Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-10
VACATIONS ARE
NEEDED; POLICY
OF GOVERNMENT
National Parks in Colorado
Provide Unusual Advantages
for Rest and ReCuperation
From War Work.

the federal Fairgrounds OF the nation
so as to afford ample facilities for
those jaded with war work or those
who seek to escape from congested
centers to find rest and recuperation
and new vigor for the extra tasks
imposed by the world war.
This has taken the form of formal
announcement that the national parks
are to be opened as usual during the
war with the voluntary restriction
imposed that people seeking these
facilities avail themselves OF the play
grounds nearest OF access from a
travel standpoint. Round trip reduced
excursion rates have been made to
national park centers.
War Workers Need Rest.
For example, school teachers who
have had, in common with every other
aiding in Thrift Stamp sales, aid to
the Red Cross, war gardening, food
conservation and similar features, are
to be encouraged to find rest recre-
alton and inspiration for the great
work that is to come in connection
with the economic readjustment that
is to follow the termination of the
war in the health-giving mountain
peaks and sparkling lakes that abound
i'll the western Fairgrounds.
The national parks located in Colo
RADIO possess unusual advantages in
their convenient location to the great
er part of the country which, under
the present policy OF the government,
will result in thousands of visitors to
the state during the 1918 season. Be-
cause of less congestion OF war trat-
flc on the western than on the rail
lines leading to coast ports there vii!
be no inconvenience to the tourist
seeking these Fairgrounds.
Denver, the metropolis of the west
ern plains and the gateway to Il ma
tional parks and 81 national monu
ments, is the city through which most
of the visitors pass on their way to
the Rocky Mountain National park,
which is only 50 miles from Estes
park, the gateway. The park is within
80 hours of Chicago and ST. Louis and
is much closer to Kansas City and
many other great centers of popula-
ton in the central part Of the United
States. No other national playground
is more easily reached by large
number of people. Here the weary in
mind and body find new vigor, while
the vigorous have inexhaustible op-
portunities of testing their endurance.
Sunny Days, Cool Nights.
For glorious sunny days and cool,
restful nights the Rocky Mountain
National park cannot be surpassed
The weather is dependable. The crisp,
sparkling atmosphere, laden with the
pungent breath of pine and spruce,
is never failing delight to the expert
enced and the amateur alike. Here the
oppressive heat of lower and damper
climates is unknown, and mosquitoes
need not be thought of, for the nights
are too cool for them. Here the mod
ern pilgrims in pursuit Of the "delec-
table mountains" find their hearts
desire. They 60, afoot and awheel,
some with blankets and provisions on
their backs, many on motorcycles,
and great numbers in automobiles.
Once in while horse-drawn vehicle
is seen. But, however they come it is
with eyes fixed on the glowing peaks |
with feverish impatience to reach the
wonderland of their dreams that have
illumined the weeks and months dur
ing which their vacation plans were
forming.
There are several ways of reaching |
the great playground from the plains
lying east of the mountains. Three
routes are extensively used-the
Thompson canon road from Loveland
to Estes park, the Lyons-Longmont
road between Lyons and Estes park,
and the road from Ward northward |
by way Of Aliens park and Pixies
Peak.
From Estes park and the several
hotels and lodges situated just out
side the boundary of the National
park many OF the points of interest
may be reached by automobile, and
the tops Of the highest mountains
may be reached by a days travel
on foot or on horseback. 1t is no
uncommon thing for a traveller to
breakfast at hotel or lodge on one
side of the range !, walk or ride over
the Continental Divide, and dine on
the other side. For general accessi-
bility it will be difficult to find high
mountain resort of the first order
that will quite compare with the
Rocky Mountain National park.
Mesa Verde Easily Reached.
The Mesa Verde National park, To-
Gated in southwestern Colorado, from
a dozen viewpoints, stands shoulder
to shoulder with all the other i'm
portant members of the national park +
system. The former idea that pre-
vailed that the park was not easily
accessible, that there was no salts
factory accommodations for visitors,
and that it was located in a remote
section of the country which was a
combination of desert and mountain,
has been entirely dissipated in the
minds of the public. These impress
sions, and also that "only ruins" are
to be seen, have been proved to be
mistaken conceptions. The Mesa
Verde is readily accessible, it costs
practically the same to make the trip
to this park as it does to the Yellow
stone and Glacier National parks. In
the second place, there are very COM
Portable accommodations in the park
for the travelling public, and in the
third place, Mesa Verde park is To-
Gated in one of the most beautiful
sections of the southwest.
There is no desert in or near the
park, but it stands in the midst OF
fertile valleys. On one side there is
the broad, green valley Of the
Mancos, filled with farms and con-
tented people. and on the other there
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