| Page 1195 | National Parks Traveler

Hmmm. So you don't need to carry a firearm in bear country because waving your arms has worked so far. Okay, hitting the brakes on my car has worked so far, so I guess I can forget about wearing my seatbelts. Right. Got it. (Lots of folks seem to be escaping from Mister Roger's Neighborhood lately...)

Picking Apples in the National Parks, Some History

Sep 16th - 16:05pm | anonymous

We're glad you have highlighted the value of historic orchards within the NPS System. Sadly, some historic orchards have been removed based on the mis-guided argument that these orchards are "exotics" and without any prior homework to research the correct pome identity. These losses actually occurred at some locations within Redwood NP

National Park Mystery Photo 27 Revealed: Street At Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

Sep 16th - 14:47pm | Connie Hopkins

I actually googled Trimble Block and saw that they were located in SE Ohio which was why I was guessing the 2 Ohio NPS Historic Sites that I did. I figured it would be process of elimination and I would eventually get it right! Ha Ha!

Sep 16th - 10:39am | Anonymous

Actually, the bricks have been in place for years. Williams Street was rebricked in conjunction with the development of the park in the 1990s. No recent road project changed anything.

Reader Participation Day: Where Was Your Worst Dining Experience in the National Parks?

Sep 16th - 14:40pm | Kat

I've worked in a number of parks, and have been to more lodge restaurants, but the Ahwahnee in Yosemite was most disappointing. I've eaten there about a dozen times, including for Bracebridge, and have never felt that the food and service lived up to their setting or reputation. Two experiences were especially memorable.

Sep 16th - 06:07am | Jon Merryman

I've found that if you know a little Russian or another eastern European language, the service improves dramatically! ;-)

Sep 15th - 20:33pm | Anonymous

The Crystal Lake Coffee Shop at Mammoth Cave was our worst in park dining. The only word to describe them is SLOW. We waited (next in line) to be seated for over 35 minutes. There were plenty of open tables yet none of them clean. The wait staff didn't seem to know how to take orders and clean up in between time. Let's just say multitasking was not part of their vocabulary.

Sep 15th - 19:45pm | jane schneider

Thought I'd add another to the plus column. My son and I ate at El Tovar on the South Rim at the Grand Canyon this July. The lodge's dining room is a lovely space, of course. But also worth noting is the food: generous, tasty portions, well-prepared, and not overly priced. Kudos too, to our waitstaff, who were prompt and courteous.

Sep 15th - 16:42pm | Kurt Repanshek

Vegasjerry, have to agree with you about the Meta Room in Mesa Verde: /2009/07/dining-parks-mesa-verde-national-parks-chef-ensures-southwest-flows-through-his-dishes

Sep 15th - 16:19pm | vegasjerry

The worst experience was at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The menu said fresh garden peas along with my "homemade meatloaf". The peas came straight from a can. Plus the "manager" said we do not serve canned peas. I said sonny I've been eating canned peas long before you were born. He just walked away.

Sep 15th - 16:00pm | Anonymous

Cafeteria at Yosemite Lodge at the falls...Biscuits and gravey...had ice crystals in the middle of the biscuits, luke warm gravey, they were to busy at 7am to heat or replace. I was hungary and ate the breakfast. Two hours later I was SICK, SICK.

Sep 15th - 15:59pm | Kevin M

Pkranger, Thanks for the info. I wish I had talked to you that day! I will try to remember it the next time we come down from Mt. Scott at the "wrong" time of day. In any event, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we did not worry about a few bad calories after a few miles on those steep trails.

Sep 15th - 14:46pm | Randi Minetor

Kurt, I just read your St. Mary Lodge story. Yikes! It's interesting: We also booked late, about two weeks before our trip, because the trip itself came up fairly unexpectedly. I theorize that these organizations hold the rooms in need of repair to book last, perhaps knowing that they should not be booked at all.

Sep 15th - 13:22pm | Kurt Repanshek

Randi, I should have had you argue for me with the front desk clerk at St. Mary Lodge...;-)

Sep 15th - 13:11pm | Randi Minetor

Nelson, we had a very similar experience at Canyon Lodge in YNP in June. We were willing to go with the flow when a manager came and told us (after 40 minute of waiting for our food) that our waiter had just realized he had never entered our order into the computer. The manager then offered us an additional glass of wine, which we assumed was complementary.

Sep 15th - 12:45pm | Glenn Scofield ...

I hate to admit it, each time I've been to Crater Lake I have tried the new Annie Creek restaurant for their breakfast buffet (a total of about five visits). The service was minimal, but not horrible. But every single time, the food was completely tasteless and incredibly slow. Most the restaurant was in a state of waiting most of the time... waiting for food to come to the buffet.

All Was Not Lost When Loggerhead Turtle Determined to Nest at Cape Hatteras National Seashore Was Run Over

Sep 16th - 11:37am | dapster

Kurt, Great article a usual! Thanks for pointing out one of the very few positives that have come out of this tragic event. It's somehow comforting to know that some her offspring successfully hatched. Dave,

Sep 16th - 05:59am | SS1

If you have not been to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, you would be amazed at the controversy and diverse management difficulties that encompass this NP. For instance National Park LEO patrolling the ocean beach at CHNS [NPS four-code CAHA] routinely responds to calls of visitors caught in rip tides.

Sep 15th - 15:11pm | matt Stubbs

After the actions I have seen by these Rangers at this particular park and after the incident (denied by the NPS) of the ranger doing donuts in an enclosure I will only say they are human and humans do stupid things no matter what they do for a living.

Sep 15th - 14:03pm | Anonymous

as a previous nps turtle patrol employee at this park, resource management staff are not out on the beach after dusk or before sunrise. You can't see the turtles you are supposed to patrol in the dark. If out after dark it is usually to facilitate outside research.

Sep 15th - 12:50pm | Ryan

Thank you for acknowledging my expert status.

What Do GOP Politicians Have Against Protecting National Park Landscapes?

Sep 16th - 11:36am | John Maass

What a silly statement by "Barky." It is almost not worth the time to refute. These kind of generalizations don't hold water, and are easily disproved. For ex., John Warner has been a friend to preservation groups and the NPS. Lest we think that the Democrat Party has a monopoly on environmental issues, I remind you about an issue from 2001 involving the Homestake Mining Co., in SD.

Sep 15th - 22:17pm | Zebulon

Random Walker, I disagree with your assessment. If all oil produced in the US goes on the world market, it would create additional exports, which would help our trade deficit, and de facto would reduce would reduce dependence on foreign oil. Figured that I'd point this out.

Sep 15th - 21:48pm | Random Walker

The price one pays for oil is determined by a global supply and global demand, not by how much oil is drilled under a National Park or Venezuela. Oil drilled in America does not stay in America. It goes right to the world market. There is no such thing as “our oil supply” The problem is oil. Not how and where we get it.

Sep 15th - 19:55pm | Bob

We *already* drill directionally for oil beneath [Theodore Roosevelt National Park (THRO)], from privately owned or leased lands around the park. As I understand it, these wells could suck THRO oil from a field even if they went straight down, so the NPS decided to allow more-efficient directional (diagonal) drilling and collect the royalties.

Sep 15th - 17:15pm | Zebulon

I'm all for conservation, but the one thing that nobody really talks about is what is the best alternative to our energy needs? I don't pretend to have answers, but I understand that renewables forms of energy will not be enough in the near term (say 20-30 years) to make a significant in our energy needs. Since nobody wants to build nuclear plants, what options do we have?

Sep 15th - 13:39pm | Lee Dalton

George, the last GOP conservationist in Congress was killed off about seven months ago when he was run over by a huge tea bag outside his office. They were an endangered species, and now have been officially declared to be extinct.

Still No Sign of Missing Plane In Katmai National Park After Four Days of Searching

Sep 16th - 10:38am | Anonymous

Mr. Bugno I am a friend of the Spradilins. Wanted to see if you had been able to obtain current information on a daily basis. If you need assistance I can feed you information as it becomes available. Let me know if you need help.

Glacier National Park Officials Proposing To Improve Wildlife Viewing In Many Glacier Area

Sep 16th - 10:05am | jane schneider

I hiked up onto a big horn sheep there last summer. He was grazing about 20 yards from me, gave me the once over, then continued lunch until another hiker came along and spooked him. Also saw mountain goats, but, alas, no bear.

Sep 16th - 08:25am | Anne Moss

I'm looking forward to our visit of Glacier NP next summer. Going to be there in late July and we have three nights booked at the Many Glacier area. Hoping to see lots of wildlife there!

National Park Mystery Photo 27: Hard to Figure

Sep 16th - 01:39am | Stephen Trimble

I don't know where it is--but I sure do want to know!!

Sep 15th - 19:30pm | Kurt Repanshek

Uhhhhhhh......no.

Sep 15th - 18:51pm | Barky

Richmond NBP is my guess, the pavers near the Tredegar Iron Works. It was the first thing to pop into my mind when I saw the photo ...

Sep 15th - 16:48pm | Kurt Repanshek

No, not William Howard Taft. Check back tomorrow for the answer...

Sep 15th - 16:36pm | Arthur

William Howard Taft NHS

Sep 15th - 12:45pm | Kurt Repanshek

Nope, not First Ladies NHS.

Sep 15th - 12:38pm | Connie Hopkins

First Ladies NHS?

Sep 15th - 12:00pm | Kurt Repanshek

No, not the speedway, which is not a unit of the National Park System.

Wolverine Photographed in Rocky Mountain National Park

Sep 15th - 21:07pm | Mike Studt

My wife and I were hiking up to Boulder Field for an overnight trip to climb Longs Peak. When we were coming up to Granite Pass I remembered telling my wife that someone's dog was taking a shit at the top. I notice the somewhat hunched back with a flopping tail.

Mesa Verde’s Tribal Park Neighbor: So Near, So Far, So Different

Sep 15th - 16:17pm | mcghiever

When I read this article over a year ago, Mesa Verde and Ute Mountain Tribal Park shot to the top of my must-see list. I'm glad to say I finally made it to both last week (plus Hovenweep NM, the BLM's Canyons of the Ancients NM, and even Yucca House NM) and had a fantastic time.

Weather Conditions Continuing To Hamper Search Efforts For Missing Katmai National Park Plane

Sep 15th - 15:20pm | G.J. Tuttle

marco, is a good personal friend of mine, as a world class surfer, sailor as well as a pilot, anybody who knows him can tell you, he is quite resourceful, if he was able to get the plane down, without any one being mortally wounded, they could be very much alive and waiting, i'm sure we are all still hoping for the best.

National Park Quiz 86: Ringer III

Sep 15th - 12:39pm | Bob Janiskee

You're quite correct, y_p_w; the stock grading instruction I developed for the quizzes doesn't work with "Ringer" type quizzes. Heck, it's pretty much of a joke anyway -- except, of course, for that part where I encourage people to enroll in my national parks course. :o)

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