What's your favorite National Park?

We can have a conversation and have a poll. A poll is just another way to communicate.

 

and with a measure in scale of popularity, the conversation diminishes. those who would normally express their opinion would just hit a button and check out.

and honestly, how many of the hundreds of parks, historic sites, parkways, reservations, preserves, recreation areas, lakeshores, battlefields, preserves, and monuments can a poll hold? it would be a book.

 

unless you keep it going

 

I suspect that there are folks who would express themselves via a poll and not offer an opinion. And that's OK.

Granted, the poll we have access to here on the forum can't begin to synthesize meaningful data other than simple popularity due to the sheer size of the National Park system and the simplicity of the poll.

Having said that, I enjoy the polls. I think they are fun!

 

ok folks, Golden Spike National Historic Park, Utah

where east meets west, the conclusion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States
while back east a lot of people were distracted by this little thing called the Civil War, sweaty Chinese and Irish citizens were blasting their way across the continent in an attempt to connect two oceans with iron. living in instantly-built "hell on wheels" towns, these dudes used hand tools and their backs to make shit happen



the display tie at the original site. the original was a polished laurelwood tie with a plaque that looked just like this



yep, the last spike driven into the railroad was actually engraved "the last spike". It was also 17.6 ounces, weighed 18 ounces, and then-valued at $350

No, it's not there anymore. it's in Palo Alto, California at the Stanford University Museum
There were three other spikes, that (for some reason) nobody really seems to give a shit about:

the second gold spike (whereabouts currently unknown), the Nevada Silver Spike (yep, it was silver), and the Arizona Iron-Silver-Gold Spike (ribbed in iron, clad in silver, and crowned in gold) is currently in a New York museum collection.

but let's be honest, they're just little pieces of metal. I brought my kids out to come look at some trains



119 (left) and Jupiter. These are beautiful machines

yeah, these are clones. the originals were scrapped (one of them for a standard $1000 scrap cost)
these were meticulously made by O'Connor Engineering in Costa Mesa, California. Real replicas, with some modern stuff thrown in like welding (covered by decorative rivets) and some air brakes

these things are gorgeous, the place is really there, it's not Disneyland. It's the real thing
go see these things, they're there for you

and since you're going, stop by the never-visited Northrop Grumman production and test site. It's right down the road.



yeah, that's an STS solid rocket booster on the left. it's massive, and amazing.
seriously, these folks build everything rocket-powered. it's a secure facility so you can't tour (because secret and dangerous), but they have a kickass display out front
and that rocket the on the right, I don't care what that is. it's not an STS orbiter solid booster

 

TNT BABY!!!! thanks for the post!

 

bump

 

Yellowstone, 5/2019. I need to get over there during winter...

 

I added Saguaro N.P. to my list today!

 

some Yosemite action last year.

 

@Hobbs
East or West?

 

West side. We did the loop and checked out the visitor center. Very cool place!

 

I imagine the east park would be a different vibe being out away from town.

 

I'll add this one in here. It's less than 20 minutes from me, and have been a couple times already. It kinda reminds me of my grandfathers workshop. Everything had a place. Well organized. Industrial. I could take pics in this place all day long.
Aside from that, who knew Edison also made some of the first electric cars that could go 200 miles on a charge? Way ahead of his time, I'd say! Imagine how different the world would've been had that been widely embraced instead of the ICE...



That was the time when he last passed through those doors.......

 

Somewhat. I hope you had a chance to check out the desert museum out on the west side. Did you do any hiking? Wasson Peak (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/wasson-peak-trail) offers an awesome view on a clear day. There's a little dirt road near the visitor's center that offers a fun loop and excuse to turn on the 4H (though you don't need it).

Out east are some super long hiking trails. The major issue with Saguaro East and the Rincon Mountains just south is the lack of water. There's some great stuff back there but you have to bring in so much water it's almost not worth it.

I spend a lot of time out in Saguaro and up in the Coronado Forest north of Tucson. Last weekend was beautiful! I'm glad you got to enjoy it.

 

We hiked a little bit just to get away from the road. It would be really cool to be there for the desert bloom!

 

Cant find the better pics, but..

Great Basin NP

 

damn! what a nice campground!

 

Great Basin is a small but "Great" national park. This was I think Baker Creek Campground. Wheeler Peak campground is the best. Clear up at the top of the mou gain. Much cooler than down below. We hiked up the Bristlecone trail and saw some several thousand year old trees!

 

Great Basin is very cool! I like how you feel you have the whole place to yourself.