National Parks - Treasure Them

View from Arlington House (Kennedy gravesite)

From Arlington House

Washington, DC from Arlington House

Great Falls

Great Falls

This weekend I was so fortunate to be able to spend time at two of our fantastic National park locations, Great Falls Park Virginia and Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (located at the top of Arlington Cemetery).  Both experiences were outstanding and of course very different. 

GREAT FALLS:
With friends from the West Coast, at Great Falls, I enjoyed the beautiful overlooks of the falls, watching the daredevils in their kayaks on the Potomac, and hiked on the paths through the woods and indulged in a lovely afternoon away from the city. Many others were doing exactly as we were. Armed with cameras, toting picnics and being walked by dogs small and large, they were there to enjoy the glorious day. There were unfamiliar languages spoken by many, including those who asked us to take their family's photo with the falls as a backdrop, and people of all colors, ages and nationalities were there with families and friends.

ARLINGTON HOUSE:  
Later that same day, I attended a preview of the new film by Ken Burns, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea". Held at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, at the top of Arlington Cemetery, the event was sponsored by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation with WETA.

There are few better places to view Washington, DC than from the steps of Arlington House. At sunset it is spectacular and on a clear cool night it was thrilling to have the opportunity to see the city as darkness set in and the colors changed from pinks and oranges to grey.

The movie preview, shown on the lawn at the top of the hill, was but a glimpse of the 12-hour, six-part documentary by Burns and Dayton Duncan which will air on PBS beginning September 27. The series tells the story of the idea of preserving places as parks and the people who had roles in their creation. All 58 national parks are represented in the film.

Following the preview, we toured Arlington House, saw the amazing restoration in progress and spoke with the well informed guides in period dress. It was a most enjoyable evening and ended with a somber, dark drive down the hill through the cemetery.

As a result of the connection between the day at Great Falls Park and the Ken Burns documentary preview, I am moved to spend more time learning about the creation of the National Park system, the people who helped identify and acquire the lands and the opportunities they offer. There are so many places to visit. I have started a list and have challenged myself to try to visit all of these national treasures. I have been to only nine of the 58 so I have a lot to see! Including the National Monuments and National Historic Sites, there are about 400 locations.

I will definitely be tuned in next Sunday for the airing of Part I of the series (locally on WETA beginning at noon and repeated every two hours for the remainder of the day). I am certain this film series will further motivate me to visit more of our nation's treasures. This weekend was a good start!

For more information on the National Parks, Monuments, and Historic Sites, http://www.nationalparks.org/ For more information on "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" visit http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/