| What could be more American than our National Park | | | | Mexico! Retrieving your ball and scoring the hole is |
| Service? People everywhere express interest in | | | | difficult since there is no physical connection to the |
| exploring these symbols of our national heritage. The | | | | green. |
| parks range from large and well-known, like Yosemite | | | | Little Bighorn National Monument - This Park gets our |
| and Zion, to small and obscure, like The Golden Spike | | | | vote for the best ranger talk. The site of Custer's last |
| National Historical Park and Moore's Creek National | | | | stand presides over the valley below with such visual |
| Battlefield. | | | | splendor that one can easily imagine the Indians |
| The parks are divided into several categories including | | | | camped below and the obedient men under the |
| National Parks, National Historic Parks, National | | | | direction of General Custer being led to their slaughter. |
| Monuments, National Seashores and more. The | | | | As the wind blows over the site, the rangers do an |
| difference is not just the significance of the park, but | | | | incredible job of setting the mood, the facts and the |
| also the funding and, therefore, staffing and amenities | | | | story of Little Bighorn. Armed with the knowledge of |
| of each location. In all, there are over 400 locations | | | | the battle, an audio tour is available as you head out |
| maintained by the National Park Service and they do a | | | | through the actual battlefield. |
| great job keeping everything maintained, accessible | | | | Dry Tortugas National Park - On of the least |
| and enjoyable for the millions of annual visitors. The | | | | accessible of all our parks is Dry Tortugas, 67 miles |
| parks are truly one of the gems of our tax-supported | | | | off the tip of Key West. Best reached by several |
| services. | | | | companies who offer "fast Cat" service to the island, |
| Each park, monument, seashore and more was | | | | the history and the remains of Fort Jefferson mix with |
| designated due to some unique characteristic worth | | | | the wonderful snorkeling to make for a great day trip, |
| preserving and showcasing. From the intricate | | | | or a multi-day stay for the adventurous, since there |
| lacework of Wind Cave in South Dakota, to the fragile | | | | are no improved campsites on the island, no lodging, no |
| eco-system of the Florida Everglades, the park | | | | bathhouses and no drinking water available. Fort |
| rangers are well informed and eagerly teach visitors | | | | Jefferson dates to the early 1800s, when it was |
| about their park. The Junior Ranger program for kids in | | | | constructed to protect the Gulf of Mexico. This is one |
| some of the larger parks is better than a year of | | | | of the parks that has fallen victim to the loss of Park |
| science and history back home. | | | | Rangers, partly due to the desolate conditions there. |
| So what are some of these lesser known locations of | | | | Fortunately, our guide for the boat trip had become |
| special significance? Here are three that you might | | | | knowledgeable about the history of the fort and |
| want to include in your next trip. | | | | provided excellent "ranger" descriptions for our group. |
| Big Bend National Park - Located in far south Texas, | | | | The National Parks website at is a treasure trove of |
| this park is visited by less than a million people a year | | | | information, whether your visit is to a famous or |
| and stretches over 800,000 acres, with three distinct | | | | not-so-famous park. If your goal is to visit many of the |
| eco-systems. The Chisos Mountains loom from most | | | | national parks, be sure to pick-up your personal |
| every vantage point in the park. In the spring, the | | | | "Passport" at your first park - a clever and unique way |
| desert portion of the park is alive with wild flowers and | | | | to catalog your visits. The National Parks Pass is a |
| animals of every description. And finally, the canyons | | | | bargain at $50 a year for unlimited access to the |
| of the Rio Grande make a spectacular trip via rubber | | | | parks with a 50% discounts on use fees within the |
| raft or canoe. The Santa Elena canyon is spectacular | | | | park. The Golden Age passport is available to those |
| with the canyon walls rising 1500 feet on one side to | | | | 62 and older and is good for a lifetime. Our disabled |
| Mexico and the same distance on the other in the US. | | | | citizens are also entitled to Golden Access Passes, |
| The nearby town of Lajitas (outside the park) boasts | | | | regardless of age. See the website for complete |
| the only "international" golf course in the US when one | | | | details. |
| hole has an optional green across the canyon to | | | | |