Evening star., 1937-03-14

s Wlde variety OF attractions
climates hot and cold,
cool streams reemlng with fish for
devotees of the rod and reel, wild life
with an old story that is still new
the revival of the buffalo, transporta-
ton through lands of beauty ssnd
wonder by train, plane, bus, horse and
afoot.
If the season is followed in telling
the travel story, Death Valley National
Monument in California, containing
the lowest point in Continental United
States, comes first. There, the travel
season is in full swing at this time be-
cause of the climate.
Highest and Lowest Points.
In the bottommost depth of the
valley is Badwater, 280 feet below sea
level The contrast of cool mountains,
shaded with pines and 5000 feet above
sea level, is found nearby in the Pana-
mint Mountains, part of the monu-
ment area.
From the PanamintS one can see
both Badwater and Mount Whitney,
In Sequoia National Park, the highest
point in the United States, with an
elevation of l4,495 feet.
Lovers of wild Life will want to see
Mount Mckinley National Park in
Alaska, the land of forests, gold, gla-
ciers, Eskimos and the newest from
tier of American colonization. The
mountain itself ranges upward 10000
f,et, highest in North America
Last year the park had its largest
caribou run in years, $4,000 of them
being counted. Bear and moose also
were on the increase.
This year a new road is available.
1t runs from Mckinley Park Station
on the Alaska Railroad to Kantishna
Entrance, on the northern boundary.
For the traveller TO say he has seen
America, he must visit Grand Canyon
National Park in Arizona.
New Road Eases Travel.
A broad highway, paved and oiled,
now runs from the South Rim to the
North Rim of the canyon, 2l5 miles
in length and crossing Navajo Bridge.
The trip over the old road, by way
OF old Lees Ferry, required an ardu-
Gus ride-from am. to pm, with
bus drivers and motorists carrying
extra water and gasoline along, or
else travelling over 700 miles through
the Mojave Desert into California and
Nevada and back to Arizona and the
North Rim.
The lodge on the North Rim. which
was almost burned down several years
ago, is being rebuilt for the 1887
season
AirplaneS are now flying down the
canyon from the North Rim at v. T.
Ranch to the airport at the South
Rim, where connections are made with
the Transcontinental Western Airways
planes at Winslow, Ar!z. Travellers
with but limited time are afforded
ample opportunity to visit the North
Rim, fly over the canyon. and view
the spectacular scenery Of the park.
Yellowstone National ark, in north
western Wyoming, the land of geysers.
will have this year new combined
iiOONi anu lot6C az FldlllIIlOkLl llOO
Springs, five miles south Of the north
ern entrance to the park.
Hotel to Reopen.
Lake Hotel, on Yellowstone Lake,
will be opened for the first time in
several years. 1t has been closed be-
cause Of the loss of hotel business in
depression years.
There Is a new approach to Yell
lowstone over the road from Red
Lodge to Cooke, Mont, traversing so
miles of rugged area previously aoces-
sible only by horseback The road
leads southwark from Red Lodge up
Rock Creek Valley. Then comes a
sensational svitchback climb to the
plateau region. From the Rock Greek
Canyon floor the traveller is taken up
the twisting mountain highway to an
altitude Of 1o,940 feet.
II bears are a major attraction,
Yellowstone is the place. Last year
81 grizzlies were counted at the can
yon feeding ground at one time.
The bear problem there is much less
SCkiolAo AiO" blldlA NAiSll DCdl y
hunting used to rob private cars and
camps of food, or beg for it. The pub
lie has been educated in the inpor-
tance Of not touching the bears or
offering them food, particularly from
tn hand.
The buffalo, too is staging come.
back at Yellowstone. The second buff
falo herd in Yellowstone was estab.
hshed last year in the Mountain Flats
area, between Madison Junction and
Old Faithful, and is much more acces-
sible than the main Lamar River herd,
near Tower Falls.
Several Types Of Entertainment.
Passing the time of day in national
parks has never been problem. Now
passing OF the time at night is be-
coming more entertaining with ex-
panding facilities for amusement.
Nearly all the major parks now have
one or more beautiful outdoor thea
ters, somewhat in the amphitneater
form, with projection equipment. The
largest Of these will accommodate sew
erai thousand persons. Where the
number of visitors isn't so great, little
campfire circles have been built, logs
for seats around a central campfire,
where community sings are held and
ranger naturalist is on the job I'd
interpret to visitors the most inter-
esting features of the parks.
Increasing popularity Of naturalist
guided trips is expected this year.
Only comparatively small portion