Who?
Paul “Barky” Dionne was born in western Massachusetts in the 1960’s. His interests in the natural world and American history spawned from his membership in the Boy Scouts, and in the patriotic fervor that swept the country during America’s Bicentennial in 1976.
Neither a professional historian nor a natural scientist, his interests drove him to his quest: visiting all 400 or so sites in the U.S. National Park Service. So far, he has visited well over 100 of them.
He currently makes his home in central Connecticut.
What?
This blog is a collection of experiences, observations, and insights gained through travels across the National Park System. There is a real breadth and depth to these parks, from colonial days to the Cold War, and from seashores to deserts to mountaintops. There is simply so much to learn by traveling through them all.
This blog contains photographs as well. Barky didn’t acquire a digital camera until 2005, photos prior to that are either in the public domain, or were acquired from other photographers with their permission. Please do not take any photos from this site. If you are interested in the works of the photographers used on this site, please visit their own websites using the links provided.
Over the past few years, this blog was fairly dormant. This was partially because of the time required to write quality posts, but it also stemmed from extreme disappointment in the direction the country took since the rise of the Alt-Right and the proto-tyrannical presidency of Donald J. Trump. It was difficult to continue to post uplifting stories of American history and ecology. Since his defeat and replacement, the blogged continues, with a greater focus on politics and the philosophy on what it, perhaps, means to be a true American.
Where?
The National Park System consists of over 400 sites of natural, historic, and cultural significance. They span from coast to coast, north to south, across almost every state and territory in the United States. They truly represent American life, past and present.
For more on the National Park System, visit their website: www.nps.gov.
When?
Barky has been visiting national park sites since the mid-1990’s. Typically he takes two trips a year, visiting clusters of parks in a particular area. Occasionally, special trips will be taken to visit a particular site.
Posts will be made as often as possible, depending on the availability of both time and creative sparks.
Why?
Barky has been telling stories of his trips to friends, family, and on internet message boards for years. After some repeated prodding, he set up this blog to share experiences, thoughts, and insights with anyone interested in reading them.
The title, “America in Context”, represents the overriding theme of this blog. In Barky’s view, in order to understand America, it is important to look not only at where we are now, but also how we got here. This is the story traveling through the National Park System tells you: how we got here. Just like any other field of study, you can’t understand America until you put it in the proper context.
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We hope you enjoy your stay on America In Context, and although you can’t comment on this particular page, please do so on the posts!
If you wish to send an e-mail to Barky, please use the following:
