Have our national parks lost their relevancy? I raise that question because on one hand we saw an upwelling of interest last fall when The National Parks: America's Best Idea, riveted many to their televisions for six consecutive nights, and yet on the other hand National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis shortly after he was appointed cited a need to prevent the parks from becoming irrelevant.

Despite one of the worst economies in recent memory, visitors flocked to Yellowstone National Park in 2009. In fact, the year was a record breaker, with nearly 3.3 million visitors passing through the park's gates.

Pounding surf to wake you, and to help you fall asleep. A quick dash into the breakers to wash the sleep from your system. Fresh sea breezes. What more do you need to consider before renting a cabin on Cape Lookout National Seashore for a vacation this coming year?

Traveler's creature features have proved very popular. Here’s the list, with the links.