Treasures On Your Doorstep: The Other National Parks of the USA
By: Julia Lynam
Publisher: Seventh Circle Enterprises
Published: May 16, 2013
Genre: Guide Book
Rating:
Looking for a grand day out? Or an inexpensive nearby destination for your next weekend jaunt? Your search is ended! In every State in the Union you’ll find often-overlooked National Park properties – over 400 of them – waiting to delight you. This beautifully illustrated little book will open your eyes to the Treasures On Your Doorstep and give you an insider’s-eye view of what they can offer you and your family.
When you think of National Parks, your first thoughts are Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite but there are over 400 units (parks, monuments, historic sites, etc.) that are overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Julia really opens your eyes to the fact that with so many places out there, there’s a good chance that we have a unit in our backyard and may not even know it.
I will be honest, I am not a non-fiction reader. I like to read to escape life. So when I was asked to review the book I was a little nervous on whether or not I’d enjoy it. However, by the 3rd page, all my fears were gone. Julia really does have a way to not only give information but she does it in a way that’s entertaining with little quips mixed in.
This book is perfect for a guide into the National Parks Service. She gives the reader all the tools they will need for not only a successful trip to the national parks but a safe one as well. She links to websites that will come in handy when doing research prior to your vacation. She offers guidance on what to do if you are lost in a park. She even offers some preventative advice on how not to get lost in the first place. She also gives one good piece of advice
“Tell someone who cares where you’re going and what time you expect to return”
Not only did I get a good chuckle out of the “tell someone who cares” bit but it’s sound advice. It’s advice that I give to visitors all the time. (Yes I work at a National Park)
Maybe I’m being biased here but I love that not only did Joshua Tree National Park get a page in the book but the National Parks Association (who I work for) got TWO pages! It was really cool seeing the places that I work for mentioned in the book.
There were subjects in this book that Julia touched base with that I was unfamiliar with. She covers everything from planning a trip, doing research, finding bargains with entry prices and merchandise prices, how to become a webranger (v.s. the Junior Ranger program which is an activity booklet that kids do while in the park), she even touches base with how to apply for a job in the NPS as well as volunteering.
Even if you are not planning on visiting a National Park in the near future I still highly recommend this book. It not only gives you great insight to the “treasures on your doorstep” but you never know, you could find yourself checking out one of the sites listed in the book and planning a vacation before you know it.
Julia talks about the codes for the units. For instance anything we do at work pertaining to Joshua Tree NP is shortened to “JOTR”
“This system has some charming anomalies. Carlsbad Caverns, for instance, would be CACA, which is a rude work in Spanish, so they use CAVE instead – neat, eh?”
sounds like a fun book!
I’m not a non-fiction reader either but it sounds like this one really worked for you. I love to get out of my comfort zone once in a while and try something new 🙂 this sounds like it was a really interesting read!