Generations of Americans got their first taste of national parks via car camping, that venerable tradition of driving to a park and setting up a tent or two in a roadside campground. That genre of park visitation seems to be slipping these days, though, and at least one car camping veteran blames it on economics -- there's more money to be made in lodgings than campgrounds.
For those planning a Yellowstone vacation in the immediate future, know that the East Entrance to the park currently is closed due to forest fires burning in the area.
The blogosphere is a pretty free-wheeling place. As a result, its developed a persona, right or wrong, of playing fast and loose with facts, with running roughshod over some posters, with allowing anonymity to serve as a shield for attackers. Some bloggers have called for a code of conduct for the blogosphere, and we at the Traveler support that movement.
The fight against charging fees to access our public lands lost a true champion this weekend. Robert Funkhouser, the president of the Western Slope No Fee Coalition, died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack on August 10 at his home. He was 50.
It's been just over a year since Dirk Kempthorne was sworn in as the new Secretary of the Interior. The Seattle Times has written an article reviewing some of the highs and lows for Mr. Kempthorne since he's been in office.
The "green" magazine 'Plenty' recently published an interview with Kurt. See what he has got to say about the site, and some thoughts for future features we are considering here on the 'Traveler'.
Can you imagine a national park where you'd be able to learn about the life of Walt Disney? A park where you can pose with Yoda? A park where you can set up your high-tech business next to others like Alexa, and Discovery Mining? And a park where can you relax with a round of golf? Imagine no more, because this park unit actually exists and is managed by the NPS.
It's been a year since a 45-foot-wide, 2,000-foot-long trench was blazed, without permission, through a portion of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park to lay utility lines for a commercial development. And still the government has not taken any action against the developers. To call attention to this, a candlelight vigil is planned for August 17th at the park.
Parks are famous as travel destinations, but for many of us, they represent more than just a road-trip. This fall, rock-climbers in Yosemite, backcountry hikers in Olympic, and students in Kentucky and Tennessee are gathering together in their favorite parks to give back to the places which have provided so much for them. You are welcome to join in.