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47 Parks

Mesa Verde Recap

  • August 27, 2016March 10, 2019

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Length of Stay:

  • 3 days, 3 nights

Highs:

  • Touring the Mug House dwelling site (it was a back country tour that was off the beaten path)

Low:

  • Minor altitude fatigue

Favorite Hike:

  • Petroglyph Point

Favorite Treat:

  • Elk quesadilla
… Read more
47 Parks

Happy Birthday, NPS!

  • August 25, 2016March 10, 2019

Today, the National Park Service officially turns 100 years old. That’s one hundred years of preserving some of the most valuable and beautiful resources in America.

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To celebrate, they are offering free admission from August 25 – 28, so get out there and visit a park!

If you are unable to:

  1. Buy a cupcake
  2. Sing
… Read more
47 Parks

Cliff Dwellers

  • August 24, 2016March 10, 2019

Mesa Verde has been quite a memorable park so far. I was able to take a guided tour of 3 different cliff dwellings and view a couple other sites on my own. It’s surreal to walk through ancient ruins and spot pieces of broken pottery over 800 years old.

I have a lot of respect … Read more

47 Parks

Great Sand Dunes Recap

  • August 22, 2016March 10, 2019

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Length of Stay:

  • 3 days, 4 nights

High:

  • Meeting so many new friends; it’s encouraging to encounter fellow travelers who are just as passionate about nature as I am

Low:

  • Sun exhaustion my second day (the weather is deceptive since constant wind makes the sun feel much less intense than it is)

Favorite Hike:

  • Mosca
… Read more
47 Parks

Dunes, Dunes, Dunes!

  • August 20, 2016March 10, 2019

The views are spectacular and the hiking trails are out of this world, but the real bread-and-butter of this park is the Dunes.

A little education:

  • The sand you see at the Dunes is the tip of the iceberg… literally. Expert researchers have investigated and realized that there is way more sand underneath.
… Read more
47 Parks

Westward Bound

  • August 18, 2016March 10, 2019

I wasn’t looking forward to the long drive from Arkansas to Colorado, but it turned out to be full of kicks and giggles.

I got my fill of kitschy roadside attractions, including Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo, TX.

I found this adorable RV Museum that was FREE! It had a bunch of campers from the … Read more

47 Parks

Hot Springs Recap

  • August 16, 2016March 10, 2019

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Length of Stay:

  • 3 days, 3 nights

High:

  • Touring the Fordyce bathhouse

Low:

  • Hot, humid, and then extremely rainy

Favorite Hike:

  • Goat Rock trail

Favorite Treat:

  • Water – it’s tasteless and odorless but somehow makes my coffee taste extremely delicious

 … Read more

47 Parks

House of Baths

  • August 15, 2016March 10, 2019

Hot Springs, Arkansas was the perfect blend of interesting history, relaxing baths, and gorgeous hiking trails. Although it is the smallest national park, Hot Springs had so much to offer. One of my favorite activities was touring the historical Fordyce bathhouse. It was three stories of fancy spa equipment, including some weird stuff going on … Read more

47 Parks

Strolling in Nashville, Walking in Memphis

  • August 13, 2016March 10, 2019

Nashville and Memphis were 2 cities that I proudly checked off my bucket list this week. While not as spectacular as a national park, they both brought some intriguing things to the table.

Nashville had so much live music. In some venues, you could hear 3 different bands depending on which floor you were on. … Read more

47 Parks

Mammoth Cave Recap

  • August 11, 2016March 10, 2019

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Length of Stay:

  • 3 days, 4 nights

Highs:

  • Wild Cave tour
  • Kayaking down the Green River

Lows:

  • Not be able to waltz through a cave entrance and explore on my own (something to do with safety, I guess…)

Favorite Hike:

  • Echo Springs – you get to see where the water flows out of the cave
… Read more

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47 Parks

This is where it all began – an epic road trip to visit all 47 national parks in the contiguous United States within the span of 47 weeks. [Spoiler alert: I did it.] Read about my travels around the country, living in a MyPod trailer and experiencing the nation’s greatest treasures.

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About Me

About Me

National park expert. Nature enthusiast. Outdoor educator. These are the chronicles of my travels and discoveries around the country and throughout the world.

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