The National Parks: America’s Best Idea begins tonight. Ken Burns, film maker for 30 years has created the series. So I dedicate this weekend to film makers.
I am a huge proponent of the National Parks and I have waited for today with great anticipation. The series starts tonight at 8 pm on PBS.
National Parks preserve that which is best of our country for our posterity. They are a great source of national pride. They require protection and preservation. They can cause controversy. They protect us from ourselves and from our greed.
Ken Burns exposes the difficulties the national park system has had since its inception and gives us beautiful film footage of the wonders of our nation, along with a good dose of history. The previews are on now and will be repeated throughout the day. Each episode can be viewed online and will be repeated for about 2 weeks on PBS. You can create a scrapebook of pictures as well as other things. You will be able to buy the dvd and book at some point.
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/
This series will probably renew a huge interest in our national park system. Plan to go soon, early and often, before the throngs get there. My wish is that we, the Anti crowd, will be able to put aside some of our rancor and discuss this series.
Breathtaking pictures! Thank you Teddy R for having the forsight!
Check the ones out on the PBS website. You can make a scrapbook, you can find wallpaper, many different things. You will also be able to watch missed episodes, etc.
Ken Burns is awesome. I love his documentary series.
Parks ROCK!
I do too, Slow. He has the ability of making me horribly interested in just about anything. Couple my pet interests with Ken Burns and I just become obsessive. My favorites have been the Civil War, and WWII so far. But…I love the National Parks, so I see a new favorite in the making. The first one that is on now, (started at 2) has been terrific. I don’t know if there will be a different one at 8 pm or not. It is confusing. At any rate, there are 6 different shows.
Did you get a chance to catch the one he did on the West? It was third on my list, after Civil War and WWII, just like you.
Yes! I am an idiot. I liked it so much I just bought it and then promptly left if off the list. I am going to treat myself to it again. I was just wondering today where I stuck it. The search is on now!
I am also very fond of the Lewis and Clark film he did. The music is positively haunting! I bought that one outright also but it was no where near as expensive as the one on the west.
I love the parks; have been fortunate to see many; from the Everglades to Acadia in Maine; Yosemite and Point Reyes Nat’l Seashore, Calif; Mt. McKinley in Alaska, White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns,NM; Rocky Mtn Nat’l Park . Must say, though, that the flight over Grand Canyon in a small plane on a sunny April morning was one of the most awesome expereiences of my life.
It’s a shame the parks have not been kept up. Many have been loved to near death. Used to camp in Yosemite in the 60s and it was wonderful. Then too many people came; the valley became smogfilled and the campgrounds overcrowded. Anyway, the Park Service doesn’t get enough funds for proper upkeep.
As for Ken Burns – I find him difficult to swallow.
My favorite is Yellowstone. I probably like the buffalo as well as the geysers. Both stink like bad skunks.
I have been to Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Redwood in northern California, Olympic, Rainer, Grand Teton, Everglades years ago, Blue Ridge. Zion, Capital Dome, Bryce Canyon,
and I have run out of parks. I wish I had been to Yosemite and Rocky Mountain and Badlands, Arches, and Canyonland. When I was a kid I wanted to go to Carlsbad. Not so interested now.
Have always loved our parks (Sky Meadows State Park is one of
my local favorites), even if they are often understaffed and with
low budgets for maintainence.
I like Ken Burns and admire his work, but wish he would lose
that damn pageboy haircut.
MH
The buffalo are sooo ugly but cute-ugly.
Drove through the Badlands by moonlight, and I’ll tell you, it was ghostly!
Yes, the buffalo are very ugly. The little ones are cute, especially when they wallow. What I found amazing is just how damn big those things really are. They are HUGE. Tatanka!
Poor Richard, I love Sky Meadows in the fall, during the week when it isn’t crowded. I have never been out there at night.
I have to agree with you about Ken Burns. He also doesn’t seem to age which I resent. Didn’t he used to have a mullet?
Page boy is gone. Grown up hair cut –moon checking in at 10:15
Like all Ken Burns productions, I felt it was grand. I was particularly interested in the history of making the areas national parks. NPs are the first places cut when money is tight. How many times was Yellowstone left on its own with no source of funds?
Some of the geysers in Yellowstone are permanently damaged because of people throwing crap in them. That would not happen today. Some park ranger would crawl all over you!
We often hear someone ask today, to name one thing the government does better than private enterprise. WEll here it is: Being the stewards of the National Parks. I cannot think of very many private enterprises that successfully keep up public lands and buildings for posterity. Generally they are sold and bulldozed. Monticello is one exception.
The government keeps the parks for all of us and our posterity. And in this one instance, our posterity is more important than we are.
I hate to bring this up and spoil everyone’s enjoyment, but some parks in the South West are being turned into pot farms by the illegal alien drug cartel connection in Mexico. Just a comment for all those park loving open borders folks!
@Punchak
I am jealous, which is an emotion I dislike.
Punchak, were you on a tour in Badlands or traveling alone? Full moon?
SA, Do you know which ones in particular? The NPs have had many cut backs the past decade. One way to stop that pot farm stuff is to have enough rangers. I do know you don’t have to go as far as the south west to find pot farms being grown on govt land. George Washington National Forest which seems to be everywhere is home to quite a few, but I doubt if the Mexican drug cartels are the ‘owners.’
I don’t know of anyone posting here on anti who is an open borders advocate.
Large scale illegal marijuana farming in National Parks and Forest
by well armed gangs is a massive problem. Sequoia, Glacier
Big Bend and others are “hot spots”. Forget the bears and
snakes, back country hikers often have more to fear from angry
and ruthless “farmers” defending their crops with AK-47s.
Ironic, but one stated cause of the growing problem –
“Tighter security on the US borders has raised incentives for
domestic cultivation”.
(
Now there’s a down side.
Part of Glacier is shared with Canada (Waterton NP) I expect that border is a real popular hop across point.
Perhaps more rangers or specialized rangers need to be added to the parks. They were not well tended during the Bush years.
The National forests have been a land unto themselves for years. Nothing there surprises me.
So did anyone watch and what did you think of the series?
I am happy to report I found my newly ordered copies of Ken Burns The West.
Articles about the recent killing of a part-time census worker
in rural Kentucky have focused on the idea that he may have
accidently stumbled on a meth lab or marijuana farm.
If you a stranger in a poor, isolated rural area – stay alert.
(Saw news photo last week of heavily armed, bullet proof vested
macho looking guys – Special Forces in Afganistan? Nope,
US Park Rangers in California.)
Note: The NYT has an editorial “What’s Wrong With the National Parks?”.
You might find it informative.
Thanks Poor Richard. I had not made it that far yet.
Part 2 comes on tonight at 8 and again at 10:30.
Yesterday’s show is on all day today.
Beaches are an ever-scarce resource, and I’ve often thought they should never be allowed to be owned privately. The Texas Open Beaches Act was enacted several years ago to prevent developers from obstructing beach views from the public and preventing public access. As national parkland, our tax dollars can ensure that all beaches are accessible, and that the grasses and wildlife are protected. As a bonus, it would stop beachfront development and all the whining that happens when hurricanes strike and–surprise!–damage oceanfront properties.
Emma, I agree with you. However, don’t yoiu think we are too far in to beach ownership to undo things now?
Assateague and Olympic National Park are about the only 2 National Park beaches I can think of off the top of my head.