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
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 […]
Cape Hatteras National Seashore – North Carolina
On our vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, we visited the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. This site was established in 1953 as the first national seashore in the United States Cape Hatteras protects more than 70 miles of barrier island coastline. Rising above the landscape is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse which was completed in […]
Big Cypress – Florida
Big Cypress is not exactly a national park, but a national preserve. A national preserve allows certain traditional uses to continue while still protecting the land. When Congress established Big Cypress in 1974, it became one of the very first two national preserves in the country, Big Cypress protects nearly 729,000 acres of land, making […]
Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality Monument – Washington DC
In 2018, I visited the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington D.C., one of the newer additions to the National Park System at the time. In my pursuit to visit as many National Park historic sites as possible, I often made a point of seeing them soon after they were designated. When Belmont-Paul came […]
Battle of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park – Texas
Visiting many of our nation’s historic sites has often happened while I’ve been in an area teaching, and that was true for our visit to Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. The land here feels quiet and open, but the calm setting marks the beginning of a war that would reshape the United States. The Battle of […]
Denali National Park – Alaska
Flying into Anchorage, our first destination was Denali, and the drive itself felt like the beginning of the adventure. Leaving the city behind, the road quickly opened into vast stretches of wilderness where the scale of Alaska became unmistakable. The Parks Highway winds north through wide valleys and uninterrupted views that seem to stretch forever. […]
Theodore Roosevelt National Park – North Dakota
I have traveled with intention, seeking out the place that tells the fuller stories of the Presidents of the United States. Over the years, I have visited all the Presidential libraries, along with many of their birthplaces, homes and the lesser-known sites that reveal who these men were beyond their public offices. It is often these […]
Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado
Another spectacular National Park is Rocky Mountain National Park. My oldest daughter Emily lives in the foothills of this park, so we have enjoyed more visits than most. From the rugged alpine cliffs to the mountain lakes, this landscape reminds us how diverse this park is. Established in January 1915, when Woodrow Wilson signed the act […]
Thomas Edison National Park – New Jersey
Thomas Edison National Historical Park is one of those places where I could wander for hours. Every corner feels like stepping into the mind of a man who reshaped the modern world. From his personal office, preserved just as he left it. To his rigid time clocks that kept his workers on schedule, to the […]
Valley Forge – A Different Kind of Battleground – Pennsylvania
The last time I visited Valley Forge was in 2019. So many of our National Parks are preserved because they were battlefields: places where lives were lost and freedom was defended. Valley Forge is different, it is not a battlefield, no shots were fired here. Yet it remains one of the most important sites in the […]
