I just received the latest issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine. Its arrival each month is a guilty pleasure: I pore over the pages, imagining I have the budget and body type to rush out and rappel/climb/surf/kayak at whim. This month has an article by Tim Cahill on the best of our national parks.
In it, he quotes Wallace Stegner:
"National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst."
I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by our nation's worst lately, and am anxious to share as many of these last best places with my kids as possible. We've done some of the biggies but I thought I'd solicit some opinions from people I respect...that would be my virtual friends here!