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Amy Love • Oct 24, 2019
Where and how we started our National Parks bucket list trip
On October 15, 2018, my then five-year old daughter Maddie and I (along with a hamster named Rosie, and a 12-week-old puppy named Sweetie) ventured off from California to destinations know (National Parks), yet when and by which direction we would arrive, it’s fair to say, were less well known. Our original goal was to visit all of the Continental United States National Parks. In total, we were on the road for nine and a half months and during seven of those months, we visited more than 140 National Park sites, including National Parks and National Monuments along with other national park site designations.
I spent a lot of time online researching our trip and I even spent an entire weekend mapping out our path using a variety of online tools (my daughter spent a fun weekend with friends to give me time to focus). After finishing the route, I soon realized that I would not be able to wrap up my work situation in time for us to take the Northern route, which is the path I had mapped out.
So, I took this as a sign that perhaps the “A” type personality in me needed to take a step back and I should let the trip evolve more organically.
We knew our first two National Park stops were going to be Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park and from there we knew we wanted to spend Halloween in Portland, OR, so my daughter could trick-or-treat in a neighborhood I lived in during my childhood).
Why these two sites? My daughter and I really enjoyed watching the 2018 National Geographic’s Yellowstone Live series. If you haven’t seen the show live, check out the National Geographic site
to get totally inspired. We made the decision before we left that we wanted to see Yellowstone during two different seasons and this also influenced where we went next. The reason Grand Teton was first National Park we visited is simply because it was on the route to Yellowstone and of course on our list to see. This was about to become the Epic Bucket List Roadtrip to see America the Beautiful!
The National Park Service published a map for their 2016 Centennial
and we posted that in our RV. It was a great guide for us, albeit, new parks were added in 2017, 2018 and 2019, so it’s not complete, so do keep that in mind if you choose to use it. Also, the map doesn’t list everything that existed up until 2016 (more on this below). I would map out 7-10 stops ahead based upon the weather, where friends lived, and what we wanted to do in each area. It turned out that the government shutdown and our brand new 2018 Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL RV, which needed service more times than I care to admit (more on that another time), also ended up being strong drivers for our trip’s course.
So how many National Parks are there?
There are 61 National Parks
and there are 419 National Park Sites
(as of Oct. 2019) managed by the National Park Service. It’s important to understand the distinction
because there are 20 different national park types set aside for current and future generations to experience and enjoy. These include National Battlefields, National Historical Park and National Historic Sites, National Memorials, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, and National Seashores to name just some of them.
It’s also important to understand that not all of the National Park Sites are managed by the National Park Service, otherwise you may miss out on seeing some amazing places. For example, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Chimney Rock National Monument are not managed by the National Park Service, so you won’t find them on the official National Park Service Map of all national park sites (yep, it’s a bit crazy, bureaucratic, and not customer focused).
Grand Staircase is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Chimney Rock National Monument is managed by the United States Forest Service. It would have been a real shame if we had missed either of these as well as others managed by different governmental agencies. Grand Staircase is home to Dr. Scott from Dinosaur Train
and Maddie is all about Dinosaurs! And with Chimney Rock, we almost missed out learning about the upcoming alignment of the full moon rising and the Chimney Rock spires, something that happens every 18.6 years.
Wifi and mobile access was definitely a challenge while on the road. So we typically stopped at a town with a Library, a Starbucks, or a McDonalds to allow me time to map out our next 7-10 stops. While I’d be figuring out the route and where we’d camp and making reservations for various enrichment programs, Maddie was able to read some new books, watch Wild Kratts on the iPad, or play on the McDonald’s play structure. A real win-win for the two of us with non-distracted think time for me being the key. Determining the best route was easy when I used Google maps. The “add stop” feature was extremely helpful in route planning.
This trip was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip, that I actually hope to turn into a twice-in-a-lifetime trip for myself and maybe a three-time-in-a-lifetime trip for Maddie.
People continually ask me to blog and talk about the trip. It’s wonderful to re-imagine all that we saw and did at the amazing national park sites. Please post questions if there’s anything in particular you’d like me to talk about regarding the trip. More posts to come!
To Adventuring!
Amy (aka: Maddie’s Mom)
Ever sense Maddie could walk, she would stop and pick up trash. It truly bothered her that people would be so mean to Mother Earth. In talking with other parents, I learned that many kids find trash upsetting too. So I have to wonder, when does caring about the disposal of trash change for people? And why does it become okay in the minds of some to litter? When we were on our National Park trip, we made it a habit of picking up trash, just like we did when we were home. We would bring a bag with us or put trash in our packs. Maddie and I would often ask ourselves after a nice hike, what if everyone would stop and pick up trash and dispose of it properly? In the United States, we are so lucky to have the infrastructure and public services to handle trash pick-up and removal (I'll save the trash photos from other countries for a different post). So, why don't we use it? Why is trash so often left to be someone else's responsibility or problem? There is so much we can, could, and should do to help Mother Earth and combat climate change. Picking up and disposing of trash is just one example. In looking for programs that already exist, I found an article about how REI is helping to raise awareness regarding small ways we could all "Opt to Act" to help Mother Earth. It you'd like to learn more, checkout REI's 52 week Action plan . I found it interesting that it's all part of their corporate commitment to being closed on Black Friday and encouraging people to get outside and experience nature. I wrote more about this on my LinkedIn account . Want to be encouraged by the efforts of others? Look for and use the hashtags #optoutside and #TakingCareofMotherEarth to see and post photos of actions where mother earth is being protected! What do you think will help spur action to leave the world a better place for future generations? Please share your thoughts in the comments section!
After eight years of trying, I was blessed to give birth to my daughter, Madison P. Love. And so, when I returned to work three months afterwards, on occasion, she too came back to work with me. Having traveled for business often, I was able to witness all sorts of families and individuals navigating the world of traveling with infants. I must admit though, I believe much of my luck with traveling with Maddie early in her life was (and it remains so today) her wonderful temperament and the wonderful support systems you leverage along the way. Maddie has always been up for an adventure and so this blog will be dedicated in part to sharing stories of our trails, domestically and internationally. Great piece of advice given to me before Maddie was born: You're always on the go, so take her out everyday you are home on maternity leave. Build your lives together! First Domestic Trip : March 2013, just a little over two months old (I'll save that story for another post) First International Trip : May 10, 2013, about three and one half months old Destination: London, followed by Manchester, London, then home to California Milestones: Mother's Day May 12, 2013 - I WILL spend my 1st Mother's Day with my Daughter! People, in particular grandparents and parents, who knew that I travelled a lot with Maddie, often times asked: What are your "Must Haves" when you hit the road? This was my Go To List: - Red gate check bags for stroller/crib combo unit. I wanted to protect my investment, keep them clean, and also help the grounds crew identify the bags so that they could end up in the jetway as soon as possible. - Boppy pillow and cover - truly a must have for baby and personal comfort while traveling. Maddie could lay between my feet on a baby blanket with the Boppy, in the middle seat next to me (if I was lucky enough to have it empty), or relax comfortably on my lap in the tight quarters of an airplane. - Travel crib bed that Maddie loved - We bought Baby Bjorn - it wasn't cheap in manufacturing or price - it was though outstanding in quality. The bed lasted 4+ years and was probably checked in / travelled 50+ times. Airlines aren't very delicate with things, and this bed stood up to all the airlines could throw at it. Before our first trip, which was to the East Coast, I got her used to it during some nap times, so that when we traveled, night time sleeping was a breeze. - Onsite "nanny care" for coverage when I was at work - I found a company that serviced London and Manchester UK online - (in the US, I usually used care.com ) - A positive attitude. Life happens. Spilled milk, crying babies, dirty diapers, limited sleep; these are just some of the elements that could affect your attitude. The calmer and happier I was, the calmer and happier Maddie seemed to be. Also, because Maddie was happy, I was happier. I've also learned its really super helpful to always have more back up food than you think you may need. The Snicker's ad it true, you are not yourself when you are hungry. This holds true for you and your baby. - And plan for how you're going to get from point A to point B...navigating planes, trains, and automobiles are a must in the UK. Be ready for lots of stairs and people. When you're traveling, be generous with your tips. Be kind to yourself and help others as well. I want to end this post on Amazing To Haves: -Throughout my travels, I have met wonderful people who truly made a difference on how my trip went. For this trip, there was a wonderful fellow female passenger who helped us {and who must have had a great laugh afterwards} balance holding Maddie while getting everything packed away in the red gate check bags ! Thank you, whoever you were! Your assistance was so helpful and it was greatly appreciated.