The United States Mint has released the list of 56 sites to be featured in the upcoming America the Beautiful Quarters Program. The first five coins in the new series will be released next year. What locations made the list? There are some familiar names and perhaps a surprise or two.

The Park Service insists that Hot Springs, Arkansas is violating the NPS trademark by using “Hot Springs National Park” in the city logo. The city has said that’s baloney. Now Interior Secretary Salazar says that he wants to see the dispute resolved amicably without damaging the National Park brand.

The National Park Service wants the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas, to quit advertising itself in ways that blur the distinction between the city and Hot Springs National Park.

Spring arrived at 11:44 UT last Friday, March 20, so let’s make spring the key word for this week’s quiz. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we’ll make you write on the whiteboard 101 times: “The celestial coordinate system that employs the vernal equinox as the origin of the ecliptic longitude is known as the ecliptic coordinate system.”

With national park redesignation back in the news, this seems like a good time to remind Traveler readers just how nonsensical NPS unit nomenclature has become. Why can’t Congress and the Park Service put their heads together and come up with an NPS unit designation system that actually makes sense?

If you just focus on its "national park" status, then today is the 87th birthday of Hot Springs National Park.