Rim and Chain of Craters roads through the park allows you to see all the different scenery available in the park- from the caldera to the desert and more.

My favorite activity was hiking the 4 mile Kīlauea Iki loop trail which takes you through a rain forest and then onto the crater floor where you find a lava lake, steam vents, cinder and spatter cones. Many people do the national park as a day trip from Kona, Hilo or elsewhere on the island but we really enjoyed our stay in the town of Volcano, and because of the weather (lots of rain), it afforded us the opportunity to enter the park multiple times.

Which of the two parks in today’s post sound most interesting to you? Any recommendations on which national park of the West I should visit next?

Stephanie at A Friend Afar

http://www.AFriendAfar.com