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 visiting We 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! 📚 YOUTUBE CHAPTERS 00:00 – Welcome & Howdy! The Two Chicks intro 00:30 – Susan's recent trip to Padre Island National Seashore 02:45 – Monica's America the Beautiful Pass & the entrance fee debate 03:08 – Introducing today's topic: Fort Union National Monument 03:44 – The backstory: government shutdown & our virtual hike attempt 04:09 – History of the three forts: from Army outpost to supply depot 06:26 – Location check: where is Fort Union exactly? 06:42 – Fort Union & the Civil War — "The Gettysburg of the West" 07:48 – The Battle of Glorieta Pass (1862) explained 08:26 – The star fort design & other star forts in the U.S. 09:54 – What you actually see today: adobe ruins of the third fort 10:34 – Fort Union vs. Fort Davis — a side-by-side comparison 11:29 – Monica meets an NPS worker: shelter coating & wall capping explained 14:01 – When did it become a National Monument? Eisenhower & 1954 14:40 – The walking trail, rattlesnake warnings & no-shade reality 15:46 – Bugs, prairie wind & what to bring 16:25 – The Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts — can you actually see them? 17:45 – Why Fort Union closed: the Santa Fe Railroad replaced the trail 18:28 – Wives at the fort had to work the laundry — Monica has thoughts 😤 19:16 – The big debate: WHY is this a National Monument? 21:13 – How many western expansion forts are there already? 22:01 – Does Fort Union tell the FULL story of American expansion? 23:31 – Adobe preservation vs. conservation — what's the difference? 25:28 – The case for state management over federal protection 26:04 – Fort Union vs. San Antonio Missions & Goliad — a better comparison? 27:04 – The dark sky park angle — the best reason to visit? 27:46 – Final thoughts: worth the trip if you're passing through 28:10 – Outro: subscribe, merch, Zazzle store & Hike Your Own Hike! 🥾 #FortUnionNationalMonument #NewMexico #NPS #NationalParkService #SantaFeTrail #AdobeRuins #FreeNationalParks #HikingNewMexico #MoraValley #TwoChicksWithHikingSticks #WalkWithMe #VirtualTrail #NewMexicoTrue #WesternHistory #ShouldWePreserveIt #NationalMonument #HistoricFort #OutdoorWomen #WomenWhoExplore #Hiking50Plus #NMTrue #SantaFeTrailHistory #ExploreNPS #CivilWarHistory