Welcome to any devotions readers who are visiting my site for the first time. You've discovered my site as I'm giving some of the tips that have helped our family experience really memorable vacations. But more importantly, these tips have helped our family become closer.
So today I'm excited to share our absolute favorite destination spot. It's not one place as you might imagine. In fact, our favorite spots are found in every state in the country. It's our National Park System.
We are HUGE National Park fans, and actually have planned vacations in order to get to specific parks. Acadia National Park in Maine is one of those incredible spots that we had to be very intentional about getting to.
So here's why we love them so much:
1) They are affordable. For example, it costs $25 to see the Grand Canyon - and that's one of the most expensive we've discovered. You can't take a family of 4 to a movie and get snacks for that amount!
2) They have many free programs. The Visitor Centers vary greatly, but they all offer something for free. Whether it's a great movie about the site, a guided tour or interesting models - it's almost all free.
3) The National Park Rangers are AMAZING. These men and women love what they do and we benefit because it shows. One of our favorite rangers was in Colonial National Historic Park in Virginia. This park includes Jamestown and Yorktown Battlefield. We have long forgotten this man's name, but we all remember his presentation. He dressed in colonial clothes, assumed an accurate accent and guided us through "his" Jamestown, from the viewpoint of one of the first settlers. And that was FREE! Wow!
4) The park system includes national historic sites and monuments, in addition to parks. Which means we get to enjoy our nation's history and beauty.
5) The NPS honors our nation's veterans through many historic sites. As we approach Memorial Day, we are reminded of the high cost it took to give us the many freedoms we have. Our service men and women throughout generations reflect the sacrificial love of God, and I am very thankful for them. The NPS has sites that start with the Revolutionary War and continue right up to the World War II Memorial.
6) Finally, one of our favorite things about the National Park Service is the Passport. This is a small blue book sold at the visitor centers. When you visit a national park, historic site or monument, you can get your passport stamped with the location and date. It's great fun to watch your passport fill up, and remember the good times.
Visit http://www.nps.gov/ for the national parks in your state. Sorry to be such a shameless promoter of something, but it hardly gets better than this for a fabulous vacation.
In His Love,
Glynnis
P.S. When we get back, I'll post some of our favorite vacations. Watch for that after June 3rd, and after I get through mounds of laundry. :-)
Friday, May 23, 2008
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6 comments:
Great ideas! I love the National Parks. We're going to Gatlinburg in a few weeks and hope to do some digging around in the area. We always white-water raft but are going to pass this year in favor of something else. I love to hike, but I'm the only one, so we'll have to reach a compromise. I've got my brochures, AAA travel guide and stuff from last year, so I'll be well-prepared.
Loved Yorktown. That's a great visit.
Anyway, thanks for all these wonderful ideas. I can't wait to get away with my loved ones.
~elaine
Thanks for the great tips. We, too, are big fans of National Parks. Just today I made reservations for our family's first trip to the Grand Canyon.
One reason National Parks are so great is that they're real. They're not pre-planned, pretend or manipulated vacation spots. What better way to witness and experience first-hand the beauty of creation and the glory of the Creator.
Blessings,
Kelli
I agree! When our children were small they were perfect! We were often courageous and packed the tent and camping gear. But many times we found a KOA with Kamping Kabins which were perfect for combining nature with a few simple amenities. They are very reasonable and usually within a stone's throw of the park.
save me a hug at SheSpeaks!
Great tips Glynnis. Hope your family had a great vacation together and that you are soon caught up with the laundry! :)
Just wanted you to know that I will be praying for you as you prepare for She Speaks. I pray that God speaks to you while you are there as well.
Blessings,
Pearls
Glynnis - I pray that your writing time is blessed and that you are getting some times of refreshment as well. I wanted to pop by and say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all that you did for She Speaks! I was so blessed by everything, and really, really got a lot out of your class on magazine writing. I'm so excited to jump in and get started writing for publications - beginning with magazines! I also want to thank you for getting the ball rolling on the critique groups. What a blessing it's been already. I did just finish one post about my She Speaks experience, but am still processing the rest of it. :-) God is SO good and faithful. Praying His sweet and abundant blessings upon you, your family and your ministry! With love & joy in Christ, Amy in OR
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