Kings Moutain National and State Parks

In March, we ventured up the road to Kings Mountain National and State Parks.  The weather was not wanting to be cooperative, but we decided to go and take a chance that it may clear.  We started at Kings Mountain National Military Park due to the rain.

Inside the visitor center, we looked at the uniforms of the American Over-mountain man and a Loyalist of the British Crown.  The men that fought in the battle of Kings Mountain were not normal military men.  These men were all colonist that happened to have their loyalties lie to different sides of the revolution.  This battle was more of 'civil war' than British troops versus the American troops.

We watched the movie about the battle of Kings Mountain in the theater of the visitor center.  We learned how the battle took place and how it, along with the Battle of Cowpens, changed the course of the American Revolution.

After the movie, we looked at the museum.  Unfortunately, the museum area was under construction and most of the displays were off limits.

We did not walk the trail, due to the weather conditions.

We decided to brave the mist and light rain to head to the state park section.  As we ate our lunch, under the picnic shelter, the rain began to dissipate and the sun started to poke out.  Yay!  We traveled over to the living history area of the park after lunch.

This area of the state park is a wonderful depiction of a back country farmstead.  We enjoyed looking at the different buildings and watching the horses.

Overall, we had a nice outing with friends to learn more about the lives of our ancestors.

Kings Mountain National Military Park

The kids and I took a detour on the way home from the Schiele Museum to see Kings Mountain National Military Park.  I have been wanting to take them several times and the weather has not cooperated.  Today was a good day to stop and see it.

We loved the movie about Kings Mountain.  It was very informative and refreshed our memory of the battle.

We then strolled through the museum and listened to the recordings as we looked at the displays.  The museum is nicely and done and very informative.  If you missed any information during the video, you can find it in the displays.

Next, we hit the battlefield trail.  It was a mile and half trail that I would rate at mostly moderate.  There are a few steep inclines, but they have placed park benches to be able to sit and rest when needed.  Thank goodness it was a fairly cool day today for the walk!  Along the paved trail, there are displays telling about the battle and several monuments that have been erected.

At the top of Kings Mountain, was the monument to the American Patriots.  This battle was considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War.  Without the Overmountain Men and their rifles, the outcome of the war may have been quite different.

If you are ever in the area, stop by and see this historic site.  It will be well worth a few hours of your time.