Utah: Full of National Parks

Above, Zion National Park's Great White Throne. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Utah is a beautiful state. It has many great places to explore and camp in.

The Stillwater News Press has an article on the state's national parks.

They begin with:

Our days are getting warmer, we’re experiencing more daylight time and all schools are almost out. 

A great formula for a summer vacation break for sure! 

Now the perplexing question of just where to go? 

If you enjoy wide open spaces, room to stretch your arms, various locations to see lots of beautiful Mother Nature, and not too far to drive to from Our Town... 

How about the Beehive State – UTAH? 

Because Utah is on the way to/from our beloved Jackson Hole, Wyoming, we have traveled through it several times over the past 35 or so years. We’ve flown over it many more times than driving, but the on-the-ground experiences of this diverse western state are the best. 

For a state that is 13th in size and has only 29 counties, Utah has an amazing number of units managed by our National Park Service. Those numbers are seven national monuments, two national recreation areas, one national historical site and five national parks. It is these “crown jewels,” the five national parks, I will briefly describe, and, possibly, feature some of the state’s other NPS sites in another installment.

To read more, go here.

Japan's Perfect People Mover

Above, a Tokkaido shinkansen car at Tokyo Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Oklahoma's Stillwater News Press has an interesting article on Japan's shinkansen train system. It focuses on the Tokkaido shinkansen line that runs between Tokyo and Osaka. I rode this line several times and the views during the ride are enjoyable with the ocean on one side and towns and mountains on the other. If one is lucky to be riding on a clear day, Mount Fuji can be clearly seen from the train.

The article begins with:

There’s been a lot on the news about the Amtrak train wreck in Philadelphia. I’ve never ridden on an Amtrak train, therefore, I’m in no position to pass judgement on the system. 

However, I’ve traveled many miles on Japan’s Shinkansen or “Bullet Train” system and know it’s a superb rail system with an incredible safety record. 

The Shinkansen rail system went into operation on Oct. 1, 1964. At that time the total length of the line was 331 miles, the distance between Tokyo and Osaka. It took 3 hours and 15 minutes to travel from one city to the other, which was an average speed of 102 mph. That line, called the Tokkaido Shinkansen Line, celebrated its 50th birthday on Oct. 1, 2014. During those 50 years, the system has operated 18 hours a day from 6 a.m. until midnight, and a train has left both Tokyo and Osaka every 12 minutes, but staggered by six minutes.

Above, Atami Castle on the hill above Atami City. Atami is one of the stops of the Tokkaido line. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

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