Rate National Parks

Hello many fans and followers…

Rate National Parks staff is planning a visit to the great US Northwest for next season and is looking for advice.  The major sites such as Mt. Ranier and Olympic NP are obvious choices but if anyone can provide advice on places, eats, or activities that might not be readily obvious it would be helpful.  I have personally been to the area but not for some time now and I’m sure a lot has changed.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

RNP

 As told by AJ Gellman from her 1996 adventure.

There are many choices of how to see the Grand Canyon. Walking along the rim, helicopter fly over, muleback riding, or hiking to the bottom but in order to see it from the bottom up - my choice was rafting.  
 

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Watching a sunrise from atop the Haleakela volcano on Maui had been described as a “must do before you die” experience.  We heard this from brochures, travel books, and hotel staff.  Of course we had to give it a try.  First let me say that it was really tough waking up before 5:00 AM while on vacation.  It was my honeymoon to be exact so even more the problem.  At that hour it is quite chilly. The open sided jeep we were driving forced us to tote the hotel blankets along with us for warmth. (more…)

Yellowstone, in addition to being America’s first national park is also the quintessential national park.  Yellowstone has it all.  Wide open spaces, abundant wildlife, unique thermal features, virtuous waterfalls, colorful canyons, mountains, rustic lodges, and year-round recreation.  The question of the 1988 fires and whether the park was destroyed always seems to come up.  On a 2006 visit I did see some burnt areas that were not recovering but the majority of charred land had healthy, dense new growth rising up around the older burned trunks. To be honest, the mix of newer trees and burned areas made for even more interesting landscapes than I recall from a pre-fire visit.  (more…)

Disclaimer: My last visit to this park was when it was still a lowly National Monument (1979).  Still, how much could have changed?  Please comment to confirm or contest this premise.  (more…)