National Parks Here I Come
Bear with me this week as I share some rather nerdy recommendations. I love to watch nature shows on television, and I can totally get behind a book written about someone hiking the Appalachian trail, climbing Mount Everest or paddling across the Atlantic Ocean by themselves in a canoe (I don’t even know if this last one is possible, but I would love to read about it). I am a fan of any book or show where I can actually learn something (although you could argue that The Real Housewives series has taught us all something…) but occasionally I do like to expose myself to something a little more intellectual, and this week that’s where I’ll begin.
Years ago I began watching Sunday Morning on CBS, hosted by the great Jane Pauley. It’s an intriguing program that has a variety of stories packed into one short hour. The show always opens with the crisp sounds of a trumpet playing, and an animated picture of the sun as if to say, Wake up, it’s Sunday morning! Jane introduces each story with her signature poise and elegance and instantly draws you in. There are interviews with Hollywood actors, comedians, or everyday activists who may have taken on local government in order to enact a change in their community; or the show will highlight a notable musician or author who has died, or shine a spotlight on one of the National Parks, or an endangered animal living in one of those parks. No matter the topics, each week I walk away feeling smarter, and most likely have added a new entry on my list of places I’d like to visit or books I’d like to read.
When a member of my family is having trouble, I immediately try to find a book that coincides with the pep talk I am preparing in my head. I am constantly telling each one of my kids that the self help industry is so successful because if you have a problem, there’s a book about it, and you’re definitely not the only person who needs that book. Over the past few years, as you can imagine, I have ordered a lot of books. One of my favorites is not necessarily a self help book, but I was hoping my son would read it and realize he’s not the only one whose life has led him down an unexpected path.
The book is called Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park, written by Conor Knighton, who is also a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning. I didn’t know he was on the show before I discovered the book, but I was excited to learn that in addition to writing the book, he also reported on location from many of the parks he visited. One of the main reasons that Knighton wrote this book was because his fiancé decided that their relationship was over, and he needed something to distract him from his life that was seemingly falling apart. Who hasn’t wanted to drop everything, travel across the country, and experience first hand the marvelous and magnificent beauty of our National Parks? It’s a lesson in adventure, perspective, and the responsibility we all have to preserve, protect, and appreciate this amazing land we call home.
Reading this book got me thinking that our family needs to visit more of the National Parks. We don’t have our next trip planned yet, but some of the parks on our wish list include Yellowstone, Arches National Park, and the Grand Canyon. (A side note, Christmas in Yellowstone, which aired on PBS in 2006, is one of our favorite things to watch during the holiday season! It’s available to rent on PrimeVideo) In the meantime, I started following the National Park Service on Instagram to get ideas about trips and to experience the parks without having to leave home. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the NPS Instagram posts are some of the funniest posts out there. It’s true! If you like comedy, and appreciate clever and witty writing, you will love reading this Instagram page. I was so intrigued by the posts, I had to find out who was writing them. It turns out it’s a guy by the name of Matt Turner who I believe will singlehandedly bring more people to the parks than ever before. Give it a try this week- I guarantee you will have a laugh out loud moment, and feel a little nerdy like I do- which isn’t necessarily a bad thing after all!
