National Parks

My parents raised me to travel and experience new places and love God's creation. When I was eight we took our first National Park trip with our neighbors, the Williams. Ten people: four adults and six kids ranging from 3 to 14. We flew to Las Vegas, rented a 15 passenger van, and took off on the first of many trips.

Fifteen years later and we have completed our eighth Nobles-Williams National Park trip. After 2006, the trips became high school graduation trips. Every other year one of the "kids" would graduate and choose the destination. Three years passed since our last trip due to a three year gap between graduations. Kate is our recent high school grad and chose to return to Utah where our first trip was. She was three and only remembers hating lizards and crying a lot.

Let me outline previous destinations for fun. Including highlights that may not fully make sense.

2002-Utah: Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon.

Highlight: Lizards, the Desert Pearl, and fake-but-realistic train robbing, Jesus riding on the White Horse, Circus Circus, trying to play slot machines at 8

2004- Pacific Northwest: Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, Hoh Rainforest, Victoria B.C., Astoria

Highlights: Singing in the shower, pancakes at Paradise Inn, ice cream for breakfast, the Pacific coast, Carrie Glacier, playing in snow in June

2006- Aaron's Senior Trip: Salt Lake City, Glacier National Park, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone

Highlights: Glacier and everything about it. Glacier. Making up songs in the car, discovery of pit toilets, hike to Avalanche Lake, bears

2008- Alyssa's Senior Trip: Boston, Harvard, Freedom Trail, Patriots, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor

Highlights: Pretending to be Elle Woods at Harvard, Gillette Stadium, Rick and Dick's Bed and Breakfast, the weasel, beaver dams, kayaking around Bar Harbor and hitting lobster traps, eating lobster, Ben and Jerry's factory

2010- Emily's Senior Trip to California: San Fransisco, Redwoods, Lassen, Yosemite

Highlights: Pretending to be in Full House, looking for the Full House house, Ghirardelli factory, ice cream, snow, big trees, elks, switchbacks, tent cabins, bears

2012- Carrie's Senior Trip to Colorado: Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Garden of the gods, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Rocky Mountain National Park

Highlights: Rocks, snow, sand hitting you at 40 mph, eating quail, horse back riding in the Rockies, ice cream

2014- Brandon's Senior Trip to Oregon: Portland, Mt. Hood, Lava Buttes, Bend, John Day Fossil Bed, Crater Lake, Oregon Caves, Pacific Coast in Bandon

Highlights: Voodoo Donuts, Food Trucks, the Pacific Coast, hiking Wizard Island, drinking out of Crater Lake, the Chateau at Oregon Caves, pretending to race speeders in the Redwoods where they shot Return of the Jedi, sea stacks, ice cream, coffee

2017- Kate's Senior Trip: Bryce, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Zion

Over the next few weeks, I will post about our latest trip that includes the highlights and my favorite pictures.

I am so thankful I have been able to experience our National Parks over the past 15 years. Everyone in the parks are kind and happy. It is like a glimpse of heaven to be in a National Park. Surrounded by beauty that has stood for millions of years. 

Mom and Dad, thank you for taking us then and now. So many of my favorite memories are in National Parks.

Carrie, Alyssa, Kathryn, Beth, Stephen, Randy, and Kate. Aaron napped while we went to see the sunset. Emily and Brandon (Steven and Beth's "kids") had other obligations and did not go on the 2017 trip.