Latest Posts:
Park Trips (and More)
Category

National Park Interest

Category

Best National Park Gifts & Souvenirs From Etsy Creators

National Park Interest 4 Mins Read

The holidays are upon us, and Etsy is a great place to find unique gifts to celebrate National Parks and support creators and artists in the process. This post highlights some of the best National Park Gifts and Souvenirs that you will find on Etsy. We are Etsy affiliates, so we may earn a commission on purchases made through our links. We are also Etsy customers, and can attest to the quality of experience you will find on Etsy, and the pleasure you get when supporting creatives and artists that feature National Parks in their product offerings. Collections of National Park Gifts on Etsy! We have done the work of sifting through thousands of products and curated a few collections just for National Park lovers! Check out our three collections below with products that range from clothing and candles to journals and jewelry! Gifts & Souvenirs Collection Check out our…

Keep Reading
By

National Park Gifts: Your Guide to the Best Gifts for National Park Lovers

National Park Interest 10 Mins Read

If you’re looking for the best National Park gifts for the park lover in your life, then you’ve come to the right place! These gift ideas range from unique gifts to traditional gifts and will fit any price range that you are looking to spend. This post gives you our best gifts for National Park lovers and outdoor enthusiasts! Note: Many of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we earn a commission. My Personal Favorite National Park Gifts: Ideas for Anniversaries, Brithdays and Holidays Customized National Park Coaster Set: My husband (the best gift giver in our household) gifted me this set of coasters for the holidays. He chose 4 of the parks that had particular importance to us. When you order these beautiful keepsakes on Etsy, you will be able to select the 4 parks that you want to…

Keep Reading
By

National Parks in Alabama: Best Experiences and Getting Stamped

National Park Interest 12 Mins Read
National Parks in Alabama - Freedom Riders

There are nine National Parks in Alabama, each with unique experiences to be had. We have had the good fortune of visiting each Alabama National Park, and want to share them with you so you can make the most of your own visit! I grew up visiting Alabama frequently. My mom was born and raised in Birmingham, and attended college at Talladega College, located only miles from the famous Talladega Speedway. Much of my family still lives in Alabama, so packing up a car and heading down from Ohio to Alabama for holidays and vacations was commonplace in my youth. Alabama: Welcome to the South Alabama is a state with a lot of history formed of natural and human history that dates back to 10,000 years BC. The state also was at the center of many momentous events of the Civil Rights movement. Alabama National Parks preserve a lot of…

Keep Reading
By

How and When To Purchase an America The Beautiful National Park Pass Online

National Park Interest 5 Mins Read
America the Beautiful National Park Pass

One important consideration for anyone planning to visit multiple parks and public lands within the next year is purchasing an America The Beautiful Annual National Park Pass.  This pass will have your entrance fees covered for over 2,000 federal recreation sites, including National Parks and Monuments, BLM Lands, National Forests and other public lands that charge an entrance fee for a year from your date of purchase. When Should I Purchase a National Park Pass? For anyone planning a National Park Road trip, you might want to do a little research and some quick math to see if purchasing this pass will be worth it for you.  You can purchase a pass year-round, and it is good for one year from the date of purchase. Example – How Much In Entrance Fees Can I Expect to Pay? We are currently planning a National Park road trip from Las Vegas. As…

Keep Reading
By

Our National Parks During Government Shutdown

National Park Interest 7 Mins Read
Government Shutdown - Black Box

We are experiencing the longest running government shutdown in this country’s history.  Time will tell the toll that this government shutdown will have on the lives of those furloughed employees, and the impact on our parks and public lands that result from this event.  Here are a few thoughts on our National Parks During a Government Shutdown. What is the purpose of the National Park Service? Since it’s inception over 100 years ago, the National Park Service, a Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, has had as its mission (as stated in the Organic Act) to “promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations… as conform to the fundamental purpose” which is stated as follows: “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein”, and “to provide for the enjoyment of the same in…

Keep Reading
By

Explorer Edition Passports: A National Park Sub-Culture?

National Park Interest 5 Mins Read
Explorer Edition Passport

On more than one occasion, my National Park Passport Explorer Edition has opened up lines of communication with other park visitors. It is almost as if the act of possessing one of these over-sized binders gives you access to the back stage of the park goers attitude towards the passport program. Often friendly but always unsolicited opinions, questions and glances roll in. Before I get into the meeting with a stranger on public lands (this week’s #NatureWritingChallenge topic), I want to provide a little bit of background for those that might be unfamiliar with the Passport Program. National Park Passport Explorer Edition – A Little Background My husband, Jason, and I started our love of the passport program with basic passports celebrating the 25th anniversary of the passport program. This was in 2011. Even though the program was 25 years old at the time, it was new to us. Like…

Keep Reading
By

Stop! 5 Reasons You Don’t Want to Skip the National Park Visitor Center on Your Next Park Trip

National Park Interest 7 Mins Read
Natchez Trace Interpretive Display

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: Stopping at the National Park Visitor Center is a must! It is true that our first National Park Visitor Center experience happened by chance. In our article about falling in love with the National Park Passport Program at Smoky Mountains National Park, I shared that we stumbled upon the Visitor Center on our way into the park. Going to a Visitor Center wasn’t even on my radar at the time. It is now the first place that I stop when going to a new place, and I am saddened when I see people pass up on their opportunity to stop at one. When I was a National Park “newbie” (for lack of a better word), I really didn’t know what to expect from park Visitor Centers. I thought that they were just a place to stretch my legs and maybe…

Keep Reading
By

How Many National Parks Are There? FREE Printable!

National Park Interest 2 Mins Read

Updated 4/8/19 How many National Parks are there?  There are really two ways to answer that question. Currently, there are 419 National Park Units that are managed by the National Park Service; and, There are 61 National Parks.  In February 2019, the number of park units with the coveted “National Park” designation grew to 61! The newest addition, Indiana Dunes, received this honor via a rename from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Both of these answers are equally true. What about the other 358 Park Units? The other 358 park units under the auspices of the National Park Service carry designations other than “National Park”.  Other designations include National Monuments, National Memorials, Battlefields, National Historic Sites and National Recreation Areas.  While most folks tend to think of the 61 National Parks as the only National Parks, the other park units are legitimately National Parks as well (some of them receiving even…

Keep Reading
By