Its Beautiful and its Ours
By Gerald Neff
January 29, 2013
When our two kids were quite young we visited Mt Rushmore, thinking we would be there for only an hour or so but the kids were so enchanted by the place we stayed long after dark. As the kids grew older we hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park, Olympic, Mt, Rainier, and many National Lake Shores on Lake Michigan and of course in our own state, Hoover National Memorial Site in West Branch, Iowa. During those years, I developed an interest in mountain hiking and my son and I climbed Mt. Albert and Mt. Massive in Colorado. And later i summited Mt. Rainier which was the most terrifying and rewarding experience of my life. During the 80s and 90s I backpacked and climbed in California's High Sierra and experienced climbing the cable route up Half Dome in Yosemite. What a beautiful place and like all the other national parks, I and my family are part owners. For me, the national parks have been wonderful places to make memories. These are some of the reasons I give to NPCA.
