The National Park Service Turns 100
The National Park Service celebrates its centennial on August 25th (good going Woodrow Wilson!) and in honor of this momentous birthday they are offering free admission at national parks from August 25th-28th.
We believe that getting out into nature, wherever you can find it, holds real value and the occasion seems as good as any to visit our local Vermont and New Hampshire state parks to celebrate.
If you're in the mood to learn more about the National Park Service, there is no shortage of resources both informational and interactive on the web.
The National Parks: America's Best Idea was a six-part, 12-hour documentary produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Douglas in 2009. The documentary's PBS site is full of detailed information about the park system's beginnings and development. There is an extended 26-minute preview of the documentary that is available on YouTube.
For the dreamers out there, we highly recommend this data scientist's take on the optimal route for visiting all 47 national parks in the 48 contiguous states. A trip of the lifetime! Does it appeal to you? Check out his recommended route>
If 47 sounds like a stretch, why not draft a shorter bucket list of parks you'd like to experience? The NPS's "Pick Your Park" interactive website is a fun way to "see" yourself at a National Park. The site's tool enables you to transpose a selfie photo of yourself over a park background in a polaroid type shot. Reach your national park goals through visualization!
However you choose to celebrate, we wish you a weekend of adventure, fresh air, and new discoveries.
Happy birthday National Park Service!
