I have but one question. . .
Who the hell doesn't LOVE a National Park??
WE MAY DISAGREE on a lot of things these days—and by “we” I mean members of my own family, my closest friends, people I love and admire, and my fellow Americans writ large—but come on! There cannot be actual people out there who don’t want to see one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of this country, i.e., the creation of the National Park Service, preserved for their children and grandchildren.
OR
For those who don’t have children or who don’t really like the children they have, there’s this: The Yellowstone National Park Act was signed into law on March 1, 1872, and established the world's first true national park. It withdrew more than two million acres of the public domain in the Montana and Wyoming territories from settlement, occupancy, or sale to be "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."
A pleasuring-ground? Who doesn’t love that?!
As an aside, I double-checked the meaning: If one thing is another thing writ large, it is similar to it but larger or more obvious, i.e., “me” and “my fellow Americans,” which is to say I am similar to my fellow Americans but larger and more obvious.)
Teddy Roosevelt visited my favorite place on the planet in 1903 and is said to have exclaimed: (i.e. to cry out or speak in strong or sudden emotion—Go Teddy! I love a man in touch with his feelings and not afraid to show them!)
"The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world .... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."
I couldn't agree more, Teddy! And since there’s no such thing as too many pleasuring-grounds, let’s set a holiday for those of us who LOVE our national parks, monuments, battlefields, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and even the White House. Now is the time to celebrate!
National Park Week is April 19 - 27
To inspire you to visit, support, repost, spread the love, etc., here are photos taken during my visits to some of our national parks:
NOW IS THE TIME! Support YOUR NATIONAL PARKS if you can. Or VOLUNTEER to help. Or post on social media #NationalParkWeek. Or all of the above!
HELP spread the word about National Park Week!
To know one is to love one, so get out there and enjoy!
That’s it for today. Thanks, as always, for being here. And remember. . .
Life is short. Read fast.
From one lover of the written word to another,
With love,
Jayne
Coming July 8, 2025! Bottom of the Breath is the story of a woman catapulted from her tranquil life on the Florida panhandle onto a cross-country road trip with her recently estranged husband. She must outrun a hurricane, digest a shocking, decades-old family secret, and come to terms with her own pain-filled past. Laced with mysticism and set among the majesty of Sedona and the Grand Canyon, the novel explores the power of friendship, the importance of forgiveness, and the vital need to create a future that embraces the past.
I LOVE A NATIONAL PARK!!!!!
My family drove to a lot of parks when I was a kid. Most years to Tetons (Jenny Lake) and Yellowstone. Also Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison (hubby and I went twice last year), and of course the Rocky Mtn Nat Park. I remember how nice the rangers were - how they'd hold story hour and talk about their park over a campfire. How they'd warm my mother (an intrepid photographer) away from the bisons! It's our heritage, like castles in Europe!