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
Mount Rainier National Park Our Stay in Eatonville, WA Mount Rainier National Park – Day 2 The weather looked promising! We saw a blue sky with a few clouds. So, six days after our first visit, we returned to Mount Rainier National Park to explore the Longmire area. Wonderland, Rampart Ridge, and Trail of the […]
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Several Hikes and Walks in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Our Stay in Eatonville, WA Visiting Mount Saint Helens NVM Mount Saint Helens NVM is among Washington’s top 10 attractions. It had been on our to-do list for a while. When we left Eatonville, the sun was shining. It was raining two hours later
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Mount Rainier National Park Our Stay in Eatonville, WA Mount Rainier NP – Day 1 Now that we stayed in Eatonville, a visit to Mount Rainier NP was a must, as the park was only an hour away. Especially because the weather looked promising today (although mountain weather can be very changeable). Mount Rainier Beautiful
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Cabrillo National Monument & Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Our Stay in San Diego, CA Strolling Around @ Cabrillo National Monument Cabrillo National Monument is fantastic for several reasons. This southern end of the Point Loma Peninsula offers breathtaking views of San Diego, the bay, and the Pacific. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson sailing to
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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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