Secret Vistas- By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – In late 2016, on the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in the United States, a rare white fawn was born in the woods of Greenbelt National Park, where visitors come from all over the country and the world to see the the neo-classical architecture,…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — So you’re a patriotic American or an international admirer of the United States and you’ve always wanted to visit the nation’s capital city? The Neo-classical architecture? All the buildings, memorials and other sites related to the United States federal government? All the Smithsonian museums? Maybe you’ve hesitated, thinking…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Greenbelt National Park just north of the nation’s capital was the scene of a historic gathering of Native Americans, Japanese Buddhist monks and Americans interested in bringing about an era of spiritual peace 40 years ago in the summer of 1978. David Williams of Santa Barbara California was…
Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. — While the American public appears to be divided on political issues these days and sometimes disagree on the role of government, there is one federal program most people love no matter what political party they vote for at election time: National Parks. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns called this “America’s…
Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Anyone who works in national parks, volunteers with the National Park Service or visits the parks can attest to the fact that staff shortages and maintenance backlogs have plagued the parks for years, through the administrations of Republicans and Democrats. If there is any truth to documentary filmmaker Ken…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some people say you shouldn’t talk about politics at family gatherings on holidays like Thanksgiving, as incendiary as that can be these days. But as power is shifting in the nation’s capital city and the Capitol building, and with juicy political plums to be plucked after Christmas, you…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON. D.C. — The National Park Service got its first Senate confirmed director in five years Thursday when Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland swore in Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The National Park Service languished under the presidency of Donald Trump, according to Roll…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Where else in America can you see in person a painting by Leonardo da Vinci? No where. Ginevra de’ Benci is a portrait painting by Leonardo da Vinci of the 15th-century Florentine aristocrat Ginevra de’ Benci. The oil-on-wood portrait was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in…
Staff Report – The U.S. Department of the Interior announced that National Park Week – an annual weeklong celebration of America’s national parks – will run from April 17 to April 25, a time when the federal government urges the public owners of the parks to explore the vast network of sacred sites, historical landmarks…
By Glynn Wilson – PENSACOLA, Fla. — If you are feeling cooped up or claustrophobic and locked up in your suburban home glued to the bad news on cable television about coronavirus, you may want to consider another way to get away from other people: Visit a national park during this time of national crisis.…
By Glynn Wilson – The National Park Service will host special events and provide free entrance to all national parks this year in honor of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 20. The Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. is an official day of service in remembrance of the man whose…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — While the world is focused on President Donald Trump’s latest crazy tweet, pulling U.S. troops out of Syria and allowing Russia and Turkey to release ISIS fighters and destroy the Kurds, U.S. allies, along with the impeachment investigation in the House, there are all kinds of under the…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nothing is more American than the iconic National Park Ranger hat. The idea of protecting nature and providing public access to natural beauty began in the United States and has spread across the world, but now it’s at risk. While the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest…
President Barack Obama took a few days to go on a working vacation this week and, to help celebrate the 100th anniverrsary of the National Park Service, the first family visited Yosemite National Park, one of the nation’s most popular national parks. In a brief speech on Saturday at Sentinel Bridge with the 2,425 feet…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Barack Obama released his proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2017 on Tuesday, calling for significant increases in funding for the National Park Service as the agency celebrates its centennial year. “The president’s proposed budget, which significantly increases funding for national parks, further shows the president’s commitment to protecting and restoring…
Images from Skyline Drive in Virginia – Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – SHENANDOAH, Va. — It is the last weekend of the season at Mathew’s Arm, the northern most campground in the national forest. We scouted it out on Thursday, secured a campsite and toured the first 22 miles of Skyline Drive, stopping…
Secret Vistas – A Photo Essay – By Glynn Wilson – GREENBELT, Md. — After a couple of days of drizzling rain and clouds — and a month in the Washington, D.C. area waiting for fall color to hit the trees — autumn arrived in style on Friday in Greenbelt Park, National Park Service land…
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Shhh. Don’t tell anybody. Just between you and I we wouldn’t want to spoil the secret of this place. But it is a fact that in the distance of a short train ride from the nation’s capital, you can be camping in a federal campground…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — It seems only fitting that my last dateline Washington column is about the White House and falls on Father’s Day. It feels like the end of another era. How many of those milestones may a person experience in a life? In a time when…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s October, perhaps my favorite month of the year, when the leaves start falling from the trees and begin to changes colors. Studies show that fall is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and many people are motivated to visit national parks and other beautiful…
