Beyond the Scenery

Fourth of July in our national parks

         Here are just a few happenings:

• The National Park Service always puts on a big show on the National Mall
• Fourth at the Fort is an all-day event at Virginia’s Fort Monroe National Monument
• Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania commemorates the Civil War battle every July 1-3; on the Fourth, rangers present a campfire program on the encounter at the park’s amphitheater
• The American Revolution is the subject of North Carolina’s Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, marking the 249^th anniversary of our country’s independence
• The Boston area played an important part in the Revolutionary War, and at Minute Man National Historical Park, the Declaration of Independence is read aloud at 2:30 p.m. at Concord’s North Bridge, followed by musket volleys; Boston National Historical Park hold an all-day event celebrating the Fourth at Old North Church (feel free to boo and hiss every time King George III is mentioned); on Saturday, July 5, the Longfellow House-Washington Headquarters National Historic Site has a special, five-hour program commemorating the 250^th anniversary of George Washington’s arrival in Cambridge (George and Martha make an appearance!)
• Virginia’s Colonial National Historical Park features family-friendly activities throughout the day, beginning with a parade and ending with fireworks
• Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine holds what it calls an “old-fashioned Fourth," with fife and drum corps, along with cannon and musket firing
• And at the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed, Independence National Historical Park, the Celebration of Freedom includes tours and programs throughout the day.

What else is happening in the parks?

         I’m glad you asked. Check out this pair of articles, from the New York Times (great photos!) and the National Parks Conservation Association.

July’s subpar parks review

         Apparently, somebody thinks Virgin Islands National Park is “totally overrated.” The park takes up two-thirds of the island, with gorgeous beaches, colorful coral reefs, and ancient petroglyphs. Oh well, can’t please everybody…

         Outside Magazine has an article about the worst national parks reviews for 2024. Hmm…someone thinks Redwood National Park should be sold and the trees made into paper?

An old article

         Years ago (as you can tell by my photo in the article), I wrote about a naturalization ceremony I attended, and what it taught me.

A new article

         In the July issue of Prevention magazine, I write about my diagnosis of laryngeal dystonia.

New books

I’ve just joined AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Association), an organization for Christian authors and presenters. Fellow writer Grace Fox is coming out with a new book July 8, Names of God: Knowing Peace. New York Times best-selling author Debbie Macomber endorsed it!

Pelican Publishing Group is releasing two Christian romance titles this month:

• Tracy Wainwright’s Overflowing Hearts (July 11)
• Under the August Sky by Erin Stevenson (July 25)

A Christian Ministry in the National Parks

         ACMNP observes 75 years in the parks in 2025! Over 17,000 team members have led over 100,000 worship services for park visitors and employees. This summer, 140 young people are working at seasonal jobs and conducing services, perhaps at a park you’re visiting!

Citizenship

         If you read my article from USA Today (mentioned above) about attending a naturalization ceremony, you’ll note I was awed by what someone applying for citizenship has to do. Try the civics portion of the test to see how much you know!

         The Bible tells us we have a citizenship awaiting in heaven, the city of God, for eternity (Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 12:22). Becoming a citizen there is much easier, no test required, because Jesus took it on our behalf and passed with flying colors: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, those whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Park News

May 17 is the 71st anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling desegregating our nation’s schools. “Separate But Equal” is a 1991 television mini-series. Sidney Poitier didn’t do TV movies, but he agreed to play Thurgood Marshall in this one. Other well-known actors in the cast include Burt Lancaster (in his last role), Cleavon Little, Henderson Forsythe, and Richard Kiley. See the trailer on IMDb. Your streaming service may offer the film.

          Why am I mentioning this? The Court bundled together five separate challenges to racial segregation in public schools, from Washington, D.C., Delaware, Virginia, South Carolina and Kansas (the film concentrates on this particular one). The Kansas lawsuit became the case name, and Topeka is the home of the National Park Service’s Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park. Only 109 national park sites charge admission, and this place is fee-free.

Subpar parks review for May

         This month’s evaluation from the Subpar Parks Illustrated National Parks Calendar is about Indiana Dunes National Park: “Dunes are not that high.”

         So…15 miles of beachfront on Lake Michigan, 50 miles of trails, and historic buildings (including one from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair), not to mention free admission count for nothing?

Get a whiff of this (or not)

         “Park toilet closures causing a stink” read a recent USA Today article. “If you’re struggling to find a restroom at some National Park Service sites this spring, you’re not alone,” the piece goes on to say. “Multiple national parks have closed their toilets and visitor centers, citing staffing issues as a result of President Donald Trump’s budget cuts, buyouts and layoffs across the National Park Service.” It notes that 2,400 to 2,500 staff positions have been eliminated, which is a problem during this season. The parks will hire more seasonal workers than usual this summer, which hopefully will bring relief.

         The motto for now, though, is “know before you go…” 

         P.S. The USA Today article got the number of Park Service units wrong. The number is 433, not 496.

Park Reservations 

         More national park sites will require reservations to visit this year, a practice started a few years ago to control overcrowding.

The booking provides visitors with a timed entry, reserved in advance, for a small sum. Time slots in popular parks may fill up quickly, so plan ahead as much as possible.

Here are the park sites requiring some kind of reservation in 2025:

• Acadia National Park, Maine
  (there’s no timed entry to the park itself, but if you want to drive up Cadillac Summit during May 21 through October 26, you must get a vehicle reservation ahead of time)
• Adams National Historical Park, Massachusetts
  (to enter the historic buildings, from from May 1 through October 27 only)
• Arches National Park, Utah
  (for the periods of April 1 to July 6 and August 28, to October 31)
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Kentucky
  (buy beforehand to be sure to get in, or take a chance at the park’s Visitor Center)
• Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C.
  (reserve online in advance for $3.50, or try to nab free, same-day tickets)
• Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida
  (the park itself has no entrance fee, but you need to stop at the Fort Matanzas Visitor Center to obtain a free boarding pass for the ferry in order to tour the fort)
• Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Virginia
• Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri
• Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
• Independence National Historical Park, Pennsylvania (only for guided tours)
• Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial, Missouri (from May 17 through October 27, if you want to go up to the Observation Deck)
• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, New York (reservations needed only to tour the house)
• Statue Of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, New York (the sites are free, but you must purchase ferry tickets to reach them both, either in advance or same day
• Thomas Edison National Historical Park, New Jersey (reservations for a timed entry to Edison’s house, Glenmont, can only be purchased ahead of time March 10-December 31)
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah (it’s “strongly recommended” to purchase tickets for a cave tour in advance, although some same-day ones may be available; if you have a Senior or Access Pass, you’ll get 50% off!)
• Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. (I can attest it’s better to get a timed reservation to enter the monument ahead of time; free same-day tickets are snapped up early)

Reading Material

         May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. I wrote two articles for Fodor’s Travel--one lists the World War II Japanese detention camps, and gives a bit of US history regarding Asian immigrants. Another is on exquisite Japanese gardens around the country.

         And on May 2, fellow Pelican Publishing Group author Erin Stevenson brings out Dr. Mallory and the Undercover Dog-Dad.

Mother’s Day

As I wrote in More Life Lessons from the National Parks, Waco Mammoth National Monument in Texas might be a good place to take your mom—or to remember her if she’s no longer on this earth. The park features our country’s only “nursery herd,” a group of fossilized Columbian mammoth females and their babies. They appear to have been caught in a creek bed that rapidly filled with water, the mommies positioned as if they’re trying to protect their babies.

That’s just what a good mother does (fathers, too, but their day is next month). And while God refers to Himself with a masculine pronoun throughout Scripture, He demonstrates traditionally maternal characteristics, too, as noted in this tender passage:

As one whom a mother comforts, so will I [God] comfort you.
                                             (Isaiah 66:13)