Greetings from Yosemite National Park

I spent 26 days driving 6,750 miles from Michigan to California and back with a husband and dog in tow to Great Basin, Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree, and Saguaro National Parks – even during the October 2025 government shutdown.

These park lands are important to me and, more so, to the unpaid park staff who were on the job because they were proud of their role in promoting and protecting these preserved lands and enhancing the safety and enjoyment of the park patrons. No admissions fees could be collected during the shutdown. At the time of my visit, onsite personnel began working without compensation.

With great excitement I was able to spend at least two days exploring Yosemite, Sequoia, and Joshua Tree national parks. Poor planning on my part did not allow me to descend all the way into Kings Canyon. Word to the wise – give yourself an entire good-weather day. Saguaro West was also accessible, for which I was grateful. I arrived to Great Basin, Hot Springs, and Chuckwalla with short time allotments that amounted to partial drive-bys.

Thanks to Ennio and his owner’s efforts, the Dog Access Map came in handy! I had my 16-year-old husky (Luna Moon) along for the ride and we were BARK compliant. My snow pet especially enjoyed (1) the view from Great Basin Welcome Center, (2) a dip in Lake Tenaya (Yosemite), and (3) strolling down a dirt road (Joshua Tree). Luna Moon also met a three-legged relative (4) there.

I have mustered meager pride in my US citizenry in recent months, but that changed in a moment of childlike wonder at the grandeur of El Capitan and bravery of summiting climbers (5); the incomprehensible immensity and age of sequoias (6) which one surreptitiously named for my home state (7); the fragile yet imposing stance of the Joshua Trees (8); and the saguaro cactus that marched up the valleys to the tops of the foothills (9) by the tens of thousands. And two words about glamping – try it! (10)

As if these naturals wonders weren’t enough, our National Park visitation plans afforded us opportunities to visit with avid RV glampers and longtime friends in Park City, a recent and somewhat reluctant Michiganian defector (she has settled into the “Cali Way of Life”) in Modesto, and three generations of just-like-family members in Dallas where I frightened the bejeezus out of a little one when I came trick-or-treating in a dinosaur costume. (I never knew I could act so well. I’ll have to audition for the next Jurassic Park saga.)

The current Administration chooses to ignore the wishes of many National Parks and Monuments visitors by opening precious lands to mineral and fossil fuel harvesting expansion, brokering land sales to states and private entities, and cutting infrastructure maintenance funds.

These lands are your lands; these lands are my lands. These lands belong to you; to me; to all people. Do not let them be stripped, sold out, or closed off from under us. Speak out! Share your thoughts with local, state, and federal representatives. Pony up! I’m a proud Mather Legacy Society member; perhaps you could join.

Plan a trip to visit parks or monuments near far-flung friends and restore those connections by sharing a moment beside a park lake, tree, or picnic table. You won’t regret the side trip; you won’t regret the memories made and the conversations had; then share your story here and tell every representative in your jurisdiction you want to keep Our Parks.

View the Photos

Sincerely,
Susan