Planning for the return to vacationing. What a horrible word.

Last year, former National Geographic travel photographer, Jonathan Irish, and NASA employee, Stephanie Payne,set off to see all of America’s 59 national parks in 52 weeks.
These are some of the best.
The couple decided to take the trip in honour of the centennial last year as a way to celebrate the parks and inspire travellers to get out and explore them.
The pair, who had regularly visited national parks as children, spent as many as nine days in some of these parks to see the sites that many travellers never get to.

After reading about them( the eleven National Parks we fancied doing and in their top 12), we have decided that once this coronavirus has been put to bed, and with the caviat that we haven't been put in a box we are going to do. Not sure how we will do it, but we have plenty of time to sort it out.


Death Valley National Park, which spans both California and Nevada, thanks to the park's incredible variety of landscapes.

Grand Tetons national Park -Wildlife lovers will enjoy Grand Tetons National Park, in Wyoming, where they can see elks, grizzly bears, owls, sea otters, and more

Glacier national Park - Irish says Montana's Glacier National Park is ideal for those who love hiking. The park is home to a variety of backcountry trails where hikers can see an array of wildlife, including moose, grizzly bears, and black bears.

Badlands national Park - What makes South Dakota's  so impressive is the fact that visitors are invited to walk directly onto the badlands themselves, since the park was formed through natural erosion, an opportunity travelers rarely get at other parks.

Yosemite National Park -  Irish suggests visitors head to —away from all of the crowds—to get a sense of the heart of the park. Visitors can take a hike on the Panorama Trail to see what Irish says are the best views of the park, including viewpoints overlooking Half Dome and the valley below, and two waterfalls below.

Lake Clark - is one of the least visited parks in the U.S., according to Irish, it's an iconic Alaska experience few know of that Irish says you won't want to miss. Once visitors arrive, they are treated to reflective lakes that create a breathtaking surrounding for activities like kayaking and hiking.

Acadia National Park -  for the lobster, stay for 's soaring granite peaks, rugged coastline, and the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Irish says that, thanks to the bright orange hue of some of the rocks in the park, when warm sunlight hits the rocks it creates an incredible pinkish glow.

Arches National Park - Utah's Arches National Park is known as a “red rock wonderland” thanks to some 2,000 natural stone arches and hundreds of soaring pinnacles that paint the scene a stunning hue of red

Great Sand Dunes National Park - Colorado is an adventure lover's dream come true, as North America's tallest dunes stand in the heart of a landscape that includes everything from wetlands and aspen forests to alpine lakes.

Wrangell-St Elias National Park - Though Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is America's biggest national park, it's also one of the least visited, according to Irish. Its remote location helps keep the place pristine, Irish says. "We would pitch our tent next to massive glaciers that run for two to three miles wide in some places and hike across them,"