Atlas Obscura's "Ultimate" National Park Guide

Above, Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tomorrow is April 1 and that means that summer vacation season is not too far away. Now is a good time to think about where to go.

To help in the decision-making process, Alas Obscura has posted their "ultimate guide" to America's national parks. There are some tidbits that are quite interesting, some of which I was unaware of.

They start it out with:

In June 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill that declared the Yosemite Valley in California a protected wilderness area. A few years later, in 1872, it became the first official national park in the United States [Actually, Yellowstone has the distinction of being the first U.S. national park. Yosemite became a park first, but as a state park. - A.] —and the first in the world. Since those early days, the parks system has grown and expanded, and now encompassing more than 84 million acres. But its core mission has remained the same: “To preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

With that kind of mission and scope, it’s no wonder that Atlas Obscura has amassed quite a collection of places in the national park system over the years. In this list, we’ve gathered some of our favorite spots in and around the parks. From a shipwreck in Yellowstone to 5,000-year-old trees, each represents a unique natural wonder or chapter of the American story. 

Be sure to visit each park’s website and social media accounts to get the latest information on openings, closures, and how to support them. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask. 

To read more, go here. 

Pie Town, New Mexico

While perusing Do It Yourself RV, I came across an article on 8 southwestern towns RVers should visit.

One of the small towns is Pie Town, New Mexico. It was the first time I've heard of it. It is what the name implies.

According to the article:

This town on Route 60 (or “Pieway 60”) has been long famous for their locally baked pies. A sign posted in town will tell you how “the first merchant in town had such a demand for homemade pies and they were of such high quality that they became justly famous. Local folks as well as travelers began to refer to the community as Pie Town.”

Intrigued, I Googled around and found more information on Pie Town.

According to Atlas Obscura:

JANINE MCMURTREY FLITS FROM COUNTER to sink to oven in calm, practiced movements. She spreads flour over the counter, measures a cup of lard, and sets a timer. Surrounded by the kitchen’s slamming doors and easy chatter, I’m in what feels like a busy, holiday household. But it’s actually a pie shop in Pie Town, New Mexico. 

Pie Town is a real place—a town with no sidewalks or stop lights abutting a stretch of Highway 60 that features faded wooden billboards. From scrappy homesteading roots, the tiny stretch of desert has earned the claim to its name by making its pie a major roadside attraction. But Pie Town is more than a pit stop, and it offers more than just pie. Visitors seem equally drawn by its scrappy spirit, notably warm hospitality, and ability to foster human connection.

As it turns out, Pie Town is only 116 miles from Jamestown, New Mexico, if one should take I-40 east to NM 117E south.

It looks like it would be an interesting trip to take. There are two campgrounds in town.

For more about Pie Town at Atlas Obscura, go here.

Yosemite's Waterfalls Are Back With a Vengeance

Above, the additional water has "burst out and created countless other small, new
waterfalls along the cliffs", according to the article. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thanks to the almost twice as normal snowpack in the Sierras, waterfalls in Yosemite National Park are back with a vengeance.

According to Atlas Obscura:

Yosemite National Park is one of America’s most beautiful natural landscapes but years of drought have seen many of its rivers and waterfalls lose some of their majestic power. But thanks to heavy snowmelt, many of them are back with a vengeance, and so are the visitors. 

According to NBC Bay Area, the waters in the park haven’t been this powerful since 2010. 

To read more, go here.