This article is dedicated to my dad, who loved travel more than life itself.
Some people spend their vacations down by the bay, others ski the slopes of Colorado, and some roam the country on four wheels and a tank of gas. As for me, I come from a national parks family. After flipping through a checklist, I realized that I’ve visited twenty-five of these beautifully-scenic landscapes. Twenty-five!
Okay, maybe that’s a little over the top, but honestly, national parks rock. And somehow, I have a ridiculous story for each one. Read ahead for some of my favorite memories!
Yellowstone
One of my earliest memories came at Yellowstone, the first-ever national park. I was six years old, and feeling restless after a long day in the car with no wildlife in sight. You know, that point when everyone’s hungry, tired, and wants to kill each other? But my dad insisted that we stay for ten more minutes.
Sure enough, we saw a lone bison on a grassy hill. Then, like a scene from a movie, hundreds of bison followed behind. The entire herd. Our jaws dropped. We couldn’t do anything but watch. That was pure magic. Needless to say, I wasn’t crabby anymore.
Fast-forward to 2020. We returned to Yellowstone for a back-country camping trip. For those who don’t know, that’s when you carry twenty pounds of gear on your back and hike out to a campsite in the wilderness. A bold pick for those who aren’t athletic or outdoorsy (my mom and I). Seriously, what were we thinking?
Our plan was to hike eight miles to the campsite, but the trail and map somehow didn’t match. The campsite wasn’t even in the right spot. Getting lost on a hike is the scariest thing ever. Especially when the sun’s going down.
Of course, we made the classic horror movie mistake. We split up. I hiked with my dad while my mom and brother stayed behind. After two long miles, we finally found the campsite. I cried actual tears of joy.
Once we had settled, there was one more surprise waiting for us.
Out there, there are no toilets. So when you have to go, you’ve got to go outside. AND you need to follow the buddy system. So being the amazing sister that I am, I tagged along with my brother.
All of the sudden, we hear a twig snap and see two red eyes staring back at us. A wolf! Just kidding, it was a deer. Either way, we ran back to camp, half-screaming, half-laughing.
Meanwhile, my dad managed to slip into a pile of bison poop over by the tent. It was a crappy night.
Everglades
If you don’t want to get lost in the woods, then you definitely don’t want to get lost in the swamp.
In 2017, we headed south to Everglades National Park. Florida was still recovering from a hurricane at the time. Everywhere we turned, there was debris and wreckage. Including the parks. Many of the trails were closed, so we spent the morning on the boardwalk instead. We stayed silent as gators peeked out of the water, and called out bird names from our pocket guide. But daylight doesn’t last forever.
By evening, my dad decided we should take a short hike. Instead of scenic views, we tripped over roots scattered by storm, and prayed none of them were snakes.
Okay, I’m making it sound chaotic, but these are some of my favorite adventures. Just don’t go right after a hurricane!
Olympic
Beyond the swamps of Florida, we ventured to the Pacific Northwest. Olympic National Park was so beautiful. Situated along the Pacific coastline, moss grew on every tree and yellow banana slugs slid through the mud.
Anyways, I was thirteen and had a Jennifer Lopez song stuck in my head. I was singing in the car, on the hike, you name it. My family’s annoyance grew, and I was sent to “stand by the trees” for some quiet time. It was actually really funny. The trees didn’t mind!
Later that day, my dad picked wild berries by the side of the road. If there’s anything he loved more than traveling, it was trying new foods. After some convincing, we tried them. Thankfully, they weren’t poisonous. That day ended up being one of my favorites.
There are a million more stories to tell, but not enough time in the day. My junior ranger badges remind me of these wonderful trips and the vibrant person my dad was. Someone who was curious, fearless, and always up for an adventure. With every new place, my love for travel has grown into what it is now.
Get out there and explore!
Peace out.