For Spring Break, the Beaver family hit the road to visit family in the Atlanta, GA area and in the Upstate of SC. While we were in the area, we took advantage of some of our time to visit the local national parks. One of the great things about our National Park Service is that, with over 400 parks, you’re always bound to be close to one. (Check out our Maps page to find the one closest to you!)
Kennesaw Mountain NBP was actually a ‘repeat’ park for me and Teagan. We visited back in November when she became a Junior Ranger of the park. (Here’s another plug for you to investigate the Junior Ranger program at state and/or national parks…a great way for all to learn, not just kids!) Today, however, passports now in hand, we returned with Tiffany and Sage.
For a quick history primer, Kennesaw Mountain NBP serves to interpret the events surrounding Civil War-era battles as Sherman’s forces travelled down from Chattanooga into Atlanta in 1864. After defeating the Confederates here, Sherman burned Atlanta, then continued his march to the sea until Savannah, then turning north, burning our hometown of Columbia as he came through.
Growing up in a conservative environment in South Carolina, I always viewed Sherman as the enemy (it’s hard not to when you learn about a figure who comes burning and pillaging through your area); however, as we’ve been talking to Teagan about the Civil War, the battle for slavery, and the North’s victory, she has said something like, ‘I’m glad Sherman won.’ It was a jarring statement for me to hear, and given my upbringing, it’s hard to admit that it may ultimately be for the better that the opposing side won. But leave it to a seven-year-old to speak some truth to her ole Dad.
Personal history aside, the park itself preserves some very interesting features. When we visited back in November, Teagan and I hiked up Kennesaw Mountain, where a lot of the Confederate trenches are still preserved (‘earthworks’ is the term for this type of feature). Now with the whole family, we drove to the top and took in the view on this beautiful and cool day. From the top of the mountain, you can see the Atlanta skyline on a clear day.
At the Visitor’s Center, there is a nice museum that has a wealth of information and artifacts dating back to the war. As you may imagine, with two small kids, there isn’t a lot of reading going on in the museum; however, it’s close enough to Tiffany’s family that we can easily return some time.
The unigrid (which is the fancy word for the official pamphlet/brochure available at national parks) gives a seven-stop driving tour of the park. We only made it to three of those stops, but it’s nice to know that there’s more to see. The park itself covers a wide area, and it’s so interesting to see this history juxtaposed with new subdivisions popping up any place there’s some spare land.
The park itself has some great hiking, so even if you’re not in a history mood, you can get some good exercise. We spotted a deer as we drove, and I’m sure there’s many more tucked away in the woods. So if you find yourself in the Atlanta area and want a dose of history and/or nature, come check out the park. There’s much to see!
Below are a few pictures from our visit, along with Teagan taking the Junior Ranger pledge back in November.
Beavers in the Park 