This past weekend we were honored to be interviewed by Boyd Matson on his National Geographic Weekend radio program. You can listen to our eight minute interview here:

We’d been told to expect to spend most of the interview talking about National Parks so we mentally revisited the more than 100 National Parks we’ve been to since our Journey began in in 2006. This was a fun bit of prep during which we came up with a kind of National Parks Hit List. In the end, our interview with Boyd focused almost entirely on the whys and hows of our Trans-Americas Journey and not on National Parks, but we don’t want our list to go to waste so here it is. Need more reasons to go visit a National Park this summer? August 15 and 16 will be the last of this summer’s Fee Free Weekends during which most National Parks waive their entrance fees.

Park It!

Most Unique: Denali National Park & Preseve in Alaska because the wildlife here is still wild (and everywhere) which means you really feel like part of the food chain, not just another ho-hum human visitor. Also, this is the only National Park we know of where you’re allowed to hike anywhere you want, not simply on established trails.

Most Varied: Lassen Volcanic National Park in California because it delivers bears, volcanoes and geysers in one package.

Biggest Surprise: Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida because even the two hour ferry ride from Key West out to the park is full of marine life and because the snorkeling and beach camping once you get to this park, which protects the third largest barrier reef system in the world, is some of the most beautiful, accessible and low key in the country.

Most Underrated: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park in California because the redwood groves rival (and even outdo) Yosemite’s and because we saw seven bears in one day here.m