Mmm. There is just something very different about the way nature affects you than the way that even the most impressive manmade places do.

It really does. My sister and daughter, however, are more of the "okay, seen a bird, seen a hill, yep, that's a canyon... now where's the nearest mall?" *eye roll*


One of the reasons why I've so much appreciated traveling at the times of really low tourism. You might not get the ideal weather all the time... but it's amazing to have national parks virtually to ourselves.

So very true! I know once I was out of the house (I'm the youngest), my parents did their traveling in the fall, when school was in and all the parks were drained of noisy families and tourists. Plus, the aspens were afire. :) Hubby and I have gone on one trip during the school year, to Florida for our anniversay, and it was blissfully uncrowded. But it was a major pain to arrange for Dink's transport to and from school and all that, even when my dad was alive. Now that he's gone, I don't have my back-up chaffeur/chaperone, so school-year trips will have to wait.