Is anyone watching the national park series by Ken Burns on PBS? The quotations made by conservationists (before there really was the word "conservationist") of the past have been astounding in their glimpse into the future. Back when people were cutting down every tree and shooting every animal in their path and thought that was progress, comes, "People don't redeem nature; nature redeems people." Love it.I'm a third generation national park enthusiast. My maternal grandfather loved the national parks and tried to visit many of them by car. His favorite was the Grand Tetons. I'm just guessing here, but maybe he felt a link to those mountains and the landscape of his ancestors in Germany? My own family vacations past and present have revolved around trips to national parks.
Later in the week, I will attempt to post some photos and favorite memories. For now, here's a list of them all, with my own visits in bold. Which national parks have you visited? Any on your bucket list?
Acadia National Park
National Park of American Samoa
Arches National Park
Badlands National Park
Big Bend National Park
Biscayne National Park
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Channel Islands National Park
Congaree National Park
Crater Lake National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Denali National Park and Preserve
Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades National Park
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Glacier National Park Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Great Basin National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Haleakala National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hot Springs National Park
Isle Royale National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Katmai National Park and Preserve
Kenai Fjords National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mesa Verde National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Petrified Forest National Park
Redwood National and State Parks
Rocky Mountain National Park
Saguaro National Park
Sequoia National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Virgin Islands National Park
Voyageurs National Park
Wind Cave National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Yellowstone National Park
Yosemite National Park
Zion National Park
Ken Burns puts me to sleep, so, no. I've been to Acadia National Park, it's really great.
ReplyDeleteI've not been to any national parks.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to, but we haven't done it yet.
I've never been to any of the National Parks, which is sad (I've flown over the Grand Canyon; does that count for anything?). . .
ReplyDeleteIsle Royale is the only National Park (as such) in Michigan; but it's WAY the heck hard to get to - middle of Lake Superior (actually closer to the Canadian shore than the US, and closer to Minnesota than Michigan, but whatcha gonna do?); you can only get there by plane or boat (and the boat that goes there is known as The Barf Boat, so that's an adventure all by itself).
There are two other Michigan places which, while not full-blown National Parks, are part of the National Park System - Sleeping Bear Dunes, in the northwest Lower Peninsula, and the Pictured Rocks, along the Lake Superior shore. I've been to both of those, and they are spectacular. . . (Mackinac Island used to be a National Park, but got demoted. . .)
I'd like to see Yosemite someday, and a 'ground-level' visit to the Grand Canyon. Of course, any of them would be a wonderful visit; I suppose I'll just need to clear out the 'brain space' to actually go to a few of them. . .
And we won't get into the literal translation of 'Grand Tetons'. . .
Mammoth Cave and the Smoky Mountains are both reasonably close by; I've actually thought about visiting those, sometime.
ReplyDeleteAnd Denali would be on my 'A Fella Can Dream' list. . .
And of course, your own little neighborhood National Park. Maybe we could drop in on you sometime, and you could show us around. . . ;)
I've not been to any national parks. Mine was not a family of travelers...
ReplyDeleteA few years ago we took the kid to see Yosemite, where it all began. A re-visit for me, since we went several times when I was a kid. I love National Parks. I count myself lucky for living an hour's drive from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
ReplyDeleteRuss - Well, the baseball one put me to sleep as well.
ReplyDeleteMama - Get thee to a N.P.!
Des - Sleeping Bear is great, as are all the dunes on the western side of Michigan.
FADKOG - That is sad; those are probably my best family memories.
Agent - I'd love to go to Yosemite. How did your boys like it?
oh, i didn't know this series was being played (hardly ever get control of remote) but it sounds great. reading through the list i am tickled to say i've been to more national parks than i woudl have guessed. they are indeed a greta national treasure.
ReplyDeleteLime - Would love to see you post some photos sometime.
ReplyDeleteI haven't caught any of that series!
ReplyDeleteW-O-W!!! - You've been to ALL of those n'nal parks?! Good golly, that's impressive!!!
I'd have to do a serious sit-n-think on which ones I've been to, but off the top of my head - The Great Smokeys (nearby Joyce Kilmer Memorial Park - not sure if National Park tho), Grand Canyon, um.... hmmm.
Reeeeally looking fwd to your pix and memories! =)