My Favorite Parks
early October 2023
While we ate dinner with Scott and his wife in Hotchkiss, Scott asked the question I have received so many times: "So which was your favorite park?" People first asked me that at the second park I visited, and now I get it regularly.
I smile and shake my head when I hear the query. That would be like me asking, which do you like most: a loaded banana split, a T-bone steak still sizzling from the grill, a deep-tissue Swedish massage, or a guided tour via e-bike? Each park has something special to offer, their own allure, so it depends on your priorities at any given moment.
Are you looking for an ultimate wildlife experience? It's hard to beat Katmai's bears.
Want to challenge yourself? Try backpacking at Mt. Rainier.
Interested in facing your fears? Cable up and walk the catwalk 850' above the New River Gorge.
Will you try your hand at an outlandish sport? Head to frigid Denali park to mush a dogsled team.
Looking for a different environment? Go underground at Mammoth Cave,
or strap on crampons and walk one of Wrangell's glaciers.
If someone pushes me to pick one, I really have but one choice: Rocky Mountain, my 'home park' when growing up in Colorado... and since I got married there. But I can't downplay the charm of so many other sites.
As this challenge winds down, I thought more about the great landscapes and environments I have had the opportunity to visit. Before long, lyrics to another song began popping into my mind:
Riding a carriage pulled along by horses
In the Grand Canyon, seeing nature's forces
Wilderness floating on serene Lake Clark
These are a few of my favorite parks
Watch bears at Katmai sneaking up behind us
Seeing Glacier park while riding the Red Bus
Chopper over Badlands, fly above landmarks
These are a few of my favorite parks
In the Biscayne Bay, swimming with the fishes
Olympic Park has tide pools filled with riches
Getting an old-time massage - that's a lark
These are a few of my favorite parks
Chorus:
When the bills come
When the snow flies
when I feel paralyzed
I simply remember my favorite parks
and then I feel energized
In cold Kenai Fjords, watch playful sea otters
Glacier Bay day boat shows ice meeting waters
White desert sand dunes with beauty so stark
These are a few of my favorite parks
Paddle your kayak through the breaking sea waves
Stalagmites rise up in the dark Mammoth Caves
Dog sled in Denali, air echoes with barks
These are a few of my favorite parks
Volcano sunset high over the ocean
Epic river waves keep your raft in motion
Rowing thru the swamp, get lost, off your marks
These are a few of my favorite parks
(Chorus *2)
The video for the song now resides online. Cut and paste
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IdWRaA9UxU
into your browser, or search YouTube for 'My Favorite Parks'. Go ahead and sing along with me!
Coming very soon: my final two parks...