Thank you 2023 + HNY 2024!

2023 was a gift from the heavens! I was able to experience so many amazing adventures beyond my wildest dreams. My goal of this year was to finally get back out into the world and complete many of the trips that I scheduled to celebrate beating cancer, which had been cancelled due to COVID.

For my National Park Service Unit Adventure, I visited:

New = 57 Total … with 5 new National Parks, 51 new NPS Units, and one already visited

Revisits = 10 NPS Units

Total Yearly Visits = 67

Total Units to Date = 183 NPS Units (@ 43% of the goal)

Notes: I accomplished my 40 Unit Yearly Goal in July. Plus I attempted to explore 6 Units that did not ultimately happen for various reasons … and they will simply have to wait for another day!

Here is the detail:

National Parks:

Acadia National Park in Maine (133 in July 2023)
Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona (174 in November 2023)
White Sand Dunes National Park in New Mexico (177 in November 2023)
Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico (178 in November 2023)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas (179 in November 2023)

National Park Units:

San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico (127 in January 2023)
Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park in California (128 in May 2023)
Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site in California (129 in May 2023)
Lowell National Historic Park in Massachusetts (130 in July 2023)
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in New Hampsire (131 in July 2023)
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont (132 in July 2023)
Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts (134 in July 2023)
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in Massachusetts (135 in July 2023)
Roger Williams National Memorial in Rhode Island (136 in July 2023)
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park in Rhode Island (137 in July 2023)
Weir Farm National Historical Park in Conneticut (138 in July 2023)
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historical Site in New York (139 in July 2023)
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in New York (140 in July 2023)
Eleanore Roosevelt National Historical Site in New York (141 in July 2023)
Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River in Pennsylvania (142 in July 2023)
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania (143 in July 2023)
Steamtown National Historical Site in Pennsylvania (144 in July 2023)
Hopewell Furnace National Historical Site in Pennsylvania (145 in July 2023)
Valley Forge National Historic Park in Pennsylvania (146 in July 2023)
Edgar Allen Poe National Historical Site in Pennsylvania (147 in July 2023)
Thaddeus Kosciuscko National Memorial in Pennsylvania (148 in July 2023)
First State National Historical Park in Delaware (149 in July 2023)
Hampton National Historical Site in Maryland (150 in July 2023)
Fort McHenry National Monument in Maryland (151 in July 2023)
Greenbelt Park in Maryland (152 in July 2023)
Clara Barton National Historical Site in Maryland (153 in July 2023)
Great Falls Park in Virginia (154 in July 2023)
Monocacy National Battlefield in Maryland (155 in July 2023)
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Maryland (156 in July 2023)
Harper's Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia (157 in July 2023)
Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland (158 in July 2023)
Cotoctin Mountain Park in Maryland (159 in July 2023)
Eisenhower National Historial Site in Pennsylvania (160 in July 2023)
Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Pennsylvania (161 in July 2023)
Friendship Hill National Historic Site in Pennsylvania (162 in July 2023)
Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania (163 in July 2023)
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historical Site in Pennsylvania (164 in July 2023)
Johnstown Flood National Memorial in Pennsylvania (165 in July 2023)
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in New York (166 in July 2023)
Women's Rights National Historical Park in New York (167 in July 2023)
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in New York (168 in July 2023)
Fort Stanwix National Memorial in New York (169 in July 2023)
Saratoga National Historical Park in New York (170 in July 2023)
Martin Van Buren National Historical Site in New York (171 in July 2023)
Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Massachusetts (172 in July 2023)
Fredrick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Massachusetts (173 in July 2023)
El Morro National Monument in Arizona (175 in November 2023)
El Malpais National Monument in Arizona (176 in November 2023)
Chamizal National Memorial in Texas (180 in November 2023)
National Capital Parks East in DC (181 in July 2023). In November, while doing some NPS research, I realized we visited this Unit when we explored at Greenbelt Park.
John Muir National Historic Site in California (182 in December 2023)
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial in California (183 in December 2023) ✅ As Port Chicago is on an active military base, it is not an easy one to experience. Actually, less than 1,000 visitors per year are lucky enough to visit. I am super excited to share that finally on my 6th attempt, I was able to explore and learn at this powerful memorial. My first attempt was in November 2022 for a weekend trip with Paola to do a roots tour for her in Berkeley, but she got sick and couldn’t travel. Then I moved it to December 2022 with Mak, but we had an ice storm in Portland … and we could have flown there, but PDX shut down and we would not have made it back for the Holidays, so we proactively cancelled. Then I booked again for June 23td 2023 with Mak when I was driving him back down to LA, but that time was moved to July 7th and it was too on the heals of our 4th of July Holiday and our big East Coast Adventure. Then I was scheduled for October 14th with James and I was hoping my 5th attempt will be the charm. I was so excited to finally meet Ranger Eric who has been so helpful in my planning … however, that was cancelled too. Next up was December 7th, which was cancelled once, then opened again. I booked my flights and hotel and cancelled my flights and hotel, only to book my flight and hotel again … plus a rental car to make sure I arrived everywhere on-time to not miss out on this unique experience! And I did not get to meet Ranger Eric as he was at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park for a joint event with Pearl Harbor on this historic day. Thank you to President Obama for dedicating this park and encouraging everyone to learn this significant, yet mostly unknown, history.

Attempted, but will have to wait for another time:

Saint Croix Island National Memorial … even before the trip started, and now from Bar Harbor, ME, Sam and I were invited to spend the day on our friend’s boat in the area. The original planning did not mesh, but today the fog helped that dream come true. So we are punting on those two Units and going to meet them in Camden. Since they are on a boat battling the weather coming to see us now, we cannot take chances going East and North and being late to meet up with them. So it is all about the omelette breakfast bar for Sam tomorrow with a leisurely day down to Camden. And a bonus is that I booked us a car pass on Cadillac Summit Road, to fully experience Acadia. Then we will spend the night in Rockland, which is 15 minutes away from Camden. I love adventure. and teaching Sam that sometimes it is best to pivot when opportunity calls.
Katahdin Woods & Waters National Memorial (see above)
Rock Creek Park Revisit … Sam was hungry for a burger so we passed on going to the park and enjoyed a nice meal together. I will add it to my DC trip itinerary.
I had planned to visit the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve with Ryder before he flew the coop onward to college … and to finish my Oregon Section, however, life and schedules got into the way. We had planned to go on Wednesday 8/23 but Mak came to town to visit that week … so we moved it to Sunday 8/27 but Bo and I had to attend a Celebration of Life for a dear friend … so I moved it to Monday 8/28, only to realize that Sam starts school tomorrow, 8/29 and he wants me to be there on the first day of his Sophomore Year. Then this weekend is Labor Day and we are over in Neskowin for Papa’s birthday and the park closes for the season on Labor Day. Alas, I will visit next summer!
Voyagers National Park (also planned on attempting in June 2022 … but got COVID and had to cancel all of my travel plans to Minnesota). Planned again for September 2023, with my Sister an d fellow NPS Park lover Rachel with her goal of exploring all 63 National Parks. Only to realize that we had not planned our Isle Royal National Park Ferry/Sea Plane accordingly and will have to push this unique combo experience to Fall 2024. We also missed during this swing was Mississippi National River & Recreation Area and Pipestone National Monument.
Isle Royal National Park (see above)

I’ve also decided to explore the world with the ones I love and this year was full of travel to:

2 New Continents for a total of 6! = South America and Antarctica

9 New Countries with a total of 24! = Argentina, Chile, Argentina again, Uruguay, Portugal, The Netherlands, Greece, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nicaragua.

And 3 New States: with a total of 39! = Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut

My goal for 2024, is to say yes to adventure and I am so lucky that I so many great travel buddies! That said, my youngest Sam, who is my only guy left at home, has informed me that I travelled too much this year … which I am sure lovingly translated to he missed me! So I am going to limit my travel to shorter trips or take him along. He is such a good adventure buddy and I look forward to our fun ahead.

HNY and enjoy your celebrations!

May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sunshine always warm your face. The rain fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again may <Mother Nature> hold you in the palm of <her> hand — Irish Blessing with a nature spin!

And here are some favorite memories that popped up this year …