#parksofpa

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

Wrap Up

It is hard to believe this semester is over already! It seems as though it was only last week when I picked my blog topic, Parks of Pennsylvania. Boy have times changed since. I started the semester writing about Local and State parks in Pennsylvania, and I ended the semester writing about the National Park Services policies in Alaska. I find that to be one of the more beneficial parks of my experience with these blogs, the ability to write about different broad aspects of a topic. Over the course of the semester I learned a lot about myself as a writer. I now realize it takes about three to four rough drafts before any of my writing is legible. I also realize that drafting takes an extremely long time, and the only way to truly speed up the drafting process is to have a lot of research to pull from. There were many times while writing my research paper that I thought I would never reach the word count and I would get discouraged. However once I was armed with a bit more research I was able to attack the research essay much more efficiently. I will certainly keep this knowledge in mind going forward. If I have to write an essay in future classes, I will certainly know to get a large head start on it; that way to allow myself enough time for multiple rough drafts and peer reviews. I will also conduct extensive research before the next research essay I need to write, because research is the fuel that drives essay engine.  

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

PA State Park Rules

Fire has been around since the beginning of time, and it’s safe to say the human race wouldn’t be where it is today without fire. It heated and cooked for many generations of species and is basically essential to life. Which leads me to question... Why do the State Park rules discourage the use of it while camping? 

(Source)

While those rules at the surface seem to be simple rules regarding fire safety, in reality they are nothing more than propaganda meant to discourage campers from starting fires. How many fireplaces , grills , and stoves have you seen in the forest recently? I have seen none! They should not be telling us where we can and cannot start fires. Sure some may argue that these rules are just to ensure proper safety and to prevent forest fires, but they could have made the rules more clear if they intended to prevent forest fires. I personally find this to be an obstruction of our basic American rights. After all, what is camping without s’mores? Nothing.

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

"Tour a Yurt in Pennsylvania State Parks"

This commercial made by the youtube channel titled visitPAparks is in promotion of Yurts. As you can see in the video above, the man spends a good amount of time touring the yurt and promoting all its amenities. Microwave, stove-top, wood AND canvas wall, Yurts seem like paradise! However I see a major fallacy in this commercial for Yurts. There is a major Lack of Proportion. For someone who may be considering renting a Yurt, wouldn't they like to know the rates of cost to rent one of these? Of course they would! Cost is one of the main thing prospective campers need to know to factor into their decision, that is why this is such a big lack of proportion. Also he only mentions the parks name is Pinchot State Park, but doesn't include any information to the park. All in all, this is still a very persuasive video, and a Yurt is definitely something I will look into for my future adventures. 

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

Why Bake Oven Knob is the best hiking destination within an hour of Kutztown

( Source )

Bake Oven Knob is a destination I have visited twice in my life and based off my findings, it is without a doubt the best hiking destination in the Kutztown Area. I am aware that Kutztown is full of various hiking destinations, but none provide a view quite like Bake Oven Knobs. As you can see above, it is a beautiful and seemingly endless landscape. Being on top of the Bake Oven is a breathtaking feeling, and that is hard to replicate. The hike to the top of Bake Oven Knob is challenging, but fairly easy compared to other hikes to this latitude. The reason being the parking lot takes you three quarters of the way up the mountain, it’s pretty convenient. Bake Oven Knob is also a frequent spot for bird watchers. Both times I went to this spot, there was a group of five or more with their binoculars watching the different types of bird and hawks in the area. The thing about bird watchers is they are surprisingly friendly, and are always eager to inform novices like myself about what birds they are seeing. The last time I went I ended up in a 10 minute conversation with one of the bird watchers, I had no idea there was even a thing called a “Raptor Hawk”. I highly recommend asking a bird watcher what they see if you are ever there, because you will most certainly learn something new. Best of all, the top of Bake Oven Knob has multiple large rob slabs that provide excellent seating spots to rest and enjoy the view (Or meditate).

The only worthy park competition I could find was Hawk Mountain. Hawk Mountain provides the same awesome view as Bake Oven Knob, therefore making the two comparable. They are also both adjacent to the Appalachian trail. But let’s get this straight, Bake Oven Knob is the best park in the Kutztown Area. At Hawk Mountain, you have to pay to enter, and many wooden overhangs are put up around the paths. I find that wrong, you should not have to pay to enjoy nature, and their justification for it “Maintaining the hiking paths” is not sufficient enough for me. It’s nature, and paths are formed by people walking them not by people artificially maintaining them. The only thing that truly requires maintenance along their paths, are the unnecessary wooden overhangs and fences they put up. Basically I dislike how they are exploiting natures beauty and the hawks that live in it for their own personal gain. A park is supposed to preserve nature for everyone, not just paying customers. That is why Bake Oven Knob is the best park in the Kutztown area, you get the big money views without paying for it. The only way you can pay for Bake Oven Knob is by respecting it’s beauty and appreciating it, and that’s the way it should be.

Standardization:

p1: Bake Oven Knob has a beautiful view

p2: Bake Oven Knob is free to the public

p3: Bake Oven Knob can have educational value

T: Bake Oven Knob is the best park within kutztown

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

'The National Parks: America’s Best Idea—A Film by Ken Burn'

Ken Burns documentary, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea", informs us on the development of the national parks system as well as how it affected the lives of many americans along the way. This documentary explains to us the many struggles officials had to go through to develop a national park system. The purpose is to provide a feeling of nationalism as well as remind people why parks are so great. He uses stunning visuals as well as stories of the development of these parks to create a sense of kinship between the reader and the video. The narration speaks to us in a formal, almost story telling mode. This made it more captivating than if he had just been listing facts in an order. Hearing how much work was required to make a park happen, and seeing the beauty of it made you realize that parks aren't just wasted space but actually have a very strong significance in American culture. While Private owners fought over the land near monuments for their personal gains, government officials were more interested in allowing everyone access to the beauty most beautiful places in America. I wish government officials nowadays had the values of the people who established these parks. The creation of this documentary required a ton of research to dig up these records and accounts, and I highly doubt Ken Burns gathered all of it on his own. Most of the people featured in the film are historians or park officials who have been taught the history of these parks, their educated opinions made this a very credible documentary. If Ken Burns had not used experts in this documentary to validate what the narrator was saying, I do not know if I would believe every folk tale told along the way, but with the credible experts adding their two cents it made it much more legitimate. They also used quotes of the people who had been working for the sake of the parks at the time, and they stressed the agony or sadness they felt when they saw a beautiful land being used for commercial use. This created a strong pathos effect as well. Hearing someone speak about something they are truly passionate about makes you respect them and their work a lot more, and you can relate better with their struggles along the way. I would recommend this documentary to anyone who wants to learn about all the hard work that went into developing the amazing parks system we have now. 

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

Fracking in PA State Parks?

(Source)

In Tioga County, Pennsylvania there are 3 state parks. Colton Point State Park, Hills Creek State Park, and Leonard Harrison State Park all reside in the county. 2 of these parks reside along Pine Creek, while Hills Creek State Park is adjacent to Hills Creek. (Obviously) For those of you who aren't exactly sure, fracking is when they drill into the ground and spray rocks with a high pressure water, sand, and chemical mix. The purpose of it to retrieve the natural gas stored inside the rocks. The reason it so controversial is due to the fact that they are pumping chemicals into the ground, and they could end up contaminating fresh water supplies after one slip up. This photo is disappointing to me. They had a beautiful state park full of lush trees and vegetation, but they have no problem plowing down all of that to build a potentially harmful plant. It only further proves that all human beings care about is money, and they have no regard for nature. While I agree fracking can be beneficial and can also be a positive alternative to oil, I don't agree with tearing down park wildlife to build plants for fracking. Parks are supposed to be places that preserve nature, and are to provide the public with places to explore and experience it. If we continue to let money and "the bottom line" determine how we use the land of mother earth rather than letting what is right determine, we will not be making the right decisions. I think that if fracking is to happen, (let's face it it is) it should not be done on State park land.

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

Ringing Rocks County Park

Nestled in the middle of Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania is a quaint little park. This park is called Ringing Rocks. The reason being when you enter the boulder field of the park, you can hit any of the rocks with a hammer and they will ring. It's a pretty awesome place to visit, because there is no where else in the world like it. I can remember being a small child, running down the dirt trails while dodging roots everywhere, just to get to the field of ginormous ringing rocks. By the time my parents had reached the rock, with the hammer, I was already pretty far in. I remember that every time they would remind me to watch out for snakes, but I don't recall ever actually doing so. I felt like the Beethoven of Rocks inside that park, jumping from rock to rock trying to find the proper pitch. Not one rock sounded the same, and I think that is what makes Ringing Rocks special. The small waterfall at Ringing Rocks is also fun to monitor. On a summer day it is dry and you can study the way the water wears away at the rock underneath, but after a few days of rain it is incredible to watch it rapidly flow. I definitely would recommend stopping here if you are ever in the area, it would surely make a memory you won't soon forget. 

(Source)

[parksofpa-blog-blog]

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog, Parks of Pennsylvania. This groovy blog will be all about the wonderful local, county, state, and national parks located in Pennsylvania. I will be sharing about past experiences I've had, as well as researching Parks and I have not been to or even heard of. My goals for this page are to inspire more people to spend time out in nature, and also to utilize the mass amount of parks that are available. There are so many beautiful parks in the state of Pennsylvania I'm sure I will not be able to touch on them all, but I will certainly do my best.