Appomattox Court House, Virginia

This is where the Civil War ended. We learned about the battles leading up to the surrender, and how the confederate soldiers were issued parole passes, entitling them to free food and free transportation on their way home. I got a parole pass for completing my Junior Ranger booklet, so I get free food and free transportation for the rest of this trip.

Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

To earn our badge, we had to find leaves from several kinds of trees, learn about pioneer farming, pick up a bag of trash, and write a letter to the park supervisor.

Junior Firefighters, Tennessee

The National Park Firefighters taught us about fire safety. We finished our booklets and got a badge and a patch.

National Junior Ranger Day, Tennessee

My buddy Jordan and I earned our Junior Ranger Day badges at Great Smoky Mountains by taking a Ranger-led hike, learning about bear handling, making beeswax candles, and making a wooden toy.

Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi

We travelled along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee and Mississippi. We stopped to see the Meriwether Lewis Monument where Lewis died under suspicious circumstances. Then we picked up the trace again north of Tupelo and went to the visitor center, where I got my Junior Ranger badge.

Corinth, Mississippi

At Corinth they have a really cool museum of the Civil War. There are items in the sidewalk that look like soldiers dropped them there. There is a pond with blocks representing major civil war battles - the bigger the block the more casualties there were.

Shiloh Battlefield, Tennessee

We visited Shiloh on a beautiful spring day! The battlefield activities were really fun. We had to find something at almost every one of the fourteen stops.