National Parks Project
Dry Tortugas
Great White Sands
Mesa Verde
Kristina Pullaro
May 8, 2015

Dry Tortugas

My first National Park I would visit would be the Dry Tortugas. On my way there, I would stop and take an airboat ride through the Everglades. The Dry Tortugas is in Florida. They offer daily boat trips to Fort Jefferson, which is 70 miles west of Key West. I believe the best way to learn about history is to visit the places you want to learn about; the Dry Tortugas is a great place to do so. Ernest Hemmingway lived in Key West from 1928 to 1940 and took frequent fishing trips with his friend Charles Thompson to the Tortugas. His last trip was especially significant, however. They were out fishing when a tropical storm came through and stranded them at Fort Jefferson for two and a half weeks. Fort Jefferson is an old army base used in the late 1800s. Its remote located help southern troops get supplies during the civil war. Originally, the plan was for Fort Jefferson to be two layers. But as time passed, the first layer started to sink so the builders left it as one layer. Once you are done touring the fort, you can go snorkeling in the crystal blue waters that surround the island. The cost of snorkeling gear is included with your admission to this National Park. The island even has camp sites that allow you to camp under the stars while listening to the soothing waves crashing against the shore.

Mesa Verde To get to Mesa Verde, I will fly into Albuquerque, Colorado. Once in Albuquerque, I will take a hot air balloon ride around the city. I have always wanted to do this and Albuquerque seems like a great place to do so. Mesa Verde is a National Park as well as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was the home of Pueblo Indians about 700 years ago. To get to the actual park, you must take a steep trip up through the Colorado Plateau. Buildings in Mesa Verde were built in every nook in cranny the ancient Indians could find. One of the most impressive cliff dwellings is the Balcony house, which requires visitors to climb a 32-foot ladder and crawl through a short tunnel. I think it would be so much fun to go explore all of the ancient cliff dwellings and get a glimpse of what life was like for Pueblo Indians. There are also many beautiful trails that I would like to walk along. The main cliff dwelling have over 100 rooms with many different things to see in each one. I think the best time to capture the true beauty of the park would be in the summer because if you go in the winter, it would probably be a bit cooler because of the high elevation. I would camp out in one of the camp sites in the park