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Tag: National Parks

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea

Published 09/30/2009 by Jane

 

Few television events attract my attention enough to land on my list of things to do.  When I took a recent leave of absence for six weeks, I never turned the television on.  But this week I have plans to watch TV for 2 hours each night.  The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is on public television.

It’s the story of the parks and of people.  The story of John Muir, and others who felt so passionately about the the preservation of our land that they spent their lives fighting to save it. The story of real people, who could only find respite, healing, and recovery in wilderness. It’s also the story of the displacement of Native Americans, and the replacement of animals, with the creation of the parks.   So if you’re reading this during the week of September 27, stop reading now, and go to the link above to find out when you can watch.

The episodes are two commercial-free hours, and I confess that I sometimes feel like I need a break, to breathe and to process all that I’ve seen and heard during the show.  If I comment to my husband, “Can you imagine” or “How beautiful”, I miss tiny pieces that make this series great…like “There is of-course no sense at all in trying to describe the Grand Canyon.”
I have been lucky enough to spend time in many of our national parks, both during childhood and in recent years with my husband.  My father is a master traveler, and I’m afraid I got the travel bug from him.  Our family trips are among my most cherished memories.  The experiences have been life-changing…but I’ll save that for another day.  For now I’ve got to go…I’m missing the show!
Jane
PS…now (Dec. 2009) the series is availbe for viewing at the National Parks site given above.

Which National Park would you most love to visit…or visit again?

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