The National Parks, along with the many other monuments, river ways, memorials & other sites run by the National Park Service (NPS) have been a major part of my life since I was a little girl. My parents took my brother and me on road trips throughout our childhood, but the first National Park I visited was the Badlands at the age of 8 followed by a Southwest adventure to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks which is where my love for wanderlust & the outdoors really took off. Nine-year-old-me at the Grand Canyon Nature has always been where I feel most free, most alive and most spiritual, so the 100 years that the National Park Service has been protecting some of the U.S.’s most beautiful sites is extremely special to me, and I’m excited for the next 100 years for them to protect this land for my children & grandchildren. To celebrate this beautiful country and the amazing workers & volunteers who make preserving some of these gorgeous places, I thought I would share some of my favorite memories & views from some extra-special NPS-run places. Big Bend National Park was my most recent National Park adventure. […]