America's National Parks At a Glance. Thomas Crochetiere Crochetiere

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СКАЧАТЬ Danville, CA 94526

      925-838-0249

      Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site preserves the Monterey Colonial hillside home of America's only Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill. Eugene O’Neill called his home the Tao House. O'Neill and his wife, actress Carlotta Monterey, showed their interest in Asian art, decor and thought while preparing the home. The ceilings were dark blue to copy the sky above with dark wood floors representing the earth below. The home also had Noh masks, Chinese guardian statues and Chinese lacquerware furnishings throughout the interior. Outside, Carlotta installed a garden in a zigzag pattern which Chinese tradition indicated would keep away evil spirits. They also planted several trees, including pine, almond and redwood.

      Fort Point National Historic Site

      Fort Mason, Building 201 San Francisco, CA 94123

      415-556-1693

      Fort Point National Historic Site is a masonry seacoast fortification located at the southern side of the Golden Gate Bridge at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. This fort was completed just before the American Civil War by the U.S. Army to defend San Francisco Bay against hostile warships. From its vantage point overlooking the spectacular Golden Gate, Fort Point defended the San Francisco Bay following California's Gold Rush through World War II. The parks beautifully arched casemates display the art of 3^rd system brick masonry and interacts gracefully with the Golden Gate Bridge.

      Golden Gate National Recreation Area

      Building 201, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123

      415-561-4700

      Golden Gate National Recreation Area protects over 80,000-acres of 19 separate ecosystems and historically significant landscapes. The park chronicles 200-years of history, from Native American culture, to Spanish Empire frontier, to the California Gold Rush, and the evolution of American coastal fortifications and growth of urban San Francisco Bay Area. Other features of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area are Alcatraz Island, Fort Point National Historic Site, Muir Woods National Monument and Presidio of San Francisco. Golden Gate National Recreation Area is America’s most visited park unit within the National Park Service.

      John Muir National Historic Site

      4202 Alhambra Ave. Martinez, CA 94553

      925-228-8860

      Muir Woods National Monument protects an old growth costal redwood forest, one of a few such stands remaining in the San Francisco Bay area and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The forest was named in honor of John Muir (naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States) after William and Elizabeth Kent had purchased the land to preserve its beauty and restful wilderness and donated it to the federal government to protect it from destruction.

      Joshua Tree National Park

      74485 National Park Dr. Twentynine Palms, CA 92277

      760-367-5500

      Joshua Tree National Park has two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave across the northern part and the Colorado (part of the Sonoran Desert) along the southern boundary. The Joshua tree is the iconic symbol of the park, as are the rock and boulder formations. The park can seem unwelcoming, even brutal during the heat of summer when, in fact, it is delicate and extremely fragile.

      Joshua Tree National Park encompasses some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California’s deserts. The park welcomes climbers and bouldering enthusiasts and is truly a world-class climbing destination. Joshua Tree has many miles of hiking trails; ranging from short walks and nature trails to more moderate hikes to much more challenging hikes. Boasting some of the darkest nights in Southern California, Joshua Tree National Park offers many visitors the chance to admire the Milky Way for the first time in their lives.

      Kings Canyon National Park

      47050 Generals Hwy Three Rivers, CA 93271

      559-565-3341

      Kings Canyon National Park is the younger of the two parks in the Sierra Nevada’s range (the other is Sequoia National Park). The park consists of two distinct areas, Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. Grant Grove is home to the General Grant tree, which has been called “the Nation’s Christmas Tree.” The General Grant tree is the second-largest tree in the world, being slightly smaller than the General Sherman tree found in neighboring Sequoia National Park. Kings Canyon National Park offers huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons and vast caverns. Kings Canyon is also home to Redwood Canyon, the world’s largest remaining grove of sequoia trees.

      Lassen Volcanic National Park

      P.O. Box 100 Mineral, CA 96063

      530-595-4480

      Lassen Volcanic National Park with Lassen Peak; the dominant feature of the park, the largest plug dome (circular mound-shaped) volcano in the world and the southern-most volcano in the Cascade Range. The forest landscape is filled with fumaroles from its multiple volcanoes and boiling mud pots. Snowshoeing is a popular winter activity, and rangers lead snowshoe tours for the less experienced.

      Lava Beds National Monument

      P.O. Box 1240 Tulelake, CA 96134

      530-667-8113

      Lava Beds National Monument lies on the northeastern flank of the Medicine Lake Volcano and has the largest total area covered by a volcano in the Cascade Range. Over the past half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake Volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. There are more than 700 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and ample camping for your pleasure.

      Manzanar National Historic Site

      5001 Highway 395 Independence, CA 93526

      760-878-2194

      Manzanar National Historic Site is one of ten relocation centers where over 110,000 Japanese Americans and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II. This site as well as the other nine camps was erected in 1942 by the Unites States government. These Japanese American men, women and children were ordered to leave their homes and were subsequently detained in the remote, military-style camps until the wars conclusion.

      Mojave National Preserve

      2701 Barstow Rd. Barstow, CA 92311

      760-252-6100

      Mojave National Preserve was created to protect natural features such as sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, impressive Joshua tree forests and carpets of wildflowers. Most notable are the Kelso Dunes, the Marl Mountains and the Cima Dome, as well as volcanic formations such as Hole-in-the-Wall and the Cinder Cone Lava Beds. A visit to the preserves canyons, mountains and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, a ghost town and rock-walled military outposts. A former railroad depot has been restored and is now used as a visitor center. Mojave National Preserve is the third largest park unit in the lower 48 states.

      Muir СКАЧАТЬ