Permanent Vacation: Twenty Writers on Work and Life in Our National Parks: The West

by Kim Wyatt, Erin Bechtol (Editor), Kim Wyatt (Editor)

Millions of people visit our national parks each year, and some never leave. Meet the biologist who came to know and understand Six, Yellowstone's charismatic and temperamental elk. See iconic landscapes through the eyes of bed makers, bridge builders, rangers, and wranglers. Rip through rapids, disappear inside canyons, and witness personal transformations from petrified forest to permafrost. Learn what it's like to ditch the mainstream and make a life in our nation's best idea. Volume The West, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Denali, Grand Canyon, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Wrangell-St. Elias, Petrified Forest, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Adventure, Essays, Travel

205 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2011

About the author

Kim Wyatt is the publisher of Bona Fide Books and Cherry Bomb Books. Kim has worked in most facets of publishing, including journalism, textbook development, manuscript evaluation, and as managing editor at print and online publications. Kim holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Bona Fide Books is the convergence of her lifelong love of literature and commitment to community. She founded its imprint, Cherry Bomb Books, in 2012 to right wrongs.

Reviews

[Arizonagirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these short stories about working in National Parks. I ended up working for an airline but if I had known about it when I was younger, I could easily see myself enjoying the NPS seasonal life. So reading these stories gives me an insight into what it might have been like.

I enjoyed reading about capturing harlequin ducks for scientific research on Jackson Lake in the Grand Tetons, the antics of Elk Number Six and encountering grizzlies in Yellowstone, running the rapids of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, and surviving the dark winters at Glacier.

I actually read volume 2 first and didn't realize volume 1 includes stories from The West. I am more familiar with the Parks of the west, but I think I enjoyed volume 2 more since there are some stories that are a bit dark in volume 1. A difficult father, problems with drugs and alcohol in the park, an employee who became paralyzed after a horseback riding accident.

This is my February 2023 book of my project to read one book I own each month and then decide if I will keep it or not. I will likely keep this one around for a while.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at the gift shop in Yosemite Valley. Excellent read. A great sampling of essays representing many of our nation's national parks. Great book for getting you ready for a national park adventure, even if only pursued from an armchair.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful insider's take on that national parks, from people who have lived and worked in them.

This book reminded me of what I have loved about the national parks I've been to...and made me want to visit more of them. Each piece offered something special.

[Ann Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of short pieces. If you've ever thought about being a temporary worker in a national park you should definitely read this. Odds are probably 50-50 that it will make you decide to find something else to do instead.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make a habit of giving 5 stars to any book to which I've contributed, but this one deserves it beyond any need for self-promotion on my part. As much as I may be loathe to admit it, there are much better writers than myself featured in this anthology and I encourage everyone to explore the stories. Bona Fide Books has succeeded in bringing together what may seem like an eclectic bunch of tales; but in that variety lies the strength of the book. The stories represent the wide, and very real, spectrum of lives present behind the scenes in the National Park system: there are Alaska backcountry adventures and sagas of slinging greasy fast food in the Yosemite Valley. We meet hermits and introverts, wild country poets, memorable visitors and the always-present pothead and alcohol-soaked contingent. If the millions of seasonal park visitors ever turn away from their screaming kids, campground WiFi and razor-narrow 'vacation schedules', they now know what to look for.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love all the experiences you've had working and living in national parks, then you are sure to enjoy this book about the similar experiences of other parkies. These essays, while new and refreshing, reminded me of some of my own more memorable experiences. There were a few easy-to-relate-to Yellowstone stories, lots of stories written from the perspective of concessions employees, and all essays focused on western parks. My favorites included Communion, an essay that tries to make sense of the party habits of parkies, and some of the more unfortunate side effects of our loose-and-free behavior. Another about The Men I Left Behind speaks to "seasonal" nature of dating in parks, and the lack of commitment to relationships in the parkie demographic. I also enjoyed the stories of working as a line cook in Rainier (Days in Paradise), of a naked pub crawl (Tonight We Dash), and of a bull elk and an essay refered to simply as "Six."

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 2015: Reread while working in Yellowstone. I didn't notice as much debauchery this time. My favorite story: Nine Ways of Looking at a Giant Sequoia

Oct 2012: After reading this collection, I have a much better idea of what it's like to work as a national park employee. The stories are surprisingly crass and debaucherous, which I didn't expect from tree huggers (I say that with all affection). I like it that most of the stories were written by ordinary people rather than accomplished writers. It gives the stories an authenticity that leaves me even more incredulous than I would have been otherwise.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this, after a sort of cranky start with it. I started with the pieces written by the writers I know and know I like, then jumped into a couple that struck the wrong nerve, perhaps...but with a little distance and perspective, the essays all round each other out really well. Enough honesty about greasy kitchens and substance abuse to keep from being too precious and sentimental about the parks, and enough genuine awe and knowledge to keep it rooted in the places themselves.

[Nina Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thought-provoking collection of short essays takes readers beyond the usual tourist sights and gives an insider's view of what it is like to work in a national park. Some authors were park rangers, others worked for the concessionaire, but they all have a story to tell about their time spent in Yellowstone, Yosemite, Denali, Grand Canyon and other spectacular landscapes. The essayists each paint a vivid word picture. I wish I could write like they do.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of remembrances about working in National Parks from seasonals and lifers, green and grays and concessioners. Great stories including one by Mr. Davis about the venerable and well-remembered badass, #6. They range from hysterical (Ruth Rhodes and a naked dash across Denali) to sentimental (several about deaths).

If you've ever worked in a national park, this book's for you.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a pretty wide range of experiences documented here, from working in the Housekeeping department making beds to making a home in the Alaskan wilderness. Some of the essays were lyrical, some less so, some descriptive, some informational. Overall I enjoyed them. I picked up the book at a shop in Yosemite NP.

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give it a four because there were a few excellent essays in here, though some of the rest felt more gimmicky than real to me.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wide range of writing styles, language, and skill. Most of the stories were very enjoyable. Some struck heartstrings and felt very close to home.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very much a mixed bag of essays written by people who have worked at national parks. Some were interesting and funny, others were not. I'm glad I read it, but it was easy to put down.

[Matthew Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these are completely transporting. Greet compilation.