Valley Forge

Let's just say Valley Forge and I have a past. My first visit was a class trip back in the early to mid 80s, and I remember being told about the name coming from the forge in the valley before the Revolution. I couldn't wrap my head around a time so long ago it was before 1776.About 20 years later, I returned with my young bride, just on a whim to check this place out that I vaguely remembered. She loved the hills, fields, and trees and began an interest in American history. Being a West Coast gal, it was one her first experiences visiting the places from the history books. Since it was only about a 45 minute drive from home, it became a frequent family escape. Our little daughter was a huge fan of George Washington at that time, and she loved going to the March In event, celebrating the Continental Army marching in to make camp in December. Reenactors had a fire going and were cooking a bean soup. She called it a "George Washington campfire" because that's what kids do when they're 3 or 4. We had a great time walking the Valley Creek Trail and frequently saw deer, and even heard turkeys once.
Later, I found out that my family escape had a possible family connection. Looking through the muster rolls, I found a Private Charles Goodin of the 6th PA Regiment. In the event we aren't related, I adopted him. No one can prove or disprove relation. That connection inspired me to become a volunteer at Valley Forge. I was given an official shirt, a name tag, and a binder full of info to study. They stuck me at the desk at the visitor center, where I excelled at starting the movie and answering questions like "Is this where Washington crossed the Delaware?" Having worked in retail for far too long, I was used to people asking stupid questions like "Is this register open?" or "Do you work here?", but this was a different situation. Knowing the answer (it's no, by the way), doesn't require specialized training but you have to know more than the average person. So I got to educate without being condescending. I'd tell them no, then explain how we got from crossing the Delaware and taking back all of New Jersey, then turning around a losing half of Pennsylvania to wind up at Valley Forge.
I volunteered at Valley Forge for 2 years (while working 2 jobs) before moving to the Seattle area for a decade. While I was out west, NPS renovated the area around Washington's headquarters, turning the old train station into a small museum about life in Valley Forge the village. Currently, the visitor center is being renovated, scheduled to reopen spring 2020. A temporary center is operating in the lower parking lot. If you haven't already, check out the Valley Forge NHP page.

Welcome!

With over 400 sites to chose from, the National Park service has something for everyone. America's national parks not only preserve our natural wonders, they also preserve the story of America. This story is told in thousands of voices, from those of our great leaders to ordinary people doing ordinary things- or doing something profound. 
The National Park Service protects America's highest (Denali, 20,308 feet) and lowest (Death Valley, -282 feet) points, our deepest lake (Crater Lake), longest cave system (Mammoth Cave), tallest trees (Redwood) and highest concentration of geysers (Yellowstone). If you can imagine an ecosystem, it's in a national park: tundra, coral reef, alpine glaciers, mountain meadows, prairies, forests, rocky shorelines, swamps, and much more.
The historic timeline preserved by the parks starts when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The human timeline runs from prehistoric civilizations through the Age of Discovery to America's founding and beyond, right up to the tragic events of September 11th. You can visit the birthplace of America, see where the Revolutionary War began and ended, where the Civil War began and ended, and key sites from the Civil Rights movements. Learn about the people who, in the course of their normal day, built America. 
Learn America's story by visiting our national parks, monuments, memorials, battlefields, and historic sites. Or live vicariously through this site. Hopefully what you see here goes beyond the standard stock photos you'll find through a web search. Stories and photos from the various parks will be added as I visit them.