Is Fort Union National Monument Worth Preserving?

Ever driven past a historical site and thought... but why is this here? That's exactly the conversation we had about Fort Union National Monument in northeastern New Mexico — and we're not holding back!Monica was our boots-on-the-ground explorer and Susan did the deep research dive, and together we take you through the full story of this FREE National Park Service site: the three forts built on the same spot, the Civil War battle that changed the West, the adobe ruins slowly melting back into the prairie, and the big question — should your tax dollars be protecting this place at all?In this episode we cover: ✅ The story of THREE forts on one site — and why only two show up today ✅ Fort Union as "the Gettysburg of the West" — the Battle of Glorieta Pass ✅ Star forts — what they are and where else you can find them in the U.S. ✅ Monica's conversation with an NPS worker doing shelter coating on the adobe walls ✅ The Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts you can still see today ✅ The Buffalo Soldiers connection ✅ Fort Union vs. Fort Davis — a real comparison from two chicks who've been to both ✅ Why wives of enlisted men had to work the laundry (we have feelings about this 😤) ✅ The honest debate: is this a national monument worth keeping — or should New Mexico take it over? ✅ Dark sky park bonus — the stargazing case for visitingWe also reminisce about Susan's recent trip to Padre Island National Seashore and her two Junior Ranger badges — yes, two!🎥 Check out our earlier virtual hike/overview video of Fort Union from when the government shutdown kept us out — link in the cards!📍 Fort Union National Monument | Watrous, NM (Exit 366 off I-25) 💰 Admission: FREE | America the Beautiful Pass accepted 🐍 Stay on the trail — rattlesnakes are real out there! ☀️ No shade, no trees — bring water, a hat, and sunscreen 🌌 Dark Sky Park — incredible stargazing if you're in the area👉 Like what you hear? Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a new episode — we drop every Thursday! ☕ Buy us a coffee or grab some merch in our Zazzle store — links below! 👍 Share, like, and leave your quiz answers in the comments! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.