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
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Our Stay in Van Horn, TX Guadalupe Mountains National Park, The Most Beautiful Spot in Texas “El Capitan,” Guadalupe Mountains National Park’s iconic beacon, greeted us when we approached its main entrance. As usual, we went to the visitor center first to show our “America the Beautiful National Park Pass,” picking […]
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Big Bend National Park – Day 3 Our Stay in Terlingua, TX Our Last Day in Big Bend National Park! We again enjoyed beautiful views of the desert, river, mountains, and wildlife. We hiked the short Rio Grande Village Nature Trail, which offered a great panorama of the surrounding area. We spotted a very shy
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Big Bend NP, Day 2 Our Stay in Terlingua, TX Visiting Big Bend NP, Day 2 On our second day in Big Bend, we drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and hiked a few trails. We started at the end, at the Santa Elena Canyon, where the Rio Grande borders Mexico. While walking the Santa
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Big Bend National Park, Day 1 Our Stay in Terlingua, TX Visiting Big Bend National Park On our way driving to Terlingua, TX, we entered Big Bend National Park at Persimmon Gap in the Santiago Mountains. The park’s oldest rocks can be found here. This area is geologically fascinating and unique. Large mountains eroded and
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Exploring the Natchez Trace Parkway Mississippi A Scenic Drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway We drove a part of the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile route stretching from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. The parkway roughly follows the Old Natchez Trace, a historic trail used by various groups, including Native Americans, early settlers known
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A Petrified Forest in the South Mississippi Ancient Giants: Mississippi’s Petrified Forest The Mississippi Petrified Forest, a registered natural landmark since 1966, is a unique natural wonder and one of only two petrified forests in the eastern United States. Although we visited the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona last year, we were glad we
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Exploring the Beauty of the Buffalo River Arkansas A Scenic Hike on the Ozark to Pruitt Trail On this beautiful autumn day, we hiked the Ozark to Pruitt Trail, a moderate and popular part of the Buffalo River Trail. The Buffalo River is a national river that winds its way through the heart of the
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Exploring Congaree’s Untouched Beauty South Carolina March 2022 Getting Soaked in Congaree National Park Despite the anticipated rain and thunderstorms, we explored Congaree National Park on our last day in the Windsor area. At the Harry Hampton Visitor Center – the name pays tribute to the man who helped save Congaree – we learned that
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Old Sheldon, Beaufort, and the Unfinished Civil War South Carolina March 2022 Old Sheldon Church Ruin, History and Haunting We drove around Beaufort County and visited the Old Sheldon Church Ruin grounds. These historical ruins are what’s left over what once was the Prince William’s Parish Church, which was constructed between 1751 and 1757. After
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Fort Caroline, Where French Ambition Met Spanish Might Florida March 2022 Fort Caroline, The 1st French Settlement During our stay in Jacksonville, we included a visit to Fort Caroline National Memorial, part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve. The French Huguenot settlement of Fort Caroline commemorates France’s first attempt at colonization in 1562. We
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