I have been leading colonial games this summer at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The previous two seasons we worked at Cumberland Gap, I would do textiles three days a week. I like doing textiles, but three days in a row up in the textile room would get a little boring. The park staff here …
From National Parks
Signaling at Cumberland Gap
Tom and Ranger Lucas have been working on a signaling talk for the last several months. It started with Tom collecting telegraph materials and Lucas gathering signaling flags. When we arrived at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park for the summer, they put the talk together. The telegraph is very cool and Tom enjoys explaining how …
Americas 250 at Cumberland Gap
I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July. I had an exciting day celebrating Americas 250 here at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. (Yes, I know there should be an apostrophe there but WordPress is difficult about apostrophes.) Cumberland Gap had a big day of living history planned for Americas 250. It was supposed …
Rainy Sunday with Toads
We recently had a rainy Sunday morning at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Really rainy. It was raining so hard that the motion sensor doors to the Visitors Center wouldn’t close. They would start to close, then there would be extra large drips in front of the motion sensors and they would pop back open …
Back at Cumberland Gap NHP
Tom and I are back at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. We drove down on June 17 and started working June 19. Our dates were about a month later than we had planned on arriving, but being in Ohio was more important. Fortunately the staff here is very family-oriented and they completely understood. They were …
Campus Martius Museum, Marietta Ohio
Yesterday Tom and I took a trip to see the Campus Martius Museum in Marietta, Ohio. I have been wanting to go to Marietta ever since I read David McCullough‘s book, “The Pioneers.” You can read my review of the book here. I read the book in 2019 and was waiting to go until my …
Battle of Cumberland Gap Commemoration
On September 13, the last day Tom and I worked at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park this year, we had a Battle of Cumberland Gap Commemoration. That title makes it sound very well defined and notable. The event was much more informal and loosely organized. Ranger Layton was in charge of the Battle of Cumberland …
Rangers at Cumberland Gap
Tom and I had a great time at Cumberland Gap National Park this last summer and most of that is because of the great rangers we got to work with every day. Getting up in the morning was easy because I knew I would enjoy seeing the rangers when I got to work. We learned …
Cumberland Gap Wildlife
One of the fun things about living in a National Park site is the wildlife. The Cumberland Gap wildlife has been abundant and fun this summer. And no, I don’t mean the locals partying at the Pinnacle at midnight. These are the animals I have seen at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park this summer. Although …
New Every Morning
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 This summer, on the mornings that I don’t work, I walk to Middlesboro, Kentucky. I usually head out sometime between 7:30 and 8 and it takes me about 45 …