Great Lodges of the National Parks

Well, what can you say about an hour-long program devoted to Pacific Northwest lodges in national parks that covers a mere four sites and offers only a single peek-a-boo fan dancer glimpse of a guest room? Designed more for regional historians with an architectural bent than actual or virtual travelers, the Pacific Northwest Lodges entry I watched from the Great Lodges of the National Parks series (which also includes Grand Lodges, Canyon Lodges and Glacier Lodges) visits Paradise Inn in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park, Timberline Lodge on Oregon's Mount Hood, Oregon Caves Chateau at Oregon Caves National Monument, and Crater Lake Lodge at Oregon's Crater Lake National Park. Each segment follows a similar pattern: cameras pan around the huge lobbies and common rooms (invariably dominated by a giant fireplace), while interviews with park officials, lodge managers, and concerned citizens who head up restoration projects, provide commentary on the wonderful location, colorful history, and contemporary upkeep of each of the lodges. With far more attention paid to individually painted lampshades than area attractions, however, vacation planners are likely to be disappointed by this local-focused "friends of the lodge"-type series of reminiscences. Regional collections will want to consider, but this is not recommended for general travel collections. [Note: this is also available on DVD in two volumes, priced at $24.98 each.] Aud: P. (R. Pitman)