Friday, Jun. 20, 2008

John Spevak: A lifetime for just $10

Growing old may be a challenge. The body moves a little more slowly and sometimes so does the mind. But there is at least one advantage to growing old, in the form of a little plastic card persons 62 and older can get from the National Parks Service.

I discovered this advantage the other day when I went to Yosemite for a day. At the entrance station, while I was digging into my wallet to pay the entrance fee, I noticed on the sign showing the various options this line: "Seniors 62 and Older: $10 for a Lifetime Pass."

Sometimes my eyes play tricks on me. Can this be right? The regular entrance fee for a car was listed on the top line at $20, which I was ready to pay to get into Yosemite for one day. But a fee of $10, not just for a day, but for a lifetime?

I said to the ranger at the entrance station: "Can I get the seniors pass?" The fellow then paid one of the best compliments given to me in a while: "Are you a senior? Are you, in fact, 62?"

I flashed back to last November, when I had asked myself, "Is there anything good about turning 62?"

I replied to the ranger, "Thanks for the kind words, but I sure am." He asked for my driver's license, nodded, asked for $10, and then gave me a plastic card, the same size and shape of a credit card, and said, "Here you go. Please sign the back when you get a chance and have a good day in Yosemite."

As soon as I could, I pulled off the road and looked at the card, still in disbelief. Did I just get an almost free pass for life?

I read the back of the card: "The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. US Citizen or permanent resident, 62 years or older only. Must be presented in person." I kept reading: "Valid for entrance or standard amenity fees at Federal recreation sites for pass holder and occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle OR pass holder and three persons (16 and older) where per person fees are charged . . . May entitle holder to 50% discount on certain fees . . . Valid photo ID required."

As a frugal person always looking for the best bang for the few bucks I have, I just got one of the best bargains ever. Later that day, when I returned home, I checked the National Parks website, which confirmed that this pass was as good as it seemed. I also learned that eligible seniors could purchase this card only at National Parks entrance stations.

I've always enjoyed National Parks, Yosemite in particular. They are America's treasure, large places set aside for ordinary people to enjoy nature in simple splendor. This little card, for the rest of my life, will provide me free access to so many places just in California.

I can now get into, for free, in California, the following national parks, recreational areas, monuments, and seashores: Cabrillo, Channel Islands, Death Valley, Devil's Postpile, Golden Gate, Joshua Tree, Lassen, Lava Beds, Muir Woods, Pinnacles, Point Reyes, Redwoods, Santa Monica Mountains, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Whitney-Shasta-Trinity--as well as Yosemite.

And that's just in California. I imagined entering, for free, national parks in other states: Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Arches, Rocky Mountain, Mount Rushmore, Lincoln's Home, Cuyahoga Valley, the Great Smoky Mountains, Gettysburg, Ellis Island, the Cape Cod National Seashore. This was better than being a young kid in a candy store; I was an old kid in a parks store, where every entrance was free.

Past the Yosemite entrance station, after admiring my shiny new card, I was ready to enjoy its benefits. It had been a while since I had been to Yosemite, and I had forgotten how energizing it is to visit this place.

It was a fine day to be in Yosemite, in early June, when the waterfalls were in their glory. I stopped at Bridalveil Falls, where it's just a short uphill walk to a vista point, and felt the cool mist of the surging falls on my face.

My son Mike, daughter-in-law Karen, and their family were camping in Upper Pines; and my daughter Megan and her friend Eric were joining them; so I dropped in for a day. After all the family members connected at the campsite, we did two things I hadn't done before in my many previous visits to Yosemite: rented bikes and rented rafts.

Pedaling along the many bike paths in the park was a tranquil way to experience a lot of the valley in less than an hour. But the most enjoyable experience was floating down the Merced River for a few miles and a couple of hours in rafts.

My granddaughters Hanna (age 9) and Kaila (age 7) joined their mom and dad in one raft. Megan, Eric, and I were in the other. We used the oars to make sure we steered (for the most part) away from rocks and bushes and pylons. At two places we landed our rafts along the sand or gravel shore to get in the (cold) water and catch some sun.

As we rafted down the river, we saw no cars or pedestrians. We had unobstructed views of Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, and El Capitan. It felt a little as if we were in Yosemite a century and a half ago, away from the crowds that sometimes seem to clog the valley.

Mike wondered whether I'd shy away from the raft ride. But a 62-year-old guy still has some spunk. Many of my readers, also advanced in age, can attest to this. So to all of you older adults now eligible for a lifetime pass, get yourself the card, head out to the national park of your choice, and have some frugal and fabulous fun.

Comments on the writings of John Spevak, a regular Enterprise columnist, are encouraged and can be sent via email to spevak@telis.org

Comments on the writings of John Spevak, a regular Enterprise columnist, are encouraged and can be sent via email to spevak@telis.org