Date:         Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:43:04 -0700
Reply-To:     Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      More NVC--two great summer reads for travelling the west
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I'm reading Douglas Brinkley's "Wilderness Warrior, Theodore Roosevelt and
the Crusade for America" which chronicles TR's impact on the west through
the creation of National Parks (6), National Forests (150), National
Monuments (18), bird preserves (51), and game preserves (4).  He created
lots of great places we can visit in our Vanagons!   If you want to refine
your appreciation of travelling through the west it's well worth reading all
940 pages.



The National Parks he created include Crater Lake in OR, Wind Cave in SD,
Sully's Hill in ND, Platt NP in OK, Mesa Verde in AZ, and Dry Tortugas, 70
miles off of Key West, FL.  I've only made it to two of these, so I've got
to add a few more to my bucket list.



Theodore Roosevelt NP in ND was created as a memorial to him in 1947.  I've
been there twice, and it's a fascinating glimpse of the old west, complete
with buffalo and prairie dogs.  Another good read (and shorter) is David
McCullough's "Mornings on Horseback" which is a biography of TR's
pre-presidential years, including when he ranched in this area.



He was known as America's conservationist president, and with good reason.
We are all beneficiaries of his work.



Stuart

'85 Westy