The National Parks Service turns 104 next month! Established in 1916 with the purpose of conserving scenery, wildlife, natural and historic objects, and to leave them unimpaired for future generations. Visiting a national park, breathing in the clean air, admiring mother nature at her best is just what the doctor ordered (or should be ordering 😉)! If that wasn't incentive enough, you can visit any NPS parks on the following dates for free:
- Aug 25 NPS Birthday
- Sept 26 National Public Lands Day
- Nov 11 Veteran's Day
Passes range from $5 to $35 on regular days so these are definitely an affordable option! The NPS also has park wide monthly themes to help you get engaged with parks in your own community and while on your trip to one of the National Parks:
- July: Sporting in Parks
- Discover endless recreational opportunities: hiking, biking, paddling, wildlife watching, and more!
- August: Celebrate the ratification of the 19th Amendment
- Learn about the positions in the parks system that women are in that may not have been available 100 years ago
- September: Hispanic Heritage Month
- Dive in to the histories of Hispanics and Latinos in American culture
- October: Telling Stories Around the Camp Fire... and in Other Park Places
- A Park Ranger tradition
- November: Native American Heritage Month
- Explore the heritage, culture, and experience of indigenous peoples both historically and in American life today
- December: Finding Peace in Parks
- Discover how parks can be a place of healing, inspiration, and peace
Did you know there are 419 National Parks! Check out these photos of my husband in Zion National Park:
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Road Trip!
I'm going to start with my favorite adventure and I never thought it would involve a road trip and camping! Well it's a private, air-conditioned, wifi available van and self-inflating mattresses and dome tents sooo it's bordering on glamping but still!
Starting in Las Vegas and ending in Seattle, this 14-day journey starts at $1,699/person and includes two nights in hotels, 11 camping nights, 11 breakfasts 11 lunches and 7 dinners, 3 themed party nights, entrance to all the parks, some excursions, along with guided time and free time. This trip is recommended for 18-to-Thirtysomethings and is majority camping with lots of hiking and walking. Maximum group size is 22 with the average being about 16 people, great for solo travelers to make some new friends or book a private group trip with friends and family or coworkers. This is a big trip with a lot of different weather and terrain to consider but not to worry, I can provide you with all the details on what/how to pack and what to expect from start to finish.
Check out the map below to see all the stops and the 7 National Parks you'll be visiting!
Amtrak
I recently sat in on a webinar with Amtrak and let me tell you, I'm sold! If you're traveling within the US, forget the high price and hassle of flights, the train is where it's at! With 500 stations, you can start your vacation from your local Amtrak station. When traveling by train, you get two carry on and two checked bags PER PERSON for FREE and you only need to arrive 45 minutes - one hour prior to departure. Seating options include coach (two big seats that recline with a leg rest and a large window) and two sleeper options (priority boarding, private door, meals included, and second sleeper option has a private bathroom).
Some of their new safety practices include a 50% capacity reduction and facial coverings encouraged. However, they do recognize exemptions (you will still be able to travel) and if you just plain don't like coverings, the two sleeper options are private rooms so no covering required!
For your National Park vacation, I recommend the Grand National Parks of the Southwest: Bryce & Zion to the Grand Canyon:
- Round trip from Chicago
- 6 nights hotel accommodations
- Sightseeing tours of Arches, Canyon Lands, Capital Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park; Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon
- 9 Days from $2,649/person, recommended travel for Fall 2020 (starting in September)
- **Completely Customizable** Add or remove a day(s), add excursions, upgrades, etc.
Partially Guided Adventures
For a little bit of freedom with the comfort of a guide, Country Walkers offers a great Guided-Flex tour of Wyoming's Grand Tetons & Yellowstone National Park:
6 Days starting from $2,948/person
"Under a vast western sky, the Yellowstone River curves languidly through the Hayden Valley’s wide-open grasslands. Shaggy bison moms graze alongside their golden-brown calves, and a massive bull bellows and flops down comically in his wallow for a dust bath. In America’s original national park, wolves, grizzlies, and elk still roam unperturbed, and age-old natural rhythms persist. Walking here brings you face to face with a wilderness unchanged for millennia. Steam billowing off rainbow-colored thermal waters at Grand Prismatic Spring; the thunderous roar of Yellowstone Falls; Old Faithful’s punctual eruptions, and the jagged teeth of the Tetons reflected in Jenny Lake: all scenes of primordial nature like nothing else on earth, all here in your own back yard. This Yellowstone hiking tour is proof that sometimes paradise is closer than you think."
Fully Guided Tour
For a complete package that requires no planning on your part, Globus offers a 10 day tour from Rapid City to Salt Lake City starting at $3,039. Check out the details below:
"The mining boom may have been more than a century ago, but it’s
never too late to strike gold in America’s West. Filled with dazzling
nuggets of wonder, this National Parks vacation takes you deep into
the golden wilderness of untamed South Dakota, Wyoming, and
Montana. Back-to-back visits to some of the country’s most
renowned national parks bring you face-to-face with the monumental
sculptures of Mount Rushmore, the explosive geysers of Yellowstone
National Park, and the towering spires of Grand Tetons National Park.
Plus, visits to the Crazy Horse Memorial, the Little Bighorn Battlefield,
and the gold rush towns of Cody, Jackson, and Deadwood shed light
on some of the 19th century’s most famous battles and barroom
brawls. After meeting herds of elk, bison, and other area locals, city
slickers can get their fix with a visit to lively Salt Lake City."
Air, Hotel, & Car Bundles and Individual Excursions
If you prefer to go on a self guided tour of the parks, you can always check out air, hotel, and/or car bundles to give you everything you need to get to and from the parks. I recommend booking any excursions ahead of time but they can be purchased separately as well with guided options too.
**Remember to book with me or through your travel agent if you already have someone. We are able to get the best prices that are not available online, provide one on one service (no call centers or wait time), and travel protection!
To learn more or book your dream vacation, visit my website here!
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