I, for one, didn’t even know there were over 400 national parks in the American territories, but Mikah Meyer has gone and visited every last park, monument, seashore, and more over the past 3 years.
It began in April 2016 – the 11th anniversary of his father’s death from cancer – and has since come to a successful close after a trek that took him from the Arctic Circle of Alaska to American Samoa (and a bunch of awesome places in between).
In addition to the gift of seeing the country (largely funded by donations and sponsorships), Mikah wanted to set an example for other LGBT people, he says.
“I, for the past three years, have just been, ‘Go, go, go,’ every minute, because there’s always been a blog I should be writing, a photo I should be editing, or a park I need to be planning for. I’m probably going to have to go to therapy just to learn how to turn my brain off after three years of nonstop logistics.”
“It’s amazing to know that I’ve made it this far, and such an incredible feeling for a kid who grew up in the prairie to know that I’ve seen every corner of America, our most wonderful places, and am about to complete a life goal.”
If you’re wondering, he can’t pick a favorite stop. Who could?
“There were so many insane moments of just pure natural beauty, where you’re looking around saying, ‘Is this real? Like, is this view real, is this moment real, is this place real?’ I remember driving through Big Bend National Park in Texas and just constantly repeating that as I drove up to the Chisos Mountains, because it was such a magical moment, or standing looking over Half Dome at sunset.”
“The sun actually leaves and like 95% of the people there all take off, but then they miss twilight. And you’re looking around thinking, ‘I can’t believe everyone left, and that I’m still here and getting to experience this and didn’t follow the crowds.”
A metaphor for life, and a nice one. I’m not sure I’ll make it to all 419, but a few of these sure belong on every traveller’s bucket list, if you ask me.