59 before 18 – The Book
After many years our American Family National Park Adventure book is finally finished and available for purchase just in time for the holidays. What a gift to give to inspire another family to spend quality time together as they explore our amazing country.
59 before 18 is a true story about our adventurous family that set out on a quest to explore all 59 American National Parks before our kids turned 18-years-old. Bears, bison, snakes and more were seen as we hiked deep into the wilderness. The wildlife and journey all over America created a family bond that grew stronger as each national park was visited.
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59 before 18
Written by The Parks Family
This is family quest to explore all 59 of the major American National Parks before our kids turned 18 years old. We started the adventure in Yosemite in 2009 and accomplished the quest in Gates of the Arctic in 2014. Luke was 17. Winston was 15.
As a Dad in Charlotte, North Carolina I wanted to travel out West with my two boys, Luke and Winston. A good friend of mine was stationed in Monterey, California and my wife Alisa and I booked a vacation to visit him and his family.
During this trip we reserved a hotel near Yosemite National Park. When we explored Yosemite I discovered true happiness. We were hiking among the Sequoia trees, all alone except for the wilderness, wildlife and our family of four. It’s was perfect and I wanted more.
On another occasion, later one afternoon when we were overlooking Half Dome and El Capitan at Glacier Point in Yosemite I realized that as an American I owned this land. I didn’t even own my home at that time and the natural wonder I was witnessing along with the concept of our National Park system was an overwhelming inspiration that changed our lives forever.
This life alternating event was in the summer of 2009. Soon thereafter, we started planning and reserving our two week summer family vacation for the following year. It was all about our American National Parks. During the summer of 2010 Alisa and drove West in our Honda Accord, explored 11 new parks and traveled across America. Each day was a new adventure that as a family we experienced together for the first time.
We accomplished our quest during the summer of 2014 and this book tells the true story of how we went from an ordinary family of four in Charlotte to the Parks Family who also went to every state in America in 6 years.
