AT THE TOP OF OUR BUCKET LIST: THE NATIONAL PARKS

by Kim Marvel

Having a bucket list is popular these days. As we navigate our senior years, sometimes we feel a sense of urgency to check items off our list. A fellow traveler once told us of the three phases of retirement: the “go-go” years, the “slow-go” years, and the “no-go” years. Most days my wife and I place ourselves in the “go-go” years. We anticipate slowing down eventually, but for now we like to pack up and head out.

For years, an item high on our bucket list was visiting all of the national parks. How many are there, you ask? At last count, 63. Most are in the continental U.S., including the familiar gems such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, and Everglades. Eight are in Alaska, two in Hawaii, and two in U.S. territories (the Virgin Islands and American Samoa.) Visiting the 51 national parks in the continental U.S. is a big undertaking. But adding those 12 distant national parks can be a deal breaker. Nevertheless, as retirees, we had more time and, fortunately, the resources and motivation to start our years-long odyssey.

Why was this activity on our bucket list? We both enjoy spending time in the outdoors – hiking, camping, and observing wildlife. We appreciate history and discovering new places. This journey took us to parts of the country we otherwise would not have visited. Finally, we enjoy traveling, particularly road trips. Visiting our national parks offers all of these features.

We were not starting this quest from scratch. In our childhood years we had taken family trips to visit nearby national parks, such as Yellowstone. Later, with our growing boys, we visited several more when living in the mid-west and west coast. By the time we approached retirement, we had already seen about a third of the national parks.

In early retirement, we stopped at national parks on our way to visit relatives. On a three-week trip to visit my wife’s Florida cousins, we stopped at Everglades, Biscayne Bay, Dry Tortugas, and Congaree National Parks. A later trip to visit my sister in Minnesota was extended to spend time in Voyageurs, Isle Royal, Indiana Dunes, and Cuyahoga National Parks. Road trips worked well for seeing parks in the continental U.S. Eventually, however, we faced the challenge of visiting the more remote parks. We needed a new strategy, and had to reach deeper into our wallet.

During our working years, we had visited the two national parks in Hawaii, the one in the Virgin Islands, and three in Alaska. And, by a stroke of good fortune, in early adulthood, as teachers we lived in American Samoa for two years. We had explored that lush South Pacific island, hiking in areas that later were designated as the national park. Check, check, check off our bucket list. In 2023, only five remote Alaska national parks remained on the list.

To be frank, it is not easy to visit the most remote Alaska national parks. They are inaccessible by car, train, or boat. This is the land of the bush pilots. Sitting anxiously with a few other brave souls, you watch out the window hoping the clouds will clear to allow for a safe landing on a remote lake, river, or gravel runway. Due to the complexity of arranging for puddle-jumpers, we depended on an Anchorage travel agent. It went off without a hitch. The two-week sojourn in September took us to Wrangell-St. Elias, Lake Clark, Katmai, Kobuk Valley, and Gates of the Artic National Parks. The wildlife and dramatic scenery were magnificent. On our final stop, we celebrated briefly, as we proudly posed holding the banner of Kobuk Valley National Park, noting fresh grizzly bear paw prints in the sand where we stood.

Our national parks are a national treasure. We tip our hats to those historic figures, such as Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, and others who preserved these natural wonders and established the National Parks Service.

We’re reminded of our journey each time we open our refrigerator door covered with souvenir magnets. And we’re grateful to complete our goal. However, the list of national parks is not static. Although the current count is 63, new parks are added on occasion. Of course, that is cause for celebration. Not only does it provide a new location to visit, it also means that more natural and historic resources are being preserved for future generations. When that happens, as long as we’re in our “go-go” years, we’ll head out on a new adventure.