Entry bubble Go West, Young Man!

By: Sam | December 12, 2007 | Category: Travel

Recently, I saw the movie “Into the Wild,” which is a screen adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s acclaimed bestseller. The book tells the true story of Christopher McCandless who, after graduating from college, donates all his money to charity and heads on a journey out West.

When I read the book several years ago, I was not only struck by McCandless’ inner journey but also his outer one through the American West. It’s a part of the country that I haven’t really explored, but the spirit and scenery has always fascinated me. And seeing the breathtaking images of the Pacific Crest Trail and Denali National Park on the big screen only heightened my curiosity and sense of adventure.

If I truly wanted to “go west young man” (or lady in my case), where would I go and what would I want to see? At pueblo.gsa.gov, I found two helpful publications, National Park System Map and Guide and National Trails System Map and Guide. These full-color maps list activities at more than 300 parks, monuments, and historic sites, along with 17 national trails. They’re a great starting point for discovering all that our national parks and trails system have to offer.

Another great resource is USA.gov. Just typing “national parks” in the Search box gave me tons of quick links and images to help make my planning easier. You can find a national park by name, location, topic, or activity. This link is great for someone like me who likes to swim and hike but isn’t so into snow skiing. There’s also a link to National Register Travel Itineraries, which can take a lot of guesswork out of your planning.

Once you’re ready to explore, visit Recreation.gov to make reservations for campgrounds and tours and to buy an annual pass for national parks and federal recreational lands. If you aren’t able to take a trip sometime soon, don’t worry—you can still experience the wonder of our national parks with the National Park Service’s Soundscapes. Make sure to check out this sound clip of a bison in Yellowstone!

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Entry bubble Commence Gabbing

By: Nancy | September 20, 2007 | Category: General

computer key labeled "blog"

I wish you could feel the energy around our office this week. It’s been a long time in the works and we’re so happy to be blogging!

Gov Gab comes to you from the U.S. General Services Administration, where the blog team’s “day jobs” all involve making it easier for people to find government-related information online through sites like USA.gov, Pueblo.gsa.gov and ConsumerAction.gov, and by phone via 1 (800) FED-INFO.

When we began thinking about creating this group blog, we didn’t realize how much would need to go into it, before writing a single word for you to read. Refining the blog’s focus, choosing software, layout and graphics, and even finding a name that worked for everybody took lots of teamwork and creativity. And it was really worth it.

So why are we entering the fray of millions and millions of blogs worldwide competing for your attention, and joining the growing list of federal agencies that are blogging? Well, we’re constantly surprised by the breadth of federal, state and local government resources that we come across in our jobs and end up using in our everyday lives. And by blogging, we can share those fantastic finds, tips and information with you on a more personal level, to help you make your own life a little easier.

I’ll see you back here every Thursday. And I know you’ll get a kick out of getting to know my blogger friends between now and then. Hope you’ll stop by every weekday to read, join in the conversation and enjoy the latest from Gov Gab.

| Comments [6] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: blogging   consumeraction.gov   gsa   nancy   pueblo.gsa.gov   usa.gov