Shenandoah National Park

            The next National Park I will discuss is Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.  I want to share this because it is the closest to home.  So if you haven’t been already, maybe you can check it out the next nice day we have.  Shenandoah National Park is a little over two hours away, so it could make for a pretty nice day trip.  I have visited Shenandoah National Park a few times growing up, places like Skyline and Luray Caverns, also the Natural Bridge with my family. 

            The park has a long strip of road called Skyline Drive.  The road starts in Front Royal, Virginia and runs for about 105 miles, the entire length of the park.  The park also includes 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail.  For those who don’t know, the Appalachian Trail runs from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia.  The trail is approximately 2,184 miles long.  The are over 500 miles of trails in the park all together.

            Along Skyline Drive there are plenty of stops to be made.  Two stops of which I already mentioned and are well worth checking out, Skyline Caverns and Luray Caverns.  The park is also home to many waterfalls, nine of which can be accessed from trails leading off of Skyline Drive.  The park also offers campsites (backcountry or campground) and resort lodging or cabins.

            With lots to offer and close to home, Shenandoah National Park is a great place to send the day with family or friends.  

Yosemite: Sam

            This last National Park I will talk about, is probably the one I’m most excited about.  Though I have been all over California, I have not been to this National Park yet.  A park so magnificent, so majestic, that over 3.2 million people visit this famous 7 square mile valley each year. A park as big as Rhode Island. A park known for having hundreds of flowing water falls, cliff that tear open the sky, creatures that come in by the thousands, groves of giant trees, and endless miles of trails.  A park carved out by the power of ice known as glaciers. That park as you’ve already seen in the title is Yosemite National Park.

            Yosemite National Park was not the first National Park, but it was the park that inspired the idea.  The area gained popularity, before becoming a National Park, in the mid 19^th century.  This time period was known as the California Gold Rush.  In 1851, a group of “white” men entered the valley searching for gold.  They were attacked by a group of 200 Ahwahneechees Indians, this was known as the Mariposa War.  The park got its name from the Indian word "yohhe'meti" which translates to “ they are killers”.  After the gold rush was over and the park was established in 1916 tourism began to increase.  With the addition of all-weather roads, tourism skyrocketed.

            Yosemite offers so many activities from hiking, rock climbing, fishing, camping, biking, skiing, and so much more.  With over 800 miles of trails to hike, thousands of lakes and 1,600 miles of streams to fish, 350 miles of scenic road to drive or bike, Yosemite makes for a great family vacation or adventurous expedition.

Hawaii: Hele mei hoohiwahiwa

            Ever since I was a child, I’ve had an obsession with the great outdoors.  I’ve also had an obsession with adrenaline.  So I guess it makes sense that dangerous things seem fun to me, skydiving, riding my bike, skateboarding, etc.  It’ always been childhood dreams of mine to see a tornado, volcano, bear, wolf, crocodile, anything dangerous.  With that being said the next National Park I want to discuss is Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii.  Hawaii is another state I haven’t been to yet.

            Volcanoes National Park Ion the main island of Hawaii.  The park offers scenic hiking through lush tropical rainforest.  The park currently has two active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa.  Mauna Loa is the world’s most massive volcano standing at 13,677 feet above sea level.  Hawaii Belt Road used to be a beltway going around the park, but you can’t really call it that anymore due to previous eruption covering portions of the road in lava.  The weather in the Hawaiian Islands is always pretty consistent making it a great place to visit all year round.  The weather hardly reaches above 90 in the summer and barely dips below 60 in the winter.  The water temperature is averaged around 77 during winter and 83 during the summer.

            When in Hawaii visiting Volcanoes National Park I think I’ll head to the beach and try to learn how to surf.  I’ve never been on a surfboard before so I think it’ll be fun to try.  Also my mother went a few years back and she said on her visit she got to swim with sea turtles.  Needless to say, I am very jealous.  Turtles are my favorite amphibians.  I think Hawaii would make a great couples retreat instead of a family vacation but who knows. 

Acadia National Park, Be The First To See The Sun Rise

The next National Park I want to visit soon is Acadia National Park in Maine.  I really want to visit the park sometime in the fall when the weather is cool and the trees are starting to turn.  I have not yet been to Maine and I look forwarded to going with all Maine has to offer.  Though I’m not a big fan of lobster, but I wouldn't mind eating a freshly caught one right off the shore.  Maine is the largest lobster distributor in the United States. While on the trip I grab some Vermont syrup, and New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” attitude.

            Now back to the park, Acadia National Park was established July 8^th 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson.  At that time the park was named Seiur de Monts National Park, and was named again later as Lafayfette National Park after Marquis de Layafette, a French supporter of the Revolutionary War.  Finally in 1929, the park was named Acadia National Park.

            Unlike my last few posts about the Everglades National Park and Katmai, Acadia National Park would be a great family vacation.  With no extreme weather, excluding winter, Acadia normally has cool temperatures. In 1945 10,000 acres of the park was burned down due to forest fires during a dry summer. The park offers oceanside trails for hiking and biking.  The park also has mountains, lakes and pine forests.  The park even has the original gravel carriage trails funded by wealthy philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr.  The park offers some great views where the ocean meets the rocky shoreline.  Acadia National Park is actually one of the first places to see the sunrise in the United States.  Maybe one cool fall day I’ll see you at Acadia National Park.

Alaska, The Last Frontier

                ALASKA, The Last Frontier.  The next park I plan on visiting sometime in the future is Katmai National Park.  The park is located in the southern portion of Alaska.  I want to visit Katmai National Park because it is known for its highest population of brown bears.  Much like my last post about the Everglades National Park and wanting to see an alligator in the wild, I want to see a bear in the wild as well.  Another reason I want visit Katmai National Park is its Alaskan location.  My dream is not to visit every National Park but every state.   National Parks are just a great way to learn and see what each state has to offer, not one is the same. Alaska is one of the eleven states I have not yet been too.

                Katmai was established in 1918 as a National Monument and later in 1980 as a National Park.  The park is named after Mount Katmai, its centerpiece stratovolcano.  There are roughly fourteen active volcanoes and numerous archeological sites present in the park today.  Much of the volcanic activity is found in The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.  The name came from an eruption on June 6^th 1912; the valley was buried under hundreds of feet of two thousand degree ash.  Under the ash, a river that once flowed became steam seeping through the ash filling the valley with smoke.   

Recreational activities in the park include hiking, backpacking, camping, backcountry skiing, fishing, kayaking and boat tours.  Much like the Everglades National Park, probably not the greatest for a family vacation but more for the explorer type. 

Everglade National Park

            In my previous blogs I wrote about National Parks I've been to and the information about each park.  My next few blogs will be about National Parks I haven’t been to… yet.  I will also share information about each park so you can get a better understanding of each park and what they have to offer.

            The first National Park I want to talk about is the Everglades National Park.  I’ve also always wanted to ride on an airboat.  Incase you don’t know, the Everglades are in southern Florida.  It is larger area of marshland, swamp and forest.  It’s home to a vast majority of wildlife including around 350 species of birds, 300 species of fish, 40 mammals, and 50 reptiles.    I always had a special interest in reptiles, which is one of the reasons I want to go to the Everglades so bad. I’ve always wanted to see alligators in the wild.

            The park was established in 1934 to protect the remaining 20 percent of the vastly vanishing swamp due to the growth of the south Florida metropolitan area.  The park to this day is placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.  The park is home to thirty-six federally protected animals, including the Florida panther, two species of birds, five species of sea turtles, West Indian manatee, American alligators and crocodiles.  There is to be believed about 50 Florida panthers that live in the wild, putting them as one of the most endangered species on Earth.

           The Everglades only have two seasons, a wet and a dry.  The dry season is form December to April. Temperatures between this time are around the 50s to the mid 70s, and the humidity is low.  The wet lasts from May to November, temperatures and humidity usually remain above 90.  Storms during this time can drop 10 to 12 inches for rainfall, giving the area half the year’s fresh water in about two months.  Around one million people visit the Everglades each year; most of them come during the dry season when the temperatures are cooler and fewer mosquitoes.  You can camp in the park, fish as long as you have a state license, and hike on the provided trails.  Swimming is prohibited in the park due to alligators, snapping turtles, barracudas, water moccasins, sharks, and dangerous coral.

            The Everglades have a long way before it will ever be stable.  I wouldn’t recommend the Everglade National Park for a family vacation due to all the dangers.  But for the explorer types such as myself, the Everglades National Park sounds like one adventure, I know I can’t wait to go.  

Petrified Forest, Where Trees Turn to Stone

            This place is famous, for trees turn to stone.  Millions of years ago during the Late Triassic period downed tree gathered in river channels.  Overtime volcano ash, silica (silicon dioxide), was carried into these logs by water.  Eventually that ash turned to quartz and overtime replaced all the organic material in the logs.  And thus, the Petrified Forest National Park was born.  There are around 600 paleontology dig sites around the park. The desert landscape is about thirty mile from north to south and runs anywhere between four mile to twelve mile east to west.  Portions of the park run into the Painted Desert.  The average rainfall is about ten and a half inches.  During summer the heat can reach in the hundreds and the lows be below freezing.

            Now, I’ve never actually been through the park, which is located off Route 40, but I have been to the gift shop and nature center.  While walking around the gift shop I noticed a black light, which I thought, was pretty weird.  There were also all these plain white shirt with white designs on them, the shirts seemed pretty boring. Then I noticed the sign on the wall that said “UV Activated”.  I took one of the shirts and stuck it under the UV light and the designed started to change colors.  I thought it was the coolest thing, so I got one with a picture of an iguana with the Petrified Forest behind it.

            Though the parks history is really cool I wouldn’t suggest you go all the way there for the park as you can hike in the desert heat or drive around the paved loop for a few buck.  Stealing the petrified wood has become a huge issue, so if you want a piece you can buy it at the shops.  Fare warning, the petrified wood comes at a pretty high cost.  I do suggest stopping by the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert on the way to the Grand Canyon.  

Mount Rushmore: Great Places, Great Faces

            The Black Hills of South Dakota is home to, in my opinion, the most magnificent and unique national memorial, Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore shows the faces of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln carved in the side of a mountain.  Mount Rushmore received Congressional approval after long negotiations involving a Congressional delegation and President Calvin Coolidge.  Upon hiring Gutzon Borglum, a Danish-American sculptor born in Idaho, the carving began on October 4^th, 1927. Borglum died in March, 1941 before the construction of Mount Rushmore could be completed.After the death of Gutzon Borglum, his son Lincoln Borglum, named after president Lincoln, took over the construction.

           
I learned quite a lot when I visited Mount Rushmore.  I learned that there was supposed to be only three presidents, starting with Jefferson on the left, Washington in the center, and Lincoln on the right. Borglum selected these presidents because they represent the first 150 years of American history and their roles in preserving the Republic and expanding its territory.  After starting the construction, on Thomas Jefferson, Borglum and his team of 400 men ran into quite a problem.  The granite surface was found unsuitable therefore having to blast off President Jefferson.  That is how Washington took the left side of the mountain.  After blasting away at any unusable rock, Mount Rushmore was left with this huge craves in the center.  This craves is now where Theodore Roosevelt face sits.  There is only ten feet between Roosevelt and the back of the mountain.

           
I urge you to take a trip to see this magnificent memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  Not only is the memorial a site to see, so is the drive. Grassy plains that accompany rocky mountains making for some beautiful scenery.  Take the family, tour through the first 150 years of American history, and learn what each of these amazing presidents did to earn their spot on Mount Rushmore.

Redwood National Forest

Redwood National Forest, home of the tallest trees in the world.  Redwood trees are part of the sequoia tree family and grow in northern California and all amongst the coastline.  The Redwood National Forest was established in 1968 after the gold rush ended, forcing the miners to become lumberman to help with the booming development of San Francisco.  By 1968, 90% of the original trees have been logged.  Now the national and three state parks protect the 45% of the remaining forest and wildlife.  The parks preserve 133,000 acres compared to the 2,000,000 acres that stood before.

           
I went to the Redwood National Forest as part as one of my road trips, though I didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked.  With trails to hike, horseback ride and bike on, places to fish and camp, thus making the Redwood National Forest a great place to visit.  Not to mention the drive, driving through parts of the lust forest, we saw waterfalls down cliffs, wildlife such as elk, and beautiful scenery around every turn.  It’s the perfect blend of mountains, forest, and ocean; the trees grow right up to the coastline.

           
The Redwood Forest has a rainy, not snowy, winter and a foggy summer. The temperatures are an average between 40 and 60 all year round.  This is due to a great influence of the Pacific Ocean, making the forest and cool and damp place.  This is the reason the forest is here, constant moisture and cool temperatures all year round is what helps the trees go so tall and massive.  The tallest tree is known as “Hyperion” and stands a whopping 379.3 feet tall.  One of the oldest, widest, and famous trees is “The General Sherman” who is roughly 25 feet in diameter above ground and 36 below and is an established 2,300 to 2,700 years old.  There are also around fifty known albino redwoods, which can’t produce chlorophyll.  Don’t take my or anyone else’s word for it, just come see these massive giants for yourself.

The Grand Canyon

            It was about six years ago on a summer vacation.  The people I was living with wanted to drive to San Diego to visit some of the navy bases.  My friend’s dad was stationed in San Diego year before.  So, we packed up the car and headed out west.  We drove route 40 starting in Tennessee.  On the way to San Diego we stopped at a few places along the way to make the trip more interesting.  The first tourist attraction was Roswell, New Mexico.  Our next stop was the one that changed everything.  I’ve always heard about this place and have seen pictures, but never have I actually been there.  That place was the Grand Canyon, my first National Park.

           
The Grand Canyon is in northern Arizona and in parts of southern Utah.  After a debatable 2 billion years the Colorado River managed to carve out this 277 by 18 mile canyon.  Parts of the canyon can reach 6,000 feet in depth, which is over a mile beneath the earths crust.  The average summer temperature can reach the 100’s, and lows during the winter can be below zero.  Though it is not the deepest, nor the widest canyon, it features a wide variety of color (especially during sun setting).  Pictures could never capture the overwhelming feeling of being at this geological masterpiece. 

           
An average of 5 million tourists are attracted to this magnificent wonder each year. A wide variety of activities are offered at the Grand Canyon; activities such as hiking, helicopter rides, horseback rides, white water rafting, tours, and camping.  Another cool feature added a few years back is the Grand Canyon Sky Walk.  The sky walk is a walkway with a glass bottom that allows you to walk out over the northern rim and look down into the canyon, as if you were walking in the sky. Whether you’re there on a family vacation, an adventurous exploration, or a romantic getaway, the Grand Canyon is a must see before I die attraction.  

Yellowstone, The Worlds First National Park

Yellowstone National Park was the first National Park in the world, established in 1872 by the U.S. Congress, signed by Ulysses S. Grant. The land stretches and area of 3468 square miles and parts are located in three separate states. Wyoming covers the vast majority of Yellowstone at approximately 96 percent, Montana at about 3 percent, and Idaho at 1 percent. Every year at least 2 million people from all over the world visit Yellowstone National Park.

Planning a visit to Yellowstone can be difficult; you have to get your hotels months in advance. The parks busiest time is the month of July when the temperature is an average 75 degrees during the day and nights can still be below freezing. When I went in late May there was still snow on the ground and still snow falling from the sky. It is possible for it to snow any month of the year with an average annual snowfall of 80 inches by the Mammoth Hot Springs and an average of 150 inches by the Yellowstone Lake. In the higher elevations it is common for the snowfall to be double that around the Yellowstone Lake.

What made Yellowstone stone so famous was its abundance of wildlife, from moose to bison, elk, bears, wolves, and many others. Not only is Yellowstone filled with animals, its sitting on a giant underground volcano. This volcano produces hundreds of hot springs and geysers. The most famous geyser we all know is Old Faithful. Old Faithful got its name because it is the most predictable geyser, erupting over 3,700 gallons of boiling water, roughly over 140 feet in the air, nearly every 75 minutes.

There is a lot more to do in Yellowstone then just seeing Old Faithful. There’s hiking the mountains, horseback riding in the plains, fishing in the lake, guided tours, hot springs, animal reservations, just a ton of ideas for the family or a couples retreat. So make sure when visiting your trip is well planned out, you really don’t want to miss what Yellowstone National Park has to offer.

My First Experience

Ever since I was a little kid I could remember always being outdoors. Any chance I’d get to climb a tree or swim in a river, get lost in the woods, I was there. Turning sixteen opened up a whole new door for me; the open road. The open road led to road trips, which lead to more road trips; road trips to National Parks. My goal is to see them all. My next few blogs will hopefully have pictures and information on some of my favorite National Parks. Some of which I’ve been or want to see.

National Parks started out by reserving land to preserve for future generations to enjoy. The first reservation was Hot Springs, Arkansas by President Andrew Jackson in 1832. The second attempt to reserve land was, Yosemite and the Giant Sequoias, in 1864 by Abraham Lincoln. These reservations differed from National Parks because they were not controlled or established by the federal government. The first federally established National Park was Yellowstone National Park in 1872. Since then another 57 areas have been established as National Parks. And on August 25th, 1916 the National Park Service was created.

The great outdoors, there’s absolutely nothing like it. Traveling to National Parks is something of a hobby of mine. Now I haven’t been to all of them, nor can I say I have a favorite, but I can tell you this… There is no other place I’d rather be. The first national park I went to was the Grand Canyon National Park in Flagstaff, Arizona. And ever since then, I’ve been hooked on seeing more. Future trips include: Yosemite, The Everglades, Acadia, Olympic, and Denali.