Hope – JNPA Blog

Three Trip Ideas for Your Three-Day Weekend

Published on May 16, 2023July 18, 2023 by JNPALeave a comment

Feel like hitting the road? Check out our suggestions for a few fun weekend adventures.

Trip 1- St. Louis

Day 1– Let’s start this trip with St. Louis’ own iconic Gateway Arch! Your first stop will be the museum at Gateway Arch National Park, where you will learn all about the history of St. Louis, westward expansion, and the unique architecture contest which resulted in the construction of the Arch. Next, catch a showing of the documentary film Monument to the Dream followed by a tram ride to the top of the Arch. At 630 feet high, you can’t beat those views! For lunch, you can grab a bite at the Arch Café, have a picnic on the beautiful park grounds, or go check out the restaurants downtown. (St. Louis is known for its diverse food offerings.) In the afternoon, take a riverboat tour of the Mighty Mississippi before you do some exploring of Downtown St. Louis. Catch a Cardinals baseball game, go for a stroll through Citygarden Sculpture Park, or take a tour of the National Blues Museum. For dinner, check out the restaurants and nightlife at Ballpark Village.

Day 2– Your main attraction for today will be Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in south St. Louis County. Check out the orientation film and take a self-guided tour of the park’s museum, housed in the historic 1872 horse stable that Grant himself designed. Then embark on a guided tour of White Haven, the home where Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, fell in love and made their life together. Next, head to brunch or lunch at The Barn restaurant before taking a tour of the Thomas Sappington House Museum next door. When you’re done, make sure to take a stroll through Father Dickson Cemetery, one of the first public cemeteries for African Americans in St. Louis. For dinner, take your pick from the many wonderful restaurants in nearby Crestwood, Kirkwood, or Webster Groves.

Day 3– On the final day of your weekend trip, you are going to head an hour south along the Mississippi to the beautiful Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park. This unique park is spread out across multiple buildings in the 18^th century town of Ste. Genevieve. You can take ranger-led tours of the historic Green Tree Tavern and the Jean Baptiste Valle House. Next, you can wander through this picturesque small town and visit the multitude of shops, museums, and restaurants. For dinner, visit one of the six wineries on the Route du Vin Wine Trail.

Trip 2- Arkansas

Day 1– Every good trip begins with a little hope, and for this trip, we are taking that literally! Your first stop is the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in the quaint town of Hope, Arkansas. Stop by the park’s visitor center before taking a ranger-led tour of the home where our 42^nd President was born. Next, head down the road for lunch at Tailgaters Burger Co. or one of the other local restaurants. In the afternoon, you can check out the Hope Visitor Center and Museum or the quirky Klipsch Museum of Audio History.

Day 2– About a 90-minute drive from Hope is the unique town of Hot Springs. One of the first “spa towns,” Hot Springs has a mix of historic architecture and natural beauty. Though Hot Springs National Park is not one of JNPA’s partner parks, we still don’t want you to miss this gem! Your first stop is the Fordyce Bathhouse Museum and Visitor Center to talk to a ranger and learn more about the history of the area. Next, you can check out historic Bathhouse Row or go for a hike on one of the park’s many miles of trails. For lunch, stop by the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the only brewery located in a national park! In the afternoon and evening, go for a soak at one of the bathhouses, take another hike, or check out Downtown Hot Springs.

Day 3– Continuing northeast for an hour, this trip ends at the capital of Arkansas, the bustling city of Little Rock. At Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, you will learn about the bravery of the Little Rock Nine and the rocky beginnings of the desegregation of America’s schools. Stop by the park’s visitor center first to view the exhibits and watch the interpretive film. Then, take a ranger-led tour of the school, which is still in use today. Ask the park rangers for a lunch recommendation before heading into the city to check out one of the many other cultural institutions. Don’t forget to visit the State Capitol Building, which offers free guided tours. Animal enthusiasts may want to see the Little Rock Zoo, or art aficionados may enjoy the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. For an outstanding ending to your Arkansas vacation, check out one of the many local restaurants for dinner.

Trip 3- Northern Minnesota

Day 1– At over 200,000 acres, Voyageurs National Park will take up all three days of this getaway. Your first stop will be one of the three visitor centers. The largest, Rainy Lake Visitor Center, offers exhibits, an orientation film about the park, and a bookstore (operated by you-know-who). Next, head out on one of the park’s many hiking trails to take in the scenery. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy along the trail, but make sure to pack out what you pack in. End your day by getting settled into your lodgings. You could opt for the Kettle Falls Hotel or get a bit more adventurous: there are a variety of camping options at Voyageurs or you could even rent a houseboat!

Day 2– For your only full day at the park, take the opportunity to participate in a guided tour or two. In the Rainy Lake district, you can take a boat tour aboard the Voyageur, or in the Namakan district, you can voyage on the park’s newest tour boat, the Ne-zho-dain. If you are feeling extra adventurous, sign up for one of the park’s North Canoe Voyages, where you can paddle a replica of a north canoe while being immersed in an on-the-water living history lesson!

Day 3– For your final day at Voyageurs, take time to check out the Ellsworth Rock Gardens and the Harry Oveson Fish Camp, or do a bit of birdwatching. Then on your way out of the park, stop by one of the gateway communities, such as International Falls, to see the sights and restaurants they have to offer.

Happy traveling!

“I still believe in a place called Hope.”

Published on December 13, 2022January 30, 2023 by JNPALeave a comment

The National Park Service operates dozens of historic places that explore the lives and contributions of many of our U.S. Presidents. They range from homes where future presidents lived as children to memorials that honor their memories after their deaths.

One of the newer presidential sites – President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site – will be celebrating its 12^th anniversary as an NPS site tomorrow. And while it is a smaller park, it holds a fascinating history.

Little Billy Clinton (originally named Blythe until he was adopted by his stepfather) spent the first four years of his life in a white frame house at 117 South Hervey Street in Hope, Arkansas. His widowed mother Virginia left town shortly after he was born to attend nursing school, so the young boy was left in the care of his grandparents, who ran a small grocery store. At a time when the southern U.S. was racially segregated, his grandparents served people of all races, a memory that Clinton says shaped his broad view on race relations and social justice.

The 2½-story home – built in 1917 in a quiet residential neighborhood of Hope – was designed in the “American foursquare” style, so called because of its square floor plan. Its interior has been restored in recent years and although the furnishings inside the house aren’t original, they were carefully chosen to evoke the 1940s, when Clinton lived there. The first floor includes a living room, dining room and kitchen; upstairs are three bedrooms.

Little Billy’s bedroom with its cowboy-themed bedspread overlooks the nearby railroad tracks. Billy loved playing cowboy games with the neighborhood children, many of whom remained friends well into the future president’s White House years.

Today, National Park Service rangers offer guided tours of the home upon request. (Their schedule changes often, so it’s best to call 870-4455 for accurate tour times.) The park also operates a Visitor Center next door to the home, where guests can tour interpretive exhibits focusing on the life of the 42nd president. JNPA operates a gift shop there that features books and other products that interpret his life as well as fair-trade craft products from around the world, upon the request of the former president.

Credit: White House Collection/White House Historical Association

President Clinton credits his early days in his childhood home for many of the important life lessons that later defined his presidency and his leadership as a global statesman. As he frequently says, “I still believe in a place called Hope.”

Clinton’s “Birthplace” – in Japan?

Published on July 12, 2022August 16, 2022 by JNPALeave a comment

If you haven’t made it to Hope, Arkansas, you haven’t had a chance to visit Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site. Unless, of course, you’ve been to the Japanese island of Okinawa. Wait…what?

We’re guessing you wouldn’t expect to tour the boyhood home of a U.S. president in Japan. But you can (sort of). Eccentric Japanese businessman Takeharu Shiraishi, an admirer of Bill Clinton, built an exact replica of the president’s birthplace home on the grounds of a private golf resort. This was in 2000, just as the 42^nd president was arriving in Okinawa for the G-8 Summit. Clinton apparently never toured the building, though he later met Mr. Shiraishi.

The modest two-story house features the same white clapboard siding and green trim as its authentic counterpart in Arkansas. It is even furnished much like the original, with period-appropriate furniture and antique appliances purchased in the U.S. The home originally functioned as a tourist attraction then was later repurposed as a daycare center. It has reportedly fallen into disrepair, unlike the real thing in Arkansas.

So if you’re interested in experiencing the ACTUAL birthplace home of Bill Clinton, we suggest you take a trip to Hope. National Park Service rangers give tours every 45 minutes Sunday through Friday. You can also explore exhibits at the park Visitor Center and, of course, stop in at JNPA’s gift shop. A virtual tour of the home is also available for non-travelers, as is our online store.

President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in Hope, Arkansas

How Many National Park Sites Have YOU Visited?

Published on April 5, 2022May 3, 2022 by JNPALeave a comment

The National Park Service system currently includes 423 sites throughout the United States and its territories. These range from national monuments and battlefields to national historic sites and recreation areas to national rivers and seashores.

Don’t feel bad if you haven’t visited the majority of these places (most of us haven’t!). But luckily, National Park Week is just around the corner – a perfect time to add to your NPS “life list.”

National Park Week is an annual celebration jointly hosted by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation to encourage everyone to discover our nation’s diverse historic, natural, and cultural treasures. This year, the week runs from April 16 through 24. Parks across the country will host a variety of special programs, events, and digital experiences, including National Junior Ranger Day for kids on Saturday April 23. You can find out more about programs and themes you might be interested in by going here.

Another bonus for park visitors during National Park Week – entrance fees are waived at all parks on Saturday April 16. (Other 2022 free fee days can be found here). Luckily, there are never entry fees at JNPA’s partner parks but each of them would be glad to see you in April, or any time!

If you’re planning to visit any of the 63 parks that have “national park” in their name, you’ll want a copy of National Geographic’s national park guide as well as the Passport to Your National Parks, which not only contains park information but allows you to collect the passport stamps from every park you visit.

Honoring our Presidents

Published on February 15, 2022March 29, 2022 by JNPALeave a comment

Just in time for Presidents’ Day (February 21), JNPA has a wide array of cool gift items for that POTUS* geek in your life. What else would you expect from a non-profit with stores at three national parks that honor U.S. Presidents: Gateway Arch National Park, Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site, and Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site?

Gateway Arch National Park is a memorial to President Thomas Jefferson and his role in greatly expanding the borders of the United States.

JNPA greatly respects Jefferson’s accomplishments, as evidenced by the many books and statues we sell at The Arch Store. But we also sell a few more whimsical items that still honor our third president, like this stately bobblehead and mini-building block set. (We trust Mr. Jefferson doesn’t object to our…ahem…taking “liberties” with his likeness.)

President Bill Clinton spent his early boyhood years in a comfortable two-story frame house in Hope, Arkansas, an experience that he says helped develop his broad views on race relations, social justice, and public service. Our book on Clinton’s early life features numerous photos of the home as well as of the young future president.

An image of the home is featured on this handsome earthenware mug. And of course, we also sell a fun bobblehead version of the 42^nd president.

If it’s President Ulysses S. Grant you’re interested in, JNPA offers numerous items commemorating both Grant and his wife Julia. From books to sturdy mugs to fun kids’ products, there’s something for everyone. And don’t forget our popular bobblehead version of our 18^th president.

*President of The United States