The rules are simple. For the last 10 days of the year, post a photo on twitter related to the topic of the day. Tagging the tweet with #findyourpark #parkchat and #publiclands will help others find your posts easier. Be sure to tag @naturetechfam in the tweet as well.

Here are the topics:

• Day 1 – Dec. 22: Top Family/Friends Moment
• Day 2 – Dec. 23: Top Wildlife or Animal Encounter
• Day 3 – Dec. 24: Top “Took My Breath Away” Moment
• Day 4 – Dec. 25: Top Moment On “Holiday” (interpret as you will)
• Day 5 – Dec. 26: Top #BucketList Moment
• Day 6 – Dec. 27: Top Extreme Moment (temp, location, ability, etc.)
• Day 7 – Dec. 28: Top Most Peaceful Moment
• Day 8 – Dec. 29: Top Water/Cave/Unique Feature Moment
• Day 9 – Dec. 30: Top Landscape Moment
• Day 10: Dec. 31: Your Ultimate #PublicLands Moment of 2018

I’m posting each of my submissions here, in addition to twitter.

Day 1 Top Family/Friends Moment:
Roadtrip to Utah with my Dad

My dad and I hadn’t taken a trip together in a very long time—about 16 years, if I recall correctly. This seemed like a great year to change that. So I took him and his girlfriend Carol to a state they knew little about: Utah.

We managed to fit in quite a few stops, showing them the big popular sites like Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point, plus lesser known spots like Montezuma Canyon, Muley Point, and Coal Mine Canyon. Here’s the full itinerary

They were simply astounded at the landscapes and the archaeology we saw. They had no idea places like that existed, and certainly not within driving distance of Phoenix. It was a really special opportunity to spend some time with my dad.

Here’s the list of places we visited:

• Sand Island petroglyphs
• Montezuma Canyon ruins & rock art sites
• Newspaper Rock SHP
• Arches National Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Dead Horse Point State Park
• Rock art sites around Moab
• Edge of the Cedars State Park
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Bears Ears National Monument
• Moki Dugway & Muley Point
• Valley of the Gods
• Goosenecks State Park
• Coal Mine Canyon

Day 2 Top Wildlife Encounter:
Snorkeling with Manatees in Florida

For some reason, swimming with manatees has always been on my wildlife bucket list, so I had a blast—in spite of the nasty cold I had picked up. If you’re ever in the Crystal Springs region of Florida, I definitely recommend a quick trip out to snorkel with manatees, even if it is a bit touristy.

Day 3 Top “Took My Breath Away” moment: Denali, The Great One

My top “take my breath” moment was earlier this summer in Denali. We had heard so much about how rare it was to get a clear view of the mountain, and our visit to Denali State Park the evening before our shuttle dampened our already low expectations.

But the next day, we were treated to nearly an entire day’s worth of clear views. There wasn’t just one moment of the mountain that left you speechless—we were fortunate enough to get many.

One of those moments that stood out, however, was late in the day when this family, enjoying a paddle across the lake right as we passed by. It’s almost like I had photoshopped them in.

Day 4 – Top “holiday” moment: Finishing our US Territories quest during our Anniversary trip

My top “holiday” moment this year was 3 weeks ago when Jen & I finished our quest to visit all 50 states and all 5 major US territories.

It was our 1st “big” trip for our anniversary—which I consider my favorite holiday! Previously, we had always taken our larger “holiday” trip between Christmas and New Years, and instead done a shorter, less desirable road trip for our anniversary. This year, we decided that to make sure that the anniversary got top billing, and I’m really glad we did.

This is also the biggest travel quest I’ve completed to date, though the National Parks quest will jump to the top when I complete it this coming summer.

Day 5 Top #Bucketlist moment: Calving Glaciers in Kenai Fjords NP

One of my top #bucketlist moments of 2018 was definitely witnessing glaciers calving into the sea in Kenai Fjords this summer. This has long been a life travel goal for me, so it was pretty great to finally experience it—even though we were so cold standing out on the boat in the rain and wind to watch it.

Day 6 – Top Extreme Moment: Landing a bush plane between 3 wildfires in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve

Smoke filled every valley as our bush plane neared the landing strip at Coal Creek in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, the result of three active wildfires forming a triangle around our destination. It didn’t look good for landing in this national park unit.

But our pilot impulsively pushed forward, breaking through the layer of smoke, and landed alongside firefighting helicopters and other equipment. We hopped out, took some quick photos, and beelined it for the historic mining camp a mile up the valley. We only had an hour on the ground. The camp had been commandeered by the interagency fire crew attempting to preserve park buildings from the fire, but it was also the site of passport stamps. And given our time crunch, it would be the only historic buildings we’d get to see here.

We wandered into a cabin, which was serving as the office for the fire crew.

“Who are you, and where did you come from?” one of them asked us, stunned that any tourists had shown up. Apparently, even their own fire crew pilots had refused to land that day.

We explained our national parks quest and why we had arrived amidst active wildfires. Impressed with our dedication, someone located the park stamps and we chatted a bit about our trip. When they found out that we didn’t have time to hike the 8-mile roundtrip to Slaven’s Roadhouse and to see the Yukon River, the incident commander piped up.

“You can’t get this close and not see it. I’ll drive you down there right now, and get you back in time,” she said.

It was an offer that we couldn’t refuse. She delegated wildfire responsibilities to two of the other staff members, and we quickly jumped in her side-by-side. Barreling down the rough gravel road, we passed the dredge and made it to the river. We explored the roadhouse—and collected another park stamp—before turning around and returning to the landing strip.

We took off without incident, but halfway through our flight back to Fairbanks, we encountered a gnarly storm. It was a rather tense hour as the pilot attempted to find a way around the worst of it, finally settling on a long circuitous route over some mountains and up a river valley. No one said a word until we landed.

As the pilot turned off the engine—his nervous wife already waiting for him on the tarmac—he let out a big sigh of relief and broke the silence.

“Well, I bet you are all happy to be back on the ground.”

Yes…
Yes, we were.

Day 7 – Top most peaceful moment: The backroads of the North Rim

My most peaceful moments on public lands this year happened here, along the backroads of the Kaibab National Forest at the edge of the Grand Canyon—far from the crowds on the South Rim. Getting off the beaten path may take some additional time and effort, but it’s usually well worth it.

Day 8 – Top water/cave/unique feature moment: Swimming Across Samoa

My top “water/cave/unique feature” moment of the year comes from our all-day swimming tour across Samoa—which included swims at secluded waterfalls, half submerged caves, ocean trenches, & coral reefs. Lots of photos at the link above!

Day 9 – Top Landscape Moment: the National Parks of the Western Arctic

I’ve spent many days out exploring our national parks and public lands, but it’s hard to top the day I spent exploring the National Parks of the Western Arctic by bush plane. Staggeringly large and desolate, there’s no better way to tour these places than from the air. And while it was the most expensive flight I’ve ever booked, it was completely worth the unforgettable experience.

Day 10 – My Ultimate #PublicLands Moment of 2018: ALL of them!

As always—there’s simply no way to choose from the amazing adventures I enjoyed on our public lands this year.

Each is special and I treasure them all.

The post My Submissions for the 2018 #FindYourPark Photo Challenge appeared first on rscottjones.

Situated in the Southern Hemisphere near the International Date Line, American Samoa is home to the most far-flung National Park in the United States.

And as a result, it was on our itinerary to visit as part of my national parks quest.

The national park straddles all three of American Samoa’s main islands, though we would only get a chance to visit Tutuila, its largest. That’s because the Manu’a Islands—which feature Ofu Beach, one of the most gorgeous you’ll find anywhere—are considerably more difficult to reach for the time-constrained traveler, as transportation options are both limited and notoriously unreliable. That wouldn’t work for us this trip, but it gives us a good reason to go back (as does our experience at Tisa’s Barefoot Bar).

Oh, the mountains!

One of the most striking things about American Samoa is its mountains. These mountains feature daunting slopes and are blanketed with lush rainforest vegetation. It’s really incredible—nearly every square foot is thick green, even at angles where it seems unlikely that plants could grow in such abundance.

These mountains are the primary feature of the national park lands here, along with the beaches and a swath of ocean and coral they spill into. As a result, there are few maintained trails to choose from, only two of which were open during our visit.

These mountains and ridge lines run the length of Tutuila, dominating the skyline no matter where you find yourself on the island. Given their incredible slope, this spine creates a rather formidable barrier.

In fact, just a handful of roads cross the mountains, connecting a few otherwise isolated villages with the main highway that skirts the island’s southern edge. These steep roads often requiring downshifting just to make it up to the pass. Along these narrow and winding roads, the lush vegetation only occasionally opens up for a clear view down the hillside.

Most of the population lives and works along this main highway, with the bulk in the Tafuna region, the only extended flat area of the island. Beyond this area, nearly every building you’ll encounter is either located on the main highway or off a small spur road from the highway. As a result, touring the island is a wonderfully intimate experience.

And as you can see from the photos below, most vistas feature a line of buildings at sea level, with mountain slopes towering behind them.

Looking for some snorkeling

After an annoying three hour delay in getting our rental car—be prepared for “island time” if you visit—we went straight to the National Park visitor center. Located on the second level of a storefront in Pago Pago, it’s small but basically what you’d expect: some nice displays, an information desk, and a passport stamp.

Because we had arrived without much of an itinerary, we had hoped that we’d be able to glean some good recommendations on where to snorkel—one of our favorite trip activities—but the volunteer struggled to give any solid suggestions.

We had a similar experience the next day at the Ocean Center, which manages the national marine sanctuaries. It was a bit surprising, since that seemed to be one of the big things to do here. Luckily, the coral reefs are shown on the park map and you can easily spot many of them while driving around.

Unfortunately, you might also spot one of these signs at some of your intended destinations:

Hmmm. Maybe we won’t be doing much snorkeling here after all…

Undeterred, we decided that we’d spend most of our time exploring the island by car. First up was visiting the national park, the primary reason for our trip, along with the rest of the eastern end of the island.

National Park of American Samoa

We had arrived knowing that, comparatively speaking, there weren’t many activities to do in this park. After all, at a mere 13,500 total acres, it’s one of the smallest national parks in the system. And much of the park acreage is either rugged, mountainous terrain with only a few developed trails, or shallow waters with fringing coral reefs.

But more than any other, this national park is as much about what you do outside the park boundaries as what you do within them.

The park newspaper and other materials make this quite clear—the majority of the information presented focuses on the islands as a whole, not simply about what to expect within the park boundaries. In addition to the stunning landscape, this park is about experiencing all of American Samoa, including fa’asamoa, or the “Samoa way of life.”

Nonetheless, we wouldn’t come all this way without spending some time enjoying the national park itself.

It didn’t take long to find the entrance sign that’d serve as the customary backdrop for my park unit number photo. And a while later, we found ourselves at the end of the road in the village of Vatia. There, we’d enjoy our favorite part of our national park visit: a short trail to a cobblestone beach overlooking the incredibly scenic Pola Island and the Vai’ava Strait National Natural Landmark.

The best way to experience the island

While we enjoyed the sections of the national park we visited, the real highlight was simply exploring the island by car. And that’s mostly what we did, driving virtually every stretch of roadway we could.

Unlike other nearby destinations, such as Fiji, there’s not a lot of tourist infrastructure in American Samoa. There are just a handful of hotels, relatively few restaurants, and little else geared towards visitors. That means you’ll mostly be on your own for things like sightseeing and snorkeling.

While there are a number of informal pull-offs along the roadway, there definitely aren’t enough for all the great views you’ll encounter. Luckily, driving here is quite slow, so you won’t feel too rushed as you pass vista after vista that belong on postcards.

If you’re tempted to stop in villages, be sure to adhere to the local cultural norms. That means asking locals for permission before taking photos, using a beach, or parking—even if it seems otherwise unobtrusive. You’ll nearly always be granted permission.

Some things you’ll notice

Fales

As you travel across the island, you’ll likely notice that much of Samoan life takes place outdoors. Given the tropical climate, that shouldn’t be unexpected. Indeed, it’s impossible not to notice that most homes feature some variety of fale—an open air, pagoda-like structure with pillars and a roof that serves as a primary place of activity. Some of these are used as actual living quarters, while others are used for entertaining guests or conducting traditional ceremonies. Beach fales, which resemble smaller huts, are also common throughout the island.

Family graves in the front yard

If you’re touring the countryside by car, you’ll also likely notice a marble gravesite or two in front of a number of homes. For those of us who grew up in a place like the United States, that seems especially weird—after all, it’s hard to sell a house with your grandfather prominently buried near the front door.

But the concept of land ownership is much different here. It’s communal, and families stick around. Samoan custom prevents real estate sales to outsiders; even the National Park itself could only be negotiated as a 50 year lease with several local villages.

Aiga (family-run buses)

Colorful small shuttle buses, called aiga, are found throughout the island. These family-run enterprises can be hailed nearly anywhere and charge a small fee for transporting you to any other spot along its route. Most seem to originate at the market near the national park visitor center. While this seems like a convenient method of transportation, we preferred the comfort and flexibility of having our own rental vehicle.

Stray dogs and ugly trash

When you take a trip to a South Pacific island, you may be expecting a pristine and idyllic setting. But if you’ve visited remote tropical islands before, you know that’s not the full picture. While beautiful, there are real problems here, too.

One of those problems seems to be litter, which is omnipresent along many of the roadsides and on a number of the beaches. It’s not always clear where all the litter originated—some of the beach trash may have washed up on shore from distant sources. But a fair amount seems to be generated on the island itself, as noted by an anti-littering ad campaign we noticed plastered around the island.

Island life tends to be a simpler life, but it usually means a less affluent one, too. While generally cared for, many buildings were showing serious signs of deterioration. Some were clearly damaged in previous cyclones or tsunamis, while others just seemed to have been abandoned ages ago. Freshly painted or recently built structures sometimes seemed a bit out of place here.

Outside of what you might consider the urban core, feral dogs roam around nearly every village. Sometimes they absentmindedly block the road. Other times, they bark furiously at strangers. But most of the time they simply go about their own business eeking out a living by scavenging for food. We noticed several dogs living with bad injuries, such as an obviously broken leg.

Notably, the National Park Service makes a point to warn visitors about potentially “unfriendly” dogs in their visitor guides and other handouts.

Shipwrecks

There are a few shipwrecks around the island, and they’re all well-placed for photos. It doesn’t seem like this is prime shipwreck territory, but it must be hard to find a more scenic spot to run aground.

The Starkist Cannery

American Samoa’s largest private employer—by a wide margin—is Starkist. It’s impossible to miss the tuna canning plant on the north edge of Pago Pago Harbor. When you pass by, note the workers wearing different colored shirts, presumably to delineate their job functions. You’ll also notice the industrial port across the harbor, which ruined several otherwise gorgeous photo ops.

Pillboxes and other remnants of WWII

While fighting never reached the island during World War II, there are a number of defenses that still remain here. For instance, several WWII-era concrete guardhouses, often called pillboxes, line the shoreline of Tutuila. Two short trails also lead to gun batteries high above both Blunts Point and Breakers Point.

National Natural Landmarks

American Samoa is home to to seven National Natural Landmarks (or NNLs), many of which are prominent features of the island. While these designations are intended to acknowledge important geological resources, NNL status does not provide any special protections.

Few “perfect” beaches

While the island certainly has its share of scenic beaches, many are relatively small and most are pocked with black lava rock. As a result, this isn’t a place were you see hoards of swimmers and sunbathers lining every stretch of sandy coastline.

Completing two quests

With our visit to American Samoa, we were able to complete two quests. This was the last territory we needed in our quest to visit all 50 States and all 5 major US Territories, which currently ranks as the biggest travel quest I’ve completed. And during our travels to those territories, we made a special point to visit every local craft brewery in each, too.

There wasn’t a craft brewery currently open in American Samoa, but one was getting close to opening—Flying Fox Brewing. So we got in touch with the brewer, Nate. He loved our quest and graciously offered a private tasting for us. We enjoyed both the brews and our conversations about the challenges he faces in running a brewery in such a far-flung place dominated by a few mass-produced island lagers. Unfortunately, this was pretty much the only good beer we had the entire trip.

Random factoids

• The Samoa Islands are believed to be the ancestral home of the Polynesian culture.
• About 30% of local plants are found nowhere else.
• American Samoa is the only US Territory south of the Equator.
• Two species of flying fox (fruit bat) have 3-foot wingspans and are the only mammals native to the islands.
• Over 250 species of coral occur locally and help support nearly 1,000 species of fish.
• American Samoa features the only paleotropic (Old World) rainforest in the US.
• Pago Pago Harbor, a collapsed volcanic caldera, is one of the largest natural harbors in the South Pacific.
• Some of the tallest sea cliffs in the world can be found on the island of Ta’ū.

With more time, we would have…

As always, time and money served as a big limiting factor for this trip. Given our other travel goals, available time off, and budget, we knew that this would be a shorter visit than we would have preferred. In particular, we were bummed that we couldn’t make it to the Manu’a Islands, especially Ofu. We’ll definitely need to return in the future.

The best snorkeling in the national parks is Ofu in American Samoa.

NPS Director Jon Jarvis explained to me in 2016.

Had we scheduled more days to spend on Tutuila, we would have spent it snorkeling at Fagatele Bay and exploring the dense rainforest in more detail on a longer dayhike, likely on the Tuafanua or Lower Sauma Ridge trails. We also would have spent a few hours out at ‘Aunu’u Island and driven up to A’oloaufou to see the view. And, of course, we would have returned again to Tisa’s, and also checked out Two Dollar Beach further down the road.

Nonetheless, we had a truly excellent time, and we’re glad we didn’t postpone the trip for some unknown opportunity when time and money allowed for a longer visit.

Some additional tips

If you’re planning a visit, here are some tips that might prove helpful.

• We arrived in American Samoa via a small commuter plane from the tiny Fagali’i Airport in (Western) Samoa using Talofa Airlines.
• We stayed at Sadie’s by the Sea, which seems like the best choice.
• American Samoa is just half the story of the Samoa Islands—make sure you spend some time in (Western) Samoa, too. While both places share a common language and culture, they’re distinct places and your experience will be different.
• Hearing numerous warnings about mosquitos and the risk of dengue fever, we came prepared. We pretreated all of our clothes with Permethrin, packed long-sleeved shirts and lightweight pants, and brought lots of insect repellent. It was mostly for naught—we hardly saw a mosquito.
• If you’re planning on snorkeling, bring your own gear or arrange to rent it ahead of time.
• Keep your eye out for swimming advisory signs before you get in the water. If the sign is shaped like a triangle, the water is deemed safe; if it’s shaped like a diamond, then it’s not.
• As far as we could tell, Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Cononut Point, Alega Bay, and the reef area between Fatu Rock and Faga’alu offer the best snorkeling options on Tutuila—but sadly, we weren’t able to personally verify any of them.
• English is widely spoken.
• American Samoa uses US Dollars.
• Tipping is not expected or customary.
• Vehicles use the right side of the road, but drivers behave a bit differently here than in cities back on the mainland. Slow down and pay attention to the roadway. You’ll also need an international drivers license.
• Sunday is for church, rest, and quiet—so some activities, like swimming, may not be allowed. We scheduled the trip to avoid this.
• Each evening around dusk, villagers observe a time for prayers called Sā. If you are entering a village during Sā, stop and wait quietly until Sā ends. You may even be invited to join in a family prayer. It is not necessary to stop for Sā on the main roads.
• Even while swimming, wear modest clothing—no bikinis.
• The wetter season is October to May, which also coincides with cyclone season.

More photos coming

I haven’t had a chance to review and edit all the photos we took during our time in American Samoa, so I’ll likely update this with more pics in the coming weeks. In the meanwhile, you can find more photos of our trip at this Flickr album.

The post Our visit to American Samoa appeared first on rscottjones.

Because they’re accessed from the exterior, these restrooms are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—even when the visitor center itself is closed.

That’s a great tidbit to know, especially if you’re camping in the park’s campground or on nearby public lands.

Unlike the available facilities at many park campgrounds, the visitor center restrooms will have flushing toilets, sinks, and even mirrors. And since they’re often cleaned right after closing, you’ll usually find them freshly stocked with paper products and in spic-and-span condition. You’ll usually find a water spigot there, too.

This last weekend, Jen and I camped at Natural Bridges National Monument in southern Utah. The park campground is small and a bit sparse in amenities—there’s no drinking water and only two pit toilets are available.

That might not sounding like a particularly appealing campground to some. But don’t let that keep you from staying there.

It’s a short walk down the park road to the visitor center restrooms, where you’ll find flushing toilets, sinks and mirrors, and fully stocked paper products. And did I mention that the floors will have been freshly mopped?

And since few people seem to make use of these restrooms after hours, you’ll likely have the place to yourself. We certainly did this weekend.

Keep in mind that many state parks and other recreation areas also have “always open” restrooms attached to their respective visitor centers, too.

So the next time you feel skittish at the thought of using a campground pit toilet, consider making a stop at the visitor center on your way to the campground each night (or morning, or both).

photo credit

The post The secret about National Park visitor center restrooms appeared first on rscottjones.

In March 2013, I had one of my most productive national park road trips. I called it my #BattlefieldsandBeginnings trip, and it primarily focused on as-yet-unvisited national parks in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. I also snuck in a quick jaunt over the Pennsylvania border to hit Gettysburg and the adjacent Eisenhower National Historic Site.

My original plan was to add about 10 days onto a work trip that would bring me to rural Virginia and DC, adding about 15 national parks to my list. In the end, I was able to add a few extra days and more than double my original goal.

It was a fast-paced trip, but with some serious strategizing, early mornings and late nights, I was able to see everything I wanted. It helps that my targeted parks were located in an area dense with mostly historically-focused national parks.

I wasn’t able to make many other stops, most notably for the state high points or roadside oddities that have recently found their way onto my trip itineraries, as there were simply too many national parks available to visit. Of course, it’s not like I was passing many must-have photo ops along the way—unlike Kansas and the other fly-over states, there’s a dearth of fun roadside oddities near our nation’s capital (insert your own joke here).

Finally, one word about all of the battlefields I visited on this trip. I enjoyed them. No, really. After a battlefield-laden trip to the Deep South several years ago with Kim, I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy another battlefield in my life. However, watching Ken Burns’ excellent Civil War series this spring, I had a better appreciation for the various battles. Although, I’ll admit, I had really wanted to include Harpers Ferry to officially finish off all of the Civil War battles.

The national parks I visited:

1. Manassas National Battlefield Park
2. Prince William Forest Park
3. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park
4. Fort Washington Park
5. Piscataway Park
6. Richmond National Battlefield Park
7. Maggie Walker National Historic Site
8. Petersburg National Battlefield
9. Appomattox Court House National Historic Park
10. Booker T Washington National Monument
11. Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
12. Moores Creek National Battlefield
13. Cape Lookout National Seashore
14. Wright Brothers National Memorial
15. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
16. Cape Hatteras National Seashore
17. Fort Monroe National Monument
18. Colonial National Historic Park (Jamestowne & Battle of Yorktown)
19. George Washington Birthplace National Monument
20. Thomas Stone National Historic Site
21. Greenbelt Park
22. Gettysburg National Military Park
23. Eisenhower National Historic Site
24. Monocacy National National Battlefield
25. Catoctin Mountain Park
26. Antietam National Battlefield
27. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
28. Hamption National Historic Site
29. Clara Barton National Historic Site
30. Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
31. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Other relevant links

You can also find my national park passport stamps for the trip here.

Here’s an archive of my tweets and foursquare check-ins during the trip.

The post My #BattlefieldsandBeginnings road trip appeared first on rscottjones.

While I’ve had some amazing travel years, 2012 surprisingly ranks near the top.

I made it to 39 national park units I had not yet visited, took my first big solo national park road trip, visited a few new states and two new parts of the country, made it to the first Graham family reunion in several decades, marked off a few straggling park units that had dogged me for years, rafted and backpacked in some amazing places, gained a nickname for visiting all three specimens competing for the title of the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, started a new quest to hit all of the highest points of relatively flat states, and stopped by over one hundred roadside oddities and attractions. And, of course, created some fabulous memories.

And while I missed out on anticipated trips to finish up the South, attend ASU’s bowl game, and hit San Francisco, it’s hard not to consider the year a great success.

Here’s the list of where I went this year:

October

• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Navajo Bridge)
• Arches National Park (Delicate Arch)
• Yucca House National Monument
• Curecanti National Recreation Area

Great Waters of the North – August (incomplete listing)

• Missouri National Recreational River
• Niobrara National Scenic River
• Voyageurs National Park
• Grand Portage National Monument
• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
• Isle Royale National Park
• Keweenaw National Historical Park
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
• Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
• Lincoln Home National Historic Site
• Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
• Effigy Mounds National Monument
• Mississippi River National River & Recreation Area
• Saint Croix National Scenic River
• Northwest Angle – Angle Inlet
• The remaining two Largest Balls of Twine
• Three highest points: Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin
• Roughly 60-70 other roadside oddities…

Hohokam Pima National Monument with Kim – July

Graham reunion & Roadside oddities of the Prairielands – July

• Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
• Nicodemus National Historic Site
• Fort Larned National Historic Site
• Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Chickasaw National Recreation Area
• President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site
• Buffalo National River
• World’s Largest Ball of Twine and the Walk of Twine (Cawker City, KS)
• Mount Sunflower (highest point in Kansas)
• Panorama Point (highest point in Nebraska)
• Chase County Courthouse – longest continuously operated west of Mississippi River
• Council Grove and associated historical sites
• Rock City
• The hole where the guy who killed the guy who killed President Lincoln lived
• Geographic Center of the contiguous US (and chapel)
• Nazareth Convent and public gardens in Concordia
• Garden of Eden
• Bowl Plaza public bathrooms
• Jack Kilby Memorial
• World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things
• Pawnee Rock
• Santa Fe Trail ruts
• Rush Center, Home of the Largest St Patrick’s Day parade
• Barbed Wire Museum & Hall of Fame
• Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark
• World’s Largest Easel & Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
• Kit Carson Lookout
• Tri-state boundary marker (NE-CO-WY)
• Eiffel Tower of Texas
• Oklahoma Truck Supply sign

Chaco with Mom – May

• Chaco Canyon National Historical Park

Utah Canyons – May

• Cedar Mesa/Grand Gulch backpack
• San Juan River rafting (Sand Island/Bluff to Mexican Hat)
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

The Gila – April

• Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
• Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Scenic Byway
• Catwalk National Recreational Trail
• Mogollon (ghost town)

Grand Canyon – April

• Grand Canyon National Park
• Agua Fria National Monument

San Diego – January

• Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
• Anza Borrego State Park
• Pacific Beach

Forts and Seashores – December 2011/January 2012

• Charles Pinckney National Historic Site
• Fort Moultrie
• Fort Sumter National Monument
• Charleston, SC
• Fort Pulaski National Monument
• Savannah, SC
• Fort Frederica National Monument
• Cumberland Island National Seashore
• Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
• Fort Caroline National Memorial
• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
• Fort Matanzas National Monument
• Canaveral National Seashore
• De Soto National Memorial
• Gulf Islands National Seashore

It’ll be tough to top this list, but I’m hoping 2013 will yield some amazing trips as well.

The post 2012 was among my best trip years yet appeared first on rscottjones.

Last week, I took what is probably my last national park road trip with Betsy: a long overdue visit to Chaco Culture National Historical Park—one of the first places we had intended to go once we got it. It was a last minute change of plans that had me take the Forester on that trip, but it was great to bring her out one last time, and especially to a remote park that requires a significant drive on dirt roads to access.

With 175,000 miles on her, and several significant repairs I’ve been delaying, and only one long national park road trip to the Pacific Northwest remaining (I’ll fly to the northeastern parks from now on), she’s likely finally retired from her road trip career. While I’d love to do some more long roadtrips with her, I’m also happy shuttling around my kayak and mountain bike around the state. Thanks for all of the lifelong roadtripping memories.

The post Roadtripping the national parks in my Forester appeared first on rscottjones.

This year, things had changed. Even so, I was able to make it to a bunch of new parks—eight to be precise—and also made return visits to 10 other ones.

Most of the return visits occurred during personal time extended onto existing work trips. All but one of the new visits happened during my summer roadtrip. It was great to be able to mark off a bunch of parks — I’m looking at you Manzanar and Devils Postpile — that I had driven past before but was never able to stop and see.

Return visits

• Arches National Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• White Sands National Monument
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park
• Redwood National and State Parks
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
• Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim)
• Petroglyph National Monument
• Saguaro National Park (Rincon District)

First visits

• Aztec Ruins National Monument
• Manzanar National Historic Site
• Devils Postpile National Monument
• Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
• Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Lava Beds National Monument
• WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument (Tule Lake unit)
• Oregon Caves National Monument

I considered ranking the parks I’ve seen this year, but it’s always difficult to choose amongst such cool places. Each is in their own way special, whether it’s because of the terrain or the memories you create there. However, a few of this year’s experiences stick out.

One of those moments was seeing the bat show at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Another was finally—finally!—visiting the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Or being part of some amazing sunset light at White Sands National Monument. Or collecting wild blackberries by kayak in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Or exploring Fern Canyon in Redwoods State and National Parks. Or spending several days kayaking through Canyonlands National Park.

There were certainly other moments, special moments, and others that are more forgettable, but each unique and special in its own way.

I’ve been particularly bad about posting photos and trip summaries from the trips I’ve taken this year. I’m hoping to start getting those up in the next few months.

So what are my 2011 National Park goals? I’m not sure yet—I suspect that it’ll be a relatively lean year, but I’m definitely hoping to mark off a few more. Do you have any national park trips planned this year?

The post National Parks I visited in 2010 appeared first on rscottjones.

That’s not particularly surprising. There are a wide variety of land management agencies at the national, state, and local level—each of which have different purposes, rules, and fees. Unless you’re really paying attention, it’s easy to get confused.

If you’re inclined to buy an annual park pass—which I hope you’ll consider doing—it’s important to understand what you’re getting. I’m using metro Phoenix as the example here, so your local passes may vary.

So in the interest of clarity, here’s a quick rundown:

Maricopa County Parks

This includes just the 10 or so regional parks in Maricopa County, Arizona. The big question is whether or not you’ll be boating at Lake Pleasant—there’s one annual pass for the lake, and a separate one for the rest of the parks. Other counties or metro areas may or may not have their own park systems and annual passes.

Arizona State Parks

This includes the state parks that are still open. Again, you’ll need to decide if you’ll be doing a lot of boating. The standard pass doesn’t include the river parks on weekends (Friday-Sunday) or holidays, while the premier pass does. All states have a state park system, but their rules for annual passes varies.

Arizona State Trust Lands

This includes state trust lands (which are not considered public lands) and is actually a permit, so be sure to read the fine print as they include some important restrictions. You won’t find any visitor services here. Most Western states have their own systems of state trust lands; their primary purpose is not recreation, so don’t expect park-like amenities or rules.

Federal lands

This includes National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, and Bureau of Land Management lands where you pay an entrance fee. If it has the word “national” in the name of the area, it probably fits under this heading. There’s a single pass called the America the Beautiful: the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass that is supposed to cover entrance fees for all of these.

A very important note here. Some National Forests, including several in Arizona, now exclude some very popular fee areas from being covered by this pass. They call some of these sites with “enhanced amenities” and others are technically operated by a private permittee or concessionaire, but you and I might not notice the difference. Yes, this is total bullshit that’s still a better-than-nothing attempt to deal with the inadequate budgets Congress appropriates for our public lands. These areas also often have their own local Forest pass (Tonto Pass, Red Rock Pass or Grand Red Rock Pass, and the Coronado Pass are Arizona examples) with daily and annual options which vary with each national forest.

You can also get a highly reduced or free pass if you are:

• disabled
• at least 62 years old
• a 4th grader
• in the military or a dependent of someone who is
• a federal public lands volunteer

A few additional tips

• You can usually buy these pass at any staffed entrance station or visitor center.
• Many places have annual passes for a specific park location.
• These passes usually admit a carload but don’t cover any additional fees—like camping or tour fees.
• Areas managed by a concessionaire aren’t covered in the federal pass, even for basic things like parking or entrance fees.

Speaking of park passes, don’t you think we should have an America the Beautiful pass for kids?

The post A short guide to park passes appeared first on rscottjones.

All in all, it was a great trip. I’m glad that I won’t have to drive through Texas again (we did it last winter for our Texas roadtrip and the summer before that for our post-wedding trip through the South) – and that was enough. It was interesting to see another part of the country (you’re up next New England!), though I am yearning for some large, wilderness parks.

• Most surprising unit: Vicksburg National Military Park
• Most disappointing unit: Chalmette Battlefield (or New Orleans Jazz NHP)
• Unforgettable memory: New Years Eve in the French Quarter
• Forgettable memory: having a dead car battery on Christmas Eve at a New Mexico rest area
• Best food: Oceana, just off Bourbon Street. We ate there consecutive nights.
• Worst food: Chuy’s restaurant in Van Horn, Texas.
• If we would have had more time: we would done walking history tour of New Orleans
• Best part of the trip: spending it with Kim

National Park Service units we visited (9 new, 2 repeat visits):

• Big Thicket National Preserve (TX)
• Cane River Creole National Historic Park (LA)
• Poverty Point National Monument (LA)
• Natchez Trace Parkway (MS)
• Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (MS)
• Vicksburg National Military Park (MS)
• Natchez National Historic Park (MS)
• New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park (LA)
• Jean Lafitte National Historic Park (LA)
• Jean Lafitte National Preserve (LA)
• Fort Bowie National Historic Site (AZ)

Blog posts on scottandkimmie.com:

• An inauspicious start
• Christmas driving, Riverwalk, and the Negotiator
• The plantations of the Cane River Lake
• Poverty Point and Vicksburg
• Driving the Natchez Trace and touring an antebellum mansion
• Ringing in the New Year in NOLA

Blog posts here on rscottjones.com:

• An inauspicious start to the roadtrip
• More thoughts on Big Thicket, Cane River Creole, Poverty Point, and Vicksburg
• Thoughts on New Years Eve in the French Quarter of NOLA
• This just in: John Madden has terrible taste

Some final random thoughts:

• Natchez Trace Parkway is full of really cool stuff and it’s a nice drive too. I definitely recommend some time along it.
• Jean Lafitte National Historic Park & Preserve is one of the more diverse units in the system. It contains several cultural centers, a prime French Quarter visitor center, the Chalmette Battlefield and the Barataria Preserve. Not bad for a relatively obscure park.
• Vicksburg National Military Park could do with a more reasonably priced auto tour drive – or at least allow visitors to borrow it for the tour (Lyndon Johnson National Historic Park did this well).

The post Roundup of our Bayou roadtrip appeared first on rscottjones.

One of those pleasant surprises was the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site in Atlanta. The park seeks to preserve important pieces of the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta where King grew up and lived. We took the tour of the King Birth Home, checked out the Historic Fire Station No 6, and the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Those were certainly cool to see, but the visitor center and the King Center (along with the Tomb) were definitely the unexpected surprises of the visit. The visitor center had some very moving displays and multimedia related to both King’s work and social movements in general. The King Center displayed some of King’s personal affects, including such gems as his Nobel Peace Prize and personal bible.

It’s great that the National Park Service has been able to preserve this important history. If you’re near Atlanta, you should really take some time to see it.

On a final note, it’s probably best that King didn’t grow up in Arizona – who knows if we’d be celebrating his life and work today. Have a great MLK Day.

Note: Despite it being 18 months since the trip, I’ve yet to post any pictures of the site. I’ll try to cull through and post them in the next few weeks.

The post Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site appeared first on rscottjones.