# 12 – America’s National Parks

After visiting both the Redwood Forest and Glacier National Park, I feel that these parks are very necessary to the recreation and ease of the American people. Sure, through prices and travel, access to these parks is somewhat limited. However, presenting options for people to get out of the city and visit these places of natural wonder, continuing the art of preservation, seems to be a great use of time for people, and I think this is what Ken Burns is alluding to with the title of his forthcoming documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. It’s kind of like Disneyland in the underlying promise of gaining good quality time with your friends and family at these places. Honestly, as cliché as it sounds, quality time and relationship building can be had here, even though it is packaged that way. There are elements of truth to that statement.

I grew up going to Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as a slue of other state parks, during every spring, summer, and fall as my parents always wanted me to gain an appreciation for the outdoors and not just sit around and watch television (which I often did – perhaps it was their means of intervention!). They have meant different things to me from time to time. They have meant biking around during the summer, the wind flowing by my face as I rode around with new and old friends. They have meant summer recreational baseball games while camping. They have meant romantic getaway hikes with my girlfriend during high school. They have meant time for solitary camping and photography work, complete with journaling and lots of reflection, away from any phone signal or Internet. With this multiplicity of uses, they have certain charms to me in many certain ways. So it is with the American public – different uses for the many different types of people that live within our borders. A great idea indeed.