Picture at Top of the Dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, USA

(July 9 – 10, 2019) The Great Sand Dunes National park which is surrounded by mountains and streams were not what I expected or could even imagine. Experiencing crossing the Medano Creek and hiking the dunes were well worth visiting this park. It was not easy hiking up the dunes (Elevation Gain: about 700 feet = 213 meters). The sun was brutal during midday. I didn’t bring enough water. I stopped and thought about quitting many times. Eventually reaching to the top of the dunes, I patted myself on the back.

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Mushroom Rocks, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Rocky Mountain High!

“…Now he walks in quiet solitude
The forests and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside
Himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake…”

–by John Denver and Mike Taylor

(June 24 to July 1, 2019) Rocky Mountain National Park is my 17th National Park stop during this trip which started in March. In the park, driving on the “Trail Ridge Road” (the highest continuous paved highway in North America),

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My Campsite (#1) at Cedar Pass Campground, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA

(June 20 – 24, 2019) Why it called “Badlands”? It says “French Trappers in the mid-1700s, frustrated by the land’s sharp peaks and crumbling rock, regarded the area as ‘les mauvaises terres’ (bad lands). The Lakota (a Native American Tribe) also began calling this place Mako sica (land bad).” 

Sometimes, timing is the most important thing in life. It seems I visited South Dakota during the best time. It was just beautiful. Badlands National Park was a lot more than I expected. Driving a loop road,

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“I have always said I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Bison near a Parking Lot in Painted Canyon Overlook, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, USA

(June 19 – 20, 2019) Driving from the state of Montana to North Dakota was relaxing. I was often the sole driver on the highway. It is summer: long sunny days in the Northern States. Beautiful green land with lots of cows all over. Human population in the State of North Dakota is less than 800,000 but cattle population is about 1.8 million.

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At Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

(June 11 – 16, 2019) After leaving the Yellowstone North Entrance, I immediately arrived in the State of Montana. No sales taxes, wide straight roads, and flat agricultural prairies! There are about 1 million people living in Montana. Summer is beautiful. Winter might be brutal. Montana welcomed me with a warm and cozy embrace.

Glacier
National Park is called “The Crown of the Continent”. It is a name well
deserved. There are beautiful lakes, flowers, waterfalls and glaciers in the
park. I visited both East and West Glacier National Park.

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Early Morning after Getting Snow at Night, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming/Idado/Montana, USA

(June 4 –
10, 2019) Humans and animals share equal status in Yellowstone National Park.
Bisons (Buffaloes) don’t mind walking in the campgrounds. Elks often walk by
the road. Some people say they have seen bears on the roads and wolves in the
valleys.  

When the geysers shoot hot water into the air it feels great as it is still pretty chilly. It felt good to get a bit of natural earthly warmth when it was cold. At a green meadow by the rivers, I sat quietly just watched and listened.

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Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA

(May 29 – June 4, 2019) Just a decade ago, I visited Grand Teton National Park for a day of driving from one viewpoint to another to see as many places as humanly possible. The views of the Grand Teton Mountains and lakes have stayed vividly in my memory. This time, I wandered the park at a nice slow pace. Time has been my main asset since I stopped working. Teton means breast in French despite the fact that the Grand Teton Mountains look so manly and young. How French explorers thought “Breasts” while looking at those mountains is beyond my understanding.

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The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Performance, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

(May 19 –
29, 2019) When I left home back in March, I had one main goal for this trip.
That was visiting Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley, and all of the
National Parks in Utah. I am grateful for mission accomplished.

Even
though I like camping, I sometimes miss my own comfort, convenience, and the
easy zone: HOME! The recent weather has not been good (cold, windy, and/or
rainy) for camping. After visiting the 5th National Park in
Utah, I thought about driving toward home. One side of my brain kept telling me
that I should visit Glacier Park in Montana as I am all the way up here.

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White Rim Trail, Canyonlands, Utah, USA

(May 14 – 19, 2019) After leaving
Moab at 6 am, I arrived at the “Island in the Sky Campground” in Canyonlands
National Park, Utah. This campground has 12 sites including one for the
disabled. They say that the early bird gets the worm, and I took the only
spot available as I arrived. The thing of “First-Come, First-Served” is taking
a chance but the lucky ones always smile.

Camping in the National Park is
like having the whole national park as my home. It is the best. I also love the
name “Island in the Sky”.

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