Park News
Two more national park sites added to the list: #430 & #431
• The
Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa,Texas is the newest spot in the Park Service relating to Hispanic culture. The schoolhouse and close by Band Hall are where Mexican and Mexican American children were educated segregated from other races.
• In Springfield, Illinois is the
Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, memorializing a vicious assault by a White mob on a Black community. Ironically, the
Lincoln Home National Historic Site is nearby. This house was the only one Lincoln every owned, and formally became part of the Park Service in 1972.
This racially-motivated attack gave rise to the civil rights organization now known as the
NAACP.
And one will finally be completed…
The
World War I Memorial on the District of Columbia’s vast National Mall will install the last and perhaps the most important part of the site on September 13. The bronze sculpture called “A Soldier’s Journey” will have its First Illumination that evening at 7:15 p.m., and the ceremony is open to the public. Find details at
https://worldwar1centennial.org.
Most Disappointing Park??
Seems
someone rated
Mammoth Cave National Park “one of the most disappointing U.S. tourist attractions,” calling it “very dark” (what a surprise…). The park responded in good humor, writing on
Facebook, “A world of regret awaits you!”
Free day in the parks!
As I’ve mentioned before, only 109 of the Park Service locations charge admission. This month has one of the six days where the entrance fee for those parks is waived.
National Public Lands Day falls on Wednesday, September 28 this year. Explore for free!
Books, Books, and More Books!
My fellow authors at Pelican Book Group are again busy with new ebook fiction releases:
• M. Jean Pike’s
King of Hearts comes out September 13
•
Without a Dream by LoRee Perry is available on September 20
• Barbara M. Britton debuts
Escape to Whispering Creek
September 27
And my newest book is in its final editing stages!
More Life Lessons from the National Parks: God’s Still Present in America’s Most Glorious Places has just been sent back to me by the top editor at Elk Lake Publishing! A final read-through for me to see her (few, she claims) corrections/changes/rewrites, and the manuscript goes to the printer!
No Darkness Here!
“In Jesus was life; and the life was the light” John 1:4
Caves are supposed to be dark. Jesus never is. The first chapter of John in the New Testament notes He is light that shines in every corner of this world, and darkness in no way overpowers Him.
Where are you searching for enlightenment? Look no further than Jesus. The book of John is a great place to learn about God “made flesh [to] dwell among us,” so we could “[behold] His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
