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Across the Fence: What National Parks have you been to?  |
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lovelady
True Blue Farmgirl
    
533 Posts
Toni
Indiana
USA
533 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2009 : 05:01:05 AM
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Or even great state parks?
I really want to take my kids to as many National Parks as possible. I have loved the few that I have been to, and really want them to appreciate the natural beauty of our country.
So far, I have been to Glacier, Great Smoky Mountain, Hot Springs, and Mammoth Cave National Parks. I don't remember much about Hot Springs, and it has been awhile since I went to Mammoth and Smoky Mtn, but I went to Glacier just a few years ago, and was completely in awe.
As far as State Parks, close to us there is Turkey Run which is very pretty and has a neat lodge. There are several canoe outfitters nearby and you can ride horses in the park.
This spring while we were in Florida we we stayed at Wakulla Springs SP. It was awesome. They have a Spanish style lodge with an old fashioned elevator, elegant dining room, and no TV!! I loved it. So did my husband, but he wanted TV. Amazingly enough, he survived two nights without it! The old Tarzan movies were filmed there, and they have glass-bottomed boat tours down the river through the park where you can see all kinds of wildlife.
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
    
22944 Posts

Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22944 Posts |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
    
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2009 : 09:12:31 AM
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I keep a list of all the ones we have been to. It's long! Acadia (Maine) Appalachian Trail (Parts all along it) Badlands (South Dakota) Big Cypruss (Florida) Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia/NC) Boston Historical National Park (Mass) Buffalo Natl River (Arkansas) Cape Cod National Seashore (Mass) Central High School (Little Rock, Arkansas) Colonial Nat’l Park/Williamsburg (Virginia) Denali Nat’l Park (Alaska) Devils Tower (Wyoming) Everglades (Florida) Fort Smith (Arkansas) Glacier National Park (Montana) Grand Canyon (Arizona) Great Smokey Mountains (NC/Tenn) Gulf Islands Nat’l Seashore (Miss/FL) Hot Springs Nat’l Park (Arkansas) Joshua Tree (California) Kenai Fjords (Alaska) Little Bighorn (Montana) Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Nat’l Park (Vermont) Mount Rushmore (South Dakota) Petrified Forest (Arizona) Saguaro (Arizona) Saint Croix (Maine) Saint Gaudens (New Hampshire) Statue of Liberty (New York) not sure if this counts, I saw it from an airplane! White Sands (New Mexico) Yellowstone (Wyoming)
Farmgirl Sister #17 Blog www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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KellyWall
True Blue Farmgirl
   
336 Posts
Kelly
Apison
Tn
USA
336 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2009 : 5:13:06 PM
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Acadia Naional Park in Maine is awesome. We had a great time there, in fact I am wearing my t-shirt I got there right now! Kelly |
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prairie_princess
True Blue Farmgirl
    
613 Posts
Elizabeth
Carpenter
WY
USA
613 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2009 : 5:33:42 PM
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my hubby and i are national and state park fanatics... anything that is natural. here is my list:
Point Reyes, CA Yosimite, CA Kings Canyon, CA Sequoia, CA Grand Canyon, AZ Petrified Forest, AZ Sunset Crater, AZ Tuzigoot, AZ Walnut Canyon, AZ Valley of Fire, NV Zion, UT Bryce Canyon, UT Rocky Mountain, CO Craters of the Moon, ID Yellowstone, WY Grand Teton, WY Devil's Tower, WY Big Hole, MT Glacier, MT Jewel Cave, SD Mount Rushmore, SD Agate Fossil Beds, NE Hawaii Volcanoes, HI
I haven't gotten over to the eastern parks, but would love to! this November, we may make it down to New Mexico to Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands, as well as some cliff dwellings in the area. in February my hubby wants to make it to most of the Utah National Parks.... out of all of the parks in the country, i most recommend the cluster of parks in Utah... i've only been to the two so far, but the whole area is just amazing! I did a geographical paper on them and learned so much about how they were formed... simply amazing. visit Zion, Bryce, Arches, Capitol Reef, and all the little state parks in between in that area of Utah. Also, i don't think Yellowstone can be beat as far as national parks go... i recommend visiting in the off seasons if you aren't fond of crowds like i am, even though it is one of the more cliche parks, it is still absolutely amazing!
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world." - Charles Dudley Warner |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
    
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2009 : 7:31:55 PM
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We always stay at the state parks in MI. National Parks? Acadia, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mtn., Yellowstone, Tetons, Mt. Rushmore, Smokies, Mammoth Cave, Pictured Rocks, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Cumberland Gap, Olympic, Mt. Rainer. Wow...that's more than I thought. Of course these are the ones I have been too...my children haven't been to all these though.
Toni...come on up to MI...we have a bunch of great state parks here! This will get you to the gov website http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ This one http://www.stateparks.com/mi.html has little green tree on the state map that show you where in the mitten the parks are. We've stayed at a bunch and been to a bunch more.
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Edited by - StarMeadow on Aug 02 2009 7:49:25 PM |
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lovelady
True Blue Farmgirl
    
533 Posts
Toni
Indiana
USA
533 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 04:17:10 AM
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T~ Thanks for the link! Since we are relatively close to Michigan, I have done a bit of research into taking a vacation up there. I have looked at Pictured Rocks and Sleeping Bear Dunes, but haven't looked much into the state parks. Michigan has so many beautiful places! Do you have any favorites?
Wow, Julie & Elizabeth! How awesome that you have gotten to see so many of them! The parks that I am most excited to see are Acadia, Yellowstone, and pretty much the entire state of Utah.
Elizabeth~ I completely agree about wanting to visit in the off-season! I detest crowds and you get to see so much more without all the people there! I have seriously considered home-schooling my kids so that we can take vacations when everyone else is in school. Is that bad? |
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Amy Warwick
True Blue Farmgirl
  
102 Posts
Amy
Oakesdale
WA
USA
102 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 07:24:26 AM
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Arches National Park in Utah? is fantastic. Also, Bryce Canyon was amazing. Yellowstone was okay (a little too much in the car time for me) and GRand Canyon was okay as well. I would love to go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and stay a fortnight at the ranch down there.
Amy
For information on SUMMER SNOW please visit www.amywarwick.com
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it ~Aristotle
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
    
13770 Posts

CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13770 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 09:56:05 AM
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Grand Canyon in Arizona Mesa Verde National Park . . . right here in my front yard!!! Southwest Colorado Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef in Utah, also Arches, Coral Pink Sand Dunes and Canyonlands in Utah Rocky Mountain in NE Colorado Yellowstone in Wy Great Smokies Glacier in Montana Great Sand Dunes in southcentral Colorado
Perhaps others that I'm just not remembering. Ridgway State Park in SW Colorado has great camping, big lake for fishing, boating and has a swim beach. CJ
from the barefoot farmgirl |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
    
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 6:33:12 PM
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I'm not entirely clear on which places I've been are National Parks. For instance, I would never have thought of Saint-Gaudens if I hadn't seen it listed here. I'll have to start paying attention and add to my list.
Acadia National Park, ME Arches National Park, UT Canyon de Chelley National Monument, AZ Canyonlands National Park, UT Rocky Mountain National Park, CO Zion National Park, UT
And historic sites administered by the NPS:
Antietam, MD Gettysburg, PA Oregon Trail: Chimney Rock and Scott's Bluff, NE Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, VT Valley Forge, PA
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
    
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 04:30:44 AM
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Shawnee National Forest (does that count as a park? In downstate IL - one of my favorites!) Great Smoky Mountains Mammoth Cave Grand Canyon Yosemite Petrified Forest National Park Alcatraz Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (again does that count?) Muir Woods Niagra Falls
We've driven the Trail of Tears National Trail and camped in the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
    
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 06:52:05 AM
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We've only been to a few -
Crater Lake Glacier National Yosemite
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
    
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 07:46:48 AM
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Yellowstone, Smoky Mountain, Grand Tetons, Big Sur State Park, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, John Pennecamp in the Keys, Mount Rushmore, Walnut Canyon, Torreya State Park in Florida (beautiful), Ocala National Forest, Shenendoah, Petrified Forest, Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho right outside of Sun Valley, Roosevelt (national forest or state park in Georgia near Calloway Gardens)....thank goodness for all these beuatiful places that have been preserved.
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
Edited by - jpbluesky on Aug 04 2009 07:57:06 AM |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
    
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 09:02:09 AM
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It would be easier to name the ones that I haven't visited. I've not been to Oregon or Washington. Have not been to the parks in S.W. CO. I'm sure there are many that we have not visited. Did anyone mention Dinasour National park? Utah/Colorado. About the most boring park of all. Also,Alibates Flint Quarries Nat'l Monument in the Texas panhandle. Fun place to hike.
Julie, I love The Buffalo River. My sister and I "discovered" it one summer while driving down Hwy 7 in Arkansas. We stayed in Jasper for several days. That was back when the motel there was a bunch of trailer houses hooked together. Now, I understand there is a really nice new hotel there.
Belle |
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NikkiBeaumont
True Blue Farmgirl
   
473 Posts
473 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 09:37:29 AM
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Whoa, DUDE, Julie and Elizabeth, y'all are blowing me away with all of y'alls travels! Awesome!
Toni!!! I am planning on going to Wakulla Springs some time in October! I've been wanting to go there ever since I read Bailey White's description of it and at that time we are going to be really close to it. Man, each Florida Spring has its own personality. I want to go to every one of them!
Oh, what an interesting way to catalog and organize your travels! It would certainly be something to go to every one of our gorgeous "true" national treasures!
Farmgirl Sister #554 http://leedsalabama.blogspot.com/ http://alabamaheartofdixie.blogspot.com/ |
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naturemaiden
True Blue Farmgirl
    
2569 Posts
Connie - Farmgirl #673
Hoosick Falls
NY
USA
2569 Posts |
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knitnpickinatune
True Blue Farmgirl
    
1140 Posts

Sherrie
Gardena
California
USA
1140 Posts |
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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
    
2474 Posts

Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 10:53:04 AM
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We love Parks. I've been to 54 of our 67 Minnesota state parks. Also we have visited Acadia, Badlands, Everglades, Cape Cod, Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Saguaro, Bristlecone Pine Forest, Voyaugers (Minnesota) and Yosemite. We are very lucky to have seen these because with the amount of people visiting the parks, we all leave an imprint. Nature cannot be replaced. Bonnie Ellis #298 an artist-naturalist.
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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Across the Fence: What National Parks have you been to?  |
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