Travels
A two-month trip covering much of the state of Alaska. We visited twelve different National Parks and Monuments stretching from Sitka, in the panhandle, to Gates of the Arctic, north of the Arctic Circle.
The trip included an eighteen-day roadtrip through the towns of central Alaska, a ride on the Alaskan railroad to Seward, and many small-airplane trips over otherwise inaccessible terrain. It is a stunning state and our trip was incredible.
Our roadtrip covered 17 National Parks, Monuments, and Lakeshores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska. We also spent nearly two weeks in and around Chicago, visiting Pullman, Frank Lloyd Wright’s work in Oak Park, and sampling the food of our nation’s Second City. The highlight of the four month trip, though, might just be the visit to Isle Royale on the northern edges of Lake Superior.
Southern Charms (2017)
On this three-month journey, we sampled the charm and hospitality of the Deep South, visiting 18 National Parks, Monuments, and Seashores from the Outer Banks, to the Everglades, to the Great Smoky Mountains. We also managed a boat trip to Dry Tortugas National Park, a beautiful and remote cluster of islands three hours from Key West. The trip included several coastal fort monuments in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Northern Wonders (2016)
This trip took us north to several gems of the National Park system – Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier. On the way we took in the parks and monuments of the Black Hills in Wyoming, Nebraska, and the Dakotas.
Tour of the Ancients (2016)
We took a couple of weeks to visit the National Parks preserving the landscapes and heritage of the Ancient Puebloan Indians in the Four Corners Region. Although short, the theme and the stark beauty of the desert scenery was amply rewarding.
New Mexican Parks (2016/15)
In what used to be our home state, we took a couple of different trips to visit the parks there. New Mexico is amazingly varied and rich in history. Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands are two world renowned sites known for their stunning views.
The Central West Tour (2015)
In our first long-distance trip, we went west through Nevada, Northern California, Oregon, and Idaho. In addition to such classics as Redwoods National Park and Crater Lake, we also took in little-visited Great Basin in Nevada and Timpanogos Cave in Utah.
Central and Southern Arizona (2015/2014)
Arizona actually has the largest number of parks on our bucket list of any state. It took two trips to get through most of them in the southern and central part of the state including Petrified Forest, Saguaro, and Organ Pipe.
Colorado and New Mexico (2014)
As we learned how to tow a trailer, we took several smaller trips in and around where we lived. These early trips set the stage for our bigger trips. Our visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison is where the idea of a National Parks Bucket List was born.