Tag: National Parks

MatD’s Ultimate Utah Bucket List

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Utah Rocks!  That phrase seems to be everywhere nowadays.  I would call Utah the state of rocks.  Its most prominent features are all rocks.  Visitors come from around the world to see Utah’s rocks.  I have been obsessed with this state since long before I before I started my 59 national park quest.  I have wanted to visit Utah (aka Angel’s Landing in Zion) since I was in high school.  I have visited this state several times since I started college.  I took an internship that didn’t really interest me for the solo reason as it got my close to Utah.  I then took the long way home from Colorado to Florida with a trip to Utah on the way.  There are plenty of things to do in Utah.  Here is my MatD’s Ultimate Utah Bucket List Continue Reading . . .

United States 59 National Park Quest #42 – Crater Lake National Park

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The sun had long since set by the time I got to Crater Lake National Park. I had made the long drive from Davis, CA to Crater Lake National Park after work to spend the weekend in Oregon’s only national park. I couldn’t wait to check out Crater Lake as it would be my 42nd national park and the last of the Cascade mountain national parks. As with most of my trips, I read up on the post of fun activities to do while camping on campingfunzone.com and headed out with the hope of this trip being better than my last one. Not to mention, this was a last minute decision to spend the weekend in Crater Lake. Continue Reading . . .

59 National Park Quest #40 – The National Park of American Samoa

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I stepped off the plane and on to a South Pacific Island.  Yet, I haven’t even left the United States.  I am still ‘technically” in the United States.  I had landed at the Pago Pago International Airport on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa.  American Samoa is an unincorporated unorganized territory of the United States.  Basically, the islands are owned by the US but operate under local rule and customs.  The U.S. Federal Government has limited involvement in American Samoa politics and American Samoans are U.S. Nationals but not citizens. I have traveled to this far flung island chain south of the equator and halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii to spend four days exploring the National Park of American Samoa. Continue Reading . . .

A Year with my America the Beautiful National Park Pass

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“Your pass has expired.”  My jaw dropped.  I couldn’t believe it.  My America the Beautiful National Park Pass had expired.  It feels like just yesterday that I bought the pass and now it is expired.  I got over my shock and reached into my wallet and handed my credit card over.  Time to pay $80.00 for another park pass. Continue Reading . . .

My First Cross Country Solo US Road Trip

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“Review this list and determine suitability,” is the first line of an email from my father. He also includes a list of four cars as well while I compare car insurance policies for our own Beetle that stood solemly in the dusty little garage. I stare at the email for a couple minutes. I walk down the dorm hall to one ofmy friends. “If you got an email from your dad with four cars what would you think?” I asked. “I was getting getting a new car,” was the response. A call to my father confirmed that I was getting a new car for my cross country US road trip. Continue Reading . . .