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Johnny Be Real's avatar

I’m curious to compare tax spending between state and national parks vs “art”. I’m disgusted with modern art. Never forget the “art” featuring Christian symbols submerged in containers of urine.

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It doesn't take Sherlock's avatar

Since the Clinton era, the focus has been on not making things much easier for more people to visit our 'national treasures' (National Parks and other land designations). Instead they put more acreage off limits to all but those very few who are willing to backpack in for days at a time. So the question becomes, "Is it a 'national treasure' if the nation for the most part can't enjoy it?" NP infrastructure has been horrible for decades. Their main solution winds up being limiting people who want to go see things. IN the case of Valley Forge, they took a park that was great for families to go visit and hang out at for picnicking, and allowed many areas to over grow because some stooge thought making it that way was more 'authentic'. I can guarantee you those people don't have overgrown yards that are more 'authentic' to what was there before their house was built on it.

Our national parks are a treasure that should be easier to visit and explore, and not cost a fortune to do so. But that isn't the "enlightened's" goal. Or if it is, then they are too stupid to implement it and they should resign their positions and let people in who can actually get it done.

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St. Alia the Knife's avatar

I am sad to read this about Valley Forge - I visited VF with my family when I was 10 years old and have never forgotten the experience. This sounds like more of the crumbling of our society/civilization.

Mrs. "the Knife"

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It doesn't take Sherlock's avatar

The park used to have multi-purposes. Their was the visitor center, and some of the cabins would have re-enactors and there was a cannon area. So you could go for the history, but then you had areas where you could then picnic and fly a kite, plenty of space to throw a frisbee. Near the General Wayne statue is a large hill that could never be used for anything official. About a 200 foot wide by 600 foot long hill that was great for sledding. Kids didn't have to worry about cars like in their neighborhoods. In Jan/Feb there isn't much usage of the park anyway outside apart from some hearty joggers. For many months it becomes the equivalent of those downtown outdoor stadiums the public pays for that don't get used in the off season. It's a shame. And in Gettysburg Park, they took out the tall tower that was great for viewing up high the grounds to get a better idea of the flow of troops and such. (And for kids was a fun place to walk down the outside stairs while the parents took the elevator.)

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