40 by Forty: Glacier National Park (28 of 40)

Over the years, I have been to my fair share of National Parks. For several summers when the kids were younger, we road-tripped our way to quite a few. One year we even made it as far east as the Badlands in South Dakota, logging well over 1500 miles and trekking through nine states in the process. One park on the wishlist was just out of reach that year: Glacier National Park. I had always wanted to go, if for no other reason than for the kids and I to see a glacier in its icy flesh before they all melt into oblivion. Lucky for me, my sister and her family agreed to meet us in Montana last year so we could all experience it together.

Allow me, if you will, to nerd out for a bit about National Parks. Did you know that there are 63 designated national parks, but there are around 423 national park sites? The rest of the locations are designated as historic sites, monuments or recreational areas. Many of them also have a junior ranger program where kids can complete certain tasks and get "sworn in" as a Junior Ranger. There's also this cool program called Every Kid Outdoors that gives free entrance to 4th graders and their families to any national park.

After several national parks in a row one year, Ava got creative with her listening skills.

Each park had its own unique draw and in my humble opinion, not all are created equal. Take, for example, the above mentioned Badlands. Maybe I missed the appeal, but braving 110-degree temps for a bunch of sand-colored stone and some big-horned sheep hardly felt worthwhile, not to mention the hours-upon-hours of drive time it took to get there. We did see a pretty spectacular lightening storm one night, but Imma give credit to South Dakota as a whole for that one.

Glacier, on the other hand, was exactly what I wanted a national park to be: slow, curvy roads that drift through dense green forests and alongside wide-mouthed glassy lakes.

Though quarantine in general did us very little favors, the normally heavily trafficked park was relatively empty, allowing plenty of opportunity to park, hike and relax creek-side. Going-to-the Sun road, which includes a 16-mile largely vertical ascent, winds dizzily through some of the most stunning scenery I've ever seen. The tight-wire drive is banked on one side by a sheer drop that left me about 70% certain we would die while simultaneously marveling, "Yeah, but what a way to go!" Cash, who happened to be trapped on the passenger side over-looking certain death, was less enthusiastic.

All in all, I am super thankful for the Parks system and all the memories we have been so fortunate to make because of them. I've included a few highlights from over the years below.