More Educational Vacation Destinationsby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 12 Oct 2007 04:40 PM I grew up in a state that boasts several historically significant attractions from Pearl Harbor to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Hawaii is rich in history and a popular travel destination for people interested in learning more about the experiences of Americans during World War II. However, the island paradise is only one of many states in the country that actively preserves important aspects of life that occurred in the U.S. during World War II. Recently, the National Parks Conservation Association, a non-profit that works to protect and enhance the park system, compiled a list of National Parks that commemorate historic events. Several of them are located in California, including Manzanar National Historic Site, which is about a four-hour drive from Los Angeles. Manzanar was one of 10 internment camps used during the war to detain Japanese-Americans. Today the site offers tours, documentaries, and exhibits to help visitors understand what life was like for the thousands of Japanese-Americans banished to the desolate area. Another popular historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. It's about a 45-minute drive from San Francisco and it's well worth the time in the car. According to the National Park Services website, the site commemorates a 1944 explosion in which 320 men (200 of them African Americans) were killed while loading explosives on outgoing ships. Following the incident more than 250 black seamen refused to return to their dangerous jobs. Consequently, many of them were imprisoned. The incident is now viewed by the National Parks Conservation Association as a prime example of racial injustice in the military. In Richmond, California (another 45-minute drive from San Francisco) the Rosie the Riveter-World War II Home Front National Historical Park is an excellent place to take children to learn hands on history lessons. The park has preserved stories about the challenges women faced on the home front during the war. In addition to the written documents, visitors can take a self-guided driving tour or a walking tour of the area. On the other side of the country is a historic site that is close to my heart. The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Alabama is a place where you can learn the stories of the African American men the Tuskegee Institute trained as pilots for the U.S. military in World War II. (I had the great pleasure of interviewing a couple of Tuskegee Airmen while I was working for a local TV station.) The historic site is located about two hours by car from Atlanta, and offers a number of interactive exhibits and films about the famed pilots. Other Educational Vacation Destinations: Educational Vacation Destinations East Coast Whale Watching Adventures Atlanta-Where To Go Outside Of The City Visiting Pearl Harbor's Newest Attraction Pearl Harbor: An Unforgettable Trip Hawaii's "Not So Famous" Military Memorials National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags Alabama, california, educational travel destinations, hawaii, Travel Discuss this article
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