This week, from April 16-24, is National Parks Week and we will be featuring tons of information as well as fun memories about past trips we have taken.
This year, 2016, also happens to mark the 100 Year Anniversary of The National Parks Service.
There are 58 national parks in the United States waiting to be explored.
To celebrate its centennial anniversary, the National Park Service is offering 16 days of free admission to 127 parks which usually charge entrance fees.
These "free admission" parks including the Everglades, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Alaska's Denali National Park and Joshua Tree National Park in California.
In 2016, the 100-year-old service will add seven additional free days (to the nine from 2015), including National Park Week, this week!
Here's to a Wonderful National Parks Week!!!
This year, 2016, also happens to mark the 100 Year Anniversary of The National Parks Service.
There are 58 national parks in the United States waiting to be explored.
To celebrate its centennial anniversary, the National Park Service is offering 16 days of free admission to 127 parks which usually charge entrance fees.
These "free admission" parks including the Everglades, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Alaska's Denali National Park and Joshua Tree National Park in California.
In 2016, the 100-year-old service will add seven additional free days (to the nine from 2015), including National Park Week, this week!
Here's to a Wonderful National Parks Week!!!
Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 29 DAYS
What are some of my Favorites???
Good Day Folks!
Elisa had to deal with something unexpected and won't be joining us, so I'm flying solo today and the focus will still be on National Parks. Today I've decided to virtually take you to Montana, Wyoming, California, and Utah!
But first, a little scoop about yesterday -
I took Cosette to the stables again (it's everyday this week), she came home and baked an AMAZING Chocolate Lava cake - 100% by scratch, even creating the recipe on her own!
Elisa had to deal with something unexpected and won't be joining us, so I'm flying solo today and the focus will still be on National Parks. Today I've decided to virtually take you to Montana, Wyoming, California, and Utah!
But first, a little scoop about yesterday -
I took Cosette to the stables again (it's everyday this week), she came home and baked an AMAZING Chocolate Lava cake - 100% by scratch, even creating the recipe on her own!
(c)travelincousins
(c)travelincousins
It was so lovely that I shared it on my VEGANFOODGASMS Instagram page and was immediately asked for the recipe!
Dominic had he's regular Tuesday night class, and I was plugging away at trip plans and travel ideas...
While also checking out my new book:
Dominic had he's regular Tuesday night class, and I was plugging away at trip plans and travel ideas...
While also checking out my new book:
We've got 29 days to go and I'm getting totally excited! Are you excited for me?
I am constantly being asked what my favorite place is, or which my favorite vacation was.
THIS is such a difficult question to answer - because I really don't have 1 favorite.
In a way they are (almost) all my favorites.
Sure I've had a clunker day here or there and boy do those really stand out, but over-all my trips go pretty much as planned and they are each like living little dreams.
When you think about travel as much as I do, when you plan to such detail as much as I do, when you research and dive into each location as much as I do. When you gazed longingly and fantasized at photos of destinations as much as I do.
When you are finally on the trip, it's like waking up in a dream and each one is like a dream come true!
So I've come to the conclusion that when asked which my favorite is, my answer has become:
What ever trip I'll still on a high from (oh yeah - Happy 4/20 - lol) and what ever trip is coming up next!
Not to say that I don't have some locations that I loved more than some others, because of course I do! Check out our list of Favorites - one list included there that you will notice is a list of my favorite National Parks.
While the list also features National Parks from abroad, being that it's National Parks Week I'm gonna focus on my favorite National Parks of the USA:
Glacier NP (Montana) - Yellowstone NP (Wyoming) - Yosemite NP (California) - Arches NP (Utah)
Let's begin with Glacier NP -
I am constantly being asked what my favorite place is, or which my favorite vacation was.
THIS is such a difficult question to answer - because I really don't have 1 favorite.
In a way they are (almost) all my favorites.
Sure I've had a clunker day here or there and boy do those really stand out, but over-all my trips go pretty much as planned and they are each like living little dreams.
When you think about travel as much as I do, when you plan to such detail as much as I do, when you research and dive into each location as much as I do. When you gazed longingly and fantasized at photos of destinations as much as I do.
When you are finally on the trip, it's like waking up in a dream and each one is like a dream come true!
So I've come to the conclusion that when asked which my favorite is, my answer has become:
What ever trip I'll still on a high from (oh yeah - Happy 4/20 - lol) and what ever trip is coming up next!
Not to say that I don't have some locations that I loved more than some others, because of course I do! Check out our list of Favorites - one list included there that you will notice is a list of my favorite National Parks.
While the list also features National Parks from abroad, being that it's National Parks Week I'm gonna focus on my favorite National Parks of the USA:
Glacier NP (Montana) - Yellowstone NP (Wyoming) - Yosemite NP (California) - Arches NP (Utah)
Let's begin with Glacier NP -
Glacier National Park (c) Travelincousins.com
Glacier National Park was established in 1910 and stands today as a monument to wild natural places.
In 1932 Glacier National Park was designated as part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Today, it remains a symbol of shared stewardship and a testament to the important and deep-rooted relationship between Canada and the U.S.
Glacier National Park is a 1,583-sq.-mi. wilderness area in Montana's Rocky Mountains, with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the Canadian border. It's crossed by the mountainous Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Notably considered the: Crown of the Continent
Glacier has pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a hiker's paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness, solitude, and some very diverse wildlife that ranges from mountain goats to grizzly bears.
While I've only been there once, it made such an impression on me that it holds a place as one of my favorite national parks!
For more stories about Glacier NP read: Glacier National Park and a too close for comfort encounter with a few GRIZZLY BEARS!
In 1932 Glacier National Park was designated as part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Today, it remains a symbol of shared stewardship and a testament to the important and deep-rooted relationship between Canada and the U.S.
Glacier National Park is a 1,583-sq.-mi. wilderness area in Montana's Rocky Mountains, with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the Canadian border. It's crossed by the mountainous Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Notably considered the: Crown of the Continent
Glacier has pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a hiker's paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness, solitude, and some very diverse wildlife that ranges from mountain goats to grizzly bears.
While I've only been there once, it made such an impression on me that it holds a place as one of my favorite national parks!
For more stories about Glacier NP read: Glacier National Park and a too close for comfort encounter with a few GRIZZLY BEARS!
 Glacier National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Glacier National Park (c)travelincousins.com |  Glacier National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Glacier National Park (c)travelincousins.com |
Next up is the mother of them all and UNESCO site: Yellowstone NP -
Yellowstone National Park (c)travelincousins.com
Established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872.
Yellowstone is the world's first national park, and nearly a 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area.
Located mostly in Wyoming, the park also spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho.
Yellowstone features colorful hot springs, mudpots, and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful.. There are mountains, lakes, dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, and lush forests.
Home to hundreds of animal species, including bears, wolves, bison, elk and antelope.
It's a place where you can discover the history that led to the conservation of our national treasures “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
Click on link for the TOP 15 FACTS ABOUT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Yellowstone is the world's first national park, and nearly a 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area.
Located mostly in Wyoming, the park also spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho.
Yellowstone features colorful hot springs, mudpots, and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful.. There are mountains, lakes, dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, and lush forests.
Home to hundreds of animal species, including bears, wolves, bison, elk and antelope.
It's a place where you can discover the history that led to the conservation of our national treasures “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
Click on link for the TOP 15 FACTS ABOUT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
 Yellowstone National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Yellowstone National Park (c)travelincousins.com |  Yellowstone National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Yellowstone National Park (c)travelincousins.com |
Now, we'll go to another UNESCO site: Yosemite NP -
Yosemite National Park (c)travelincousins.com
Yosemite was central to the development of the national park idea. First, Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President Abraham Lincoln's signing the Yosemite Grant in 1864. Later, John Muir led a successful movement to establish a larger national park encompassing not just the valley, but surrounding mountains and forests as well—paving the way for the United States national park system.
Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, spectacular granite cliffs, a vast wilderness area, and much more. Set within California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. And the park has an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet!
For more stories about Yosemite read: Lessons from a Detour!
and A Drive to Yosemite that almost drove me Crazy!
Click on the link for 15 FUN FACTS ABOUT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, spectacular granite cliffs, a vast wilderness area, and much more. Set within California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. And the park has an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet!
For more stories about Yosemite read: Lessons from a Detour!
and A Drive to Yosemite that almost drove me Crazy!
Click on the link for 15 FUN FACTS ABOUT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
 Yosemite National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Yosemite National Park (c)travelincousins.com |  Yosemite National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Yosemite National Park (c)travelincousins.com |
And lastly, but certainly not least...let's go to Arches NP -
Arches National Park (c)travelincousins.com
Originally administered by the National Park Service, the area was named a National Monument on April 12, 1929 and it wasn't until November 12, 1971 that it was redesignated as a National Park.
Arches National Park is a red rock wonderland where you can discover a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures unlike any other in the world. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.
The park is located just outside Moab, Utah, and is 76,679 acres in area, with its highest elevation being 5,653 feet at Elephant Butte, and its lowest elevation is 4,085 feet at the visitor center.
For more stories about Arches read: Adventures in the Southwest
Arches National Park is a red rock wonderland where you can discover a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures unlike any other in the world. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.
The park is located just outside Moab, Utah, and is 76,679 acres in area, with its highest elevation being 5,653 feet at Elephant Butte, and its lowest elevation is 4,085 feet at the visitor center.
For more stories about Arches read: Adventures in the Southwest
 Arches National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Arches National Park (c)travelincousins.com |  Arches National Park (c)travelincousins.com  Arches National Park (c)travelincousins.com |
Well that's about it for today. I hope that you've enjoyed learning a bit about my favorite National Parks. What National Park is your favorite?
Catch y'all back here tomorrow,
-T
Catch y'all back here tomorrow,
-T
