Posted: Monday, Jan 2nd, 2017
The heart-song and magic of Channel Islands National Park
by Ken McAlpine
photo by Doug Mangum
One evening on San Miguel island, I stood in not-quite-silence and watched the world go dark. Night came discreetly. Nature feels no need to beat her chest. Twilight deepened but a spectral glow remained, thanks to a sea of yellow coreopsis flowers. As it grew darker, the world lost the sharp edges of reality. Coreopsis flowers dissolved, so that lollipop bushes heavy with lemon drops could exist. At the very last, the night sky bent and kissed the earth. The five islands of Channel Islands National Park — San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and Anacapa — possess innumerable glories. But in my mind, the park’s greatest glory is clearly visible. So close, and so very far away. As a park ranger once told me, “If you want to step back in time, it doesn’t get any easier.”


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