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 that officially set it aside as a national park, Rocky Mountain National Park preserves more than 415 square miles of dramatic terrain.

One of the park’s iconic features is Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Climbing above 12,000 feet, it carries you to be above the trees. The park also included stunning lakes, like Bear Lake.

Each season of this park reveals something new: golden aspens, winter snow, spring green and the summer heat. It is another one of the jewels of our National Park System.

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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 […]
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 […]
Mount Rushmore National Memorial – South Dakota
Carved into the granite face of the Black Hills are the towering likenesses of four of our presidential leaders. Visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a ceremonial experience. Upon approaching the site, we walked the Avenue of Flags, with flags representing all U.S. states and territories. This walk takes us to the overlook where the […]