The National Park Service at Richmond National Battlefield Park in Virginia is working to expand its interpretation of Civil War history along the James River.

On the day that three park rangers joined my cruise to interpret Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, I slept through their 6 a.m. arrival. But I was among the early birds gathered in the lounge for their 7:30 a.m. greeting, and when they later spoke from the bridge on a webcam channel, I listened from my stateroom with a park brochure and map spread out on the bed.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana is open end-to-end, but you might need a reservation to drive it.

High temperatures and breezy winds were challenging firefighters trying to contain a lightning-sparked wildfire burning within El Malpaios National Monument in New Mexico.