Our National Parks
Every National Park tells a story, from breathtaking landscapes and ancient forests to historic landmarks that preserve our shared past. Each visit offers a chance to pause and reflect, to feel gratitude for what endures and to witness how nature and history together remind us of the beauty worth protecting.
Recent Posts
Cesar E. Chavez National Monument – California
One December, I mapped out a trip to California to travel by myself and visit a number of historic sites, national parks and presidential libraries. It was an ambitious plan, and as it turned out, driving those busy California highways alone took far longer than I expected. One of the stops on that journey was the Cesar […]
National Mall and Washington Monument – Washington DC
For someone who loves monuments, there is one city in the United States that stands above all others: Washington, D.C. Across this carefully designed landscape stand some of the nation’s most significant memorials, each telling part of the American story. One of the most striking views in the city is standing along the National Mall with […]
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
We have visited Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park many times over the years, and each visit unfolds a little differently. Originally, this area was established in 1980 as an Historic Site by Jimmy Carter. It was later redesignated as a National Historical Park in 2018, expanding its recognition and preserving the broader legacy of Dr […]
Hoover National Historic Site – Iowa
At the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, I saw not just the resting place of a president, but also the beginning of his life. Located in the small town of West Branch, Iowa, the site preserves the humble Quaker community where Herbert Hoover was born in 1874. Hoover’s grave site one a quiet hillside overlooking […]
Lowell National Historical Park – Massachusetts
One of the places in Massachusetts that I have returned to many times over the years is Lowell National Historical Park. Each visit reveals something new about the remarkable story of how an entire American city was intentionally created around industry. Walking along the canals and through the brick mills, it is easy to imagine […]
Golden Spike National Historical Park – Utah
There are places where history is marked by monuments, and others where it is held in the land itself. Golden Spike National Historical Park, located in northern Utah at Promontory Summit, is one of those places. At Promontory Summit, the significance is in the simple alignment of two rail lines that once approached from opposite […]
George Washington Carver National Monument – Missouri
The George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, honors the life of a man born into slavery who would become one of the most respected agricultural scientists and educators in American history. Visiting this site is about a beginning. George Washington Carver was born in the early 1860s on a small farm owned by […]
Big Hole National Battlefield – Montana
On the East Coast, we speak of conflicts with Native peoples. We reference King Philip’s War in town histories and on roadside plaques, but we have not preserved large landscapes in the same way. There are markers. There are monuments. There are footnotes in local museums. But there are few expansive, protected battlefields with visitor […]
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument – Nevada
On our family vacation to Las Vegas, we stepped away from the lights of the Strip and drove north into a very different kind of landscape. The desert opened up and we found ourselves walking through the layered badlands of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. We spent a couple of hours there, slowly wandering the […]
Niobrara National Scenic River – Nebraska
Some National Park sites are immersive, day-long explorations. Others are quick stops, places we discover while driving through an area without the luxury of lingering. But even on those shorter visits, I will always stop at the visitor center. I want to understand why this land is protected. What happened here? What story is layered beneath […]
Women’s Rights National Historical Park – New York
Driving across upstate New York is full of history, landmarks, and monuments. A brown National Park sign in Seneca Falls led me to the Women’s Rights Museum, and like any new place, that first visit left me with a lot to take in. I did not know then about the convention that had taken place here. […]
Apostle Island National Lakeshore – Wisconsin
There are places in the National Park System that offer a different kind of experience. The Apostle Island National Lakeshore is one of those places. Reaching the Apostles is part of the experience. Located along the northern edge of Wisconsin on Lake Superior. The inland roads give way to water, and the sense of direction […]
