National Parks Traveler

Jess Stryker

Biography

Landscape Architect and author. Trying to visit all the National Parks as a goal. Operate several websites including http://www.historic-hotels-lodges.com which features several hotels in National Parks. My personal website has lots of photo albums from my visits to national parks along with comments on the parks. My park photos are not the best, but are good enough that some of them have been used by the National Park Service for park related promotions and materials.

Homepage:

Jess Stryker Homepage

Jess's Most Recent Comments (view all)

11/02/2009 10:19 am - Researchers Survey Some of Mammoth Cave National Park's Many Cemeteries : I noticed "Little Hope Cemetery" on a visit and stopped to wander through it. Anyone know the origin of the cemetery's name? My assumption has been that it is not a reference to the eternal outlook of those buried there!
9/27/2009 10:04 am - Another Cellphone Tower OKed for Kings Canyon National Park : I think all things considered the Park Service made the right call on this one. I'm not a big fan of cell phones in the parks, but this tower location has a few special considerations. I'm very familiar with this area and have been at this cell site many times, ...
9/12/2009 10:20 am - It May Be the Prettiest NPS Site You've Never Heard of, But that's Likely to Change : A beautiful place, thanks in large part to Rockefeller and the fact he had lots of money. He was definitely a conservationist, but he also had his own interest at mind. He liked the view from the mansion, but he knew it would all be developed and his view would ...
8/22/2009 10:23 am - "Bad Times" Aren't Always All Bad – These Two Ideas for "Improving the Parks" Fizzled : Tramways aren't always successful, either. One was eventually built at Mt Hood, going from the town of Government Camp up to the famous Timberline Lodge. It was a low budget setup, and used old city buses suspended from a cable as tram cars (really!) It was also a failure, only ...
8/02/2009 9:05 am - Pinnacles National Monument: Should It Be Labeled A National Park? : Pinnacles National Monument is gorgeous and the talus caves make it a fun place as well. It would already be a National Park if it were in, say, Ohio. But it raises that same debate; what makes a site "national park worthy"? I'm not sure I would consider "great potential ...
7/20/2009 10:42 am - Traveler's Checklist - Glacier National Park : Just returned from spending a 6 days in Glacier last week and it is spectacular, even though it rained much of the time! I was expecting to find "Yosemite style" glacial valleys, so was surprised at how different the glacial landscape of Glacier is from what I am familiar with. ...
7/20/2009 10:14 am - Lodging in the Parks: John Muir Lodge, Kings Canyon National Park : If you have info to share please contact me through my website at http://www.historic-hotels-lodges.com. Thank you! There's also a more extensive history of Grant Grove Village posted there.
7/03/2009 9:43 am - Does the Federal Government Really Want to Seize Six California State Parks? : This is all just classic California politics. The voters here (yes, that includes me, so I'll take some of the blame!), through our intiative system, have created a political-financial system that requires compromise on the part of our politicians for it to work. A large majority is required to pass ...
6/18/2009 9:12 am - Badger Pass Icon Nic Fiore Passes; Taught Thousands to Ski At Yosemite National Park's Ski Area : My wife, son, and I are among the hundred-thousand who took ski lessons under his direction. I'll never forget him ringing the big bell out behind the Badger Pass Ski Lodge that signaled the start of each session. He made a remarkeable contribution to both Yosemite and the ski industry. ...
6/05/2009 4:20 pm - How Familiar Are You With Yosemite National Park? : You guys are slipping, nobody has yet to correct me that you can't see Nevada Fall from the Valley! It should be Yosemite Falls.

Jess's Most Recent Articles (view all)

Is The Chateau at Oregon Caves National Monument Haunted?

Ghost stories and old buildings just seem to go together, and the national parks have their share of old buildings -- and ghosts! If you spend a night at The Chateau at Oregon Caves National Monument, you just might agree.

Lodging in the Parks: The Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite National Park

What is the most elegant, upscale hotel located in the National Park System? While an argument could be made in favor of several hotels, it is likely that most people would say it is the 4-star-rated Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park.

Lodging in the Parks: John Muir Lodge, Kings Canyon National Park

It's a rare occasion when a lodge is built somewhere in the National Park System. As a result, even though the John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon National Park was built in the late 1990s, it's still considered one of the newer lodges in the park system. That said, don't expect a four-star accommodation.

Dr. Quinn Could Have Identified This Mystery Photo

If there was a trick to this week's Mystery Photo, it was that the buildings were not authentic. Rather, this the Western Town at Paramount Ranch in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.