My family and I visited a few NPs when I was young and I continued doing so on my own as an adult. I met a man who also loved our NPs and we made it a quest to visit as many as possible. After he died, I continued to visit and revisit many of our favorites. I believe I have only 8 left to see in the continental U.S. The two most memorable visits happened at Glacier Bay NP and Olympic NP. I happened to awaken on a cruise ship in Glacier Bay on 9/11/01. With all the horror of an attack on our country, touring the Bay that morning had the most calming effect on all of the passengers. People enjoyed the serenity and the companionship that this nature preserve offered. The second most memorable trip was to Olympic NP-the rainforest part not long after my husband had died. I was with a girlfriend who went hiking a trail that I did not feel up to walking. So I sat with my grieving spirit on a park bench all alone. The sounds of nature without any manmade sound soothed my soul as nothing else had. When my friend returned from her visit with some elk, I was almost sorry to see her. I did not want this soul renewing peace to end so soon. I truly have found in most of the NPs a revitalization of my spirit no matter how troubled I have been. The connection to nature as untouched as it can be nowadays is beyond description. The breathtaking beauty of the NPs is stunning. Even if the landscape or wildlife is not my most favorite, I can still see the necessity and the magnificence of the diversity of life. It helps me put humanity in perspective.
Sincerely,
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
This park on the coast of southeast Alaska offers snowy mountain peaks, narrow fjords, bays, harbors, scattered islands, a temperate rainforest of spruces and hemlocks, and numerous glaciers. Two hundred years ago, the area was covered by a glacier more than 4,000 feet thick that extended more than 100 miles to the St. Elias Mountain Range. By the 20th century, it had drawn back 65 miles from the bay's mouth. This is the most rapid glacial retreat ever recorded. Today, icebergs continue to break off into the bay.
State(s): Alaska
Established: 1925
“I believe that the renewal of spirit that I feel in each park is shared by others and I want the parks to continue for future generations to have the same chance to renew their spirits as well.”
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Greetings from Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
In 2011, my two sisters and I took our Dad (84 at the time) on an Alaska cruise. This is the view of the bay from our ship.
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Greetings from Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Wow! To select one park is a tough decision, but I’ll start with the one that had the biggest impact and started my Park Story. We were on an Alaskan cruise that included cruising Glacier Bay. A Park Ranger boarded our ship and took us on a remarkable journey of…
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