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
Mt. Grant-Kohrs Ranch – Montana
On a road trip to Glacier National Park, we took a few side trips to see more of the beautiful state of Montana. We followed long stretches of open road with expansive valleys and distant mountain ranges. One of our destinations along the way was the Grant-Kohrs Ranch. Coming from the East, it is difficult […]
Marsh-Billing-Rockefeller National Historical Park – Vermont
Marsh-Billing-Rockefeller National Historical Park is the only National Park Service site in Vermont. Unlike other parks created to preserve wilderness or historic battles, this park tells the story of the birth and evolution of conservation through stewardship. In the early 19th century, George Perkins Marsh, who grew up on this land, published the book: Man and […]
Pullman National Monument – Illinois
While teaching in Chicago in 2018, we took a trip to Pullman National Monument, a relatively new addition to the National Park Service at the time. The Pullman community was a grand idea. It was created in the 1880s by George Pullman, founder of the Pullman Palace Car Company. His vision was to create a […]
Grand Canyon – Arizona
I wanted to be someplace special on my 65th birthday, and my thoughts naturally turned to Grand Canyon National Park. My December birthday comes with some challenges as many of the majestic national parks have limited access that time of year, but the Grand Canyon felt right. I can still remember the first time I stood […]
Fort Smith – Arkansas
While traveling around Arkansas, I visited Fort Smith National Historic Site. This fort was established in 1817, as a U.S. military post to project federal presence on a volatile frontier. From the beginning, it served as a gateway to the West, a place where eastern law met western uncertainty. The strategic position of this fort made […]
Acadia National Park – Maine
The only designated National Park in the Northeast, Acadia National Park, is another spectacular place. There are sweeping ocean views and granite. Mountains rise from the sea, while waves crash against ancient rock. Long before Acadia became a national park, the rugged coastline and granite mountains of Mount Desert Island drew wealthy summer residents and by […]
The Touro Synagogue in Newport – Rhode Island
The Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, stands as the oldest surviving synagogue in the United States and a powerful symbol of religious freedom in the nation. Completed in 1763 for a community of Sephardic Jews as a place where their faith could be practiced openly and without fear. Many in this Jewish community had fled the Inquisition […]
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Historical Park – Pennsylvania
I visited the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Historical Park a few years ago. Tucked along a narrow street in Philadelphia’s Society Hill neighborhood is a house that reveals the story of a man whose ideals helped shape two nations. Thaddeus Kosciuszko was a Polish-born military engineer and idealist who came to America during the Revolutionary War. He […]
Saint Gaudens National Park – New Hampshire
The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park is a place I have returned to many times. Any excuse to be near Cornish, New Hampshire feels like a good reason for a repeat visit. It is not simply a museum or preserved home, but a living landscape shaped by creativity and collaboration. The park centers on the home, […]
Mount Rainier National Park – Washington
Mount Rainier rises more than 14,000 feet above the surrounding forests and valleys. Mount Rainier dominates the horizon. Its snow-covered summit is visible from miles away. Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano and the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. These glaciers feed rivers that shape western Washington and sustain ecosystems, agriculture and […]
Grand Teton National Park – Wyoming
We chose to stay in the lodge within the Grand Teton National Park to be present for the light throughout the day. In the Tetons, the light brushes the snow-capped peaks with soft pinks and golds in the morning with blue and silvers in the evening. There is no way I could choose which national park […]
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site – South Carolina
In 2018, while traveling to Charleston for a wedding, I took a side trip across the Cooper River to a place connected to the founding of our nations: Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. This site in Mount Pleasant, S.C., preserves Snee Farm, land once owned by one of America’s Founding Fathers. Charles Pinckney was born […]
