Video: Badlands National Park

by Kraig Becker on

Badlands National Park is one of the more overlooked destinations in the entire American park system. Located in South Dakota, the park features otherworldly landscape where you would expect to spot NASA’s Curiosity Rover. Instead, sharp-eyed visitors will catch a glimpse of a surprisingly diverse amount of wildlife, including bison, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep and the elusive black-footed ferret.

The video below captures just a hint of the beauty that you’ll find in the park, which is punctuated with interesting displays of light and shadows. If you haven’t ever been to the Badlands, I highly recommend it.


“Badlands National Park” from Matt Brass on Vimeo.

10 Must-Visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Australia

by Jessica Festa on




While Australia is culturally rich and history significant in general, one worthwhile way to explore the best the country has to offer is through its UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites are particularly noteworthy in terms of culture and physical significance, and are often beautiful, as well. If you’re planning a trip to Australia, here are 10 must-see UNESCO World Heritage Sites to add to your itinerary.




Great Barrier Reef
Off the east coast of Queensland

Probably the most famous of all Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this area contains the largest collection of coral reefs and the greatest biodiversity of all the World Heritage Sites. The are is home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusk. Within the Great Barrier Reef, you’ll find 2,500 unique reefs and over 900 islands. Some species of animals in the area that scientists are particularly interested in include the dugong (sea cow) and the large green sea turtle, which could soon become extinct.




Kakadu National Park
Northern Territory

A unique example of complex ecosystems, Kakadu National Park includes tidal flats, floodplains, lowlands and plateaux and habitats for rare and endemic species. Because of this, Kakadu is one of the world’s richest wildlife parks. Moreover, rock carvings, cave paintings and archeological sites provide information about the area’s 40,000+ years of inhabitants, from pre-historic hunter-gatherers as well as the aboriginal people still living there today.




Shark Bay
Western Australia

Located at the most western part of Australia, Shark Bay has three noteworthy features: its sea-grass beds, which are the largest and richest in the world, its large dugong population of about 11,000 and its stromatolites, which are colonies of algae that create hard deposits and are among the most ancient organisms on the planet. Additionally, Shark Bay is home to five species of endangered mammals, including the boodie, rufous hare-wallaby, banded hare-wallaby, the Shark Bay mouse and the western barred bandicoot.




Australian Convict Sites
Various areas

Although thousands of penal facilities were constructed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the British Empire in Australia, this UNESCO World Heritage listing contains 11 of them. These include:

  • Old Government House and Domain (Parramatta)
  • Hyde Park Barracks (Sydney)
  • Cockatoo Island Convict Site (Sydney)
  • Old Great North Road (near Wiseman’s Ferry)
  • Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (Norfolk Island)
  • Port Arthur History Site (Pictured, Tasman Peninsula)
  • Cascades Female Factory (Hobart)
  • Darlington Probation Station (Maria Island)
  • Coal Mines Historic Site (via Premadeyna)
  • Brickendon-Woolmers Estates (near Longford)
  • Fremantle Prison (Western Australia)

Between 1787 and 1868, about 166,000 people were sent to Australian convict colonies by Britain. Each institution had its own purpose, although all implemented forced labor to help build the colony. The facilities listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites represent the “best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts.”




Fraser Island

At about 76 miles long and 15 miles wide, Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island. Half the planet’s perched freshwater dune lakes are found here, as well as rainforests, wallum peat swamps, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove jungle, sand dunes and uncultivated coastline. The island is also home to one of the world’s weirdest beaches at Lake McKenzie, where the fine white silica sand is so pure, you can brush your teeth and clean your jewelry with it.




Greater Blue Mountains Area
New South Wales

The Greater Blue Mountains area is made up of eight protected areas, and is mainly praised for its ability to clearly show how the eucalypts in post-Gondwana isolation has changed and adapted over time. Furthermore, the region significantly represents the biodiversity of Australia, as 10% of the vascular fauna as well as many rare, threatened and endemic species live here. Visitors will find the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve here, as well as seven national parks, including the Blue Mountains, Kanangra-Boyd, Gardens of Stone, Thirlmere Lakes, Wollemi, Yengo and Nattai.




Sydney Opera House
Sydney

An iconic symbol of Sydney, Australia, this unique piece of architecture brings together various forms of creativity and innovative. By showing a radically new way of building, the structure has greatly influenced archeciture and design. Furthermore, the opera house serves it’s function of providing a world-class performing arts space, while also responding to its environment and being accessible to the community as a major cultural center.




Purnululu National Park
Western Australia

Purnululu National Park covers almost 240,000 hectares of remote land. The most prominent feature of the Purnululu National Park is the Bungle Bungle Range, a deeply dissected range made of Devonian-age quartz sandstone which has eroded over the past 20 million years to form the beehive-shaped cones shown above. Not only are they bizarre looking, the process by which they came to be involved the interacting of biological, geological, erosional and climatic phenomena. What’s really unique about these formations is they change in appearance depending on the weather, sun position and season.




Lord Howe Island Group
New South Wales

Created by volcanic activity more than 6,562 feet under the sea, these islands feature unique topography and a wealth of endemic species. Some of these include the flightless Lord Howe Woodhen, which was once thought to be one of the rarest birds on the planet, and the Lord Howe Island Phasmid, the world’s largest wood insect which was once thought to be extinct. In terms of landscape, sheer mountain slopes, lagoons, a broad arc of hills and remnants of a shield volcano and caldera can be seen. Moreover, this is where visitors will find the world’s most southerly true coral reef.




Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
Melbourne

The original purpose of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens was for the international exhibitions of 1880 and 1888. Designed by Joseph Reed and constructed from timber, steel, slate and brick, the structure features elements from the Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles. The venue reflects “the global influence of the international exhibition movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries.”

New Poll Shows Strong Support For National Parks Amongst Voters

by Kraig Becker on

A new poll has once again shown overwhelming support for national parks amongst registered voters in the U.S. Sending a clear message to elected officials, more than 95 percent of those surveyed indicated that they wanted the federal government to make the parks a priority and ensure that they will be around for future generations to enjoy as well.

The poll, which was commissioned by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the National Park Hospitality Association (NPHA), was conducted with a national sample of registered voters from June 12-17 of this year. Eight out of ten respondents said that they had visited a national park at least once in their lives and nearly 90 percent said that they would like to visit a park in the future. Those high numbers are an indication of the overall importance of national parks to American travel and outdoor recreation, not to mention the country’s history and heritage.

The survey also revealed that only 6 percent of respondents feel that the national parks are in good shape as they are today. On the other hand 80 percent felt that the Park Service is underfunded and that the lack of funds is causing damage to the parks themselves. This is of particular importance as a further round of budget cuts are scheduled for early next year, which could result in fewer park rangers and the closure of some sites.

As the U.S. prepares for what is sure to be a contentious election this fall, candidates should take note of these numbers. A commitment to maintaining the park system shows a strong connection with environmental issues and the parks also generate a significant return on investment for the U.S. economy. According to the NPCA, funding for the entire park system is less than 1/13th of one percent of the total federal budget, yet the parks generate $31 billion in private-sector revenue and more than 258,000 jobs. Candidates should also be aware that 77 percent of those surveyed indicated that it is the responsibility of the next president to ensure that the parks are properly funded and restored for future use.

I’m a traveler who simply loves the amazing landscapes that make up our national parks, and while I wasn’t a part of this survey, I certainly would have responded similarly. The park system is a national treasure and I’d hate to see budget cuts undermine these great places. Lets hope that the next presidential administration and Congress recognize this as well and keep the parks protected.

America’s Nuclear Sites Could Become National Parks

by Kraig Becker on

New legislation has been introduced to Congress that could make three sites that played a vital role in creating America’s nuclear weapons program during World War II into national parks. If passed, the legislation would provide resources to preserve the sites and make them accessible to visitors for the first time.

The three sites include the national laboratories in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, as well as the Hanford Nuclear Reactor in Washington. Each of the locations played a key role in the Manhattan Project, the top-secret program tasked with developing the first atomic weapons. For instance, Oak Ridge was used to enrich uranium for the project while Hanford produced plutonium. The two bombs that were dropped on Japan prior to their surrender were assembled at Los Alamos.

Over the years, portions of each site have fallen into disrepair and have been slated for demolition. They have also remained under a veil of secrecy that has kept them off the radar for many Americans and downplayed their significant role in ending the war, not to mention shaping global relations in the decades that followed. By turning them into national parks the sites will be preserved for their historical value and allow the general public to enter for the first time.

The earliest vote on the legislation could come later this week. If the bill is eventually passed, and the locations do indeed become parks, the emphasis will be on their significance in American history and not the glorification of nuclear weapons. It is true that the Manhattan Project managed to create the world’s first atomic bombs but perhaps more importantly it also helped to usher the U.S. onto the world stage as a post-war superpower.

Book A Rare Stay At Bearpaw High Sierra Camp In Sequoia National Park

by Kraig Becker on

The Bearpaw High Sierra Camp, located inside Sequoia National Park, is one of the toughest accommodations to book in the entire park system. Typically reservations open in January and sell out completely in a matter of just a few hours. But this year a legal issue regarding permits delayed the opening of the camp and now that that issue has been resolved there are rare open dates for August and September.

Bearpaw is a unique and scenic destination that is unlike any other campsite you’ve experienced. It sits at an altitude of 7800 feet and overlooks the Great Western Divide, a mountain range in the Sierra Nevada that separates King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park. Getting to the site requires an 11.5-mile hike through secluded California backcountry that rewards guests with a private and peaceful setting upon arrival.

The camp features six tent cabins, each furnished with two twin beds, and room for three, provided one of the campers is willing to sleep on the floor. A separate shower house provides modern bathroom facilities including flush toilets and hot showers, which are always welcome at the end of a long hike. Both breakfast and dinner are included in the room rate as well, ensuring visitors don’t go hungry while staying at the camp.

Legal issues arose earlier this year over permits that allow the use of pack-mules within national parks. The animals are used to shuttle supplies, such as food and water, to the remote location where Bearpaw is located. The camp couldn’t open until the situation was resolved, but now that permits have been issued, resupply of the camp can take place. That means that no one could book a reservation to stay in the camp until now. As a result, a camp that is traditionally very difficult to book and stay in now has some openings for the months ahead. This is a great opportunity for travelers to experience Bearpaw and all that it has to offer.

For more information or to book your stay, visit VisitSequoia.com or call 866-449-4902.