The kids and I were invited to an event with the National Park Service at the end of this summer. A pop-up park was created in downtown Seattle’s Westlake Park in order for visitors to specifically experience the sounds of some of our national parks.
US National Park Fee Free Days in 2017
Do you have any National Parks on your travel and adventure list this year? Our National Parks are an amazing resource allowing us to dig into the nature and history of many of our country’s most important locations.
Every year the U.S. National Parks service selects several days or weekends that are FEE FREE. This provides a great opportunity to explore a park you’ve been meaning to see!
2017 National Park Fee Free Days
Lassoing the Sun: Book Review+Video
With the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service coming up in August, I wanted to share a book recommendation, Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks, that will not only help you learn more about the system that began on August 25, 1916 with 35 parks and monuments, but also give you the chance to really appreciate what we have set aside for our future.
Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks by Mark Woods is a memoir of the author’s year long journey traveling, exploring, learning and asking important questioins about at least one national park per month. He received an award through the Eugene C. Pilliam Fellowship in order to do so, and began the project on New Year’s day in Acadia National Park where the first rays of sun shine on the United States.
Visiting Pearl Harbor with Young Children: 5 Helpful Tips
Historical sites with Kids. Important, right? How about young children though? Should visiting still be a priority?
In planning our recent trip to Oahu, a visit to Pearl Harbor was a must. With so much to see in the world, we’re not always sure about return trips to far away places. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to take in such a significant piece of American history just because my child may be on the younger side of benefiting from and understanding the experience.
Celebrating National Park Week with Pinnacles
It’s National Park Week here in the United States!
Admission to all parks (including historic sites, recreation areas, monuments, memorials, and more) is free this week (April 22-26, 2013) making this a great opportunity to check out a park near you. According to the National Parks website, every state has at least one national park, and no american is further than 100 miles from a national park! What are you waiting for? Time to get out and explore.
The United States’ newest park to bear the official National Park title is Pinnacles National Park. In January of this year, it was upgraded from a National Monument to a National Park. Pinnacles is located in central California between Highway 101 and Interstate 5, about 60 miles East of the Monterey Bay Peninsula. Pinnacles is special to us. We visited the park during our Central California coast road trip in 2011, which was dubbed one of our two babymoons.
Here we took in the views of distant mountains that seemed to go on forever, marveled at the wild rock formations (called pinnacles), and went on what seemed like the longest wildflower guided-hike in history. The hike went on so long, in fact that we were the only two souls left at the end, accompanied by our most knowledgeable ranger of course! I also have great memories of Slaed and I calling out and playing around with possible baby names for our future little adventurer.
What was the last National Park you visited? (Us: San Juan Island National Historic Park)
Which National Park will you visit next? (Us: Most likely Yellowstone!)
Info to Know:
- All National Park Free Entrance Days for 2013:
- 1/21 (MLK)
- 4/22-4/26 (National Park Week)
- 8/25 (National Park Service Birthday),
- 9/28 (Public Lands Day)
- 11/9-11/11 (Veteran’s Day Weekend)
- Visit the Find a Park site to find a park near your home or travel destination.
- If you think you and your family will visit a few National Parks this year, consider purchasing an Annual Pass for $80.
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