The National Park Service has been a hot topic of late, and the conversations have reminded me of the lifetime of joy Ken & I’ve received from the properties under their care. As kids, we each had our first National Park experience in 1957 – Ken and his family at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and my family and I at Rocky Mountain National Park. Looking back, Ken recalls “the bear sighting” from his trip, and I’ll never forget the horseback trailride with my Mom. And now 68 years later, we’ve made so many more magical memories thanks to the experiences available through our National Park Service.
Our beautiful National Parks, Seashores, Forests, Wetlands, Grasslands, and Monuments are an amazing gift, one I hope will be preserved for generations to come. They are places where families can enjoy our land and learn from it. I feel incredibly lucky that I’m one of five generations of my family – from my grandparents to my grandchildren – who have traveled together to share such wonderful experiences. We have also made several trips to these national sites with friends over the years, sometimes for a child’s wedding, sometimes just to sightsee. Each visit has been truly memorable. Here are some of those moments.
Through these visits I have felt the pride of patriotism, the power of nature, the value of conservation, the poignancy of sacrifice, the splendor of beauty, and the awe of our history from coast to coast. I am truly thankful for the properties and the people of the National Park Service, and I look forward to our next adventure. See you down the road!