102 Years

Yesterday the National Park Service celebrated 102 years of service in protecting our natural lands and historical and cultural heritage. Although the NPS has over 400 units to manage, only 60 are currently designated as national parks. To honor this occasion, I thought it would be interesting to create a list of the parks I have visited. (I used this site for quickest viewing of all 60).

So here we go!
1. Badlands
2. Cuyahoga Valley
3. Gateway Arch
4. Grand Canyon
5. Grand Teton
6. Great Smoky Mountains (although this was more just a drive-through)
7. Kings Canyon
8. Mammoth Cave
9. Sequioa
10. Shenandoah
11. Yellowstone
12. Yosemite

I think Shenandoah was the first one I visited in conjunction with a trip to DC when I was early elementary age. If not, then I believe it is Mammoth, also early elementary. (Since Cuyahoga is in Ohio, there is chance my parents took me there first but I don't remember it while I have vague memories of the other two trips.)

Newest one to join the list is Gateway Arch from a solo trip in the early 2010's.

Which ones of these have you visited? What was your first NPS park visit?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

Image
I first heard of Stomp years ago but attending a performance was one of those secondary bucket list items. You know, the activities that sound neat and you'll do them if the opportunity comes up but you won't go out of your way to make it happen? Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to see Stomp at a theater in DC with an acquaintance, and I have to say that this is a show that needs to be on the bucket list of anyone interested in musical performance. For those of you unfamiliar with this group, they are percussionists who utilize anything but drums pretty much to create music. Our show started with a solo performer pushing a broom across the floor, but soon the stage filled with seven performers each wielding a broom in a series of charged movements. This number was only the first to amaze me with the athleticism of the cast. (I seriously found myself wondering how their legs were able to endure the beatings they took night after night without anyone suffering from shin s
Read more

Throwback Thursday: Spelling Bee Memories

I love words. I'm guessing that confession isn't too much of a surprise since I am a writer :) Today ESPN is televising the final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee and with it also being my first day of summer break, I'm splitting my attention between chores and the competition. These kids have amazing skills. It is fascinating to watch them break the words down with clues related to definitions, origins, and alternate pronunciations. My own spelling bee experiences never went more complicated than maybe asking for the word to be used in a sentence or else repeated. I did manage to earn runner-up in the county spelling bee as an eighth-grader--I spelled triphibious right but missed metropolitan. The fat dictionary I won for that achievement still sits on the desk in my spare bedroom. Those moments up on stage were Here is a list of words that caught my attention for various reasons. Which ones do you want to use in conversation this week? abrazo: I teach th
Read more

Children's Books in April

Image
I read four children's books this month and really enjoyed three of them. The Museum had an enjoyable rhyming pattern to it but the gem was how it introduced young readers to several art masterpieces. Children who love to paint would enjoy this book and there are multiple options for incorporating this book into a cross-curricular classroom setting. Mango, Abuela, and Me combined my love of Spanish with a genuine look at the question of how to handle the concerns of aging parents (or in this case, an aging grandmother). The story also infused parts of Hispanic culture. I would love a copy of this book for my Spanish classroom and will look for other offerings by the author. Just Add Glitter is simply a fun book. Any young child who loves bright, sparkly things will adore the illustrations. I even found myself gently touching the pages to feel the glitter! Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play was my least favorite book. It had a neat premise--look at what clothing
Read more