Best Government Dollar Spent -- The National Park System
Everyone has their own opinion as to what the federal government does best -- which government dollar is the most well-spent, in other words. Some would say the military, or Medicare, or farm subsidies. For me, it's a close tie between the Interstate Highway System and the National Park System, both of which I appreciate whenever I get a chance to use them.
Which is why it was heartening to see President Obama taking his family to visit two of the crown jewels of the National Park System -- Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Most presidents don't even get around to visiting a National Park in their first year in office, unless you count the many places in Washington, D.C. which are administered by the National Park Service (technically, even the White House would count, under this designation). And even when most presidents do visit National Parks, it is usually to make a political point or push a specific piece of legislation, with a park as a convenient photo-op backdrop.
But Obama and his family weren't pushing any environmental legislation or making any kind of political point this past weekend. They looked like any other tourist family, there to enjoy the spectacular beauty with their kids (except for the Secret Service detail, of course). Barack Obama made a trip West with his own mother and grandmother when he was a young boy, and he obviously was taking the opportunity to do the same with his children. What could be more American and more family-oriented than that?
Some in the media didn't agree, and wrote fairly snarky reports of the Obamas in the parks. I chalk this up to the elitism of the coastal set, who sneeringly look down their noses at anything in what they like to call "flyover country" (since you're obviously supposed to fly over it on your way from one coast to the other).
Their loss. America has lots to offer, and much of it is hundreds of miles from a coast. Admittedly, there are some pretty boring parts of America (the Great Plains spring to mind), but there are also wonders to behold, tucked away here and there, that you'll never see unless you get in a car and drive there.
To be fair, I have to admit my own bias, which you've probably already guessed by now. I am unashamedly and unabashedly pro-park. I just got back from a trip where I visited my thirty-second National Park (Capitol Reef, in Utah). Since there are only 58 parks in all (eight of which are in Alaska, which I have yet to visit), I consider myself well on my way to seeing most of them in my lifetime.
Of course, the number of official National Parks changes over time, too. When I was growing up, for instance, there were only 35 National Parks. Some other sites (National Monuments, National Historic Parks, etc.) got upgraded to National Park status, and a few even got downgraded (to National Recreation Areas, for one). National Monuments I've visited have since become National Parks (Great Sand Dunes, in Colorado, for instance). But whatever their official designations, all are encompassed within the National Park System.
The Obamas picked a good park to start with, since Yellowstone was the first National Park in not just America but in the whole world. It became a National Park before the National Park Service or System even existed (which took place around 50 years later, in 1916). Yellowstone became a National Park owned by the federal government because there wasn't any state government in the area at the time (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho all became states later). And anyone who has been to see it can easily tell why it had to be protected -- because it is simply spectacular. Beautiful enormous canyons, waterfalls, rivers, and mountains all lie within the park's boundaries, but what makes it truly unique are the hot springs and geysers. Everyone knows "Old Faithful" of course, but there are hundreds of other thermal miracles to see as well, including deep pools of hot water the color of emeralds -- or any other color in the rainbow you'd care to look at.
Likewise, the Grand Canyon does not disappoint. Some sights you travel to and kind of shrug your shoulders and say "Eh... it's not as spectacular as I thought it would be." Some things look a lot bigger in photos than they do when you're standing in front of them, leading to a sense of disappointment. The Grand Canyon is not one of these sights. It's big. Really, really big. Stupendously big. Mere words cannot describe its bigness. Even mere photos cannot capture its gargantuan size -- because no lens is that wide. You stand on its rim and look way, way off in the distance, and you can barely see the other side of it, miles away. You look down into it -- down, down, down -- and when you think you've spotted the bottom, you find there are more layers beneath that. You finally focus on the Colorado River (the culprit who carved the thing), and it is hard to believe how far down you're actually seeing. Quite plainly, it is almost too big for human minds to conceive.
The word "awesome" is massively overused, mostly because it's just so darn awesome to say. But only very rarely is anything labeled "awesome" truly full of awe, or awe-inspiring. Both Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, however, measure up to the word -- I defy anyone to see either of them and not leave with a sense of awe.
In fact, I encourage everyone, no matter what part of these United States you live in (or even if you live elsewhere), to take a "trip out West" at some point in your life. Get in a car, and go explore everything west of Denver. Your choices of what to see along the way are numerous and varied. You can see the most beautiful mountains this country has to offer (my personal choice, as well as every magazine advertisement ever to use a mountainous backdrop, would be the Grand Tetons). You can also see: glaciers, deserts, canyons, natural bridges, giant trees, huge cliffs and waterfalls, cacti, rivers, sand dunes thousands of miles from an ocean, oyster shells on the top of a mountain ridge, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere (Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, 282 feet below sea level), the highest point in America (Denali), volcanoes (dormant ones in the continental U.S., active ones in Hawai'i), seashores, lakeshores, landscapes that make you think you're on another planet (White Sands, Bryce Canyon, Joshua Tree), humongous caverns, balancing rocks, Native American ruins, a rain forest (Olympic), petrified wood, dinosaur bones, hot springs, and (of course) geysers like Old Faithful.
That's all just west of Denver, mind you. There's plenty of other stuff to see in the other direction, too. But seeing President Obama and his family take in two of the western parks (just after I got back from seeing some of them myself) prompted me to write this paean to the parks out West, to strongly encourage everyone -- yes, even you! -- to plan on a trip like this at some point. It's worth it.
And it's worth every single one of my tax dollars that go to pay for it. Yours, too.
Cross-posted at The Huffington Post
-- Chris Weigant
We drove out to Florida from Whidbey Island, WA (as of 1991, the largest island in the United States). Packed the kids (3 at the time) the Rottweiler and ourselves and just headed east. 3751 miles.
Along the way, we got to see some really great sites. We went thru Little Big Horn, a thoroughly impressive place, though not as impressive as Gettysburg. We drove thru The Badlands (kept looking for Chakotay, but never found him :D) and even made a stop at Devils Tower. Sadly, no mothership. :D One of the most enjoyable family outings we have ever had, even better than 10 days at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.
it's a close tie between the Interstate Highway System and the National Park System,
Every time I read or hear about our Interstate Roadway System, I think of a line from the old Star Trek episode, BREADS AND CIRCUSES. It's the episode that had contemporary (at the time) 1960s technology but it was a planet where Rome never fell. Anyways, when Spock is scanning the planet, he says, "....an industrial society with an excellent roadway system."
I always wonder when I hear the term, what Spock would say about our roadway system. :D
But I digest.
Michale....
Michale -
Um, the big island named Hawai'i may have a bone to pick with Whidley Island's claim, there. Or Puerto Rico, depending on how you define things. Perhaps you meant "in the contiguous United States," in which case Michigan's Isle Royale would stand up and yell "Neener, neener, neener, I'm a National Park!"
Ahem. What was I going to say? Sorry...
I've been near Little Big Horn, but have not visited it, sorry to say. I have been to Wounded Knee, but the US doesn't exactly bend over backwards memorializing some things (it's pretty desolate). You're right, Gettsyburg is impressive, and they finally got rid of the tower which the residents found ugly. The Badlands are another place I'd include on the list of "feels like you're on another planet" now that I think about it. Devil's Tower is awesome, I have to say -- one of the first places "out west" I visited, which was right after the movie (Close Encounters) had put it on everyone's radar. Have yet to visit the Caribbean, though, I hear it's beautiful.
From that itinerary, I can assume you know why I cracked up the first time I visited Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. You emerge from the train station, cross a little bridge, and then begin walking on the road where the city streets begin. There is an advertising sign on a lamppost there, one of many advertising various differnt things, which says (you just can't make this stuff up): "Wall Drug, only 6,547 miles!" OK, I don't remember the actual mileage, but anyone who has crossed this stretch of America will know why it's so funny...
Frank Herbert, in a book called "The Godmakers" wrote of a planetary survey type of guy. I remember an interesting comment from this assessment, which I'll go and look up for you.
"...a wide road that follows the ridges is a military road. Always. Farm roads are narrow and follow the water level routes. Military roads are wider, avoid swamps, and cross rivers at right angles."
Dwight D. Eisenhower, long before he became president, was on a military convoy travelling across the continent. He got the idea that America should have the best roads in the world -- standardized wide highways, with no intersections at all -- just in case they were needed by the military some day if we were ever invaded. That's right -- the Interstate system was part of the Cold War, and (just like the internet) had its roots in military purposes. Of course, much like the Emergency Broadcast System (which was created to warn us of incoming nukes from the Rooskies), it has now been almost completely converted to civilian use. But your comment got me to remembering...
-CW
Yes, I did mean contiguous United States. Or, to use the vernacular, the "Lower 48". Seems like Alaska has the largest proportion of "Biggest Islands In The US".
Whidbey Island is way down at #40.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_of_the_United_States_by_area
However that link lists Long Island as #11. Which is in error. In 1991 Congress declared that Long Island was a peninsula and not a true island. Which paved the way for Whidbey to take the top spot in the Lower 48.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, long before he became president, was on a military convoy travelling across the continent. He got the idea that America should have the best roads in the world — standardized wide highways, with no intersections at all — just in case they were needed by the military some day if we were ever invaded. That's right — the Interstate system was part of the Cold War, and (just like the internet) had its roots in military purposes. Of course, much like the Emergency Broadcast System (which was created to warn us of incoming nukes from the Rooskies), it has now been almost completely converted to civilian use. But your comment got me to remembering…
That is some truly fascinating info. Kudos on your research.
Michale.....
Further research on the Island issue yielded some interesting results.
It turns out that it was in 1991 that Congress declared Long Island was not an island.
It was 1985 and it was the US Supreme Court.
This decision came in the RHODE ISLAND AND NEW YORK BOUNDARY CASE, UNITED STATES v. MAINE ET AL (469 U.S. 504 (1985)). The federal government and states couldn’t agree who controlled the Long Island and Block Island sounds. The states wanted control to regulate shipping and commerce on the sounds. The Key to the case was if Long Island was really an Island. If it were simply an extension of the mainland as the states argued, then under law the sounds are inland bays controlled by the states. If it were truly an island then they would be considered open waters under federal control.
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/United+States+v.+Maine+et+al+%28Long+Island+is+not+an+island%29
Fascinating reading..
Michale.....
Michale -
Never heard that case about LI, the one I remember is about Liberty and Ellis Islands, which took something like 200 years for the courts to work out. They kind of split the baby down the middle, Solomon-style, as I remember, when the Supremes finally ruled.
But I still hear Isle Royale standing up in the back of the room saying "Woot! 206 square miles! In your FACE!"
Padre Island was more gracious, merely saying "EV'rything's bigger in Texas, Y'all..." and then exiting the room.
Heh.
Not sure if it was Whidbey or not, but I do remember the story of the "war that almost happened" or the "dead pig war" (boar war?) on one of those islands up in Puget Sound. US and England almost went at it because someone killed a pig that wasn't theirs...
As for the Eisenhower story, there's a lonely "historical marker" (those historical markers are interesting sometimes, as I had never heard this story before) somewhere out in Utah, or maybe Colorado or Montana (it's somewhere out there, trust me...). Probably at a rest area on an Interstate (that would make sense), which details Eisenhower's trip, and how he conceived of the Interstate system. So no research necessary, just the treasure trove of useless but interesting info I call my memory...
-CW
CW,
Ahh yes, The Pig War... :D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War
The area of dispute was the San Juan Islands. They are in the Puget Sound and some of the best SCUBA sites found anywhere are in that area. If you can stand the 45-55 degree water temp, that is. :D
Anyways, it DID start because of the shooting of a pig.
Fortuanatly, the pig was the only "casualty" of the war, making the conflict essentially bloodless.
Michale...