If you're not so entangled in your work, business, or extracurricular activities, you may find time to visit some extraordinary places that I have been residing in, and have experienced, within the last 5-6 years. All of these historic places are in the United States, however. But this is nothing new to American citizens. We have an abundance of historic sites throughout the United States, and many in foreign countries, also.
What is it worth to visit or revisit these sites, and in particular, military sites in the US? I can think of a few values, namely visualizing a partial historicity, recalling a past event, realizing our continual differentiations and their consequences, recognizing some of the economic expenditures resulting from warfare, and learning or cogitating on these presentations for reference and discussion, especially about unknown heritage and idiosyncrasies (of the conflict, et al.).
New Orleans
So what was really fantastic about seeing something special in the US? It appears epistemologically pure. It doesn't make me wince, therefore, to learn about one of Anne Rice's haunts or the building in which Jefferson Davis spent some of his life after the Civil War in New Orleans, Louisiana. They both exist.
It's really true that Jefferson Davis died on December 6, 1889, and although his remains were removed from New Orleans and now resides in Virginia, a monument to the ex-Confederate president is present at the antebellum Greek Revival architecture, the Payne-Strachan Home, located at 1134 First St. Further out is the Brevard-Mahat-Rice House in which Anne Rice, New Orlean's vampire novelist, lived and worked in at 1239 First Street. This is also a Greek Revival house nestled in New Orlean's Garden District. If you are ever in this district, you'll know, because when you enter into the Garden District, the roads are covered by the shade of massive overlapping trees, and the remaining flora heavily decorates the houses and businesses through the district.
Like history about the Confederate army? The Confederate Memorial Museum is just what you need. Located at 929 Camp St., this museum has a horde of Confederate battle flags, uniforms, and weapons. Cheap rates, but call (504) 523-4522 to find out more.
Just down aways is the new National D-Day Museum, located at 945 Magazine St., near the Warehouse District. It was open in 2000 and has World War 2 artifacts, including an amphibious infantry landing vehicle and a plane. Costs are minimal, but call (504) 527-6012 for additional info and guided tour times.
Now that you have seen these, or will have seen them, take a walk to the Riverwalk and Woldenberg Park for a ride of a lifetime. The Creole Queen has regular trips to the Battle of New Orleans site, which is located in the Chalmette National Historical Park. This is said to be a three-hour narrative about the battle, and the ride on the Mississippi river is a dream! Call the Chalmette National Historical Park for details about the Battle of New Orleans (BONO), which had taken place on January 8, 1815, at (504) 589-4430, and contact the Creole Queen toll free at (800) 445-4109 for ride and other info. A recent contact with this toll free number's voice instructions had indicated that the 2 1/2 hour tour, which starts at the Riverwalk/Canal Street booth, costs Adults $25 each and Children $17 each during a daytime cruise.
After finishing on the Riverwalk, provide yourself with some casual relaxation from the Riverwalk Marketplace by taking a stroll through Woldenberg Park and to the new Moonwalk Promenade next to the French Quarters, or Vieux Carre. This is definitely a refreshing trip, and very scenic.
It houses the House of Blues, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, contemporary creole, many historic sites, including a wax museum, and its called the French Quarters, generically, and Vieux Carre, formally. From the new Moonwalk Promenade, you'll get a great view of the St. Louis Cathedral and the park next to it with General Jackson's statute in the center. Across the park is Washington's Artillery Park, which has artillery pieces from the Civil War.
The annual Jazz Fest, the riverboat race, and Mardi Gras are attractions in New Orleans, so plan your tours when the place is swarming and you'll have a grand time there!
St. Louis
During early 2001, I relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, and at the moment, the only thing I can think of the area is another bed of civilization on the Mississippi river, punctuated by notable individuals, such as Mark Twain, Harry S. Truman, Jesse James, Molly Brown, and Lewis and Clark. But you don't get this image by just moving into the area, as I had worked there in the City of Frontenac between 1995 and 1996.
The City of St. Louis has some large structures, though, including the Trans World Dome sports complex, which is home of the St. Louis Rams, Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Kiel Center, home of the St. Louis Blues, and the 630 foot Gateway Arch built by Eero Saarinen, plus the electric rail transportation system the wends east across the Mississippi river and west through St. Louis and to the airport. If that's not enough, get ready to participate in St. Louis' Octoberfest and Fair St. Louis; or stroll to Laclede's Landing on the Mississippi river for some shopping, nightclubs, and restaurants; or spend some time on the Admiral, which is a riverboat converted to a casino.
There are some sites that may be beneficial to wargamers in St. Louis, although there are many sites outside of St. Louis. The Arch houses below ground the Museum of Westward Expansion, which has some exhibits, including Civil War exhibits with weapons that will, undoubtedly, dispell mythos about weapons technology during the 19th Century. Contact for both the Arch and the Museum is (314) 982-1410 and (314) 655-1700. The Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum has pre-Civil War exhibits. Contact the Museum at (314) 622-4550. Across from the Soldiers' Memorial is the Main Library on Pine St. This library has many collections, including a complete Jane's Fighting Ships and a Reserve of older books, which should inculcate anyone into the military past. Contact the Main Library at (314) 340-2402 for a list of their present reserve collections. The Jefferson Barracks Historical Park is constructed around an old Army post, even with the old magazines there. Contact the Barracks at (314) 544-5714. The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site has guided tours, but call for details at (314) 842-3298. And don't miss Grant's Farm. Contact for information at (314) 843-1700.
Believe it or not, most military history about the US can be found outside of St. Louis. One such place is in the City of Fulton that has the Winston Churchill Memorial, its library, and the sculpture, Breakthrough. Call for details at (573) 592-1369. In Kansas City, there's a Union Cemetery. Call for details or tours at (816) 221-4373 and (816) 561-6630. The City of Springfield honors the battle that had taken place there on August 10, 1861 between Union and Confederate forces. It's called the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. Contact at (417) 732-2662 for information or available tours. Miniature World resides in the City of St. Charles, Missouri. You may contact them at (636) 916-0550. Miniature World focuses on miniature displays, primarily World War II representations.
Knowing that the City of St. Louis was one of the major cities that supported the building of the "city" monitors during the Civil War and that the cruiser, St. Louis, was damaged off the island of Kolombangara by the Japanese "Long Lance" torpedo during WW2 demonstrates this city's long-standing heritage and the area presence of the many sites that pay tribute to the past. The City of Branson, in addition, is a compact and miniature music and theatre world south of Springfield, Missouri. Contact their Chamber of Commerce for more information or brochures at (417) 334-4084.
Alabama
Now that you've been through some US heritage, I'll bring you to San Francisco, a tourist haven in the United States. But before we enter the writer's sphere of local stops there. I'll make one premature stop at an attraction located Alabama.
And that's the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, located on I-10 along the Gulf Coast. The Big of big? The USS Alabama had seen much action during WWII, and there's other features, such as a submarine and a retail store. Parking is accessible but may cost a few bucks. Your contact points are (251) 433-2703 and www.ussalabama.com.
Also worth seeing is Fort Morgan and the Museum of Mobile. Fort Morgan was an old American Civil War confederate stronghold, located in the Gulf Shores area, on Highway 180W. Contact is (251) 540-7125 for tour info. The Museum of Mobile has a collection of artifacts spanning several ages of America, including Civil War exhibits. Contact the Museum at (251) 208-7569 for information. The Museum of Mobile is located on 111 South Royale Street.
San Francisco
Some of San Francisco's naval attractions are coming up, including a fleet submarine, the best WWII manufacturers had produced, and a functional Liberty class supply ship. This feature of America will be the last explained in this article.
During August 2003, I visited the pier in San Francisco which docks both vessels, the SS 383 and the SS Jeremiah O'Brien. The USS Pampanito was a Balao class submarine during WWII. The Pampanito's primary service was in the Pacific in which it operated in wolf- or war-packs (war-packs being mine). A "self-guided audio tour" is provide for the 2003 admission price of $7 US Dollars for adults. The tour starts aft in the torpedo room and wends forward. The Pampanito had six torpedo tubes forward and four torpedo tubes aft. You may obtain information about the USS Pampanito on a web site at www.maritime.org/pamphone.shtml or contact the Maritime Park Association at (415) 775-1943. Being a fleet submarine, which was the largest of all the fleet of submarines, one might be surprised to find that even the living conditions in this submarine were extremely tight.
Just a short walk further out on the pier is the Liberty Ship, SS Jeremiah O'Brien. This supply ship formed the backbone of Allied supply lines during WWII, and the O'Brien had completed a tour of the Atlantic theater of war in which it participated in the supply and resupply of the Allied invasion beachheads. According to one of the Liberty Ship's tour hosts, Ellen, the O'Brien is the last of the Liberty ships that were saved. It marks a memorandum of individual effort against what terrified the world during that time. The O'Brien had been fully restored and now operates as a cruise ship as well as a museum. The last cruise offered starts on October 12, 2003 and costs $125 US per ticket. If you would like to obtain information about a cruise aboard the SS Jeremiah O'Brien , call (415) 544-0100. The self-guided tour starts at the pier and use the same telephone contact number for more info on pricing and times. Use their web site at www.ssjeremiahobrien.org for additional acknowledgement.
The last stop is at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, which is located next to the Fisherman's Wharf district. In the Park resides the Hyde Street Pier, which is at the end of Hyde Street on the Bay. Contact the Park for information at (415) 561-7100 or www.nps.gov/safr.
The Hyde Street Pier moors several vessels that have spanned the Ages, including sail and steam. More importantly, when gold was discovered (again) in the San Francisco region, sea-going vessels became a important transportation convenience, and the Bay's busy commerce can attest to new technologies, such as the donkey engine that was used to stow and remove freight from the vessels. The earlier versions used donkeys or mules to manually handle freight from vessels. There are a couple of sail vessels that are part of Hyde Street Pier historical park, including a paddle boat and a huge riverboat.
All this makes for attractive scenic and aesthetically pleasing and comprehensible history and environments
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