Mr. President goes to Yellowstone

by Kraig Becker on

As America’s first national park, Yellowstone has always held a special place in the public’s imagination. Not only is it home to an array of wildlife, such as bison, elk, and grizzly bears, it also happens to hold the most famous geyser in the world, Old Faithful.

Spread out across Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, the park has always been a popular destination for U.S. Presidents, with Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, FDR, Jimmy Carter, and many others all spending time there. In the summer of 2009, President Obama upheld that long standing tradition by taking his family to the iconic park, a place he had visited as a child.

Yesterday, the park service released a never-before-seen video of the first family on their vacation, and while not all of us arrive on Air Force One, their experience in Yellowstone is not unlike the family vacations that we all grew up with. Check out the nearly 12-minute long video below for a good historical look at the park, as well as plenty of shots of its amazing scenery found there.

I guess when you’re the leader of the free world, this is what your vacation videos look like.

14 New National Monuments Being Considered

by Kraig Becker on

Last week a leaked document from the Department of the Interior gave travelers and outdoor enthusiasts a glimpse into potential plans by the Obama administration to designate as many as 14 new national monuments spread out across nine western states. And while a spokesman for the DOI was quick to point out that the memo was just a draft for internal discussion, environmentalists and conservatives were equally as quick to line up in praise, and condemnation, of the proposal.

The list of potential new monuments, and the states in which they are located, includes the following: San Rafael Swell, UT; Montana’s Northern Prairie, MT; Lesser Prairie Chicken Preserve, NM; Berryessa Snow Mountains, CA; Heart of the Great Basin, NV; Otero Mesa, NM; Northwest Sonoran Desert, AZ; Owyhee Desert, OR/NV; Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, CA (expansion); Vermillion Basin, CO; Bodie Hills, CA; The Modoc Plateau, CA; Cedar Mesa, UT and the San Juan Islands, WA.

Many of these places are already popular destinations for hikers and backpackers, but naming them as national monuments gives them protected status and removes them from the jurisdiction of the states in which they reside. That is exactly why representatives from Utah are up in arms, and are preparing to fight this proposal to the bitter end. Senator Orin Hatch, who represents that state, has widely been quoted as saying he’ll do everything in his power to prevent the proposal from moving forward, and likewise Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert has been extremely outspoken against the plan as well, arguing that the states should be allowed to manage their own natural resources, not Washington bureaucrats who have never stepped foot on the land.Whether the Department of the Interior moves forward with the plan remains to be seen, but it seems everyone is already gearing up for a big fight. Meanwhile, the hikers that are already enjoying these public lands will probably continue to do so, and not even notice a change should they federal government take control.

For more information on this story, including a look at each of the potential new monuments, check out this story over at The Adventure Life, where you’ll also find the whole controversial document itself in .pdf format.

UPDATE: The Senate rejected a move on February 25 to bar the Obama administration from designating any new national monuments, including two in Utah, that were listed in a leaked Interior Department document. As a result, the administration is required to work closely with local communities affected by any such designation.

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Not your normal Asian adventure vacation

by Tom Johansmeyer on

We travel for many reasons. Maybe it’s to relax, learn something new or see friends and family. And then there are the so-called “adventure travelers” – sorry guys, you just don’t know the meaning of the expression. Keep your kayaks and your climbing gear in the garage, and trade them for a pencil so you can take some notes. Robert Park is redefining “adventure.”

Park, 28 years old, announced that he was leaving South Korea with other human rights activists (who asked Reuters not to reveal their names) to bring “God’s love” to the citizens on the northern side of the border. North Korea has the unfortunate habit of arresting foreigners who do not enter the country legally, which can be difficult to do because of visa constraints and limitations on how travelers from some countries are permitted to cross into the most reclusive nation in the world.

Park, who is an American citizen, and his crew were reported to have crossed from China into North Korea on Saturday. The entry point was Hoeryong, in the northeast part of the country. The border up there isn’t heavily patrolled.



The motivation for Park’s excursion is religious – as a Christian, he believes, it is his duty to make the trip. And, he’s made it clear that he isn’t looking for a rescue effort from the feds if something goes wrong. Park said, “I don’t want President Obama to come and pay to get me out. But I want the North Korean people to be free.” He continued, “Until the concentration camps are liberated, I do not want to come out. If I have to die with them, I will.”

Last spring, former U.S. President Bill Clinton was dispatched to North Korea to arrange the release of two reporters from Current TV: Laura Ling and Euna Lee. They were detained on charges of having crossed the China/North Korea border illegally. They claimed that they had crossed into North Korea by accident and were seized in China by North Korean border guards who chased after them.

Why has there been all this interest in North Korea? Obviously, it’s among the most difficult places for outsiders to enter, a problem which is compounded for human rights activists and the media. Also, there is a human rights record which has attracted considerable attention everywhere else in the world (except maybe Somalia). A U.S. State Department report published earlier this year lists the following abuses:

• The prohibition of freedom of speech and association
• The use of arbitrary killings to cause fear in the population
• An absence of due process
• “Severe torture and abuse,” which can include forced abortions and sexual abuse
• Political imprisonment (up to 200,000 inmates)
• Monitored correspondence
• Imprisonment of entire families based on the deeds of one member

The State Department also claims that North Korea maintains “control over all artistic and academic products,” though the notion that the government keeps an iron grip on the arts doesn’t fit completely with a North Korean art show I saw in New York a year ago or what is on display in Australia.

Is this the end of three-hour waits on the tarmac?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Over the last few years, we’ve heard countless stories of airlines who have allowed their passengers to spend hours stranded in a plane on the runway. Finally, those nightmare scenarios look like they’re about to come to an end.

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced that, beginning this spring, airlines whose passengers sit for more than three hours at a time on the tarmac will face stiff penalties of up to $275,000 per passenger. The new rules, which Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood calls “President Obama’s Passenger Bill of Rights,” also force airlines to offer passengers food and water after they’ve been on the tarmac for two hours.

Many “passengers’ rights” groups are pleased with the administration’s decision. FlyersRights founder Kate Hanni called the move a “Christmas miracle.” “No more will they be able to strand passengers for over three hours in hot, sweaty, metal tubes,” she said.

But not everyone is thrilled with the Obama administration’s “Christmas gift” to travelers. David Castelveter of the Air Transport Association said that this move will result in more cancellations than there are today. If a plane has been waiting on the runway for almost three hours and is told it will take off in five minutes, a passenger who asks to be let off may cause the entire flight to be canceled.

Secretary LaHood discounted the importance of that hypothetical. “You know as well as I do that five minutes always extends out to 50 minutes, and almost always to five hours. There’s no such thing as five minutes, never, ever.”

Castelveter also noted that planes that let off passengers will have to abandon their spot in the take-off queue, taxi back to the gate, have baggage handlers remove the luggage, and during the winter months, de-ice the plane. The delays resulting from letting off the passengers could be much longer than the delays without it.

More here.

What do you think? Are the benefits of ending three-hour waits worth the costs?

Obamas to spend the holidays in Hawaii

by Brenda Yun on

There’s no official word from the White House, but the rumor mill (a.k.a. all of the local news sources) are saying that the Obamas will spend their second consecutive Christmas in Hawaii.

The Obamas spent last year lounging in their luxurious Paradise Point Estate compound on the shores of Kailua on Oahu’s windward shore, and it looks like they’ll enjoyed their stay enough to return this year as well. According to the estate’s website, “In the interest of security, this site will remain offline until January 4th, 2010.” The Obamas will supposedly be arriving in Hawaii some time around Christmas Eve and leaving shortly after the new year.

Kailua is one of the state’s most idyllic neighorhoods. Lanikai Beach continues to be rated as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Many visitors enjoy kayaking to the nearby Mokulua Islands (pictured here). Kailua Town is quaint and full of great eateries and shops. It’s really no wonder the Obamas enjoy the peace and beauty of this part of the island. Having grown up in Honolulu, Obama knows the best place to take a relaxing vacation. Last Christmas, he was spotted bodysurfing at Sandy Beach, a world-class beach with occasionally neck-breaking shorebreak.

At this time last year, the island experienced a very unfortunate and embarrassing blackout that left even the Obamas scrambling for the nearest generator. Let’s hope that this year HECO has its act together and lets us all have a peaceful holiday in paradise.