Oh wow, gosh, Sabrina, what an amazing post! I'm so sorry to hear that you melted - that air conditioning situation was so unfortunate.
You survived! And just LOOK at that landscape! Absolutely awesome! Thank you so much for taking me along with you for the ride in this fabulous post - what a great trip! 🙌
What a great adventure. Sorry to hear about the heat and rental car experience but maybe they helped you appreciate all that stunning beauty even more once you got there.
This post, in addition to the one about Los Vegas and your comment about Cedar City, is moving me to a commitment to visit these sites with the family next summer. How can I NOT visit these amazing places that the US is so blessed to have? BTW, I have a lifetime pass too so I must put it to work.
I loved the description of the groundedness that that big sky and red earth gave you. One of the many reasons these places are so special and deserve love and care.
I can't wait to hear about your family experiences and observations when you visit next year, or whenever you can get there. I'm sure you will ALL love those landscapes. And yes, best make good use of those lifetime passes!! ❤️
Our national parks are amazing, and I love these photos! We went to Joshua Tree when the kids were little, and to Yosemite in 2014. On the Yosemite trip we also visited all the Redwoods parks on the way up the coast to Seattle. I was shocked that nobody tired of looking at trees.
In 2021 we went on an epic road trip down the coast to San Francisco and Disneyland, then across to St. George where we met up with some of Bryan’s family for a reunion. A whole caravan of us visited Bryce and Zion together. I loved both of these for different reasons. Bryce Canyon feels like an alien planet - so interesting and beautiful!
On our way back to Seattle after that trip, we stopped at the Salt Flats in Bonneville. Again with feeling like we were on another planet!
Thanks Jen! It's hard to go wrong photographing those places..the light, the rock formations! I love the California parks you mention and have been to all those (I spent most of my life there). My daughter lives in Seattle and we are visiting more often, so I am excited to start exploring the parks near you: Mt. Rainier and Olympic, just to get started... If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!
I remember thinking the same as Tom Ryan (Substack) does his annual coddywomples around US national parks with his wonderful canine companions.
Yes, we do have NP's in Australia and they're done well enough, but to me (whose island is basically one whole World Heritage Area national park), the New Zealanders do the national park thing spectacularly well. Haven't visited any yet but have watched Youtube hikes and am in love with the country. One day...
I'm a day hike person only, don't like camping, and so look for the best of those on our island. There are plenty and it's a glorious way to spend a day.
Oh thanks for your comments about NPs in your island-rich part of the world! I was hoping you would weigh in! I have longed to go to Australia for many, many decades, and of course everyone raves about New Zealand. And now of course, Tasmania ❤️. One of these days, fingers-crossed! I'll look for Tom Ryan's posts-thanks!
Tom's posts are my all-time favourites as I'm a dog lover and his dogs are so special. His two books, Following Atticus and Will's Red Coat have been my personal Books of the Year in their time. Enjoy.
I'd love to visit one of these National Parks at some point in the future. I've been to Joshua Tree National Park and remember how alien it felt being there, especially, living in Florida for almost 30 years.
Loved it - though sorry about the Rental Car from Hell! Aren’t those lifetime passes the best? I would have a difficult time picking my favorite NP, but this year alone Sonya and I have visited Death Valley National Park, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Point Reyes National Seashore in California; Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho; and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Monument in Michigan. We’re lucky to live in a country with such spectacularly beautiful and awe-inspiring places, and with such a dedicated NPS working so hard to preserve them.
Oh wow, gosh, Sabrina, what an amazing post! I'm so sorry to hear that you melted - that air conditioning situation was so unfortunate.
You survived! And just LOOK at that landscape! Absolutely awesome! Thank you so much for taking me along with you for the ride in this fabulous post - what a great trip! 🙌
What a great adventure. Sorry to hear about the heat and rental car experience but maybe they helped you appreciate all that stunning beauty even more once you got there.
This post, in addition to the one about Los Vegas and your comment about Cedar City, is moving me to a commitment to visit these sites with the family next summer. How can I NOT visit these amazing places that the US is so blessed to have? BTW, I have a lifetime pass too so I must put it to work.
I loved the description of the groundedness that that big sky and red earth gave you. One of the many reasons these places are so special and deserve love and care.
I can't wait to hear about your family experiences and observations when you visit next year, or whenever you can get there. I'm sure you will ALL love those landscapes. And yes, best make good use of those lifetime passes!! ❤️
The rock formation named after Queen Victoria is spot on! Getting a senior pass in 2024 is on my list.
Right?? And yes, I LOVE the senior pass!
Our national parks are amazing, and I love these photos! We went to Joshua Tree when the kids were little, and to Yosemite in 2014. On the Yosemite trip we also visited all the Redwoods parks on the way up the coast to Seattle. I was shocked that nobody tired of looking at trees.
In 2021 we went on an epic road trip down the coast to San Francisco and Disneyland, then across to St. George where we met up with some of Bryan’s family for a reunion. A whole caravan of us visited Bryce and Zion together. I loved both of these for different reasons. Bryce Canyon feels like an alien planet - so interesting and beautiful!
On our way back to Seattle after that trip, we stopped at the Salt Flats in Bonneville. Again with feeling like we were on another planet!
We’re plotting where to go next!
Thanks Jen! It's hard to go wrong photographing those places..the light, the rock formations! I love the California parks you mention and have been to all those (I spent most of my life there). My daughter lives in Seattle and we are visiting more often, so I am excited to start exploring the parks near you: Mt. Rainier and Olympic, just to get started... If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!
Wow!
I remember thinking the same as Tom Ryan (Substack) does his annual coddywomples around US national parks with his wonderful canine companions.
Yes, we do have NP's in Australia and they're done well enough, but to me (whose island is basically one whole World Heritage Area national park), the New Zealanders do the national park thing spectacularly well. Haven't visited any yet but have watched Youtube hikes and am in love with the country. One day...
I'm a day hike person only, don't like camping, and so look for the best of those on our island. There are plenty and it's a glorious way to spend a day.
So glad you are having such a fab time, Sabrina.
Oh thanks for your comments about NPs in your island-rich part of the world! I was hoping you would weigh in! I have longed to go to Australia for many, many decades, and of course everyone raves about New Zealand. And now of course, Tasmania ❤️. One of these days, fingers-crossed! I'll look for Tom Ryan's posts-thanks!
Tom's posts are my all-time favourites as I'm a dog lover and his dogs are so special. His two books, Following Atticus and Will's Red Coat have been my personal Books of the Year in their time. Enjoy.
I'd love to visit one of these National Parks at some point in the future. I've been to Joshua Tree National Park and remember how alien it felt being there, especially, living in Florida for almost 30 years.
Thanks Susi! Joshua tree is amazing, isn’t it? It felt otherworldly to me too!
Loved it - though sorry about the Rental Car from Hell! Aren’t those lifetime passes the best? I would have a difficult time picking my favorite NP, but this year alone Sonya and I have visited Death Valley National Park, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Point Reyes National Seashore in California; Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho; and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Monument in Michigan. We’re lucky to live in a country with such spectacularly beautiful and awe-inspiring places, and with such a dedicated NPS working so hard to preserve them.