A state quarters collection eventually turned into national park stamps. A casual cross-country trip to Badlands National Park became the start of a 6+ year journey exploring some of the country's most remarkable landscapes.
- Best trip: Yellowstone and Grand Teton back-to-back, the Wyoming loop that turned a hobby into an obsession
- Hardest to reach: Dry Tortugas, accessible only by ferry or seaplane from Key West
- Sleeper parks: Big Bend (remote desert canyons), Crater Lake (deepest lake in the US), Glacier (rugged backcountry)
- Biggest letdown: Gateway Arch, more monument than national park
- Remaining: Alaska and the island territories