Grove’s National Park Road Trip

By HMA Team on September 8, 2022

The National Parks are national gems that need to be visited, admired, polished and respected. We all say Oh yeah, I want to go to Yellowstone or Yosemite or the Badlands, but never get around to it Why? No reason other than sloth or apathy. Believe me I know, I’m as guilty as any of us. So, I hit the road this summer to see three parks, traveling from Chicago to the South Dakota Badlands, Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. Then, I flipped my truck around to drive down east to Acadia National Park in Maine. What I came away with was a sense of accomplishment, a sense of pride in our county, and a sense of satisfaction in seeing my fellow Americans (and many international visitors) walk, bike, canoe, picnic and hang out in splendor, admiring our natural bounty.

Mount Rushmore

First and foremost, do not miss Mount Rushmore. The memorial, completed in fourteen years,  covers 1,278 acres and sits 5,725 feet above sea level. Over the decades, Mount Rushmore has grown as a symbol of America – a symbol of freedom and a hope for people from all cultures and backgrounds It will give you more of a rush than you thought possible as you gaze up into the eyes of four of our finest presidents. Two other features of the monument worth noting are the promenade of state flags as you approach the presidents and the museum below that displays and explains this tremendous achievement by the monument’s architect, Gutzon Borglum (I’ll wager you did not know his name—I didn’t). Of the many pictures I snapped, the one of George Washington in profile from a turnoff on the road was the most captivating.

 The Badlands

The Badlands are truly “bad”; hence, why the Lakota people dubbed then “mako sica” or bad lands. Rough, rocky, and lacking water, Badlands National Park in South Dakota is truly dramatic with its layered rock formations, steep canyons and towering spires. In addition, you are treated to scenic grasslands, bison, big horn sheep and prairie dogs as you travel the forty mile Badlands Loop Road.

Acadia National Park

If Mount Rushmore is a gentleman and The Badlands are a roughneck, then Acadia National Park in Maine is surely a lady. True for most parks, Acadia is difficult to get to, but well worth the effort.  Situated on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, this 47,000-acre Atlantic coast recreation area is marked by woodland, rocky beaches and glacier-scoured granite peaks such as Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the United States’ East Coast. Moose, bear, whales and seabirds are  in abundance and the bayside town of Bar Harbor is close by.

The benefits of being on the road are obvious and immense: Breaking free from your comfort bubble. Meeting new people. Thinking differently. Pushing the envelope. Creating new memories and snapping pictures. The National Parks are an opening into a world of discovery that alleviates our day-to-day tedium by elevating us into the existential. They also give you a breath of fresh air that hints of woods and earth and wind; an umbrella blue sky you swear is fake; and a glimpse into the heavens above sans city lights. The time is now to circle dates in your calendars. Happy trails.