When I was growing up my parents were lucky enough to have a good portion of their summer's off of work. Because of this, my family took road trips to all sorts of places around the U.S. including the National Parks. After a couple years, my mom took a different job that required her to work year-round and we ceased these vacations. That is until about 3 summers ago when my mom decided my sister and I needed to experience it all as adults. I never thought much about the beauty of our land but let me tell you, the U.S.A is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in this world.
The first place we decided to road-trip to was the best place for any National Park newbie to start- The Grand Canyon. We took part of Route 66 in order to get there and at other points we went down some back roads that lead us to some amazing places. We went through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. We visited El Malpais national park, El Calderon, the petrified forest, Kaibab National Forrest, Prescott National Forrest, Grand Canyon Nation Park and Gamer Preserve (North and South Rim), Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Window Rock, and much more. We took a TON of pictures but I had yet to come into contact with the beautiful thing that was a National Parks Passport.
The following summer we decided to follow the hiking trend but change the direction. We headed east through the other side of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina to our first destination in Pisgah National Forrest. We went to the Black Mountains, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Chimney Rock, Sliding Rock, Craggy Gardens, Asheville, Cape Hatteras Nation Seashore, three lighthouses, a multitude of waterfalls, drove the Blue Ridge Parkway, and visited a slew of other places. We hiked every single day, swam under waterfalls, and I didn't buy a National Parks Passport, again.
Another half of a year past and my family began discussing where we would head off to next. In December my cousin got married in Hot Springs Arkansas, and at Hot Springs National Park I bought my passport. I didn't realize it at the time, but I had just purchased a guide to my vacations for the rest of my life. This passport held the key to every National park, monument, battle site, preserve, lakeshore, river, reserve, seashore, and trail in the United States all plotted out on a handy-dandy map. The main idea of the passport is to get a stamp at every location you visit and there are even spots for stickers (my inner child is screaming with delight.) This passport was the best thing I ever bought and it came in handy when it was time to plan our next vacation to Yosemite National Park .
This trip was one of the longest drives I have ever been on. It was almost torturous, but every time I had felt like I was on the verge of a mental break in the car we spotted something amazing. We drove through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and finally reached California. Once in Yosemite National Park, we went to Mariposa groves, Tuolumne meadows, Stanislaus National Forrest, Soda Springs, Lake Tenaya, Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias, Ahwahnee Hotel, John Muir historic site, and many other places. We hiked 11 miles one day, stayed on the beach another. It was fabulous, and it was all part of the land I call home. I got about 20 stamps on my passport.
Now, I know a passport to tour the U.S may not seem that exciting. When you can travel the world with a real passport why would you care to see what you already know? Well, I can say from experience (I got my real passport about a week after my NP passport and traveled out of the country, a story for another time) that traveling any place new is exciting. We don't have mountains in Missouri, yes we have Ozark Mountains but that is different and you would know if you came to visit! We don't have giant orange plateaus or mountain goats. We don't have ocean views or Grizzly bears, but we have a lot of other cool things. The NP passport may not be the coolest thing to some people but it can be a guide for those seeking out some of the best parts of the great nation.
With the National Park Centennial this year it is a great time to travel around the US. Don't fly to your destination! You miss too much. Take some time and wander around. You may find a new passion for environmental issues. You may notice that some areas are in greater need than you expected. You may even find a new spot to call home! People from all over the world come to the US to experience things we take for granted. Traveling the US isn't like traveling the world, but it can still open your eyes to diversity and a different way of living (it is also cheaper most of the time!) So go out and buy yourself a National Parks Passport. You won't regret it.
*None of these pictures have been edited or altered in any way and in their beauty they still don't give these destinations the credit they deserve.*
