Fee Free for Summer!

To celebrate the summer solstice on June 21st, The National Park Service will be offering free admission to these parks.  Some people call the summer solstice the first day of summer. If you live in Oklahoma, you know that summer started about a month ago, blazing in at 95 degrees, right after that four-hour spring we had in May.

I think summer starts when I have my first ice cream sandwich of the season.  That was about a month ago too. About a month and 742 ice cream sandwiches ago. I've cut back from last year.

In case you're not sure which National Park you'd like to go see, I've included some pictures of national parks we've visited, and a few helpful tips to aid in your decision.

If you want to see animals bigger than you, try Glacier National Park in Montana.

If you haven't got enough of the heat, Arches National Park in June or July will serve you well for roasting. It's also good if you like being between a rock and a hard place.

If you like a lot of UP, might I suggest Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado? It's a peak experience. 

If you like old, as in really, really, old, Mesa Verde National Park, also in Colorado, is, well, almost as old as dirt.

If you want to get up close and personal with the old stuff, step up to Bandelier National Monument. It adds an aerobic element to your trip. You don't mind really tall ladders, do you?

If you're into big spaces, funny smelling steam, and playing king of the mountain with the natives, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is gonna be your favorite watering hole. Only don't drink the water.

If you're into white and bright, how about White Sands National Monument in New Mexico? Get your snowsled out of storage and take your shades. And it's probably hotter than 95 there.

If you're into subtle, try the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado. Most of the fossils are under the surface. You get to see where they're buried.

And if you're hankering to see the most beautiful place on earth, you're back in Glacier National Park. Way, way, waaaaay up on the north side before you slide off into the netherland that is Canada. And it ain't 95 degrees there.  Hands down, this is where I want to spend the rest of my life. Take bear spray.

Happy Trails, and may your adventures give you a chance to park your carcass outside!