SECRETS OF THE NATIONAL PARKS

This roving journey’s objective was to uncover the true secrets of the national parks. Of course a visit to multiple parks was on the itinerary, but so were meetings with experts from the present day and recreated from the past: a paleontologist in Arches and Canyonlands, John Wesley Powell in the Grand Canyon, and Teddy Roosevelt in Yellowstone to name a few. Seeing the parks with their own eyes while hearing the stories and perspectives from these individuals made the journey come to life for this knowledge-seeking family.

Before the trip started, the family received a letter from Teddy Roosevelt requesting their assistance in uncovering the secrets of the national parks.

The trip started in Utah, calling the incredible The Lodge at Blue Sky their home away from home. A Bell 429 helicopter served as a method of “time travel”, whisking the family off to various national parks of the Southwest. In Arches and Canyonlands, escorted by a paleontologist, the family discovered the way of life of early inhabitants of the region as the rock formations harbored remnants of prehistoric fossils dating back millions of years. Stories etched in stone revealed the secrets of ancient creatures and the land they used to walk on. Among the unforgettable sights were dinosaur bones, footprints, and a petrified forest.

The following day, the family set off to Bryce Canyon National Park where they were greeted by a Native American storyteller explaining what the region meant to the Paiute and the ancient “Legend People” that are memorialized in the hoodoos. Following Bryce Canyon, the journey continued to Zion National Park to explore the spectacular slot canyons and sand dunes before returning to The Lodge at Blue Sky for dinner.

Moving through time, the family travelled next to the Grand Canyon to meet the fearless explorer John Wesley Powell and to learn of his daring expeditions navigating the uncharted waters of the Colorado River. Dressed in his Union Army uniform, John Wesley Powell was waiting at Powell Point with the Grand Canyon as a backdrop, ready to share his tale of the first navigation through the canyon and the incredible expedition that led to the discovery and documentation of the entire region.

The journey then took the family north into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now basing out of Jackson Hole and the spectacular Caldera House located in Teton Village. The majestic peaks of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming are interwoven with the conservation legacy of the Rockefeller family. Overlooking the Snake River with Grand Teton casting a shadow in the distance, the family met John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and heard stories of his time in the region and why the conservation and protection of these lands was so important to him.

Perhaps ironically, the final day of the family’s search for secrets took them to Yellowstone, the very first national park. Accompanied by a wolf tracker and wolf biologist, the family explored the Lamar Valley and the northern reaches of the park to understand the impact of wolf reintroduction and observe these incredible predators in their natural habitat. As the family was guided out of Yellowstone, they came across a man wearing a yellow ascot and seated on a horse; he introduced himself as Teddy Roosevelt. Beneath Roosevelt Arch, he presented the family with a gift and thanked them for uncovering the secrets of the national parks – conservation of these lands “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”