[NBR] PBS National Parks Special

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 8:00 am

Has anyone else been watching the Ken Burns National Parks special this week on PBS? Boy there sure are some breathtakingly beautiful places in this country. I see them on TV and immediately want to grab some friends, jump on our scooters and go! I must have about 10 years worth of scooting to every one of the parks all planned in my head...

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!

Major Redneck · Post by **Major Redneck** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:40 am

I have been watching,,, it is amazing just how the National Parks system got started... A year ago my daughter and I was riding my 50cc TGB in the Great Smokey Mountians (NC),,, we were stoped taking pictures when a Ranger stoped and told us we had to leave the park... That Dirtbikes/ATVs (with no tag) were not allowed in the park... I told him this was a street legal scooter used and allowed on all public roads in NC... We had to leave,,, heart broken and really wondering why... He said that all motor driven vehicle had to have a tag mounted in order to use the roadways in the park... I have had the same thing happen in a State Park (NC) as well...No I did not look into finding more out about the right or wrong about this...

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:35 am

I haven't been watching this, but thanks to TiVo and the rerunny tendency of PBS stations, I'll be able to catch up with it. My "places I want to go" list is about half national parks already. I wish I could get to more of these on my scooter.

rajron · Post by **rajron** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:09 pm

Yea; I’ve been watching when it first started! – Very interesting – just too long for me to be watching all the time, have other things I need to do.
Last night there was a story about the Appellation Mountains – It started off talking about this guy who was child genius, graduated from Cornell University at some very young age, got married, had six children, and became a head Liberian for some Mercantile Library; whatever that may be; then proceeded to become an alcoholic and lost everything, until he discovered the Appellations’. In the mean time a Japanese immigrant started a photography shop in the mountains, and the two meet and started a keen friend ship ……… then the story ends, and then, program jumps to a married couple attempting to ride the rapids in the Grand Canyon – What happened?

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:29 pm

Major Redneck wrote:A year ago my daughter and I was riding my 50cc TGB in the Great Smokey Mountians (NC),,, we were stoped taking pictures when a Ranger stoped and told us we had to leave the park... That Dirtbikes/ATVs (with no tag) were not allowed in the park...

Was he saying that it wasn't allowed in the park, or that you had to pay an fee to use it there? I had to buy a MI state parks pass for my scooter,* and paid the motorcycle entrance fee for one of the National Lakeshores I visited this past summer, but once I did that I was free to go anywhere a car was allowed.

*The ranger knew I was buying it for a scooter, but out of habit gave me the standard instruction to attach the sticker to the passenger side of the windshield. I joked that I'd left the sidecar at home.

pcbikedude · Post by **pcbikedude** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 3:58 pm

Watching! I just lived it.
I went hiking in: Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon National Park.

Major Redneck · Post by **Major Redneck** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:44 pm

I looked into it a little this moring after my last post,,, My understanding is that the "Scooter" is in the class of ATV,,, being it does not have a tag,,, and is motor driven... But then again it says if its legal for the roads in NC it should be for the roads in parks... I could have beg to differ with the Ranger but did not want the trouble,,, so both times we just left the park... No its not because of the sticker ,,, the road we were on in The Smoky's was a public driven road that runs through the blueridge parkway...

rickko · Post by **rickko** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:52 pm

One of the best bargains in America is the Senior Pass to all National Parks and federal recreational lands. It's a lifetime pass and only costs around $10 or so. It will get yourself and up to three others in the same car in for free for your remaining lifetime! If you ride 2-up on a m/c both persons are covered by the pass.

If you aren't 62 but your mom or dad is and you travel with them. This is a super deal.

..rickko..

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:14 pm

I'll have to wait for DVD. As the fall TV season's started, my household DVR is full of junk.

rickko wrote:If you aren't 62 but your mom or dad is and you travel with them. This is a super deal.

For many, that may negate the deal.

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:09 pm

rickko wrote:One of the best bargains in America is the Senior Pass to all National Parks and federal recreational lands. It's a lifetime pass and only costs around $10 or so. It will get yourself and up to three others in the same car in for free for your remaining lifetime! If you ride 2-up on a m/c both persons are covered by the pass.

If you aren't 62 but your mom or dad is and you travel with them. This is a super deal.

..rickko..

Where did you get your info? I am an official old fart according to the U.S. Gubmint and most fast food joints. My annual pass to one park costs more than the lifetime pass for the whole country that you quote.

By the way, that comment "your remaining lifetime" really made me laugh. I had this visual that had me yelling at my wife "Dammit, drive faster! Hurry up, I could croak any minute! We gotta mark this one off and hurry to the next. Dammit woman, step on the gas! Oh Lord, too late, here it comes! Only three parks! Barely came out ahead."

I guess you'd have to be old to appreciate that.

EDIT: I take it back, you're right. Also, you don't have to be an old fart. You can get a free pass to all parks and recreation areas by doing 500 hours of cumulative volunteer service. Piece a cake for you young guys.

Found the info here: ht[url]tp://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm[/url]

THANKS RICKKO!

dakotamouse · Post by **dakotamouse** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:56 am

pcbikedude wrote:Watching! I just lived it.
I went hiking in: Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon National Park.

These are places I hope to see soon! I caught some of the show and it is beautiful! Last weekend the hubby and I toured the Theodore Roosevelt Park in N. D. He on his cycle and me on my scoot. We've been here many times but it is always a treat. Got to see wild horses, antelope, bugling elk and had to wait out a traffic jam of buffalo. All in the beauty of the bad lands. Our national parks are gems!

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:07 am

Watching this TV series, I'm now wondering if anyone has experience with national parks that are well-suited to exploration by scooter. I know there are some that are simply off-limits, and some where a scoot just wouldn't do much good due to terrain or lack of pavement. Any you can recommend?

KCScooterDude · Post by **KCScooterDude** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 2:47 am

Major Redneck wrote:I have been watching,,, it is amazing just how the National Parks system got started... A year ago my daughter and I was riding my 50cc TGB in the Great Smokey Mountians (NC),,, we were stoped taking pictures when a Ranger stoped and told us we had to leave the park... That Dirtbikes/ATVs (with no tag) were not allowed in the park... I told him this was a street legal scooter used and allowed on all public roads in NC... We had to leave,,, heart broken and really wondering why... He said that all motor driven vehicle had to have a tag mounted in order to use the roadways in the park... I have had the same thing happen in a State Park (NC) as well...No I did not look into finding more out about the right or wrong about this...

They do this because motorcycles need to have a USFS approved spark arrestor. KLR650 owners will know what I'm talking about. Basically they are concerned about forest fires.

Having said that, while there are many wonderful employees of our national park service and national forestry service, sometime I'll be happy to tell you about this Nazi I ran across at Everglades National Park about 15 years ago.

KCScooterDude · Post by **KCScooterDude** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 2:49 am

dakotamouse wrote:
pcbikedude wrote:Watching! I just lived it.
I went hiking in: Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon National Park.
These are places I hope to see soon! I caught some of the show and it is beautiful! Last weekend the hubby and I toured the Theodore Roosevelt Park in N. D. He on his cycle and me on my scoot. We've been here many times but it is always a treat. Got to see wild horses, antelope, bugling elk and had to wait out a traffic jam of buffalo. All in the beauty of the bad lands. Our national parks are gems!

I've been to the South Unit. The North Dakota badlands are ten times more beautiful than the South Dakota badlands. Don't tell my wife I said that, she's from Yankton.

dakotamouse · Post by **dakotamouse** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:00 pm

KCScooterDude wrote:
dakotamouse wrote:
pcbikedude wrote:Watching! I just lived it.
I went hiking in: Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon National Park.
These are places I hope to see soon! I caught some of the show and it is beautiful! Last weekend the hubby and I toured the Theodore Roosevelt Park in N. D. He on his cycle and me on my scoot. We've been here many times but it is always a treat. Got to see wild horses, antelope, bugling elk and had to wait out a traffic jam of buffalo. All in the beauty of the bad lands. Our national parks are gems!
I've been to the South Unit. The North Dakota badlands are ten times more beautiful than the South Dakota badlands. Don't tell my wife I said that, she's from Yankton.

If you liked the South Unit you'll love the North Unit. Secluded quiet beauty. Custer state park in S. Dakota is wonderful for scootering.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:23 pm

Given the high altitude of some of the parks I imagine the elevation change along the ride would have to be considered if touring on a scooter.

I don't know diddly about what needs to be adjusted for a scooter to run well in thinner air etc. I live at sea level. Is altitude change a legitimate concern? Is the needed engine adjustment even possible or practical when on the road? Or should one simply ride, enjoy the view, and not worry about it?

KCScooterDude · Post by **KCScooterDude** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:36 pm

dakotamouse wrote:
KCScooterDude wrote:
dakotamouse wrote: These are places I hope to see soon! I caught some of the show and it is beautiful! Last weekend the hubby and I toured the Theodore Roosevelt Park in N. D. He on his cycle and me on my scoot. We've been here many times but it is always a treat. Got to see wild horses, antelope, bugling elk and had to wait out a traffic jam of buffalo. All in the beauty of the bad lands. Our national parks are gems!
I've been to the South Unit. The North Dakota badlands are ten times more beautiful than the South Dakota badlands. Don't tell my wife I said that, she's from Yankton.
If you liked the South Unit you'll love the North Unit. Secluded quiet beauty. Custer state park in S. Dakota is wonderful for scootering.

I have been to Custer. Should be a National Park itself. It's on the list of places to scoot some day!