"America's Best Idea"

Chris and I have been watching the new Ken Burns PBS special "The National Parks, America's Best Idea" all week. It has been a long time since I watched anything on television that I have enjoyed so! The special started Sunday evening with the beginning of the concept of setting aside land for the people to enjoy in the mid 1800's. We are now into the middle 1930's and I can't stop watching : )
It is amazing to me how there were certain individuals who showed up at the right place and time and were instrumental in promoting and preserving those places that we love so much. My parents loved our national parks and would never let a year go by without us visiting one if not several of them.
I will never forget as a small child my first trip to Yosemite Valley
as our car left the long tunnel and I got my first glimpse of El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls!
When I grew up and our children came along it was a given that our vacations would always include visiting the national parks. I am sure Mike, Julie, and Shannon remember well the pictures that had to be taken at every national park : ) So to take a trip down memory lane here are a few pictures (too many to count) of some of our national park visits!
(I will let you guess just where some of these were taken including my kids : )