Recent comments

Don't even bite on that one Frank. What Staci totally misunderstands is that true patriotism is love of country not love of the government, but what do you expect from repeated generations that have been meticulously indoctrinated by mandatory attendance in government run schools? We as a society will reap what we sow.

Again I return to the sage of Baltimore H.L. Mencken: "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."

I understand the desire for security when putting your email address on a national website; I don't want a bunch of spam, either. Nonetheless, the days of hiding in anonymity behind a computer (pre 9/11/2001) are behind us. We, as a nation and as citizens, deserve to know who is talking to us. If you want to offer comment filled with hate rhetoric, profanity, or that is just plain uncivil pretend that you have some internal fortitude and identify yourself. Otherwise, you are just another lunatic shouting in the breeze and, noone cares what you have to say.
LE

Elvis died in 1977.

As late as 1978?! Wasn't Elvis still alive then? Please! Drive your death trap over the 97.5% of the continental US that isn't wilderness! Valid mining claims! Ha!

The idea that the U.S. military is protecting anyone's freedom is an absolutely absurd notion but firmly ingrained in much of the culture. These Bozo's were not even able to protect their own headquarters in DC much less the largest city in our country. What they are good at, though, is attacking weaker countries that don't possess nukes i.e. Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan yet still manage to get their butts kicked anyway. To look at the U.S. military as a savior of anything is to be blind, stupid and ignorant of the reality at hand. After wasting nearly $2 trillion dollars and maiming and killing thousands of Americans, Mesopotamians, Afghanis not to mention incurring the anger and enmity of the world's second largest faith, what does this vaunted military have to show for its efforts? NADA. ZERO. ZIPPO! I just laugh at the silly and stupidly sincere sentiments of people like Sandia and Jeremy. How blind you must be!

The bigger point, relevant to this website, is that continued support of the current stewards of the national parks, is linked to support of the same people who control the military, the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, which is and will continue to be a hand puppet of the military-industrial complex. In the hands of these people the parks are nothing more than backdrops to be used when convenient to promote their warped agenda. If you think that the Congress is gonna step and make it right you're really dreaming my friends.

Ultimately I think that the parks should be turned over to other entities so that they can be treated with the respect and funding they deserve. A continuing faith in the Federal leviathan to do what is right and moral has long ago disappeared and any further trust is misplaced and naive. It is also proabaly dangerous to your health and well-being.

Jeremy and Sandi, why is it that you have to label people with childish insults who disagree with you. Sure, we all have differences of opinion about the subject matter discussed above. My uncle was a flight instructor in WW II, and would prefer the silence of the woods in the National Parks after serving horrendous years of war. I never heard him despise anyone who had a difference of political opinion then his, nor did I ever hear him speak vehemently against anyone who opposed the war, or the bloated war machine which us taxpayers who are overly burden with. Please zip up the trash talk, don't forget there were alot of hippies that fought in Viet Nam (and probably in Iraq too)....and died...Geo. Bush wasn't one of them. So, watch your spiel!

Jeremy is absolutely right...smelly spoiled leftists who seem to abound on today's college campuses don't even deserve to be in the same room as these fine gentlemen....
And I can't belive there are so many leftists in this blog who aren't grateful for their freedom that men such as the Angels have granted them thru the years.
As far as I am concerned, those military men and women who guard our freedom can fly over at any damn altitude they wish in our parks...and when they travel terra-firma, THEY should NEVER have to pay fees!!
God bless America, and our fine warriors who defend her!

I visited the crown 5-6 years before 9/11, and it was a wonder to behold. Yes, it was only a quick stop (due to the long lines and crowds), but it was worth it. You really get a feel for the place when you're crawling around inside it, and even when you're trapped inside, waiting your turn, you can really marvel at the construction of the thing.

I'm in favor of re-opening the crown, although they may want to establish some time of timed ticketing system like they do at other big attractions, especially during the heat of summer (when it's especially dangerous).

I find the statistics reporting 18,953,478 visits for the Blue Ridge Parkway subject to question. I say this not only because of the very high number of visitors registered, but also because the Blue Ridge Parkway numbers are much larger than those reported for urban parks and parkways like the Gateway National Recreation Area, George Washington Pkwy and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I suspect that the methods used to determine park visitation are not consistent from unit to unit within the National Park System. I wonder what quality control the NPS uses prior to reporting visitation statistics?

I find it interesting that you allow and provide for comments, but don't post them all. I posted a comment the other day, I didn't agree with you, so I guess that's why it hasn't showed up.

Been there Diana, found this whole region to be just awesome. This is a geological wonder that testfies that mother nature bats last. Yes, it deserves the status as a National Park...and more. Just to see the slow ecological recovery after this big blast is a remarkable thing to see. Try to visualize the impact that nature(after the eruption) has on this beautiful part of the country Ruth. It's not Central Park, but the rugged outskirts of Washington...I just love it!