I posted about this a while back, but Ken Burns' documentary National Parks: America's Best Idea is upon us, playing this week each night on your local PBS station. I've been watching it this week as it chronicles the settling of the West and the battle for preserving the most beautiful parts of our nation before they were lost forever. It is amazing to hear how the idea of a protected national park, a concept that seems logical to us today, was revolutionary for this time. Men like John F. Lacey, Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir fought to protect places like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Mt. Rainer and Crater Lake from being overrun and their wildlife destroyed. The story is both amazing and inspiring- I want to go and see all these places for myself!The documentary playing in 2 hour increments through the end of the week, and although two hours seems like a long time, it is such a visual and informational feast, you will find yourself drawn in, longing for more. Check it out tonight at 8pm.
President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir together in Yosemite National Park ca. 1903
