You saw the movie (well, mini-series), now get the book.  And a DVD of the mini-series and the original soundtrack.
The book, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, is companion piece to the mini-series, but is also capable of standing on its own merits.  It is a captivating visual reminder of the very best that we have to offer.  Ken Burns is a marvelous storyteller, and he has captured the essence of who we are as a society in the series and book.  In his introduction he speaks about the park system, “for the first time in human history, land–great …read more

In 1848 the First Woman’s Right Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York, as five women organized a meeting to protest the laws and customs that discriminated against women.  Thus began the crusade for equality and suffrage.  While those determined, courageous women are long gone, a visit to Seneca Falls today will still allow you to come face to face with their images at the Women’s Rights National Park.
You’ll get to “meet” the women via a group of bronze figures created by sculptor Lloyd Lily.  The figures include Elizabeth Cady Stanton (who was one of the authors of the …read more

Master of the documentary film, Ken Burns, launches another fabulous mini-series on PBS.  If you’ve been a fan of any of his previous work (Baseball, The Civil War, The War), you’ll won’t want to miss “National Parks: America’s Best Idea,”  This 12 hours series is shown in 2-hour segments starting Sunday, September 27th at 8 pm.
Mary McNamara, entertainment writer at the LA Times, offers a review of the series, and it sounds like we can expect some pretty impressive photography.  It looks to be another winner for Burns!
I visited woefully few of the National Parks, getting the ones close …read more

Enjoy viewing the sights and the  colorful gardens around the Netherlands Carillon, on the Virginia shore of the Potomac River.  This spot borders the northern end of Arlington National Cemetery (adjacent to the US Marine Corps War Memorial), and overlooks the District of Columbia.
Among thousands of tulips on the grounds, along with lots of other flowers,  is a bell tower — a carillon — that was a gift to our country from the Netherlands.  There are 50 bells in the carillon, the largest about 7 feet in diameter and weighing in and over 12,000 pounds, and the smallest measuring …read more

April 18 – 26th is National Park Week, an annual event established by Presidential proclamation, that celebrates and recognizes the important of America’s National Parks.  Parks are a living example of our country’s beautiful landscape and varied heritage, and provide us with numerous recreational and educational opportunities.  They’re just plain fun!
This year’s celebrations focus on a lot of activities for kids, in conjunction with National Junior Ranger Day on April 25th.
Here is a sampling of activities:

Russell Cave National Monument (Alabama, in photo) – Kids can make a Native American necklace and enjoy a nature hike along the way to …read more

If you enjoy using our National Parks, help your kids appreciate these national treasures by getting them involved in the Junior Ranger Essay Contest sponsored by the National Park Foundation.
Students aged 9 to 12 are asked to answer the question:
Why are our national parks important to you and what is your best idea to protect our parks for the future.
Essays must be no more than words in length, and must be submitted by May 1st, 2009.  Read the judging criteria and other details, as well as submit your entry online.
First Prize is a $1,000 Visa gift card and the …read more

My goodness, I love Flagstaff. The location, the people, the brewery, the closeness to everything Grand.
Here’s another reason. The Arizona Republic reports:
More than 265 teenagers from 44 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces will meet at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff from Monday to Aug. 3 to participate as finalists in North America’s largest high-school environmental-education competition: the 2008 Canon Envirothon.
Teams will be tested on knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and a current environmental issue. This year’s current-issue topic for the competition is “Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources.” Students will analyze long-term and short-term environmental, …read more