Read more about the article Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and Wall Drug Store, SD

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and Wall Drug Store, SD

We visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site on the way to Badlands National Park. The Cold War may be a thing of the past, but for many years people lived in constant fear of nuclear attack. I even remember the yellow and black fallout shelter signs posted in buildings. Until the 1990s, the US and Soviet Union adopted a strategy of “Mutually Assured Destruction.” Simply put, a country wouldn’t launch a nuclear attack because they feared nuclear retaliation by the other side.

To prepare for a nuclear attack, the US government installed hundreds of Minuteman missiles throughout the Great Plains. Offering the shortest distance over the North Pole to the USSR, the Great Plains states also provided more rural land. The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site explores this period of history with three sites, the visitor center, Delta-01 launch control center, and Delta-09 missile silo.

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Read more about the article Mt. Rushmore National Memorial – South Dakota

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial – South Dakota

We finally arrived in South Dakota – a trip two years in the making due to the pandemic. After settling into our cabin in Hill City, the first thing on our agenda was to see nearby Mt. Rushmore. 

As a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest,” I’ve always wanted to see the iconic monument dedicated to the four presidents. Although several friends who’d been to Mt. Rushmore said they were disappointed that it only took an hour or two to see, I was still eager to visit.

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Read more about the article Castillo de San Marcos National Monument – St. Augustine, FL

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument – St. Augustine, FL

In a previous post, I described touring Fort Matanzas, which protected St. Augustine’s back door. However, no visit to St. Augustine is complete without touring Castillo de San Marcos. Built over 450 years ago by the Spaniards, the Castillo is the oldest stone fortification in the US.

The Spanish Period

The 20-acre fort, with 30-foot high coquina walls, fronts Matanzas Bay just north of St. Augustine’s city center. Although Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded the city in 1565, construction didn’t begin until over a century later in 1672. Fortunately, construction finished just in time to protect the city from future attacks.

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