Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Park Service recently announced 18 new additions to the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom in 11 states to further provide insight into the experiences of freedom seekers who escaped slavery, along with those who assisted them. “The stories of freedom seekers, who risked everything to claim their…
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Harpers Ferry: John Brown’s Raid Made Him a Martyr, Foreshadowing Trump’s Insurrection
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – HARPERS FERRY, WV — John Brown was hanged for his insurrection against slavery in 1859 and is blamed by some for helping to start the Civil War. Donald Trump still walks free to play golf and run for office again after his insurrection to overthrow the United States…
National Gallery of Art Reopens in Nation’s Capital
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…
Camping and Cycling Around Catoctin Mountain in Maryland
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN, Md. — While tens of thousands of people flock to the iconic national parks of the American West in the summer travel season, exacerbating an already disastrous mega-drought and experiencing a record-breaking heat wave and an already out of control wildfire season, there are lesser known…
Americans Flock to Western National Parks in the Middle of a Heat Wave
Finding An Escape From Global Warming in the Mountains of the East
CAMPING EAST – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN, Md. — It’s only the first official week of summer and it’s already peaking out at 91 degrees, according to the official forecast in the nation’s capital today. But here, in the campground in the shade, it’s only 83 degrees, according to the New American Journal…
Camping in the Washington, D.C. Area Can Be A Rewarding Challenge
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, Va. — The American west is on fire again with wildfires burning in 11 states. Temperatures are setting records with highs in the 120 degree range. A heat dome hovers over the region, and the devastating drought continues unabated. New Orleans and the states along…
Camping in the Eastern United States: Planning for Human Survival Here
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – Abandoning the cities and suburbs for a camper van or other type of Recreational Vehicle in nature is becoming a reality for hundreds of thousands of people, and not just because of the coronavirus pandemic, the changing climate and economy and the movie Nomadland. It doesn’t have to…
Giving Voice to Americans Living in Nomadland
“I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…” – Henry David Thoreau Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN, Md. — Thousands of Americans are waking up to the advantages of traveling and immersing themselves in nature and even living full time in Recreational Vehicles, making the transition…
American Cities Ranked for Sustainability: Where Does Your City Stand?
Staff Report – Fewer cars and more walking, less coal power and more wind turbines and solar panels, and fewer farting cows and more Impossible Burgers — the Most Sustainable Cities in the U.S. are leading the way in efforts to save the planet. Some cities, though, are belching smoke, throwing away recyclables, and dragging…
National Park Week Celebrates the Outdoors and American Heritage
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…
Black History Month: National Park Service Designates 11 New Historic Places to Civil Rights Network
Staff Report – As the nation continues to commemorate Black History Month, the National Park Service has added 11 new places to its growing system of sites and programs that chronicle the African American Civil Rights Movement. In the continuing struggle for racial equality, as told through a collection of powerful historical resources that commemorate,…
Photo Essay – Cades Cove in Winter: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Secret Vistas: A Spiritual Experience in Shenandoah
Secret Vistas: Riding the Gap Trail Over the Mason-Dixon Line
Secret Vistas – By Brooks Boliek – FROSTBURG, Md. — I have nothing against Charles Mason or Jeremiah Dixon. As a matter of fact, I admire and esteem both men for their scientific contributions and service. Mason and Dixon were both scientists who were asked to resolve a land dispute between Thomas Penn and Fredrick…
Secret Vistas: Autumn Color is Peaking in Maryland, but Don’t Get Too Close to Camp David
“Better is the poor man walking in his simplicity, than the rich in crooked ways.” – Solomon, Proverbs Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – CAMP DAVID, Md. — A serene fog hangs thick in the trees here on Thursday morning, muting the Autumn colors and making the forest seem still and quiet. The weather…
Autumn Color: Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Secret Vistas: Curtis Creek Campground in the Pisgah National Forest
Shenandoah One More Time in the Summer of Our Discontent
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – LOFT MOUNTAIN, SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, Va. (Sunday, July 12, 2020) — In this summer of our discontent, with the coronavirus still spreading into every corner of the world and the economy teetering on the brink of collapse, it is hard to totally escape the anxiety and stress of…
There’s Not Much Time Left to Plan if We’re Going to Survive
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, N.C. — We don’t have much time. It’s addicting in our newly evolved human condition to stay focused on the fast breaking news of the moment, the sensational clickbait. From day to day, we bounce back and forth from one crisis story to another.…