Hello and welcome to a very special blog post! Why, might you ask, is today’s blog post so special? Well, if you follow me on Instagram, you may know that this past week I had a birthday. In honor of me turning thirty years old, I thought it would be fun to share stories and photos from all the US National Parks I have ever been to! I haven’t been to all 63 of them (yet), but as I am able to visit more parks I will have even more stories and photos to share. So here we go, in chronological order:
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO – July 2, 1994
While I was talking to my parents in preparation for this post, I realized that Rocky Mountain was my first national park (which I hadn’t known – I don’t even remember seeing these pictures before), which is so special because I ended up getting married there (more on that later)! Since at the time of this first visit – and the next few parks as well – I was only one year old and obviously don’t remember anything about it, I asked my parents for any memories they had from these trips.
When I was growing up, my dad had to travel for work a lot, and during the summers we often got to go with him. The summer of 1994 we traveled all the way up to British Columbia for his meetings, and camped along the way there and back with several other families of his coworkers. RMNP was the first national park we visited on the way to Canada, and we camped in a private campground near Estes Park. One of the hikes we did inside RMNP was to a waterfall. I say “we”, but I was obviously not hiking. My dad carried me in a hiking backpack, and he’s very proud of the fact that he was always the first one up to the top of the trail, even though he was carrying a lot of extra weight.
Grand Teton National Park, WY – July 3, 1994
Although I’m sure there were plenty of other cool places we stopped and things we saw on this trip, that’s not what this blog is about. National park number two of summer ’94 was Grand Teton National Park. According to my parents, we didn’t stay very long in this park – really just drove through it on our way to Wyoming. But they said the panorama view of mountain peaks was so beautiful, even from the parking lot we stopped at.
Yellowstone National Park, WY – July 4, 1994
National park number three for this trip is the iconic Yellowstone! My parents (who live in Texas) were shocked when it snowed over the Fourth of July while we were there. My mom took me to sleep in the car with her and we left the boys to fend for themselves in the snowy and flooded tent.
They remember seeing buffalo for the first time while visiting this park, and one of the other families we were traveling with woke up to bear tracks surrounding their tent – though no one actually saw the bear. Once again, my dad was carrying me in the backpack, and he remembers me crinkling my nose when we walked close to the sulfur springs. And of course they loved seeing Old Faithful, the most reliable of the geysers inside Yellowstone.
Redwood National Park, CA – July 14, 1994
On the way home from Canada, we drove through the Redwoods on our way to see some of my mom’s relatives who lived in California. My dad remembers driving through the park and feeling like he was driving through an enchanted forest. The road was so windy and the trees were so huge that I’m sure he felt like a dwarf. He remembers driving through the tree and being amazed that a car could fit through there.
Badlands National Park, SD – circa July 1996
A few years later, we were back on the road with my dad on the way to his meetings in British Columbia again. The first few parks we visited on that trip they did not take any pictures at, but my dad remembers them quite well. He remembers driving through the prairie towards the Badlands and only seeing flat as far as he could see. Then suddenly the road dipped down and there they were. He said it’s so strange to see terrain that looks like it belongs in the desert in New Mexico, but the tops of the buttes and rock formations are at the level of the rest of the country surrounding it. Then, you come up out of it and you’re back on flat prairie again.
Glacier National Park, MT – circa July 1996
After driving through the Badlands, we drove through Glacier National Park. My mom remembers that this was the first glacier she ever saw, and my dad mainly remembers seeing moose walk casually through the nearby town, much like the elk walk through Estes Park, CO.
Crater Lake National Park, OR – July 18, 1996
After leaving Canada, we once again drove down the West coast, this time stopping at Crater Lake National Park. My dad remembers that the lake was so clear and so blue – likely due to the fact that volcanic rock doesn’t produce sand or dust.
Lassen National Park, CA – July 20, 1996
On our way through California, we stopped to see my mom’s high school roommate, and she and her family took us to Lassen Volcanic National Park. My parents were once again amazed that places outside of the South are cold in the summer. The lake still had ice in it in July, so of course my dad had to take his shoes off and walk on it. This park also has sulfur springs, and even though I was only three years old at the time I very clearly remember the smell of them and the fact that I got a splinter from one of the wooden boardwalks (my mom was shocked when I brought this up, she couldn’t believe I remembered that!).
Carlsbad Caverns, NM – July 25, 1996
Carlsbad Caverns is another park that I have some vague memories of. We went down into the caverns with a tour, and my dad remembers how cool the temperature was, which probably felt good after the heat of a July day in New Mexico. He said the stalactites and stalagmites looked like a little city of buildings, and the tour guides would stop at interesting sites to tell the names of the formations and some history. My dad said it felt like being in another world. We also got to see the bats coming out at dusk – this is the main part I remember. The bats were so thick that it looked like a dark cloud.
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – circa 1999-2000
Although we couldn’t find any photos from this visit, I very clearly remember seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. I must have been six or seven years old at the time. My dad and brother hiked down quite a ways into the canyon while my mom and I stayed up at the top. I just remember watching all the donkeys carrying packs go down the trail. My mom remembers being so worried about the boys because they were gone for three or four hours and it was very hot.
Big Bend National Park, TX – March 29-April 1, 2010
Finally, the age of digital cameras! The high school I went to takes the sophomores on a biology trip to Big Bend National Park every year. My brother, who is seven years older than me, always said that Big Bend was his favorite class trip to go on during high school, and so I had been looking forward to this trip for several years.
For most of the trip, we camped outside the park, but while there we went on a two day one night canoe trip on the Rio Grande River. While on that trip, we rolled down sand dunes, soaked in hot springs, and hiked through slot canyons with waterfalls flowing into them. It was very fun and definitely one of my favorite class trips that I took during high school.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN – September 20, 2014
While I was searching for the photos from this park, I was having some difficulty remembering what year I visited. I finally remembered that I visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park during a camping trip with some friends near Gatlinburg, TN while I was attending college in Chattanooga, TN. I had of course seen photos from this park before visiting, but it isn’t until you’re actually there that you understand why they’re called the Smoky Mountains. We walked up the spiral ramp to the top of Clingman’s Dome for one of the prettiest views I’ve seen.
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO – August 22, 2016
During August of 2016, I traveled from my parents house in Texas to Loma Linda, California to start my new job as a travel nurse at a nearby hospital. I had already been working as a nurse for one year, and I had just graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in nursing. My boyfriend at the time was entering graduate school in California, so I took a travel job to see how I liked the area (spoiler alert, I didn’t) and possibly test out a few different hospitals before taking a staff job.
My boyfriend and I decided to visit as many national parks as we could on the drive out, and first on the itinerary was RMNP. Unbeknownst to me, I had already visited this national park. I had also spent quite a bit of time in the Rocky Mountains since my high school took a ski trip to Colorado every year. My brother and his wife had also moved to the Denver area a few years before, and I had been to visit them a few times as well. But there’s nothing quite like driving through RMNP and seeing the untouched wilderness spread as far as they eye can see.
Arches National Park, UT – August 23, 2016
Our second stop on the way to California was in Moab, Utah. We camped at a KOA and spent one full day in Arches National Park. I had never spent any time in the red desert before, but I immediately fell in love with the colors and the rock formations, and of course the arches.
Canyonlands National Park, UT – August 24, 2016
The day after visiting Arches, we spent a day in Canyonlands National Park, and it was equally as stunning as Arches. Of course it was so hot, but thankfully we brought lots of water with us and were able to see quite a bit of the park.
Mesa Verde National Park, CO – August 25, 2016
After leaving Moab, we dipped back into the Southwest corner of Colorado to visit Mesa Verde National Park. I had never seen cave dwellings in person before, and unfortunately we weren’t able to take one of the guided tours of the dwellings, but we still got some pretty good views.
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – August 27-28, 2016
No Southwestern US national park road trip would be complete without a visit to the Grand Canyon, and I was so excited to be able to hike down below the rim for a little ways during this visit. For a lot of people, going to the Grand Canyon is very much a bucket list trip, and one of the most memorable things about our visit was seeing an elderly lady walking down Bright Angel Trail with a park ranger assisting her. She was going very slowly, but she was so excited to be there, and that excitement was definitely contagious.
Zion National Park, AZ – August 29-30, 2016
Of all of the national parks we visited during this trip, I think Zion may have been my favorite. We visited the Narrows on our first afternoon there, and then we got up early the next morning to hike up to Angel’s Landing. It’s definitely one of the most dangerous hikes I’ve ever done, but man was it worth it!
Joshua Tree National Park, CA – January 18, 2017
One of the highlights of my time spent in California during my first ever travel nurse assignment (there weren’t many) was visiting Joshua Tree National Park. The desolateness of the Southern California desert is really almost overwhelming inside the park, and the uniqueness of the Joshua trees create an otherworldly environment. It is so sad to see how many of those trees are dead or dying, and I’m so glad we have an entire national park established to protect them.
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO – October 8, 2018
In a recent blog post (read it here) I wrote about what led up to us getting married in RMNP, and in October of 2018 we were able to visit our future ceremony site. I had already reserved our date at that site, but we wanted to visit it in person and also check out some reception venues in the nearby town of Estes Park, so we decided to pop into the park as well while we were there.
Hot Springs National Park, AR – June 22, 2019
Living in Arkansas (and even on trips to summer camp on Lake Ouachita as a kid) I have been to the town of Hot Springs several times. But until the summer of 2019, I had never been inside any of the bath houses. We were there for a friend’s wedding and had a morning to kill, so we decided to visit Bath House Row and Hot Springs National Park. It was very interesting to see the historic baths and learn more about one of my favorite towns in Arkansas.
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO – September 29, 2019
Getting married in RMNP surrounded by our closest friends and family was the dreamiest of dreams. If you’re interested in reading more about our national park wedding (and how you can have one too!), click here. Photo credit: Melissa Brielle Photography.
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – August 29-30, 2020
Four months after getting married, Keith and I hit the road to live in a travel trailer while I worked as a travel nurse. Our first stop was in Southern California, and my contract started a week before covid hit. Needless to say, we didn’t have many opportunities to travel and explore during that time period, but on our trip from California to my next contract in New Mexico, we were able to stay one night inside Grand Canyon National Park. Being able to watch the sun set and rise in that park was truly incredible, and it was also our dog Luna’s first visit to a national park. Most national parks have very strict rules regarding pets, but the Grand Canyon allows dogs on all trails above the rim.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO – September 9, 2020
After arriving in New Mexico, we immediately started exploring as much of the surrounding areas as we could. Our first weekend trip was to Ouray, Colorado (read more here), and while there we drove up to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I had honestly never heard of this park before I started researching things to do in that area, but it was definitely worth the drive. It was so cold that weekend, but we were able to enjoy seeing a lot of the park. Like the Grand Canyon, dogs are allowed on all trails above the rim.
Mesa Verde National Park, CO – September 12, 2020
Mesa Verde was only an hour from the town we were staying in for my New Mexico travel nurse contract, so we made several trips to the park during our time there. Since I had been to the park before, I was really looking forward to taking a tour of the cave dwellings, but unfortunately during the Fall of 2020 all tours were closed due to covid. Maybe someday I’ll get to go back.
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, CO – October 9, 2020
Another trip we took during our time in New Mexico was to the sand dunes. My brother and sister-in-law were actually able to drive down and meet us at this park, and we spent a full afternoon playing in the sand. This park is also quite pet friendly and allows dogs on the dunes themselves (as long as you clean up after them). I had never experienced anything like this giant beach in the middle of the mountains (and without an ocean in sight). I definitely recommend bringing lots of water with you to this park, since it gets so hot out on the sand.
Mesa Verde National Park, CO – November 23, 2020
The weekend before Thanksgiving, my parents were able to come out and visit us. We met them in Durango, Colorado (about an hour from where we were based in New Mexico) and spent several days exploring the area with them. One of those days was, of course, spent at Mesa Verde. Read more about our adventures in that area here.
Mount Rainier National Park, WA – August 12, 2021
In the summer of 2021 I was working in Tacoma, Washington. From our RV park we had an amazing view of Mount Rainier, but even though we were there for four months, I didn’t actually go into the park until nearly the end of our stay (and then I went twice in one week!). After staring at the mountain for four months, it was amazing to be able to actually hike inside the park. On our first visit into the park, we went with our friends Rachael and Travis in the morning and hiked about four miles. But these weren’t just any four miles, they were straight down and straight up. It was probably a mistake to go on such a strenuous hike that morning, because that afternoon I ended up hiking about four more miles while attending an elopement styled shoot (read more about that here). To say I was dead the next day is an understatement.
Mount Rainier National Park, WA – August 15, 2021
Just a few days after visiting MRNP for the first time, we were back with some friends who were visiting us from Texas (on our way to Maui!). It was nice to be able to explore several different areas of the park. That summer a massive heat wave hit the Pacific Northwest, and Mount Rainier was the most bare it had been in about 40 years. This park will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope to be able to visit it again in the future.
Haleakala National Park, HI – August 20, 2021
We flew out to Maui for a week (read more about that vacation here) with our friends from Texas, and while there we had to visit Haleakala National Park. It dominates the Maui skyline, rising above the clouds, and at the top of the mountain you truly feel as if you’re on the moon. I highly recommend watching the sunset from the peak, although if you’re prone to getting carsick, be prepared for several switchbacks on the way up and down the mountain.
Yosemite National Park, CA – August 27, 2021
After we returned from Hawaii, we started the long trip to Oklahoma City for my next contract (read more about our road trip here). I had been dying to visit Yosemite National Park, and since I didn’t know when our next opportunity would be to visit, we stopped on our way through California. There’s seriously nothing else like coming out of the tunnel and seeing the valley for the first time. I was worried that it might be too smoky while we were there, but the day we visited was the clearest day we’d had on the trip so far. We explored the valley and drove up to see some stunning views. I wish we could have stayed longer, but I definitely plan to visit again in the future.
I hope you’ve enjoyed part one of Bree’s National Park Chronicles, stay tuned for more!
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. This blog post contains images that I took myself for personal use and enjoyment and are not intended to be used for marketing purposes. Most of them were taken on a cell phone, and all of them are unedited. If you are interested in viewing some galleries of my couples, intimate wedding, and elopement photography, click here. If you’re interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
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