Western National Parks & More - Fall 2015

[Pmount]

I just got back from a 36 day trip through the west, visiting over 20 National Park sites and
National Historic Trails, plus a variety of other activities. We traveled through Arizona, Utah,
Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado. In the past I have posted Field
Trip Reports in real-time. For this trip I decided to wait until I returned, as I knew many places
we camped would have none, or limited, cell phone and internet connection. I'll be posting daily,
with a few gaps.
Some of our usual activities I will preview here so you can have some background information.
Passport Stamps - as we travel through NPS sites we collected a small, round, dated stamp that
is issued to the sites by Eastern National. A club we belong to, National Park Travelers Club,
maintains a database with the location of the stamps. My husband, is a self-described fanatic,
as well others in the club who want to collect all of the stamps possible. Some of the sites have
bonus stamps which can be very attractive.
Letterboxing - a fun, treasuring hunting hobby which started in England in the late 1800s. Today
2 websites provide access to clues; Atlas Quest and LBNA. It is similar to
geocaching, but involves exchanging hand-carved stamps between your personal stamp and
the stamp you find in the box.
Junior/Senior Ranger programs - I complete these programs as I travel.I have a blog titled,
'Junior Ranger-Senior Friendly'
Quest Scouts - recently I have been participating in a new online adult-oriented scout-style
program. It has been a lot of fun, and works well while traveling or staying at home.
Instagram - As part of recording my Quest Scout activities and posting pictures, as part of the
NPS Centennial celebration, to Find Your Park I have an account - SrJrRanger
As in the past I'll include pictures along the way and list some of the wildlife we see during the
day. As the trip progress feel free to comment or question, either in the forum or by private
message. I hope some of the information will entertain and also inform you for your own travels.
So here goes. . .