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The GodFathor's
From the Summit of Devil's Tower, July 2001
How it all Started...
How it all Started...
In June of 2001, I started my first real adventure in life – I packed up my car and left Virginia after almost 22 years. My plan was to start a new chapter somewhere out west and see what I could see while driving from coast to coast – heading for my birthplace of Seattle, WA.
What I didn’t know was that I’d be starting an entirely different journey that would transcend my short three years on the west coast and be with me for the rest of my life: National Park Hopping.
It was Devil’s Tower in eastern Wyoming where I earned my first National Park Passport Cancellation Stamp and bought my first passport book. I then spent a couple extra days learning how to mountain climb - capping it all off by scaling to the summit of Devil’s Tower.
Since that summer, I have been slowly accumulating every National Park Passport Cancellation (NPPC) stamp I could find while adventuring to see and learn as much as I could each time I collected a new stamp.
This is where I share where I’ve been, what I’ve seen, the stamps I’ve collected, and all my future travels to come as I strive to collect them all!
Yosemite 2026 Roadtrip to Half Dome
Yosemite 2026 Roadtrip to Half Dome
I won the lottery for a permit to hike Half Dome for July 22, 2026. I turned that one epic day into a two week road trip that would include Great Sand Dunes, Great Basin, Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Joshua Tree National Parks.
Read all the details [here].
Number of National Parks, Historical Sites, Monuments, and Memorials Visited:
As of 7/21/26: 264 out of 433 (62%)
Number of Official 'National Parks' Visited:
As of 7/21/26: 42 out of 63 (67%)
Official National Parks Visited:
Great Baisn (Nevada)
Great Sand Dunes (Colorado)
Kings Canyon (California)
Sequoia (California)
Yosemite (California)
National Parks left:
Joshua Tree (California)
Channel Islands (California)
Lassen Volcanic (California)
Pinnacles (California)
Saguaro (Arizona)
Crater Lake (Oregon)
Big Bend (Texas)
Guadalupe Mountains (Texas)
Isle Royal (Michigan)
Voyaguers (Minnesota)
Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico)
White Sands (New Mexico)
Denali (Alaska)
Gates of the Artic (Alaska)
Glaicer Bay (Alaska)
Katmai (Alaska)
Kenjai Fords (Alaska)
Kobuk Valley (Alaska)
Lake Clark (Alaska)
North Cascades (Washington)
Wrangell-St. Elias (Washington)
Indiana Dunes (Indiana) (Visited before it was an NP)
Favorite National Parks:
1) Glacier National Park: The wildlife. The sheer volume and quantity of some of the most incredible hikes and views is awesome. I can't think of another National Park I want to spend more time exploring than Glacier.
2) Bryce Canyon: Awe inspiring view and a phenomenal looping hike all through the canyon. I could spend hours just enjoying the view from the overlooks.
3) Shenandoah: So many hikes, Skyline drive is gorgeous, and it has a special place in my heart as Virginia's official National Park.
4) Zion: BEST scenic drive thru views of any National Park and incredible hikes like the Narrows and Angel's Landing.
5) Grand Canyon: A Natural Wonder of the World that can only be appreciated by seeing in person as no picture ever does it justice. Looking forward to hiking/mule riding into the Canyon someday.
6) Capitol Reef National Park: It looks like something out of my favorite Wile E. Coyote cartoons with both short and long hikes. To be honest, I think it is the pies at the "Pie Shop" that put this in my top 6 - best fruit pies EVER!
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