In the past year that I've had my annual National Park pass I've hit 24 national parks, monuments and historic sites. Some I've spent quite a bit of time exploring, and others have been mere afternoon stops on my way to something else. But the one thing that they all have in common is that they've made me more and more curious and interested in my country's national parks. Because of this, I picked up The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns to read and learn mor...

With the exception of maybe going into space, I've never had a great desire for exploratory travel. Paddling down unknown rivers in the deep dark with disintegrating clothing due to the humidity and hardships holds very little charm. I think it's impressive what others do on their adventures as they go into uncharted territory, but there's something about a bed and a bathroom that floats my boat. Still though, I have nothing against reading a good book on the subject.