On the eve of my birthday in March 2014 I was contemplating a visit to Antietam National Battlefield. But laying on the couch sounded pretty good too. Did I need to go on a hike? Antietam isn’t going anywhere. Can’t I just go another time? As I lay in bed with all of this running through my head I realized this was an all to often excuse. I had a tendency to procrastinate on visiting places I wanted to see simply because they would always be there. It was easier to sit down and pick up the remote than plan a trip and put on my backpack. I wasn’t going to settle for that excuse anymore. It was time to get out, get active, and explore. I needed a goal to make sure I did it. What if I visited 100 National Park Service sites before the National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016? I announced my goal right here in June 2014.
I honestly didn’t know if I was crazy to set this goal. Would it even be possible to achieve? Would I go broke trying? Would I begin to hate parks? Would I regret taking on this challenge?
It’s now over 2 years later. The National Park Service Centennial is this week. I’m thrilled to announce that I met (and surpassed) my goal! On June 25, 2016 our nation’s first National Park, Yellowstone, became my #100.
I don’t hate parks. I love them more than ever. I didn’t go broke. Visiting parks is surprisingly affordable ($80 gets you an annual pass).
I still can’t believe that I met my goal and have had the privilege of visiting all of the places I’ve written about. Or will write about. Stay tuned for stories from Yosemite, Grand Teton, Glacier, and many more parks in the coming weeks.
My life has changed since beginning this challenge. I’ve learned something in every park I visited (there’s a lot I didn’t learn in history class!). I’m more independent. I’m stronger -physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’ve slept in my car. I’ve hiked alone. I’ve climbed mountains. I’ve seen wildlife I’d only seen in documentaries. I’ve survived confrontations with snakes. I’ve visited my 49th state. I’ve introduced people I love to parks that I love. I’ve shared countless stories and photographs with countless people around the world. And hopefully I’ve inspired at least 1 person to explore a park.
And I’m not the only one adding parks to my list. Since I began this challenge two years ago, the National Park Service has added 11 sites to their roster. The amount of places to explore continues to grow.
How will you celebrate the Centennial of the National Park Service? Entry fees are waved August 25-28 so now is a great time to visit a park. As an added bonus, there are Centennial events happening all weekend long. If you have a fourth grader, you can get a free annual pass for an entire year of adventures. Or share this story or your own National Park adventures with your network. Let me know how you’ll be exploring in the comments bellow.
Follow along on Instagram and Twitter to see how I celebrate the Centennial this weekend. It’s a celebration 100 years in the making.
