Artist Thomas Moran 1837-1926 painted many scenes from the early National Parks. He was a prolific American painter who captured scenery from the West.
What national parks and monuments do you like? Are they worth protecting and if so, how much? Since 2000 parks and monuments have had a mighty restricted budget. We can’t afford to let these national treasures deteriorate.
Jon Stewart returns tomorrow night at 11 pm.
To me, national parks and open space are a key sign of a nation’s health. A weak, faltering nation fails to protect its national treasures, and a strong nation, both in the moral and financial sense, takes bold steps to make sure all its citizens have access to the beauty of its land.
Standing ovation, middleman! Excellent points made.
For our 50th birthday, two grade school chums and I hiked for 10 days across Glacier National Park and on into Alberta at Waterton. It was September, the tourists were mostly gone, and the weather was spectacularly good almost every day. We must have seen 20 Grizzly bears in that time.
Glacier forms my template for a great national park. One of the guys had been to Yellowstone and assured me that, as much as I liked Glacier, Yellowstone was even more interesting. I got my first taste of Alaska last summer and want to go back soon.
Yellowstone is more interesting but not as beautiful as Glacier. I was thinking about Going to the Sun Road tonight. I always ended up sitting in what I called ‘the death seat.”
I am impressed that you hiked Glacier at 50. Waterton is beautiful also and I didn’t think it looked anything like Glacier. We went there the hard way….by road.
We actually took a ferry the last ten miles from Glacier on the US side to Waterton. It was a good way to end the trip.
We went by car. I didn’t realize you could go by Ferry. Was it a foot ferry or a car ferry? It was a long way in the car but a gorgeous drive for the most part.
My favorites so far are Yosemite and Redwood National Forest. Seeing the redwoods up close was like being in a cathedral. Yosemite valley is simply breathtaking.
Next up- Death Valley for the stars and Monument Valley (for the monuments!).
Is Redwood National Forest the one in Northern California along the coast? I have been to that one. I haven’t been to Sequoia or Grant NPs.
Yosemite is on my bucket list.
Have you been to Bryce? Good stars there for sure.
I need a fact check from my Republican friends: according to Daily KOS in 2011 the Republicans had introduced 44 bills on abortion, 99 bills on religion, 71 bills on family relationships, 36 bills on marriage, 67 bills on firearms / gun control, 522 bills on taxation and 445 bills on government investigations. During that same period, they introduced zero bills on job creation. Could this be possibly true????
Pew News Quiz.
I got 12 out of 13
http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/the-news-iq-quiz/
Has anyone noticed the traffic quagmire in old town in the early morning now that OHS and Baldwin ES have changed their bell frames? OHS begins their day at 7:20, and busses arrive at Baldwin at 7:40. So around 7:10 each morning, cars full of students and busses are arriving at OHS, as 75 teachers are also trying to make their way to Baldwin. Everyone is trying to make their way down Main St. Also, Main St. is still closed at the intersection of Main and Pr. William St. It took me 15 minutes this AM to get from the intersection of Grant and Pr. William St. to Baldwin. The closure of the Main and Pr William St intersection (which is a 4 way stop), has caused many to try to make a left onto Pr. William from Battle and West Streets which do not have a 4 way and therefore back up those streets. Then the Wellington and Main intersection gets clogged, so many are choosing Liberty to Pr. William, to Main which then lines Liberty with cars as well. Maybe some traffic cops could help move the gridlock along.
Where are Andy and Steve R. Help! Lady in distress.
Moon, Redwood National Park is right on the coast, as you say. Something amazing that we learned when we went out there is that redwoods are all below 1,000 ft. elevation and the sequoia’s are all above 3,000 ft. elevation, so the redwoods are all near the coast.
We have been to Bryce- we go for New Years with friends. We saw a moon there one year that filled our condo window. We still need to explore the huge park on the other side of the mountain.
How totally neat! Where do you stay when you go to Bryce? I have always wanted to spend Christmas at Zion at that first inn on the left heading in to town. It is fairly warm there that time of year. How about Capital Reef? I loved Capital Reef. It doesn’t get as much exposure but to me is one fine park!
What is the name of the park on the other side of the mountain? I am having national park blur at the moment. Its all running together with a few state parks from the region in there too.
I have only seen the redwoods, not the sequoias. I didn’t know that about the elevation. That is amazing. We only went down that far and then took the road back up through Grant’s pass or whatever it is called. I always get seduced by distances in the west. They trick me.
Speaking of national parks–I’ve been all over the world, but I’ve seen very little of the US beyond the East coast and some of the Midwest. To change that, this year we decided to get a National Parks pass. Earlier this summer, I got to do a hike below the rim of the Grand Canyon. I would highly recommend it. It’s an almost otherworldly experience down there. You have to be pretty well-prepared with tons of water and food, but it’s an amazing experience and well worth the effort.
Very neat. Did you hike to the bottom? How about those mule rides? I hear going through it on a raft is neat also.
Did you get great picks? I have other friends who have hiked to the bottom. Pretty impressive.
I haven’t been all over the world. Just the Caribbean and parts of Canada, but I did make it a point to see a lot of the west and I enjoyed it thoroughly. California got the short end. I think as far as scenery and geology, I would have to vote for Utah being the most beautiful.
Emma, my wife and I hiked down into the Grand Canyon a few years back. I agree, it was an amazing experience. We particularly enjoyed watching the vegetation changes as you descend. We also saw a condor nesting down there.
As you say, you have to be very careful on that hike. It’s a LOT harder to get out than it is to get in-lots of people get into trouble.
Moon, I don’t remember the name of the condo, but it has a view of the ski slopes- we watch the skiers come down the hill with their torches at midnight while enjoying an adult beverage (or two!) on the deck.
I just realized- you must be talking about Bryce Canyon, Utah! I’m talking about Bryce, Va! Never been to Bryce Utah, but it’s now on my list!
Yes I was talking about Bryce Canyon. The drive from Bryce Canyon to Capital Reef is one of the most scenic in the United States. Its a surreal experience.
Zion is a look up experience. Bryce is a look down experience. Capital Reef is a right there among it experience.
I don’t know which I like best. The one I am in at the time. I am unable to hike so that limits me.
I also feel like an idiot. I thought you said Bryce Val thinking you are abbreviating. duh me.
It sounds like a neat plan for New Years Eve and not too far from home.
If you do go to Bryce Canyon, stay long enough to see all the stuff. That would be about 10 days. Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches. I have not been to the last two. I just couldn’t fit it all in. Didn’t try. The distances between the parks did me in. That trip was one of my favorites. I am not sure that you can do all 5. You need to fly into Las Vegas for the first 3 and SLC for Canyonlands and Arches I think. That is what I would do.
Airports in the west are so damn inconvenient. Easterners are so spoiled. Driving 5 or 6 hours to an airport just seems uncivilized to me.
No, we didn’t hike to the bottom. There are many warnings there against trying to do that in one day. A lot of people get in trouble trying to do that. It’s amazing how many people hit the trail so poorly prepared.
We went maybe about 3-4 miles down, and then headed back. We ran into a “rim runner” on our way back up-these are the insane peeps who run (yes, run) across and back all in one shot. The guy looked like he was going to collapse, but he made it back ahead of us after stopping for a break. @Moon-howler
Obama: Strikes ‘absolutely’ on hold if Syria quits chemical arms
President Barack Obama said Monday that he will “absolutely” hold off on striking Syria if President Bashar Assad puts his chemical weapons arsenals under international control in line with a Russia-backed proposal.
In a series of six television interviews, Obama also said he was not “confident” of getting congressional authorization to use force and had not decided whether to go ahead with attacking Syria if he doesn’t. But he warned that “the U.S. does not do pinpricks.”
http://news.yahoo.com/-obama-on-syria–u-s–‘does-not-do-pinpricks’-220312524.html
This coul be a major victory for Obama.
Btw, Olbermann’s new show is on espn. Oy Vey, why is this on a sports channel?
Please explain exactly how this could “be a major victory” for anyone… Asking for a friend 😉
@Starryflights
“the U.S. does not do pinpricks.”
Then how do you explain Sec. Kerry’s “unbelievably small” remarks.
In what way could the be a major victory for Obama? At BEST, Assad agrees with PUTIN and gives up or appears to give up his chemical weapons. Of course, nothing prevents him from making more.
Don’t forget our Virginia State Parks.
Sky Meadows has been a favorite since my grown children
were small. Just an hour away with great vistas and
almost never crowded. Can even walk a section of the
App. Trail.
I love Sky Meadows. You can stop at Barrel Oaks Winery on the way home. Do they still have their astronomy nights there?
Steve, have you seen the neat new picnic areas they have over there off to the right?
I suggest that diplomatic history will someday say that Obama, Cameron, and Hollande tried to play a chess game with the wrong Russian and eventually got bailed out cleverly by the same.
I am remembering that there was a huge contingency of isolationists prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. They didn’t see the issue as having anything to do with the United States. Let Europe handle Europe’s problems.
Lady in Distress no more!!!!! Due to popular demand, teachers at Baldwin ES are now able to enter the building at 6:30 AM, rather than wait for cyber keys to activate at 7 AM. Yay! We can now avoid the OHS crush on Main St. and gain a full hour and 10 minutes of available prep time. Absolutely priceless!!!! (seriously)
Cheer!!! That’s going to make for a long day though.
Dana Milbank responds to Putin. A very good read.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-what-americans-have-to-say-to-putin/2013/09/12/e6952c36-1be9-11e3-a628-7e6dde8f889d_story.html?tid=pm_pop
@Moon. Yeah, it’s a 9 hour day if there are no meetings after school.
Interesting. In the past couple of years, when illegal immigration was a topic of discussion here, I have mentioned our experience in seeing the American-schooled children of our immigrant neighbors begin to speak English no differently than our own grandchildren and to become more and more immersed in many parts of American youth culture. In other words, a youthful version of the old melting pot.
Last night, on the John Bachelor radio show, there was mention of an action being planned by Univision, the large Spanish-language television network. Apparently they are looking at creating a parallel Univision in the English language. Why? Because they are finding that young Hispanics, either born here to illegal parents or brought here by such parents, are now becoming far more comfortable in the English language and prefer it to Spanish when watching TV.
I’ll be darned! The American culture is far more invasive, it seems, than many give it credit for. And thank a school teacher when you have a chance.
I think that is an excellent idea, Wolverine!!!!
School kids often can understand Spanish but they can’t read or write it also.
Assimilation is great. That is one reason I am so determined to see the Dream Act pass. If it doesn’t we are going to be losing some great Americans because they simply lack paper work. For want of a nail a shoe was lost….
Wow, looks like I missed something. Univision’s service in English (called “Fusion”) is scheduled to debut on 28 October 2013. 24 hours of English to match 24 hours of Spanish and aimed especially at the younger Latino demographic which appears to have become more comfortable in English than Spanish.
Thanks very much for sharing that information.
Hopefully Fusion will also have lots of learning programs for pre schoolers who parents might lack English skills. That will cut down on the need for ESOL classes if citizen children come to school with better English skills.
Virginia Retirement System, Richmond, reported investment returns of 11.8% for its fiscal year ended June 30, boosting assets to $58.3 billion.
The White House is apparently overrun with cockroaches and rats: http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/bugged-obama-s-roach-problem-20130913
I’ll say.
Most old houses have permanent residents. When I was a freshman at Mary Washington I lived in Willard, the oldest dorm on campus. You should have seen the cockroaches. They sprayed all the time. It just toughened their will to live. I saw roaches 3 inches long down in the basement where the coke machine was.
There were rats. I never saw one though.
Got my new paycheck reflecting the 5% offset “raise” for VRS purposes. I am unhappy to announce that while the “raise” offset the 5% to VRS, it did nothing to offset the taxes I am paying for this “raise”, the increase to my 403B, the bump into a higher tax bracket, or the hike for medical insurance. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have a job, but like many Americans I am working only to see my take home pay become lower. It’s just frustrating to earn less now than I did 2 years ago. If I had been able to opt out of the “raise”, my paycheck would have been lower as well, but higher than I am taking home now. And I could have avoided being bumped into a higher tax bracket, which as a single person with no minor children, who can’t itemize, might have saved me from the impending fleecing by the IRS.
I wondered how that ‘raise’ was going to work.
When did it start for non-teaching county and state employees?
It’s humorous when people talk about the wisdom of the American people. Sandra Day O’Connor was right when she lamented about the “alarming degree of public ignorance.” People don’t understand that the debt ceiling is pay for what we already spent and that the President can’t spend a dime that isn’t appropriated by Congress.
http://www.businessinsider.com/debt-ceiling-poll-obama-boehner-government-shutdown-2013-9
We’re saved!
The debt has magically stopped increasing. There is no more need to raise the limit!
https://www.fms.treas.gov/fmsweb/viewDTSFiles?dir=w&fname=13091200.pdf
Current tables
As of July:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/treasury-debt-has-been-exactly-1669939600000000-56-days
The gov’t couldn’t be lying, could they?
Pete Candland is correct in attempting to legislate clarity in the language that affirms keeping 28 and 29 open until there is an alternative.
He removes the opportunity for weasel words.
Candland specifically says that this resolution doesn’t support or not support the Bi county Parkway.
He is trying to NOT tie the Bi-County Parkway to closing the battlefield section of 234 and 29.
help with wild animals. Supervisor Principi is correct that PWC needs to help residents with wild animals but he is wrong to limit that help to senior citizens on a fixed income. Many families are on a fixed income, not just senior citizens. Frankly, I am tired of senior citizens being made to sound pathetic for political puposes.
Some are, some aren’t. All families should be able to have assistance with removing wild animals. We all pay taxes. That’s another thing we need to budget. Pest removal is extremely expensive and isn’t an item most of us budget for. When you need to remove an animal, you don’t have time to budget for the event.