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CONTENTS
EXPERIENCE THE NATIONAL PARKS
ALASKA
CALIFORNIA
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
SOUTHWEST
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
GREAT LAKES AND NORTHEAST
THE SOUTH
ISLANDS
ESSENTIALS
INDEX
LIST OF MAPS
Although every effort was made to make sure the information in
this book was accurate when going to press, research was
impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and things may have changed
since the time of writing. Be sure to confirm specific details, like
opening hours, closures, and travel guidelines and restrictions,
when making your travel plans. For more detailed information, see
click here.
EXPERIENCE THE NATIONAL PARKS
These 63 national parks are masterpieces spread across the United States. The
artistry of nature paints their rainforests with mossy green, their lakes a vivid blue,
and their canyons in shifting oranges and reds.
Their beauty is in their wildness. Cactus deserts bloom against the odds, and
rugged mountains trap snow to feed rivers tumbling to oceans, where seascapes
change with each tide. Wolves, grizzly bears, orcas, and eagles still rule the animal
kingdom, much as they did when only Indigenous people occupied these lands.
The sights can only be described in superlatives: North America’s highest peak,
tallest waterfall, deepest lake, lowest elevation, biggest trees, and the world’s first
national park.
Our parks provide moments of connection: hearing birds chatter, smelling
fragrant trees, feeling the spray of waterfalls, touching rocks smoothed over by the
centuries, and staring up into dark skies. These are the moments that let nature
wash through us; that offer renewal of the human spirit.
Your trip to any of these national parks can be the start of a longer, life-
enriching journey. Let it begin here.
Top 10 Experiences
Best Meals in the Parks
What’s New
Best of the National Parks
BEST HIKING
Find Your Park
BEST FOR WILDLIFE
Dark Skies
Best Parkitecture
BEST PARKS FOR KIDS
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TRADITIONS
Best for Solitude
BEST SCENIC DRIVES
Share the Love: Colorful Pics in the Parks
BEST BY PUBLIC TRANSIT
BEST IN THE OFF-SEASON
THE NATIONAL PARKS AT A GLANCE
 Top 10 Experiences

1 SEE VOLCANIC ISLAND-BUILDING AT HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES

Kilauea spews lava into the ocean, expanding the Big island’s footprint.
2 MARVEL AT ICE-LADEN DENALI
Feast your eyes on the immense icy wonder of crevassed glaciers plunging from
the highest point in North America.
3 TAKE A SCENIC DRIVE IN GREAT SMOKIES
Choose one of the many scenic drives in late fall to witness regal scarlets, oranges,
and golds light up the forests.
4 HIKE THE NARROWS IN ZION
Plod upstream in the rocky water of the North Fork of the Virgin River through a
deep, narrow slot canyon of vertical cliffs.
5 GO UNDERGROUND AT MAMMOTH CAVE
Explore this labyrinth—part of the longest cave system in the world—under electric
lights, with handheld lanterns, or crawling through tight squeezes.
6 CATCH OLD FAITHFUL IN YELLOWSTONE
Set your watch to see Old Faithful, the famous geyser that erupts roughly every 90
minutes.
7 FEEL THE EXTREMES OF DEATH VALLEY
Drop to the lowest point in North America at Death Valley to experience the hottest
temperatures and the driest climate.
8 RAFT THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON
Synch with the rhythm of the Colorado River during 7-21 days of crashing white
water and flatwater floats below the immense canyon walls.
9 TOUR ANCIENT CLIFF DWELLINGS IN MESA VERDE
Visit the wondrous cliffside homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people on ranger-led
tours.
 10 GAZE UP AT GIANT TREES IN SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON
Stand in awe at the base f giant sequoia trees—including the largest tree by
volume in the world.

Where TO GO
ALASKA
Alaska contains some of the most rugged and wildest parks. In Denali, bus tours carry
visitors deep into the park to see wolves, bears, moose, and the tallest peak in North
America. Flightseeing gets visitors even closer to Denali mountain. See tidewater
glaciers in Glacier Bay and Kenai Fjords, or fly above the Arctic Circle to Gates of
the Arctic and Kobuk Valley. Watch brown bears fishing in Katmai, go fishing in
Lake Clark, and hike to glaciers in Wrangell-St. Elias.
CALIFORNIA
The California parks span unique extremes: the marine environment of the Channel
Islands, the desert badlands of Death Valley, and the bubbling mud pots of Lassen
Volcanic. Two deserts collide in Joshua Tree, rocky spires shoot skyward in
Pinnacles, and giant redwoods and sequoias pack into Redwood and Sequoia-Kings
Canyon. The crowning park, Yosemite, shows off waterfalls in Yosemite Valley, far-
reaching views from Glacier Point, and a cabled climb up the steep Half Dome.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Every one of the Pacific Northwest parks centers on mountains—from the volcano
holding Crater Lake to high Mount Rainier spilling with glaciers to the icy peaks
dominating the North Cascades. In Olympic National Park, you can drive into the
alpine at Hurricane Ridge or go west to plunge into the lush Hoh Rain Forest and stroll
rugged Ruby Beach.

SOUTHWEST
The parks of the Southwest show off nature’s sculpture in the cliffs, fantastical hoodoos,
and arches of Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. Belowground, the
artistry continues with stalactites in Carlsbad Caverns. Even vegetation contains a
rare beauty, with stately cacti in Saguaro and ancient bristlecones in Great Basin.
Colors run rampant in the Painted Desert in the Petrified Forest, cliff dwellings of
Mesa Verde, giant dunes of Great Sand Dunes, glittering gypsum of White Sands,
the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend, and the desert peaks of Guadalupe Mountains.
Two parks stand out as Southwest royalty: Zion features the Narrows, Zion Canyon,
and the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Grand Canyon has overlooks of the gaping
chasm along Hermit Road and at Desert View Watchtower, while the inner canyon lures
hikers and boaters.

ROCKY MOUNTAINS
In the Rocky Mountains, the large famous parks often overshadow the smaller ones. But
these modest parks enchant in their own right—the narrow slot of Black Canyon of
the Gunnison, colorful erosion of Badlands, boxwork of Wind Cave, and beloved
badlands of Theodore Roosevelt. The large parks have earned fame for their iconic
attractions. Rocky Mountain has its elk, Longs Peak, and Trail Ridge Road, the highest
paved road in the country. Glacier has the scenic Many Glacier area, and the cliff-
hugging Going-to-the-Sun Road. Grand Teton has wildlife and Teton Park Road. And
Yellowstone has wildlife-watching, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the
incomparable Old Faithful Geyser.

GREAT LAKES AND NORTHEAST

In the northeast is Acadia with its Park Loop Road, Jordan Pond House, and historic
carriage roads.
 Like no other region, the Great Lakes contain parks that focus on water. In
Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio, the canals preserve one of the nation’s early water highways.
In Voyageurs, Minnesota, the lake acreage rivals the amount of land. Lake Superior
holds the isolated Isle Royale, while Indiana Dunes anchors Lake Michigan.

THE SOUTH
From the Appalachian mountain parks such as Shenandoah, Virginia, to the coastal
marine parks of Biscayne and Dry Tortugas in Florida, the national parks of the South
include the subterranean world of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; the free-standing
Gateway Arch, Missouri; the swamps of Congaree, South Carolina; one of America’s
oldest waterways in New River Gorge, West Virginia; and the mineral springs of Hot
Springs, Arkansas. Two jewels stand out: Great Smoky Mountains, with Cades
Cove, Cataloochee Valley, and Newfound Gap Road; and Everglades, for wildlife-
watching, paddling, and the Ten Thousand Islands.

ISLANDS
The Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea hold islands with lovely beaches. The Virgin
Islands flank white-sand beaches with coral reefs and turquoise water. Located south
of the equator, American Samoa likewise harbors impressive coral reefs. But in
Hawaii, the national parks climb to great heights far above the beaches at Haleakalā
and Hawai‘i Volcanoes.

Know BEFORE YOU GO

NATIONAL PARKS PASS
Most national parks charge an entrance fee that is valid for seven days. To get the most
bang for your buck, consider buying the Interagency Annual Pass ($80), which is
good for all national parks and federal fee areas. Interagency passes are free for fourth
graders in the United States, disabled persons, and military personnel. Seniors have two
interagency pass options: Annual ($20), which is valid for one year, and Lifetime ($80).

FEE-FREE DAYS
Some national parks recognize several fee-free days annually. During fee-free days, the
entrance fee for the park is waived. Most fee-free days include Martin Luther King Jr.
Day (Jan.), the first day of National Park Week (Apr.), the anniversary of the Great
American Outdoors Act/National Park Service birthday (Aug.), National Public Lands Day
(Sept.), and Veterans Day (Nov. 11).

NATIONAL PARKS APP

The NPS smartphone app has information on each national park: road conditions and
closures, alerts, weather, ranger programs, maps, trails, activities, and campgrounds.
Some parks include driving tours, self-guided walking tours, geyser eruption predictions,
and parking lot status. Download the app before you leave home. Select the parks
you’ll be visiting and download information to use when cell service is not available,
which is common in many parks.

RESERVATIONS
ROADS AND PARKING
Many uber-crowded parks are now requiring reservations (www.recreation.gov, fees
vary) to drive certain roads or park at trailheads. The reservations costs are in
addition to entry fees. Acadia, Arches, Glacier, Haleakalā, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite
require reservations to access certain roads at certain times. Great Smoky Mountains
may require a parking pass for Laurel Falls. While each park’s reservations open at
different times, most offer two windows: 60-120 days in advance and 1-7 days in
advance. Several other parks are considering reservations for over-crowded areas;
check the alerts on the individual park websites or the NPS app when you begin
planning your trip.

LODGES AND CAMPGROUNDS

Reservations book up fast for national park lodges and campgrounds. Plan to book
as soon as reservation windows open. Book any lodge dinners, tours, or activity
reservations concurrently.
To stay overnight at lodges inside the parks, make reservations through individual
operators for peak seasons (usually summer) 12-13 months in advance. This is
especially true for Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand
Teton, Glacier, Zion, Olympic, and Acadia.

BEST MEALS IN THE PARKS

Here are the top restaurants in the parks. Each offers something special: dining
with a view, a historic setting, a unique experience—or all of the above.
ACADIA: Enjoy afternoon tea at the rustic recreated 19th-century Jordan Pond
House.
CRATER LAKE: Feast on Pacific Northwest cuisine at the 1915 Crater Lake
Lodge.
GLACIER: Enjoy lake and mountain views from the Ptarmigan Dining Room at
the Many Glacier Hotel.
GRAND CANYON: Dine at the rustic but elegant El Tovar hotel on the lip of the
South Rim.
GRAND TETON: See historic art and mountain views while dining in the Mural
Room at Jackson Lake Lodge.
 SHENANDOAH: Dine on the terrace at Big Meadows Lodge for sweeping views.
YELLOWSTONE: The 1904 Old Faithful Inn epitomizes “parkitecture” even in its
high-ceiling dining room.
YOSEMITE: Even the elegant dining room at The Ahwahnee can’t compete with
the stellar valley views.

Many campgrounds accept reservations (www.recreation.gov) up to six months in

advance. Every year, more parks are converting campgrounds from first come, first
served to the reservation system. When planning your trip, check on the park website to
see whether reservations have been added.

ACTIVITIES
Some parks require advance reservations (www.recreation.gov) to hike certain trails:
Angels Landing in Zion and Half Dome in Yosemite. Most boat, bus, and recreation
tours are booked through individual operators with varying windows for reservations.
Although you can get last-minute spots for 1-2 people, make reservations for May-
September as soon as possible. For commercial river trips in the Grand Canyon, book
1-2 years in advance. For ranger-led tours, such as cave tours, book tickets
(www.recreation.gov) six months in advance.

LOTTERIES
Some activities require lotteries instead of reservations. Each lottery operates
differently; most occur in winter or spring for the upcoming season. Lottery events
include the synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains and Congaree;
hiking Half Dome and backpacking to the High Sierra Camps in Yosemite; driving a
private vehicle on the park road in Denali; snowmobiling in Yellowstone; and
private rafting trips in the Grand Canyon.

SEASONS
High Season
Summer is often the best time to visit the national parks. As the winter snows
disappear and temperatures begin to warm, the crowds thicken and visitor services are
in full swing. Park roads start to open, though snow may bury high-elevation roads into
July and often returns to dust mountain peaks at the end of September.
The parks of the Southwest, however, are best in spring and fall; time your visit
then to avoid the triple-digit temperatures of summer.

Low Season
Winter is often the low season, when park lodges, campgrounds, and restaurants
close for the season, leaving minimal services for visitors. Some national parks enjoy
better weather and temperatures in winter thanks to their more moderate climates or
tropical locales.

EATING IN THE PARKS

Before visiting a national park, check on food services first, so you can plan accordingly.
Many parks have minimal or no food services. At parks with restaurants, expect to wait
in line around mealtimes (very few accept reservations).
Packing picnic meals gives you more flexibility. Collapsible soft-sided coolers keep
lunches and water bottles cold. They pack well whether you’re driving to the parks or
flying into the nearest airport.
Take snacks and water while hiking and traveling inside the parks. Food service
locations are few.

WHAT’S NEW
DOWNLOAD THE NPS SMARTPHONE APP. It covers each national park with
maps, alerts, activities, ranger programs, self-guided tours, and more. You can save
some park information offline for areas where cell service is sketchy.
BUY YOUR PASS AT HOME. Multiple parks offer entry passes online
(www.recreation.gov), which means you can zip through entrance stations faster.
VISIT THE NEWEST NATIONAL PARK. New River Gorge became the 63rd
national park in 2020. It celebrates one of the oldest rivers in the country.
During peak season, Acadia, Arches, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite have
added RESERVATIONS FOR ENTRY into certain portions of the parks to help
alleviate overcrowding.
Many campgrounds are available via the parks’ CAMPING RESERVATION
SYSTEM (www.recreation.gov) during peak season. This makes planning ahead
imperative, especially at parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton, where all
campgrounds are now reservable.
Due to an influx of backcountry use, more parks require PERMITS FOR
ACTIVITIES. Some of the new permits include HIKING Angels Landing in Zion
and Old Rag in Shenandoah, TRAILHEAD PARKING for Laurel Falls in Great
Smoky Mountains, BACKPACKING in Sequoia and Kings Canyon and Mount
Rainier, SUNRISE on Haleakalā, and OVERNIGHT CLIMBING in Yosemite and
Mount Rainier. Many parks are releasing permit reservations online
(www.recreation.gov).
Natural disasters have impacted several parks, causing access to some areas to be
limited. Effects on trails, roads, and visitor services may linger for several years. In
2021, these included massive WILDFIRES in Lassen Volcanic, North Cascades,
and Sequoia and Kings Canyon. A LANDSLIDE from melting permafrost destroyed
 Denali’s main road; another landslide in North Cascades impacted access to the
park’s best hiking trail.
For paddlers, Mammoth Cave has a new designated NATIONAL RECREATION
TRAIL on the Green and Nolin Rivers Blueway.
The busy WEST ENTRANCE of Joshua Tree is being EXPANDED to reduce
waiting lines.
Channel Islands has added a NEW CAMPGROUND on Santa Cruz Island.

AVOID THE CROWDS

Our national parks are popular, and rightly so. As visitation increases, however, so do
the crowds. Here are some tips to avoid the mayhem.

VISIT IN SHOULDER SEASON

Summer is often peak season, when crowds are at their largest. Time your visit for
spring or fall instead, or consider visiting the park in winter when snowy solitude
offers a quiet respite. If you must tour in summer, opt for some of the least-visited
parks for a less harried experience. Visit on weekdays to avoid the influx of locals on
weekends and holidays.

ARRIVE EARLY MORNING OR LATE AFTERNOON

Rush hour at park entrance stations is 10am-4pm. To claim a coveted parking spot at
prime sights and trailheads, arrive before 9am (in the busiest and most visited parks
or on weekends, arrive before 7am).
Tour the most popular sights and the best-loved trails in early morning or late
afternoon, which avoids the crowds common during the busiest part of the day. Aim first
for park areas that may require more time or energy to reach.

SPEED THROUGH ENTRANCE STATIONS

To get through entrance stations faster, buy an annual park pass. You can also
purchase an entrance pass to select parks online in advance (www.recreation.gov).

HAVE AN ALTERNATE PLAN

Be flexible with your itinerary and forgo a stop or hike if it is too crowded. Always have
a second trailhead or sight in mind to visit instead.

SUSTAINABILITY TIPS
USE A WATER BOTTLE
Bring your own refillable water bottle or buy one from a park gift shop. Don’t
needlessly add disposable plastic to the park refuse collection and recycling
infrastructure.
STAY ON PATHS
Staying on designated paths and trails prevents erosion. This is especially crucial in
alpine meadows and sensitive wildflower zones. Take photos with your feet on a trail.

CARRY OUT YOUR TRASH

Bring a small bag or container to corral your trash to pack out rather than letting tidbits
drop along a trail or road. Think ahead and bring food with little to no packaging.

GET OUT OF THE CAR

When possible, get around by walking, biking, or taking shuttles. Turn off your vehicle’s
engine rather than idling for short stops.

Best of THE NATIONAL PARKS

Best HIKING
ACADIA
A bit of scrambling and aid from iron rungs, steps, and handrails on exposed segments
gets you straight up to the apex of the Beehive Loop Trail for views of ocean and
mountains.

ARCHES
Hike to the free-standing Delicate Arch, a natural work of art sculpted by wind and
erosion.

GLACIER
This tiptoe along the top-of-the-world Highline Trail—full of wildflowers and mountain
goats—goes to historic Granite Park Chalet for panoramic views.

KENAI FJORDS
The trail snuggles up to several viewpoints of Exit Glacier as it plunges from the
Harding Icefield to melt into braided streams.

GRAND CANYON
From the rim to canyon depths, the Bright Angel Trail descends through eons of
geology to the Colorado River.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

Wooden steps, stone staircases, and elevated boardwalks make short work of the climb
to Andrews Bald, a mountaintop meadow where views encompass the southern
Smokies.
MOUNT RAINIER
At Paradise, the Skyline Trail climbs through subalpine wildflower meadows and past
waterfalls to vistas of Nisqually Glacier tumbling from the ice cap of Rainier.

OLYMPIC
Wildflowers pave the path to the summit of Hurricane Hill, perched perfectly for views
north of the Strait of Juan de Fuca into Canada and south into the icy Mount Olympus.

SHENANDOAH
The switchback climb up Old Rag (permit needed) finishes by following blue markers
with a hands-and-feet scramble under, over, and between boulders to reach the rocky
summit.

YOSEMITE
Expect to be showered by waterfall mist on the Mist Trail’s scenery-laden ascent to
thundering Vernal and Nevada Falls.

ZION
Get a permit to zigzag your way up a series of short switchbacks to Angels Landing,
where fixed chains assist you on the skinny shimmy between immense drop-offs to
reach the summit.

FIND YOUR PARK

Which park is for you? If you want . . .
ACCESSIBILITY: Take the wheelchair-accessible shuttle and paths along the
South Rim of Grand Canyon.
BACKPACKING: Hike the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton and circle the
Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier.
BIKING: Pedal the historic canal towpath in Cuyahoga Valley.
BOULDERING: Scale the rock piles at Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree.
CAVES: Tour the self-guided Natural Entrance to the Big Room in Carlsbad
Caverns.
DIVING: Explore sunken wrecks off Dry Tortugas.
FALL FOLIAGE: Take an autumn drive along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah.
GLACIERS CALVING: Cruise on a boat into Glacier Bay.
HORSEBACK RIDING: Saddle up at Glacier Creek Stable in Rocky Mountain.
HOT SPRINGS: Soak your worries away at Buckstaff Baths in Hot Springs.
 HOUSEBOATING: Rent a houseboat to tour the lakes at Voyageurs.
NORTHERN LIGHTS: Go aurora-watching at Denali.
PADDLING: Kayak the miles of inlets and islets around Isle Royale in Lake
Superior.
RAFTING: Splash through big white water on the New River in New River
Gorge.
RAIN FORESTS: Sink into the lush greenery at the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic.
REDWOODS: Walk amid old-growth giants in Redwood National and State
Parks.
SAND: Sled or sandboard down dunes at Great Sand Dunes or White Sands.
SNORKELING: Swim through the coral reefs of the Virgin Islands or American
Samoa.
SOLITUDE: Fly into Gates of the Arctic for the ultimate in wilderness.
SUNRISE: Catch the earliest dawn in the United States at Cadillac Mountain in
Acadia.
SUNSET: Camp overnight on the Channel Islands to watch the sunset across the
Pacific.
SWIMMING: Lounge on the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes.
WATERFALLS: Get doused by waterfall spray in Yosemite Valley in spring.

Best FOR WILDLIFE

BIRDS IN BIG BEND
With year-round birding, Big Bend avians burst into song in spring, when tropical birds
such as the Colima warbler arrive to nest.

BATS AT CARLSBAD CAVERNS

At dusk, sit in the amphitheater at the Natural Entrance to the caverns to watch
thousands of bats take flight.

FIREFLIES AT CONGAREE AND GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

In late spring, catch the mating ritual of synchronous fireflies in the evening as they
light up together.

MARINELIFE IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

On these California islands in summer, sea lions and northern fur seals rear pups
while blue and humpback whales surface offshore.
CARIBOU IN DENALI
From the bus tour on Denali Park Road, see a lone wolf cruising or a pack out hunting
along river bottoms among herds of caribou.

CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS IN THE EVERGLADES

You can bicycle or take a tram to see crocodiles and alligators in Shark Valley, plus
scads of egrets, ibis, and storks.

DARK SKIES
City lights drown out the stars for more than three-fourths of the U.S. population.
Designated International Dark Sky Parks offer places where you can still see the
Milky Way. Moonless nights are best, and you’ll need red flashlights to help your
eyes adjust. Some parks offer telescopes for viewing the starry skies. In August,
watch for the annual Perseid meteor shower.

International Dark Sky Parks

All International Dark Sky Parks have dark skies for astrophotography and self-
guided night sky viewing in addition to public programs.
ARCHES: Stargazing and ranger telescope programs at Panorama Point
BIG BEND: Stargazing ranger programs
BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON: June astronomy festival; weekly
astronomy ranger programs
BRYCE CANYON: June astronomy festival; evening ranger talks and telescope
viewing
CANYONLANDS: Night-sky programs with telescope viewing
CAPITOL REEF: September Heritage Starfest and ranger programs
DEATH VALLEY: Night-sky events in winter and spring; February astronomy
festival
GLACIER: Logan Pass stargazing programs; after-dark telescope viewing at Apgar
and St. Mary Visitor Centers
GRAND CANYON: June Star Party; night sky programs
GREAT BASIN: Star trains; astronomy programs; full moon hikes; September
astronomy festival
GREAT SAND DUNES: Night sky programs
JOSHUA TREE: September night sky festival
MAMMOTH CAVE: night sky programs
 MESA VERDE: annual star party in October; ranger-led programs that highlight
the importance of the night sky to Ancestral Puebloans
PETRIFIED FOREST: wildlife-centric astronomy programs
VOYAGEURS: Junior Ranger Night Explorer activities; stargazing; seeing the
northern lights from remote lakeside campsites
ZION: Junior Ranger Night Sky activities
OTHER PARKS WITH NIGHT SKY FESTIVALS: Acadia (Sept.), Lassen (Aug.),
Rocky Mountain (every two years), and Badlands (July)
PARKS WITH SPECIAL NIGHT SKY PROGRAMS: Pinnacles (spring night
hikes), Carlsbad Caverns (ranger-led star walks and full-moon hikes), Olympic
(Hurricane Ridge astronomy programs)

WHALES IN GLACIER BAY

On a summer boat tour in Glacier Bay, catch a humpback whales, orcas, or bald
eagles drawn to the waters rich for feeding.

MOOSE IN ISLE ROYALE

With willows galore, Isle Royale is home to giant awkward-looking moose barely kept in
check by wolf populations.

BEARS IN KATMAI
From special viewing platforms, watch brown bears capture fish in the tumbling
waters at Brooks Camp.

CONDORS AT PINNACLES
Use telescopes near the visitors center or hike the High Peaks Trail in early morning or
evening to view condors.

ELK IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN

In spring, newborn elk follow cows, and in fall, the park resounds with bugling as large-
antlered bulls round up harems during the rut.

WILD HORSES IN THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Through noisy prairie dog towns, wild horses run free. Visit in spring to see newborn
colts prance.

BISON IN YELLOWSTONE
In spring, bison give birth to baby calves, known as “red dogs.” See how the West once
appeared with vast herds interspersed with pronghorns.
 BEST PARKITECTURE
National park lodges often reflect the architecture of their surrounding landscape
with stone and log work. Many are National Historic Landmarks not to be missed.
The Ahwahnee, Yosemite: This wood and granite palace features stained-glass
windows, two glorious stone fireplaces, Native American designs, and a three-story
beamed ceiling in the dining room with floor-to-ceiling views of Yosemite Valley.
Grand Canyon Lodge, Grand Canyon: Perched on the North Rim, the lodge’s
dining room and sunroom offer dramatic overlooks of the immense canyon.
Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier: Restored to its former glory, Many Glacier boasts
mountain views, a large fireplace in a four-story lobby, and a double spiral
staircase.
Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone: The five-story lobby is ringed with knobby-wood
balconies centered on a stone fireplace equal in height.
Paradise Inn, Mount Rainier: The inn features a steep-pitched roof and an
immense lobby flanked by stone fireplaces.
Bryce Canyon Lodge, Bryce Canyon: The stone-and-wood edifice sports an
expansive porch that invites a long look at the surrounding woods.
Crater Lake Lodge, Crater Lake: The lodge’s first story is built of stone, then
topped by wood and a shingled roof. The Great Hall and the back porch both
overlook deep-blue Crater Lake.
Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic: A glass-paned sunroom and dining room nearly
pull Lake Crescent inside this lodge.

Best PARKS FOR KIDS

The National Park Service’s Junior Ranger Program is one of the best activities for
kids. The program includes a booklet, which children complete as they learn about each
park and engage in fun activities (parents can participate). Kids then turn in their
completed booklets at a visitors center to be sworn in as Junior Rangers and receive a
national park badge or patch.
In addition to the Junior Ranger Program, specialty naturalist programs are great
for kids. Look for Wildlife Olympics programs, where kids can test their physical skills
in comparison to animals. Check out explorer backpacks from the park visitors
centers; each pack comes equipped with equipment for activities. The park visitors
centers are filled with kids rooms, hands-on exhibits, and touchable learning programs.
ARCHES
Take the whole family on a guided walk through the rock-scrambling maze of the Fiery
Furnace.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

Join rangers to catch salamanders in Hen Wallow Falls.

ACADIA
Poke around tide pools to see the variety of creatures.

GREAT BASIN
Gaze through special telescopes that let you look right at the sun.

GREAT SAND DUNES

Sandboard down the majestic dunes in this giant sandbox.

PETRIFIED FOREST
Touch fossilized plants and animals in the Junior Ranger Paleontologist program.

BISCAYNE
Don a mask and snorkel to be enchanted by this watery park.

Indigenous Peoples TRADITIONS

Many national parks are rooted in historic Native American lands. Some offer ways to
con nect with Indigenous people and their culture. These are some of the best places to
enrich your experience.

AMERICAN SAMOA
What better way to immerse yourself in an Indigenous culture than staying with its
people! This national park works with local people to provide homestays where you
participate in daily activities of fishing, gardening, or preparing meals.

GLACIER
Blackfeet drivers of Sun Tours buses share their heritage with visitors along Going-to-
the-Sun Road. Campground amphitheaters also host Native America Speaks, with
local Blackfeet and Kootenai people sharing stories.

GLACIER BAY
The Tlingit Huna House, the Xunaa Shuká Hít, is a tribal house with daily interpretive
programs that share traditional woodcraft and art, including dance and carving
demonstrations.
GRAND CANYON
Inside Desert View Watchtower, Hopi artist Fred Kabotie painted murals
incorporating Hopi symbols and stories. Today, the tower hosts cultural demonstrations
by Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, and Navajo artisans. It is also the first Inter-Tribal
Cultural Heritage Site for the National Park Service.

BEST FOR SOLITUDE

For crowd-free experiences and immersion in nature, consider adding these parks
to your itinerary.
BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON: Take the long drive to the North Rim for
trails to overlooks where you might be the only visitor.
CHANNEL ISLANDS: Plan to camp overnight and you’ll have nearly your own
private island, especially on Anacapa (which has only seven campsites).
GATES OF THE ARCTIC: Access this remote arctic park by air to float or paddle a
Wild and Scenic River or backpack through the trail-less wilderness.
GREAT BASIN: Climb the crowd-free trail to Wheeler Peak to see ancient
bristlecone pines.
GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS: Stand alone on the highest summit in Texas as you
overlook the Chihuahuan Desert.
HALEAKALĀ: Visitors flock to the summit of this volcano to watch the sun rise.
After that, parking spots open up and crowds dissipate. Come instead for sunset,
when there are fewer people.
ISLE ROYALE: This park is set in the midst of Lake Superior, where only canoes
and sea kayaks can reach its private bays tucked around the island’s 337 miles of
shoreline.
NORTH CASCADES: Pick up a backcountry permit and stay overnight in a
shoreline camp on Ross Lake, or backpack into the mountains to log some solitary
miles.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT: Find secluded nooks in the badlands of the North Unit
or at Roosevelt’s favorite, the Elkhorn Ranch Unit.
VOYAGEURS: Boat in to shoreline campsites spread across this largely water park
to watch the Northern Lights.
WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS: The largest national park in the United States is home to
millions of acres of solitude, especially along its less traveled Nabesna Road.
HALEAKALĀ
Native Hawaiians from Kīpahulu ‘Ohana lead cultural interpretive hikes with stops at a
living farm, historic sites, and natural features like the Pools of ‘Ohe‘o.

HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES
Visit the Volcano Art Center Gallery on Aloha Fridays for demonstrations of
traditional Hawaiian arts like ukulele, hula, and lei-making. Other programs include
cultural forest walks and “talk stories.”

MESA VERDE
This park preserves more than 5,000 archaeological sites that include surface and cliff
dwellings from Ancestral Puebloans, the forebears of today’s Puebloan people.

PETRIFIED FOREST
Local Indigenous artisans demonstrate traditional creative skills inside the Painted
Desert Inn.

CAPITOL REEF
The Fremont people chipped and etched petroglyphs into the sandstone canyon wall
to tell stories of their lives.

REDWOOD
The Tolowa and Yurok groups perform dance demonstrations periodically, including the
annual renewal dance, called Ne’-dosh, in July.

Best SCENIC DRIVES

TRAIL RIDGE ROAD
The country’s highest paved road climbs to a dizzying 12,183 feet (3,713 m) into alpine
tundra among granite peaks that define Rocky Mountain National Park.

SKYLINE DRIVE
Skyline Drive winds through Shenandoah’s lush forests and across long ridgelines,
surrounded by spring cherry blossoms or the golds, oranges, and reds of fall.

GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD
Amid glaciated peaks and deep valleys, this National Civil Engineering Landmark cuts
through Glacier’s cliffs to climb to its high point at Logan Pass.

BADLANDS LOOP DRIVE

In a landscape chiseled by water and wind, this scenic drive through the Badlands
crawls between spires and sharp canyons banded in varied colors.
RIM DRIVE
This undulating loop circles the rim of Crater Lake to take in the intense blues of the
deepest lake in the United States.

PAINTED DESERT RIM DRIVE

In Petrified Forest National Park, this road curves along the rim of pastel-hued
badlands in the Painted Desert.

PARK LOOP ROAD

From rocky coast to forested lakes, this loop around Acadia’s Mount Desert Island
stacks up scenery from sunrise to sunset.

BADWATER BASIN
Take in colorful and stark landscapes on Death Valley’s scenic road, which drops below
sea level to the lowest elevation in North America.

NEWFOUND GAP ROAD

Bisecting Great Smoky Mountains, this ridgetop route provides epic views of the
Smokies, roadside stops, spring wildflowers, and autumn colors.

TIOGA ROAD
Lined with subalpine lakes and granite peaks, Yosemite’s high-elevation road crests the
Sierra through Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass, with one of the best views of Half
Dome.

SHARE THE LOVE: COLORFUL PICS IN THE PARKS

Looking for the most eye-catching photos to share on social media? Visit these
colorful spots to show off nature’s best side. Bring a telephoto lens for close-up
photography, and leave the drones home, as they are prohibited in the parks.
Share your pics with other national park fans on Instagram at #nationalparks,
#wildernessculture, #nps, and #travelwithmoon.
Cadillac Mountain, Acadia: Get a permit to drive to the summit to capture the
orange flames of sunrise with the golden glow glinting off water amid pink granite
slabs.
Watchman Overlook, Crater Lake: This overlook is the perfect spot for a top-
of-the-world selfie backdropped by the acute blue lake.
Mather Point, Grand Canyon: For the best color of Vishnu Temple and the
immensity of the Grand Canyon, capture the early-morning light at this promontory
jutting above the abyss.
 Zabriskie Point, Death Valley: Look like a total badass with a selfie taken in
front of the craggy badlands. Go at sunrise to paint your pic with a depth of color.
Grand Prismatic Overlook, Yellowstone: This is the place to capture the
radiant fiery arms rimming the turquoise hot spring from above.
Pa-hay-okee Overlook, Everglades: Catch the cypress trees and reflected
colors that bounce off the watery expanse at sunset.

Best BY PUBLIC TRANSIT

Ditch the car. Hop a plane, train, bus, or shuttle for your park visit. Here are the parks
most accessible by public transit.

INDIANA DUNES
The electric South Shore Line train runs daily between Chicago and South Bend, with
four stops inside the park. Some trains permit bicycles, and one stop is near the
campground.

GATEWAY ARCH
Catch the MetroLink light-rail from the St. Louis airport. It stops within a 10-minute
walk from the park.

ACADIA
Bus services connect airports in Bar Harbor and Boston with the park and the Island
Explorer shuttle. Public ferries go to the islands.

CUYAHOGA VALLEY
Greater Cleveland Transit and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad both serve the
park from Cleveland.

GLACIER
Amtrak’s Empire Builder goes to West or East Glacier where you can connect with
park shuttles or tours.

YOSEMITE
From San Francisco or Sacramento, Amtrak’s San Joaquins train connects with
Merced, where bus lines cover the final stretch into the park. Free shuttles circle
Yosemite Valley.

EVERGLADES AND BISCAYNE

Catch the local Homestead Trolley to these parks.
ISLE ROYALE
Indian Trails bus service runs from Green Bay, Wisconsin, to Houghton, Michigan.
Ferry service connects Houghton and other mainland towns to the island.

GRAND CANYON
Arizona Shuttles operates buses from Flagstaff, and Grand Canyon Railway goes
from Williams. Then, use the free shuttles on the South Rim.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Buses run from Denver and Boulder to Estes Park, where you can transfer to shuttles
into the park.

DENALI
Alaska Railroad runs a summer train between Anchorage and Fairbanks, stopping at
Denali, where you can tour the park road on buses.

Best IN THE OFF-SEASON

Visiting parks in the off-season gives you the chance for extraordinary experiences, plus
you’ll encounter fewer people.

YELLOWSTONE
Take a snowcoach into the Old Faithful area to spend the night. You’ll be one of few
spectators there to see the famous geyser erupt in the morning.

DENALI
While much of the park road closes with snow, you can reach some areas by cross-
country skis. You may witness the sky dancing with the northern lights.

YOSEMITE
Head up to Glacier Point on cross-country skis for big views, or opt for downhill
skiing or snowboarding at Badger Pass.

OLYMPIC
Hurricane Ridge has it all: downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing,
snowshoeing, and sledding.

MAMMOTH CAVE, CARLSBAD CAVERNS, AND WIND CAVE

Caves maintain the same temperatures year-round, so they are great places to escape
either summer heat or frigid winter temperatures on the surface.
DEATH VALLEY
February is one of the least visited months but yields pleasant temperatures and, in
some years, rampant wildflower blooms.

GRAND TETON
Teton Park Road is groomed for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.

VOYAGEURS
Drive ice roads on frozen lakes, where you can try ice fishing. Go sliding at Sphunge
Island.

JOSHUA TREE
Moderate winter temperatures make for pleasant hiking. Opt for January or February to
avoid the crowds.

HOT SPRINGS
Soaking in a hot bath is the perfect antidote to cold winters.

The National Parks AT A GLANCE

NAME STATE WHY GO HIGH FEE VISITATION PAGE
SEASON (PER RANK
CAR)
Acadia * Maine seacoast May-Oct. $30 6 560
Arches Utah arches Mar.-Oct. $30 16 360
Badlands South Dakota prairie May- $30 22 528
badlands Sept.
Big Bend Texas the Rio Feb.- $30 37 422
Grande May,
Oct.-Dec.
Biscayne Florida tropical Mar.- none 33 694
waters June
Black Colorado deep May- $30 48 456
Canyon of gorge Sept.
the
Gunnison
Bryce Utah hoodoos Apr.-Oct. $35 15 334
Canyon
NAME STATE WHY GO HIGH FEE VISITATION PAGE
SEASON (PER RANK
CAR)
Canyonlands Utah canyon Mar.-Oct. $30 28 370
country
Capitol Reef Utah cliffs, Apr.-Oct. $20 20 347
geology
Carlsbad New Mexico caves May- $15 44 409
Caverns Sept. per
person
Channel California islands June- none 47 204
Islands Aug.
Congaree South Carolina old-growth Mar.- none 52 675
forest June,
Oct.
Crater Lake Oregon deepest June- $20- 34 219
lake Sept. 30
Cuyahoga Ohio history May-Nov. none 13 576
Valley
Death Valley California sand Feb-Apr. $30 23 153
dunes,
desert
scapes
Denali Alaska Denali, the May- $15 51 45
mountain Sept. per
person
Dry Florida coral and Jan.-July $15 55 700
Tortugas sand per
islands person
Everglades Florida subtropical Nov.-Apr. $30 27 680
wilderness
Gates of the Alaska wilderness June- none 63 102
Arctic Aug.
Gateway Missouri history Mar., $3 per 24 660
Arch May- person
Aug.
Glacier * Montana glaciers June- $25- 10 505
Sept. 35
Glacier Bay Alaska glaciers May- none 54 93
Sept.
NAME STATE WHY GO HIGH FEE VISITATION PAGE
SEASON (PER RANK
CAR)
Grand Arizona mile-deep Apr.-Oct. $35 4 275
Canyon * canyon
Grand Teton Wyoming mountains May- $35 7 487
* Sept.
Great Basin Nevada caves June- none 53 310
Sept.
Great Sand Colorado sand May- $25 35 393
Dunes dunes Sept.
Great Tennessee/North Smoky May-Oct. none 1 615
Smoky Carolina Mountains
Mountains *
Guadalupe Texas fossil reefs Mar.- $10 49 415
Mountains May, per
Oct. person
Haleakalā Hawaii volcanic Feb.- $30 29 711
summit Sept.,
Dec.
Hawai‘i Hawaii volcanic Dec.- $30 21 721
Volcanoes activity Aug.
Hot Springs Arkansas hot Mar.-Nov. none 14 666
springs
Indiana Indiana beaches Mar., $25 9 585
Dunes * June-
Sept.
Isle Royale Michigan freshwater June- $7 per 57 593
island Sept. person
Joshua Tree California Joshua Oct.-Apr. $30 11 164
* trees
Katmai Alaska brown July-Aug. none 58 76
bears
Kenai Fjords Alaska fjords, June- none 42 62
glaciers Aug.
Kings California scenic May- $35 38 140
Canyon byways Sept.
Kobuk Alaska caribou, June- none 61 102
Valley sand Aug.
dunes
NAME STATE WHY GO HIGH FEE VISITATION PAGE
SEASON (PER RANK
CAR)
Lake Clark Alaska wilderness June- none 59 71
Sept.
Lassen California volcanic July- $30 43 178
Volcanic land Sept.
Mammoth Kentucky cave Apr.-Aug. none 40 642
Cave
Mesa Verde Colorado cliff May- $20- 39 384
dwellings Sept. 30
Mount Washington glacial June- $30 18 246
Rainier peak Sept.
National American Samoa tropical Mar.- none 62 740
Park of forests, May,
American coral reef Oct.-Nov.
Samoa
New River West Virginia river May- none 17 650
Gorge rafting Sept.
North Washington glacial June- none 60 258
Cascades scenery Sept.
Olympic * Washington rain forest May- $30 12 229
Sept.
Petrified Arizona petrified Mar.-Oct. $25 36 297
Forest trees
Pinnacles California volcanic Mar.-May $30 45 197
peaks,
talus
caves
Redwood California coast May- varies 41 187
redwoods Sept.
Rocky Colorado high May- $30- 5 439
Mountain * peaks, Sept. 35
wildlife
Saguaro Arizona saguaros Feb.-Apr., $25 25 303
Nov.-
Dec.
Sequoia California giant May-Oct. $35 26 140
sequoias
NAME STATE WHY GO HIGH FEE VISITATION PAGE
SEASON (PER RANK
CAR)
Shenandoah Virginia Blue Ridge May-Oct. $30 19 632
mountains
Theodore North Dakota wildlife, May- $30 30 545
Roosevelt badlands Sept.
Virgin U.S. Virgin coral reefs Apr.- none 46 731
Islands Islands June,
Aug.,
Oct.-Dec.
Voyageurs Minnesota watery May- none 50 600
wilderness Sept.
White Sands New Mexico gypsum Mar.-July $25 31 401
dunes
Wind Cave South Dakota caves May- none 32 536
Sept.
Wrangell-St. Alaska largest June- none 56 83
Elias national Aug.
park
Yellowstone Wyoming geysers, May- $35 3 463
* volcanic Sept.
scapes
Yosemite * California waterfalls, May-Oct. $35 8 117
granite
Zion * Utah canyons May- $35 2 317
Sept.

* indicates one of the most-visited parks in the country.

ALASKA
Steep-walled fjords, charismatic bears, soaring eagles, and
glaciers that creep down mountainsides into the sea: Alaska’s
national parks enchant with stunning scenery and wildlife. The
eight parks may be a challenge to reach, with some only
accessible by boat or air, but the reward of solitude amid stark
beauty more than makes up for the effort.
Crowning the state, Denali bests all other mountains as the
tallest summit in North America. Blanketed year-round in ice,
the immense peak reflects in Wonder Lake. In many of Alaska’s
parks, visitors can spot wolves, grizzly bears, caribou, moose,
and in the coastal parks, whales and sea otters. These animals
figure prominently in the culture and survival of Indigenous
peoples. Immense mountains, wildlife, and cultural experiences
await in this Land of the Midnight Sun.
ROOT GLACIER, WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK
Denali
Kenai Fjords
Lake Clark
Katmai
Wrangell-St. Elias
Glacier Bay
Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
any sweat or leak water in the hold would be shed and run down
clear to the bilges without wetting the precious cargo.
A cargo of sugar such as was to be carried by the Fuller was worth
at that time in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million, and the
greatest precautions were taken to safeguard it. In addition to
guarding against wet, all places where the sugar bags might, by any
chance, come in contact with iron, as the bolt heads in the heavy
knees that jutted through the inner lining, were wrapped with extra
thicknesses of gunny sack. When this job was completed the lower
hold looked like the inside of a gigantic melon, nicely hollowed out.
There was a clean sweep from the fore peak to the lazarette, only
interrupted by the mainmast and the upright water tank, a simple
hold such as was considered safe and proper in the days of
Columbus and of Drake.
 WATCHING THE SHORE WHEN IN THE STREAM

The 'tween decks of the Fuller was rather fancy. Her voyage previous
to the one we were on had taken her to China and while in Shanghai
the 'tween decks was scraped bright. The under side of the spar
deck, the lining, knees, and waterways, were all in natural wood and
coated with a varnish made of shellac and oil. The heads of bolts,
and all iron work, had been painted with aluminum paint and then
varnished. When we first noted this it brought forth some caustic
comment.
"They do the cargo a damn sight better than they do us," remarked
Australia. And this was right and proper. The cargo pays freight and
should be considered, whereas we were a part of the expense, to be
cut down as low as possible both in numbers and wages.
Captain Nichols, too, was glad to get away from the wharf and all
the annoyances incident to discharging. The dust and unavoidable
dirt tracked aboard ship by the people from shore were a constant
vexation to his soul. I have often seen the skipper bob up from the
companion and chase some unsuspecting visitor ashore without
ceremony; some poor deluded mortal without a proper reverence for
the sacred character of those spotless after decks that we had
holystoned and scrubbed so carefully every day of the voyage.
When we got in the stream a comfortable deck chair was brought
out for the captain and placed on top of the cabin and several times
we saw him actually recline at his ease in this concession to luxury.
The skipper also wore wonderful white clothing with double blue
stripes; this was really silk, but looked for all the world like the
standard pattern for bedticking. It must have been cool, and after all
that is why he wore them. Coming out to the ship a few days after
we had hauled out, the captain had his boatman row him around the
vessel while he eyed her carefully. Evidently everything was right
aloft, yards square and all gear snug, for of course the mate had
seen to that, but he was not pleased with the appearance of the
hull. The following morning we got busy and all that day half of us
were over the side scrubbing her. We took long brooms and cleaned
off the high wall of copper, for being light she showed some six feet
of it, and when we got through, the Fuller looked something like her
old self.
During all of our time in Honolulu the mate remained very much to
himself. I only remember seeing him go ashore a few times and
none of us ever met him when off the ship. He led a lonesome life,
and after the hard day of driving us with all duties devolving on him
alone, I have no doubt he was pretty well done. Thinking it over, I
have since come to the conclusion that the terrible Mr. Zerk, the
bully and the slave-driver, with a curse always ready on his lips, and
a heavy fist prepared to enforce his mandates, was a sort of Mr.
Hyde to a very domestic Zerk saving his payday at the rate of a
paltry sixty dollars a month against the time of his return home to
the wife and kids. His supply of home-made jams and preserved
pickles, so sparingly given me on the passage out, confirms this
conclusion. True, I hated him cordially during those trying days in
Honolulu, but then I was very much of an ass, and no doubt
deserved all that was given me. When we went into the stream,
things got better; the mate slackened up to the extent of allowing
me to tally aboard the lumber for the lining.
About this time talk in the fo'c'sle was much concerned with
speculation as to who would be our second mate. Martin said he had
overheard the mate tell someone from the shore that a man was
coming out from Frisco to take the billet.
"Not on yer life," said Australia; "they will pick something easy from
forward. This mate likes to run things hisself and all he wants is
some boy to stay awake nights to call the captain if a squall blows
up. They will pick one of us, but whoever he is, he will be a fool."
In fact not long afterward judicious soundings were taken forward
by that left-handed diplomat, the gloomy Chips. Whoever sent him
on his fruitless errand must have received an enlightening message.
Chips cornered one man after another and in a deliberate fashion
got his ideas as to who was willing to go aft. We were all of one
opinion as to who was most fitted for the billet; Old Smith of course
was the man. Although he was known as Old Smith, it was more a
matter of respect, his age being only about forty or forty-five. He
had sailed before the mast since boyhood, most of this time
deepwater, back and forth around the Horn, sailing as second mate
many times but always going back to the fo'c'sle as his choice.
Smith never drank to excess while in Honolulu, was a clean-cut, able
seaman, a type as scarce in those days and unknown now.
Some hitch ashore occurred in regard to our cargo, for we lay in the
stream three days after we were ready to load. In the interval the
mate hit upon a brilliant idea. Why he thought of this piece of
hazing, for such it was, is merely a guess on my part, but the
growing cheerfulness forward must have annoyed him. The band
was particularly active after we left the wharf, the concerts on the
fo'c'sle head, of an evening, lasting well into the night.
The day after the hold was finished we were horsed about
unmercifully at the washdown. Fred, Martin and I had put large
batches of clothing to soak the night before, expecting to find time
during the day for scrubbing, as we looked forward to a rather easy
time.
"Hey! Put them swabs up. Never mind that, Smith; break out a
couple of barrels of sand. Leave the water spar," this last to Frenchy
and Charlie Horse, who were about to unrig it; for Charlie Horse
always helped at the morning washdown after his night of watching,
"to give him an appetite for breakfast," as the mate said.
"Wot in hell is the racket?" asked Australia in alarm. "So help me—is
that busher going to start something new?"
"Dot's it. Something's new again. Maybe the 'bear' in port, or
something," chimed in Scouse.
"Get your breakfast!" shouted the mate as soon as the sand was on
deck, and we went forward with the whole ship in a mess—gear on
the pins, deck wet, and two barrels of mysterious sand at the main
hatch.
"By ——, he's got me," confessed Hitchen; "whatever the bloody
bitch has up his sleeve is a new one."
"Joe was wise; that's what he was, wise. And say, that little
hipercrite Jimmy, was he wise? Well, ast me, will you, after tonight?
I'll bet something is doing, and something very fine. We been having
our fling too much. The hell with these American working wagons!"
"Aw, shut up, Brenden, will you? For Gawd's sake, have some feelin's
for us. Look at Fred; he's too tired to eat."
The reaction from our high spirits of the last few days was complete.
We sat around dejected after breakfast, and it was with a feeling of
relief that we heard the bull-like roar of the mate urging us to turn
to. This summons reverberated across the harbor, and must have
advertised us as a packet of strife.
Things were not long in abeyance. We were ordered to wet down
decks again and spread the sand on the main deck as far forward as
the windlass. Old Smith, Frenchy, Brenden, and Martin were told off
to lend a hand to Chips. The first lengths of the chain cables were
stoppered just abaft the wild cats, and by means of handy billys and
chain hooks we roused up long bights of the rusty cables and ranged
them along the deck, constantly wetting down and sprinkling sand to
protect the planks. This was no easy job; in fact we worked like
slaves at the back-breaking labor, having something like a hundred
fathoms to handle on each anchor. The night after this started our
band went out of business, for we all turned in.
Mr. Zerk was positively cheerful during the second and last day of
this job. When we had completed hauling out the chain, made of
great links a half foot long, and strengthened by a heavy stud, he
descended to the chain locker, while I went with him carrying the
lantern. We found very little dirt in the locker, and that also seemed
to please the mate. The whole operation, aside from furnishing us
considerable exercise, did no particular good, nor for that matter
harm.
I was glad of the opportunity to see the thing done, an interesting
piece of work from the standpoint of the student of seamanship. The
ends of the cables were passed through heavy ring bolts on the
keelson and then were carried up and secured by a stout lashing to
rings in the knight heads. This method of securing made it possible
to slip the cables by casting off the ends and letting them go by the
run, as the ends are always in sight. The necessity for slipping
cables comes very seldom, but when it does have to be done the
safety of the ship and all on board depends upon the ability to let go
quickly and without a hitch. During this work we examined the
markings on the chain. At the links next to the shackles, that
separate the different shots of the cable, turns of wire are placed on
the studs so that in running out the cable the shackles can be
examined as they go over the wild cats, and the length of chain out
determined. Large swivels are also provided for taking out the turns
when a vessel swings completely around in a tide way. Where two
anchors are out, and the chains become twisted, we have the
necessity for "clearing the hawse," an old time honored operation
performed by the voyagers in the days of Columbus when hawsers
were used. The hawse pipes still retain their name though great
chain cables are now employed.
The labor of stowing the cables was less painful than that of rousing
them up as gravity worked with us.
On the night we finished this job we received word that the ship was
to go alongside again the next day, and again we were glad of the
change. That the system on board was a good one cannot be
denied. We were always glad that some disagreeable piece of work
was done, and, except for the croakers, who were always predicting
trouble—and were always right—we were a very contented lot of
men. It also happened that in the scheme of things no part of the
ship was ever neglected, and the owners received full value in the
care of their vessel for the wages that were slowly accruing to us.
 CHAPTER XX

THE LAND OF LANGUOR

The month in port had pulled us together in a remarkable manner.

The ship's company forward were as one large family gathered by
strange chance from the ends of the earth, and, because of the
wonderful adaptability of human nature, we were working and living
our life in pleasant harmony. Of course it might as well be said that if
anything otherwise had occurred, if constant fighting had taken
place, our well trained masters of the cabin would have put the
disturbances down with little delay.
On the Fuller we mustered an imposing array of nationalities;
besides Americans, we had Norwegians, a Swede, an Italian, two
Germans, and an Englishman. The mate, an American, had "Blue
Nose" written all over him. He was one of those hard men,
originating in Nova Scotia, who have added their bit to the
consummate seamanship of New England and New York. The
Chinese cook, and Japanese boy, and later on our Kanaka sailors,
helped to make us as conglomerate as any melting pot. The one
man we lacked, and it was the only place in my career of much work
and poor pay, that I did not find him, was the Irishman. We missed
Paddy; he should have been there.
The amount of the pay day coming to us, some time in the distant
future, was a constant source of computation. Figuring the time
since the working off of the dead horse, and deducting the slop
chest account, also the money advanced while in port, and while the
figures were often disappointing, there was still the possibility of a
tidy pay day looming far ahead. Unlike the poor whaleman with the
prospect of nothing but his "Iron Dollar" and escape from slavery,
we did have a show to collect. The captain in American ships is
allowed to charge a profit of ten per cent on his slop chest account.
I doubt if Captain Nichols did even this. He had the steward serve
out such things as were wanted, and the prices were lower than the
cost of similar articles on South Street. When Peter dipped in too
strong, getting, or rather attempting to get expensive things from
the slops, the captain refused to let him have them. Peter once
wanted some tobacco, he was going very heavy on this item as he
regularly gave it away. Captain Nichols shut down on him and after
that handed him cigars whenever he happened to see Peter.
Scouse was one of the principal calculators of the pay day. He had a
frugal mind and was planning great things with his money when he
should once more get back to New York. With Joe gone, Scouse
became a different man. He was a sobered Scouse, a deep thinking
plodder who gave himself up to day dreams that must have been of
vast extent. Scouse announced that he intended to get married. He
planned to meet and marry some good obliging German girl, "Just
over; dot's the one." A girl not averse to a big lumbering Dutchman
with a shock of coarse red hair, and a terrible appetite; however a
man not afraid to work. His idea was to go west. "No more from dis
rotten sailor's humbug by me. I was going to be somepody ant get
respect ant lif like decent people." Also he figured on a nest egg of a
little over one hundred dollars. But then, families have been founded
on less, though of course the founders were not destined to be
welcomed home by a band of crimps and blandishers.
Frenchy too had great plans. He was going back to Dunkirk. To be
sure he even talked of going back to Havre, in the French Line,
paying his steerage passage. Then he planned to get spliced, and his
scheme was to go out in the fishing fleet, or else back to New
Caledonia, where he knew the country, and start life afresh.
Axel was going back to Sweden, to Stockholm, so he said, and never
more out on the briny billows of discontent. Fred was also a
prospective homeward bounder. Trondhjem was his destination, and
the fishing fleets of the town the means for his living. Tony and
Charlie Horse intended to join Scouse in so far as they were bound
for the interior of the U. S. A.
During these many discussions, the wise sailor-men like Hitchen,
Brenden, and Smith, the seasoned shellbacks, full of the cruel
furrows of time spent before the mast, and God alone knows what
other outlandish callings that roving men may follow, kept their
counsel and smiled.
"Sonny, I guess I am down on the books of some ship that sails a
few weeks after we get back. Another crowd, another skipper and
mates, and another voyage." Old Smith was as nearly sentimental as
it was possible for him to be, and still be Old Smith. "Yes, I like this
ship, but how in hell are we all going to sign on again when more
than half the crowd is going to get married?"
It was strange how thoughtful the hard days of hauling that chain
made all of us. Besides this, the Honolulu climate was gradually
getting under our hardened hides. They can say what they like about
the Hawaiian Islands being a "white man's country." It is if you mean
a white man who never has anything harder to do than to tell a
Kanaka or a Jap to lift the burden. The trades do blow, and it is
lucky for the inhabitants that they do, otherwise, the Isthmus of
Panama would be duplicated out in the broad Pacific. In spite of the
pleasing winds and the beautiful clear weather, things are a bit too
balmy for continued physical exertion. Lifting a gin rickey is good
enough exercise, and if you lift them often enough, out at Sans
Souci, for instance, you can imagine anything you like about the
Islands.
Working men stay home, if you are white, let the coolies shoulder
the physical burdens; but if you are wealthy and also lucky, you will
very likely own stock in a sugar plantation. They were paying
seventy-five per cent dividends in those days, and this is so even
now, I believe. Also if one is ambitious to put pep and fire into
things, seek a cooler clime. It is a fact that the white people of the
Islands, who can do so, spend a part of their time on the coast and
whenever possible, prospective mothers go to the coast during the
time of their pregnancy, as the Hawaiian climate seems to rob them
of much of the necessary vitality for the ordeal of birth.
But the Islands do hold a magic, all pervading charm, they are as
unlike any other islands as it is possible for them to be. Honolulu,
with its beautiful villas, with its modern setting amid a glory of
tropical verdure, springing from an age old fertile humus, bathed in
tropic sun, cannot be duplicated.
On getting alongside the railroad wharf, which we did by the
economical and laborious process of warping across the harbor by
use of a kedge anchor, we found that the greater part of the day had
gone by, a day that started at four o'clock in the morning with the
regular washdown to begin things, when we were ordered to carry
out the kedge and pick up our moorings.
Time was plentiful with us in those days, for the eight hour schedule
had never been heard of. Mr. Furuseth and Senator La Follette were
not there to shield us from cruel fate, and besides, whatever extra
drilling was done, was simply at the expense of sleep, a thing under
the complete control of the mate. We got up when we were told to
by the mate, as Charlie Horse went aft for his orders each evening,
and when extra work was to be done he was instructed accordingly.
Once alongside, we took aboard the long hardwood sugar chutes,
worn smooth by endless polishing of the gunny sack, in which the
partly refined sugar is shipped. These chutes were arranged very
cleverly by Nigger who came aboard with a shore gang of
stevedores. The inclination must be just right, and the chutes must
be placed just so, in order to prevent spilling, where it is necessary
to cut corners in order to reach the farther parts of the hold. We
were glad that natives were to stow the ship; in fact this work is
mighty technical, and we never would have been able to do so with
our crew. Working with the natives, we picked up a lot of knowledge
about the handling of sugar, points that were to be of much use to
me in later years when I returned to the islands as mate of a
steamer.
On the Railroad Wharf there were several lines of track and some
turnouts carrying short flat cars loaded with sugar bags all safe
under huge tarpaulins. We also found the warehouse pretty well
stocked with it, and were told that when we once started to load,
the sugar would pour into the ship in a constant stream.
That night we again put up our mosquito bars against the enemy
from which we had mercifully been saved during the few days in the
stream. Tired but strangely content, we sat on the fo'c'sle head in
the evening glow or walked out on the stringpiece of the railroad
wharf, which then jutted far into the harbor, and watched the lights
aboard the U. S. S. Bennington. Except Peter, we had made no
friends aboard the gunboat. They seemed like men of a different
world, as indeed they were. The sounding of "taps" over the water,
the clear plaintive notes of the bugle, ended our day. We were to
load on the morrow; at last we were to start on the final half of our
voyage, with the taking aboard of our first bag of sugar.
 CHAPTER XXI

LOADING SUGAR

Loading a deep water ship with sugar in the port of Honolulu during
the golden summer days of the young Republic was a lively
business.
"Hi there! On the dock! Bear a hand with that sugar! Shake it up
now! Shake it up! Do you think we have a year to load this ship? By
——! I'll shake you up! Yes, me! You lazy black ——!"
"Pau! Pau! Kaliopoulie! kaue Ki! Ki! O —— ooo maloue baue Pau.
Likee Pau ——! Pau! pau! pau! Oh—ee hakau! pau! pau!" or words
to that effect, according to the phonetic rendering. A violent protest
of many tongues, bristling with exclamation points, and heated
Kanaka epithets, rose from the indignant dock gang. Glances of the
utmost withering scorn were shot up out of the hold at the mate
standing abreast of the main hatch, and all over the dock shirts were
being slipped back onto the silky brown backs, stripped in readiness
for the work to start, The uproar of indignation was spontaneous,
and on the outskirts of the racket the stocky Japanese coolies from
the sugar plantation gangs, and from the railroad gang, stood
around in sullen enjoyment of the situation. Aboard ship we of the
crew were circumspect, but our appreciation of the situation was
keen.
"What's this?" A smart looking chap in a suit of khaki, and wearing a
panama hat, stepped out of the office on the dock. He was sun
browned and efficient; springy in his movements, a natural
commander of men.
"Pau —— —— ——!" cried a dark skinned perspiring stevy, pointing
at the mate, and sending forth another shower of island rhetoric.
The gang foreman of the shore crowd was explaining, brown face
shining and eyes flashing black and white.
"All right! I'll see about it." The railroad superintendent climbed
aboard and took Mr. Zerk aft, out of earshot, where they got things
settled. Then the superintendent went back on the dock, the gang
foreman got an earful of second hand apologies, explanations and
promises. Important details of same were passed on to independent
Kanaka citizens by their boss, and the steam winch started as the
shirts again were slipped off of the silky brown backs of the workers.
We are off. The first sling of sugar bags shot over the bulwark and
landed on the platform abreast the hatch and four Kanakas started
sending it down the chutes like lightning. Bing! Another sling dripped
on the platform, and down it went. The action became automatic,
the brown bodies swayed rapidly, surely, and on the wharf we heard
them shouting as the Jap coolies inched along another car with their
crow bars. I was stationed at a point where two chutes met at an
angle, and the yellow bags passed me in rapid succession, slapping
the chute with a smart patter as they jumped the corner. Soon the
whole thing became a matter of easy routine. This was living! What
an easy job! The dusky gang below, working in the half light of the
hold, and assisted by the crew, were placing a bottom layer of sugar
bags and forward stacking and stepping back the tiers, "boulking" it,
as sailors say, for the ends of the hold to be kept clear.
The Hawaiian sugar is only partly refined, and of a dull golden color
when the sun strikes it. It is largely granular, the particles being
almost the size of a small pea. The sacks, made of gunny, are
stamped with the names of the various plantations; Ewa, Laie,
Halawa, Holua Loa, Kilauea, Makee, Wailuku, and a dozen others, all
of them the mystic symbols spelling wealth to their fortunate
owners.
They weigh in the neighborhood of one hundred and fifty pounds of
the limpest, deadest, weight in the world and without decent "ears"
at the end of the sack to afford a hold. Frequently a sack would
break, and we would help ourselves to the sugar. The taste is
pleasant at first, and we were remarkably liberal in our indulgence,
perhaps no more so than a crew of girls would be if they were
loading a cargo of chocolate creams.
The sugar as it comes from the island refineries is about twice as
sweet as the white granulated article. To a crowd accustomed to
black jack molasses as a sweetener for their coffee, the sugar was a
wonderful delicacy, for a time. Soon we became cloyed with the
taste, and for weeks after my first gorging of sweets, I took my
coffee and tea without it, though we always had a small keg of the
stuff on hand forward during the remainder of the voyage. The
sweet overpowering smell of the sugar soon permeated the ship,
and in the heat of midday, became nauseating to us who were not
used to it.
The Kanaka workers, splendid specimens, would toss the heavy
sacks with apparent ease, the muscles rippling under their smooth
skins as they worked. The greatest good feeling prevailed in the
hold, and the men constantly referred to our mate amid sallies of
laughter for it was considered a great victory for them when the
superintendent smoothed matters out.
On deck, at the hatch, and on the wharf, the tally men checked the
loading of every sling and bag of sugar that went into the hold. The
plantation, the railroad, and the ship's agents had their independent
checkers. These chaps, mostly sedate older men, well educated,
apparently well paid, kept the neatest tally books I have ever seen.
They made the cleanest little marks with very sharp pencils, which
they were always sharpening with very sharp pen knives; little marks
four in a row, and a cross for every fifth bag. Before the end of each
day's loading these very independent tally men would get together
under the fo'c'sle head, or behind a convenient freight car on the
dock, and reconcile all differences, thus proving themselves brothers
under their skins to independent folk in higher stations. Years
afterward, I recognized some of these same tally men, still at the job
of making very neat little marks and crosses, an easy job no doubt
and well worth while if it contributed toward the upkeep of a happy
family; most of them looked like settled benedicts.
As we cleaned out the warehouse, the sugar began to come in on
the railroad and was slung right aboard from the cars, the Japs
sending the loaded cars along by pushing, getting them started by
short crow bars, used as levers under the wheels. These Japs were a
husky lot with very able bodies, small heads, black cropped hair,
often wound with a red or white head band. Most of them had
dazzling white teeth which they constantly exposed by expansive
grins; altogether they were a testimonial to a rice and fish diet, so
far as physical wellbeing is concerned.
The days at the sugar wharf were among the most pleasant of our
stay in Honolulu, and like all good things they raced away with
disquieting swiftness. Having lighter duties to perform, we were not
so dog tired at night and enjoyed our leisure that much more. Peter
continued to make progress with the native population and on one
eventful night was presented with a large jug of swipes, as a token
of esteem.
Brenden, Axel and I were up on Nuuanu Street, in the vicinity of
Merchant, watching the shifting crowds as we wandered aimlessly
about. Presently we spied Peter, coming toward us, carrying his jug.
The street was fairly crowded, and going ahead of us, toward Peter,
was a one-legged man; a pugnacious individual who brought down
his iron shod peg with loud determination. The wooden leg yawed
badly, sailing at least three sheets in the wind, and the flag sidewalk
was none too wide for him. Coming up to Peter, he lurched suddenly
to port, taking our shipmate squarely on the bow, and the three of
them, all carrying cargo, Peter, the Peg Leg, and the Jug of Swipes,
rolled into the dusty gutter.
A fight started right there. The Peg, to give him a proper name,
attacking, and Peter defending himself from the strange fury of the
indignant cripple.
"Separate 'em! Don't you see the man's got only one leg?"
"Hi! The bloat wi' the wooden pin is fightin'! Blarst 'im!—look at 'im!"
Sailors, beach combers, natives, and Orientals were gathering and
taking voice.
We closed to render assistance as the crowd formed under the circle
of light from a street lamp. The two combatants sat back in the
gutter after a second exchange, both having fought sitting down.
"What are we fighting for?" cried Peter, covered with dirt and sweat.
"I dunno," admitted the stunned Peg.
"To hell with this, let's quit!"
"Naw. I wanna fight!" Peg was getting back his belligerent wind.
"Wash in that jug?" he demanded, seeing the prize.
"Swipes!" cried Peter, trying to retrieve the jug.
"Lesh fight fer swipsh. Al ri! Fight fer swipsh!" he screamed with
enthusiasm.
The Peg made another lunge at Peter, as our boy jumped up with
surprising energy, and we grabbed our shipmate and hauled him out
of the crowd of riff raff that was rapidly increasing. Some blue-
jackets from the Bennington came up, scenting fun, and Axel was
just in time to beat them to the jug of swipes that lay neglected in
the dust. He passed this to a Kanaka standing near, a boy we
recognized as one of the loading gang, who rapidly departed with
his unexpected present, while we hurried off with Peter in the
direction of Fort Street. What became of Peg is unknown. On Fort
Street we were attracted by the melody of Salvation Army music,
and to wind up the night, watched our famous Jimmy rouse things
up in his new uniform, his chest expanding visibly as he ignored us
and pounded his drum with added zest.
On nights such as this, warm and sultry, when the trade wind was
not over strong, the smell from the Chinese and Japanese stores
would come out into the streets with added intensity. The Chinese
merchants, in the shadow of their open front stores, would entertain
their families and friends of an evening with interminable jabberings
that must have been mighty interesting to them. I used to wonder
what these industrious law abiding citizens found to talk about; now
I realize that, except to those who were blind or deaf, the Honolulu
nights could hardly be long enough for them to discuss half of the
peculiar doings of the daffy white people residing in that busy little
town, in those stirring days of the Republic.
To a foremast hand, a common sailor in the fo'c'sle of a
deepwaterman, the point of view is almost on a level with that of the
perpetually unassimilated Oriental. The sailor sees, he hears, and if
he is gifted with brains that think, he must needs wonder at the
strange ways of folks who dress themselves so well, who live on the
most appetizing foods, perform very little hard work, and who do
themselves to the height of their ability. That we had a few
philosophers among the crowd forward goes without saying; men
who had lived, and who had had their fling, and for all I know to the
contrary are having it again. I wager Hitchen, if not killed by this
time, has mounted to more enlightened planes; perhaps back to a
station from which he temporarily stepped down to sign articles in
the ship A. J. Fuller for the voyage around Cape Horn.
We did a lot of swapping of books and magazines among the craft in
the harbor. The poor starved crowd from the British Monarch were
first over the side with bundles of old magazines, paper covered
novels, and mind destroying sheets called "Tit Bits," and "Snappy
Bits," periodicals of a peculiar type. After reading one of them for an
hour (and the funny part is you keep on reading and reading), it is a
sort of mental dope, nothing remains but a vague idea of a lot of
short paragraphs full of piffle.
We got a number of Clark Russell stories in this exchange, though
we really had little to give in return. All hands read these yarns and
while there was much grumbling about "too much skirt," the sailor
was recognized.
Hitchen and Old Smith were the best read among the crowd, with
Australia a close second; leaving out of course that biblical student,
the dear departed Jimmy. Frenchy also was entitled to a place
among the intellectuals of the fo'c'sle; he read Voltaire, had several
copies of his works in the original, as well as shopworn copies of Les
Miserables, and the Toilers of the Sea. Frenchy read English with
difficulty. Axel also was handicapped in literary discussions by his
lack of English though he waded through books in that language,
having been taught it at school; of course he spoke English well, as
indeed all did, barring a bit of slack here and there, that merely
served to give the fo'c'sle individuality.
One thing I will always remember with a great deal of pleasure is
the fact that Axel was the first one to give me a definite story of the
Andree North Pole Expedition, he having tried for, and almost
succeeded in going along. A university professor took the place he
wanted at the last moment, the scholar going to perform the duties
of a common jack in order to be with Andree. I recall the fo'c'sle
discussion of this ill fated venture, the final outcome of which was
still in doubt. I felt at that time that Andree had a good chance to
accomplish his end, and I still think so; the luck simply ran against
him. Nine years later it was to be my fortune to have a part in a
similar expedition under Wellman, except that a dirigible balloon, of
which I was navigator, was employed. We were more fortunate in so
far as we got back. Andree, Strindberg, and Fraenkel were not fools
as some think, but fearless scientists who took a legitimate chance
to explore the unknown polar regions; fate was against them, but
even so, they have left the memory of a brave deed inscribed on the
bright scroll of Swedish honor.
Old Smith had a dog-eared copy of Marcus Aurelius that had served
its noble duty in discussions with Jimmy Marshall, while the latter
was deep in the wisdom of King Solomon. I don't know what
Brenden read, but he was a great letter writer, and often received
mail. When taking pictures one day, Brenden asked me to take a
picture of him reading a letter from his girl Hilda. The Letters of One
Brenden, Able Seaman on the ship A. J. Fuller, would certainly make
quaint reading, could they be got at and translated, for Brenden
conducted his correspondence in German.

Mike, and Martin and Fred were mere fillers in. Beef on a rope, and
able eaters, they remain as memories, indistinct and still quite clear;
they never succeeded in making an impression on the life of the ship
but were the background of that distant time, seldom saying
anything that was listened to. Of Tommy, or the more dignified Tom,
we will learn more later on. He was a man with a past, and I hope a
future, for he certainly earned the right to a very bright one while on
the Fuller; that future, however, did not lie on the sea. As high
admiral of a pickle barge and fleet commander of a whole flotilla of
shelf jugs full of vinegar and preserved edibles, in his own
delicatessen store, he may have risen to success.
Scouse never read anything; he was too busy thinking, and as he did
less and less talking as the voyage lengthened, we concluded he
must be a very deep fellow. Scouse had points, and I have no doubt
after all the hazing afloat and skinning ashore, he learned and
digested lessons of the utmost value.
Peter, of whom so much has been said and so little told, was in a
way the most interesting character on board. He was, and no doubt
still is, one of the most generous souls alive. If he is rich, it is
certainly for no lack of a wild desire to share his last cent with any
unfortunate that might cross his path. Peter started to sea in deep
water sail for reasons that do him credit. He saw a way to recoup his
health and at the same time bring to a conclusion an intense amour
that seemed to lead directly to an early grave. He shipped on the
Fuller, leaving a large wash behind in the tender care of his
sweetheart. No boarding master captured part of his advance, and
for a week afterward at least, so Peter said, two coffee pots must
have stood on a certain N. Y. kitchen window, as a signal that his
laundry was ready to be taken away. The lady's husband was a night
clerk in the post office.
The career of Peter would serve as a theme for a first class
psychological novel with the plots of half a dozen red-hot problem
plays added by way of good measure. He started life with the curse
of good looks, of the romantic type, dark and interesting, his rather
long silky locks, curled slightly, and his regular features were classic.
Deep brown eyes, and a very fine, rich voice completed his downfall.
As reporter on a country paper, Peter told us how he would write up
the stories of the socialist meetings, by sending a boy around to the
local hall to see if the lights were lit. His adventures as foreman in a
corset factory, as cadet in the American Line, and as a social worker
in the humble ranks of those who uplift the sailor ashore, were
chapters in the start of a busy life.
 CHAPTER XXII

GOOD-BYE TO HONOLULU

As the hold began to fill up, the top of the sugar was brought
inboard from the wings to an apex, and the lower cargo space not
quite filled. The 'tween deck was then loaded in order to carry the
dead weight sufficiently high to prevent the ship from being stiff; to
make her more "sea kindly" as sailors say. Theoretical questions of
metacentric height, of the center of buoyancy, and their relation to
stability never bothered the captain or Mr. Zerk. But as the loading
progressed they paid a lot of attention to her trim and in the
placement of the last part of the cargo, the mate assumed complete
charge. The Fuller sailed best trimmed a few feet by the stern, but in
the final loading this extra depth aft was cut down to a single foot as
a matter of experiment, the mean draft loaded being seventeen feet
eight inches, giving her the usual freeboard of about four feet or
three inches to every foot of draft, according to the old rule. Draft is
shown by figures cut into the stem and stern post; these are six
inches high and the figure rests on the mark it indicates.
In addition to the sugar from the railroad, we had steamers of the
inter-island trade come along side and discharge their cargoes right
onto our deck. These craft have been touched upon before. The
Mauna Loa, one of the largest at that time, was quite a passenger
carrier. As I think of the inter-island steamers they always appear to
have been somewhat out of drawing, when compared with the
beautiful sailers of those days.
During the final week of loading, when we had closed the 'tween
deck hatches to the lower hold and were putting down the finishing
tiers of cargo, we paid our last visits ashore. I bid "good-bye" to Mr.
McInerny and the good friends I had made, both in society and out.
We went over to the British Monarch, Hitchen and I, for a last visit.
The mates had a bit of a "blow" for us, hot toddy, which tasted right
in spite of the warm weather, cigars, and some Huntley and Palmer
biscuits broken out of their stores for this special occasion. Of course
we promised to write, and never did, and Mr. Gore gave me an old
copy of Raper, he having two of them, as a parting gift. To Hitchen
he gave a tin of navy cut that had been sent out to him from
England. They were hoping for word of a charter to be on their way,
and thought they might load sugar for New York, when we planned
to meet again as sailors sometimes do.
With what little change we had left, we laid in a few stores for the
voyage home, a few bunches of bananas, odds and ends of clothing,
and the like. I purchased a pair of mittens, after a search in that
tropic city, as mine had worn out in hauling at the gear. The most
startling addition to our life forward was a green parrot that Frenchy
brought aboard, having swapped him at the Union saloon for a small
brig, rigged in a bay rum bottle. This brig had been a long time
making, and Frenchy only let go of it when he was assured of a
prize. The bird, hailing from God knows where, as I don't believe
they are native to the islands, was to be a present to his sister
Madeleine. Frenchy named him Jaques, at once vulgarized to
common Jake, and he was hung in his wooden cage under the
fo'c'sle head.
Just before hauling into the stream, Captain Nichols shipped three
Kanakas to take the places left vacant by Mr. Stoddard, Jimmy, and
Joe. This made it certain that someone from the crew would be
taken aft as second mate. The Kanakas were a rare assortment.
Kahemuku, a lanky, poetical looking fellow with long hair and
dreamy eyes, hailed from Tahiti. The two others, both of them short
and somewhat stout, were from Honolulu and should have known
better than to ship around the Horn. John Aahee was assigned to
the starboard watch; he was clean shaven and dull, a poor devil who
merely existed after we got to sea. Black Joe, so the mate called
him, since his name was beyond ordinary understanding, was fully
whiskered with a bunch of fuzz that looked like the stuffing of an old
hair mattress. Joe had a peculiar idea about the relation between
officers and men, and never could get this straightened out. Black
Joe and Kahemuku were assigned to the port watch to take the
place of Jimmy and Joe.
Some of the men thought that I would be called aft as second mate.
Ambitious as I was for preferment, I realized that the billet would be
about the worst thing that could happen to me. Whatever the
captain may have thought about it, the mate was against me, as we
remained at loggerheads while I visited with my "dude friends,"
which I did at intervals as long as we were in port.
Old Smith was the logical candidate for the job, and the mate
wanted him. Others were like Barkis, but the strange part was that
the real sailors in the crew, the men who knew enough to stand a
watch at sea and work the ship, were the most anxious to side step
the honor.
Having loaded our sugar, the chutes were sent ashore, and we again
hauled out into the stream, this time for good. We at once battened
down the hatches, putting on triple tarpaulins, and, having taken
down the cargo pendants, we again rove the seagoing running gear;
after a day of scrubbing, during which the spars were washed clean
of dust, we then began to bend sail. This took us the greater part of
two days while we sent aloft the fine weather canvas. Then followed
another general washing down and cleaning over the side, and the
ship A. J. Fuller looked herself again. Loaded to her deep sea trim,
with yards squared to a hair and canvas furled with a harbor stow,
we were as flash a ship as ever hailed from the port of New York—
clean, and seamanlike in every detail. Fancy manropes were got out
for the gangways, the galley smoke stack was given a coat of black
paint, making "Charlie Noble," as this piece of humble but necessary
sea furniture is called, as sporty as any part of the old girl.
In the meantime, while our busy little ship world revolved within its
restricted orbit, events of historic importance were happening in the
great arena beyond the seas. Dewey had captured Manila and the
first troops to go out from the United States were expected in
Honolulu, en route to the Philippines. Preparations to welcome them
of a gigantic nature were carried out by the enthusiastic citizens of
Honolulu, the American element being in the ascendant. A
tremendous flag was got ready, to be raised over the railroad wharf,
and huge stores of sandwiches were made and held in readiness for
the soldiers. Also every barrel and bottle of beer in the place was put
on ice against an emergency. The citizens were determined that
hunger should not outflank the U. S. forces, if by any means it could
be prevented, nor was old General Thirst to be allowed to down a
single man. It was also decided that U. S. legal tender was not to be
accepted when offered for refreshment by a man wearing the
uniform of Uncle Sam, showing how war fever (for a time) upsets
the commercial mind.
The transports City of Pekin, City of Sydney, and Australia, came into
the harbor on June first carrying twenty-two hundred troops. These
vessels were under convoy of the U. S. S. Charleston. The day was a
gala one and in the midst of the excitement we received our orders
to sail for Delaware Breakwater. This came as a surprise as we
expected to be sent to Frisco because of the possibility of our being
picked up by a Spaniard in view of the uncertain state of affairs in
the Atlantic. We were then in the stream, wistful gazers at the
harbor activities and the glimpses of great times ashore afforded by
the pier heads and the esplanade.
With the coming of our orders, Captain Nichols sent out such fresh
provisions as deep water ships usually take to sea with them. A
potato bin had been constructed under the fo'c'sle head in a place
that would be fairly dry and having a good circulation of air. Into this
we put about a ton of the tubers. Some fresh meat was sent aboard,
and a few bunches of bananas strung in the after wheel house for
the cabin mess. A number of our men had been offered billets on
coasters, and this was specially so during the last few weeks of our
loading. The pay day of close to fifty dollars already on the books,
and the prospect of landing in New York with almost eighty dollars
added to it, was a prospect hard to leave, especially since the plans
for great futures depended absolutely upon these prospective nest
eggs. The fact, however, was that we were a well selected crowd
and liked to sail together. The captain was absolutely square and the
mate was a sailor from his toes to his truck; we were too much
accustomed to the routine on the Fuller to want to change. As far as
I was concerned, I was happy to remain on board and work back
around old Cape Stiff again. Mr. McInerny had offered to have me
released from the articles and wanted me to take up my residence in
the islands, telling me of the many advantages, much after the
manner of Robinson Crusoe's old father, when that wilful lad
determined upon the sea as a career. I, too, had old Crusoe's trouble
pretty well soaked into my system. I was really an enthusiast about
going to sea, in spite of the hard knocks, so I made up my mind to
complete the voyage.
On Sunday, five days before we sailed, the captain called Old Smith
aft and formally offered him the billet as second mate. Old Smith
refused to move out of the fo'c'sle, and came forward with a fat
cigar in his teeth, saying, "The skipper's all right. He sure is all
right."
After that we were too busy to think anything more of the vexed
problem, being horsed about at bending sail and preparing for sea.
On the eve of our departure we were sitting on the fo'c'sle head
watching the crowded harbor, the comings and goings from the men
o' war and transports, and listening to the bugle calls. We had
washed up after the day's work, and the mess cooks had gone to
the galley for the kids.
"We'll sleep our last night in, tonight," ventured Frenchy, as we
perched on the heel of the starboard cathead. It was a thought that
came to all of us.
"Grub O!" called Fred from the space about the fore pin rail, where
both watches ate together while in port. We sat around the kids,
under the tall gear of the foremast rising overhead, the faint
peppering of stars showing between the yards as we began our
supper.
"Here comes the mate," said Martin, who was perched on the short
ladder leading to the fo'c'sle head, from the port side of the house.
"Wot of it, let him come."
Presently Mr. Zerk stood in the gangway looking at us, he bulked big,
and smoked a strong cigar. This was the first time he had ever
intruded upon our meals during our stay in port.
"Where's the second mate?" he asked pleasantly.
Most of us looked around anxiously, half expecting the old second
mate would bob up from some dark corner.
"Come on, where is he?" The mate was evidently enjoying his little
game. "Where is he now?" came the question again, but in a sharp
tone such as we usually associated with coming trouble. "Come on,
where is he?" Suddenly he started to laugh; of course we all joined
him in a sort of nervous chorus.
"Ho, there he is hiding behind the kid! Our new second mate, Mr.
Morstad! Well, well, well!" and this is how Tommy, most unexpected
of candidates, became Mr. Morstad, second mate of the ship A. J.
Fuller.
"Lay aft," said the mate, as he turned to go, "the steward has your
dinner ready, and don't forget to bring your napkin."
Tommy was choking with astonishment, speechless, and miserable.
None of us laughed at the last cruel thrust; in fact we felt sorry for
Tommy, but as soon as we saw him stop eating the fo'c'sle grub,
with the quick perception that better things awaited him aft, a lively
discussion arose.
"Call him Mr. Morstad!" thundered Australia. "I won't have no
disrespect here just because Mr. Morstad ain't had the bringin' up
you an' me has. No, sir, I have some respect for the officers of this
ship, I have."
There was a lot more in a similar vein. Volunteers offered to carry
his chest aft, and did every thing but lift it, poor Tommy having to
drag it along the deck until he got to the waist, when Chips came
out of his den and helped him the rest of the way. It was dark then,
and the gong for the second cabin table no doubt compensated
Tommy for all the tortures of his departure.