Where I've Been: National Monuments

This is my third post in what's turning out to be a series about the National Park units I've visited. Read about the National Historical Parks and National Historic Sites I've explored, then check out the National Parks I've checked off the list. Today I'm focusing on National Monuments. 

A National Park (NP) usually has a large amount of land (or water) and protects a variety of natural resources. A National Monument (NM) is typically smaller than an NP and less diverse, protecting at least one significant resource. A National Monument can be upgraded to a National Park, as happened with White Sands. There are currently 87 NM units in the National Park System. As before, I've added a star if I've been there. If I've visited since I started blogging about travel, I've added a link. 

 

Where I've Been: National Monuments

African Burial Ground National Monument, New York

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Texas

Aniakchak National Monument, Alaska

Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico

Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, District of Columbia

*Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, Alabama

Booker T. Washington National Monument, Virginia

Buck Island Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands

Cabrillo National Monument, California

Camp Nelson National Monument, Kentucky

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona

Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Alaska

Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico

Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument, Pennsylvania

*Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Florida

Castle Clinton National Monument, New York

Castle Mountains National Monument, California

Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah

César E. Chávez National Monument, California

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, Ohio

Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona

Colorado National Monument, Colorado

*Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

Devils Postpile National Monument, California

Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming

Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah

Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa

*El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico

El Morro National Monument, New Mexico

Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, Illinois and Mississippi

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado

Fort Frederica National Monument, Georgia

Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida

*Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Maryland

Fort Monroe National Monument, Virginia

Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia

Fort Stanwix National Monument, New York

Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico

Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming

Frances Perkins National Monument, Maine

Freedom Riders National Monument, Alabama

George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia

George Washington Carver National Monument, Missouri

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, New Mexico

Governors Island National Monument, New York

Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho

Hohokam Pima National Monument, Arizona

Hovenweep National Monument, Colorado and Utah

Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine

Lava Beds National Monument, California

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Mississippi

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument, Kentucky

*Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona

*Muir Woods National Monument, California

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Navajo National Monument, Arizona

Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Oregon

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

*Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico

Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona

Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota

Poverty Point National Monument, Louisiana

Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah

Russell Cave National Monument, Alabama

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, New Mexico

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, Illinois

*Statue of Liberty National Monument, New Jersey and New York

Stonewall National Monument, New York

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona

Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah

Tonto National Monument, Arizona

Tule Lake National Monument, California

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada

Tuzigoot National Monument, Arizona

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands

Waco Mammoth National Monument, Texas

Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona

Wupatki National Monument, Arizona

Yucca House National Monument, Colorado

To the best of my knowledge, I've been to 9 of the 87 National Monuments. That leaves a lot of places yet to visit! There are a handful that were already on my must-visit list, but I've added quite a few others while writing this post. 

Four New Eagles

On May 3, 2026 we attended an Eagle Court of Honor for four Scouts from our troop: Bryan, Spencer, Logan, and Brandon. All Eagle Courts of Honor are special, but this one was particularly meaningful for me. I was there when each boy joined our troop for the first time. I watched all four progress through all seven ranks and I sat on at least one Board of Review for each of them. I taught them skills as a merit badge counselor and camped with them. And, perhaps most significantly, Steve and I planned the 2021 COVID-replacement summer camp at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which all four loved so much that they chose that location for their Eagle ceremony. 

Four New Eagles (affiliate link)

As if this Court of Honor weren't already so meaningful, the new Eagles chose Trevor to be the Master of Ceremonies. Trevor was the Senior Patrol Leader when three of the four joined the troop, so from the beginning they saw him as a role model. Trevor is 2 years older than Bryan, Spencer, and Logan, and 3 years older than Brandon, so it's no surprise that they relied on him for guidance during their paths to Eagle. And it was a huge compliment that they selected him as MC. 

The whole day was full of Proud Mom moments, but none so much as when Logan and Bryan each named Trevor as a mentor and awarded him a mentor pin. And then I had a Proud Wife moment, when Logan and Spencer each named Steve as a mentor! What a day. Huge congrats to Bryan, Spencer, Logan, and Brandon for their accomplishment. We're all so proud of you. 

Girls' Trip to Disneyland 2025

In November 2025, my mom, sister, niece, and I took a girls' trip to Disneyland. We spent four days in the parks. We rode all our favorite rides multiple times, but instead of racing from ride to ride like we might on a shorter visit, we took our time. We listened to live music, watched the shows, and took a close look at all of the holiday decorations. I got into pin trading, something Trevor had done when he was young. Mom, Kari, and I got matching holiday sweatshirts. Twelve-year old Allison thought that was cringe. Her loss. Kari introduced me to the concept of collectible popcorn buckets and bought lots of snacks for us to enjoy. One of the many highlights of the trip was taking the 70th Anniversary Holiday Tour, which was so much fun and a whole different way to experience Disneyland. It was a fantastic trip. 

Girls' Trip to Disneyland, 2025 (affiliate link)

When choosing photos for my layout, my main priority was including photos of us. I was really glad that our tour guide offered to take a picture of the four of us together - it ended up being the only one we got. The other group shots are all trios. I mixed the people pictures with photos showing the holiday and 70th anniversary decorations. It rained one of the days we were there, so I made sure to include one of those pictures too. The people in the background are carrying umbrellas and wearing ponchos; we're standing in the rain enjoying Dole Whips. I'm so glad to have this layout in the album. It's full of happy memories. 

Summer Creative Retreat: Pumpkin Embroidery on Watercolor

The second project I completed during Summer Creative Retreat was this embroidered pumpkin. 

I made it during a workshop called "Embroidery on Watercolor" which was taught by Jessica Mack of Brown Paper Bunny Studios. 

As you can see on the graphic, Jessica taught us how to make different kinds of flowers. I went my own direction and made a pumpkin, which is the official state fruit of New Hampshire. She used a loop start to begin her embroidery, which is something I've never done before. I love taking classes, not only for the inspiration but for those little tips that I otherwise wouldn't have known. Affiliate links below. 

Pumpkin Embroidery on Watercolor

Materials:

• watercolor paper (300 series is best for embroidery)
• watercolors
• paper piercer
• embroidery floss

Steps: 

Cut your watercolor paper down to the desired size. Mine is 5" square. Add multiple bands of color to the paper. I used green, yellow, and orange and blended them a bit. 

When the paint is dry, use a pencil to draw the design you want as lightly as possible. Poke holes along the pencil lines (always poking from the front) with the paper piercer. Then use embroidery floss to backstitch the design. 

Then fill in the pumpkin and stem with watercolor. 

This is a fun and easy project that can easily be adapted to practically any design. It's a great way to introduce kids to embroidery. Give it a try!

Summer Creative Retreat: Inspiration Treasure Hunt

Last year, I took six classes during The Pigeon Letters Summer Creative Retreat. (This one was my favorite. Or maybe this one.) Summer Creative Retreat is billed as the world's biggest free online art event, with 60 classes and over 20, 000 people attending. I really enjoyed it last year and was eager to participate again. Unfortunately, I didn't get home from Idaho until this year's Summer Creative Retreat was half over, and then I had to do all those annoying things like laundry, groceries, bills, and catching up with work that come after a trip. I did manage to watch four of the classes on replay before the event ended and I crafted along with two of them. 

The first was Inspiration Treasure Hunt: A Playful Process for Creating Art, by Mel Rye. 

Mel began by asking us to go on an Inspiration Treasure Hunt to find random objects on our workspace. We looked carefully at the items we found to discover shapes and textures. For example, a simple pencil has a round eraser that might inspire dots, a metal ferrule with vertical lines, and a wavy pattern where the pencil was sharpened. 

We used the shapes we found to doodle the shapes they inspired onto plain paper. It was fascinating how many different patterns I was able to make using found items sitting on my desk. I did most of my doodles with a ballpoint pen, then switched to a Sharpie in order to get darker shapes for contrast. After creating a bunch of patterns, we cut those apart and arranged them on a colorful background. As you can see in the graphic above, Mel made abstract designs. I made fruit. The watermelon, pear, and apple each use three different patterns and the pineapple has two, so there are 11 different doodles represented below. 

This was a really fun activity and a great way to stretch creatively. It's something you could do anywhere, since it uses so few materials. Such a fun class!