100th Anniversary of the National Park Service -- September 19, 2016

San Francisco Call, 24-June-1913

Today I went to Good Shepherd School in Pacifica and talked to Junior High kids about the topic of the current DAR essay contest, inspired by the Centennial of the National Park Service, taking a trip with their family to a national park.  I talked about the history of national parks and the National Park Service.  I talked about ways to make a more interesting essay that would catch the attention of readers.  I had extra time with the 6th graders, so I talked about making the trip from what is now Pacifica to Yosemite in 1916.  They were amazed that it would take a train, a streetcar, a ferryboat, a train, probably an overnight stay in Merced, another train and a bus.