National Park Giveaway: A Patch for Your Pack

Since most of the stops on my National Park Wish List are out west, today I thought I'd host a giveaway for the region's native - an applique of Blanche the Buffalo. During our recent trip to Yellowstone National Park, we saw many of Blanche's cousins. Hundreds. Here are two of them. Meet Pete and Freddy.

To enter the contest: Leave a comment below about your favorite national park experience (OR) leave your own national park wish list. (Don't forget to leave contact info in case you win.) You can also get an additional entry by sharing the contest on Facebook or Twitter. Just leave a comment telling me you've done so for the extra entry. On Tuesday, 4/26, I'll randomly pick a winner, and you'll get to pick the applique color of your choice.

If you win, you can sew Blanche onto your backpack for your next wilderness adventure.

National Park Week: A Photo Tribute

This week is National Parks Week, and as a lover of America's national parks, I thought I'd devote a few posts throughout the week to honoring one of our country's most brilliant ideas. During April 16-24, you can enter any of the parks for free, so check out a map and take advantage if you can.

Did you know there are 394 national parks in the U.S.?! I have only been to a handful, and I can't imagine that I'd ever get around to all the natural and historic sites preserved by the National Park Service. But in honor of National Parks Week, I thought I'd share some of my favorite trip photos with you from Yellowstone, Glacier, Congaree Swamp, Grand Canyon, Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, and Joshua Tree National Parks. These photos span intense backpacking treks; weekend getaways; a month-long, cross-country, father-daughter RV trip; a helicopter landing into the Grand Canyon; and roadside snapshots. Enjoy! Oh, and please comment - what's your favorite National Park experience?

Yellowstone National Park 

(the world's first national park, established in 1872)