The United States boasts many scenic national parks, monuments, and forests. They can be visited with the “America The Beautiful” Year Pass. It is THE reason my hubby and I explore the United States. After we visited America’s (and the world’s) first national park since 1872, Yellowstone, Wyoming, in 2008, we became hooked on the experience!
We visited 28* national parks fifteen years later (2023). Each park has its unique character, energy, and vibe. For me, It is a spiritual experience to wander through the wilderness.
“Between every two pine trees, there is a door leading to a new way of life. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine into trees.”
— John Muir, Scottish-American naturalist
2008 – Yellowstone National Park, WY Badlands National Park, WY, Mount Rushmore National Monument, SD
Crater Lake National Park Oregon Crater Lake, Oregon’s Unique Blue Gem We first visited Crater Lake National Park on Sunday, November 3, 2019! This second time, it still made a great impression! Crater Lake is nature’s unique gem with an intense blue color like blue sapphire stone and an almost perfect circle! Not “Diamonds Are […]
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Pinnacles National Park – Day 2 California Hiking the Prewett Point Trail October 22, 2023 1.39 mi 0:30:41 hrs 55 °F On our second day in Pinnacles National Park, California, we started with the Prewett Point Trail near the park’s western entrance—a short, easy hike with great views of the Father of the Pinnacles Hain
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Pinnacles National Park – Day 1 California Condor Gulch Trail, A Challenging Climb with a Nostalgic Reward We checked off another national park from our bucket list – Pinnacles National Park, number 35 and counting! Established as a National Monument in 1908, this California gem officially became a National Park in 2014, making it the
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Channel Islands National Park California Day 3 – Exploring the Wild Beauty of Santa Cruz A Day on Santa Cruz and Beyond We sailed again to Channel Islands National Park, this time to Santa Cruz, the park’s largest island. This time, the fog and rough waves made it difficult to spot any ocean wildlife, but
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Channel Islands National Park California Day 2 – An Unforgettable Voyage to Santa Rosa Island A Tale of Whales We had booked the Island Packers ferry to the Channel Islands National Park, to Santa Rosa Island, on this beautiful day. Sailing to the island was an unexpected sea safari, and it was the most incredible
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Our Introduction to Channel Islands National Park California Learning About Channel Islands NP Our first introduction to Channel Islands National Park was at the Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center in Ventura, CA. As always, the center proved to be the necessary starting point for exploring Channel Islands National Park, also referred to as “America’s Galapagos.”
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Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPS – Day 3 California Hiking the Hidden Gem of Marble Falls Trail On our last visit to Sequoia National Park, we saw no Sequoia trees but hiked one of the park’s hidden gems, the Marble Falls Trail. Along the way, we enjoyed the varied scenery of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
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Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPS – Day 2 California A Visit to Kings Canyon NP Entrance Kings Canyon Kings Canyon Visitor Center We continued our visit to the Sierra Nevada’s towering forests, arriving at Kings Canyon National Park via E Kings Canyon Road. We marked our entry with a photo and then made a quick
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Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPS – Day 1 California Entrance Sequoia NP Foothills Visitor Center We began our visit to Sequoia National Park with a scenic drive along the Generals Highway. Rather than undertaking long hikes, we made several short stops to see and photograph some of the park’s iconic landmarks. We started with two
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The Lost Pine Cabin in Oakhurst, CA California A Scenic Retreat Near Yosemite From Mammoth Lakes, CA, we drove through Yosemite National Park to our Airbnb in Oakhurst, CA, the “Southern Gateway” to the national park. The welcoming “Lost Pine Cabin” was situated on top of a ridge, allowing us to enjoy the views of
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