{"id":25527,"date":"2020-07-24T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspireafire.com\/?p=25527"},"modified":"2022-07-12T10:59:51","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T14:59:51","slug":"our-national-treasures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspireafire.com\/our-national-treasures\/","title":{"rendered":"Our National Treasures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cThe earth is the Lord\u2019s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it\u201d (Psalm 24:1 NIV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Sequoia on the west coast to Acadia on the east, with such jewels as Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Mammoth Cave, and the Great Smoky Mountains between, our family\u2019s favorite vacations revolve around our national parks. Nowhere else have we found such variety, majesty, and wonder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great Smoky Mountains<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Our<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Since early childhood, our extended family hit the road to the Great Smoky Mountains as often as time and funds allowed. Centrally located, it reigns supreme as the most visited national park in the United States. As part of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the trails of the Great Smoky Mountains meander along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. They offer unrivaled natural beauty, plus a walk back in time by means of the park\u2019s meticulously maintained early settlements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sequoia and Kings Canyon<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For a massive dose of humility, visit Sequoia National Park\nin California\u2019s southern Sierra\nNevada. Standing in the shadow of any of those giant trees, reminds us how\nsmall we are compared to many of earth\u2019s inhabitants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The park\u2019s mountains and canyons also unearth a growing\nnumber of Native American archeological sites, as well as a variety of plants\nand animals. Nevertheless, its giant trees stand unrivaled as the park\u2019s\nmust-see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acadia<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The best of land and sea meet at Acadia National Park.\nMountains, forests, coastal villages, gulls, crabs, sea urchins, lobsters, starfish,\ntide pools, trails \u2014 all fall within the panoramic view from Maine\u2019s Cadillac\nMountain, the highest point in the park. Swimming, fishing, boating, biking,\nand hiking in the summer are replaced with cross-country skiing, snowmobiling,\nand ice fishing in the winter. A few hearty hikers strike out in winter as\nwell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My personal preference requires neither stamina nor\nequipment. I simply watch the surf along the rocky coastline. Thunder Hole,\nwhere incoming surf thunders under the right conditions, displays the power and\never-changing nature of water and land colliding. It also reminds me that we\nmust maintain a healthy respect for all of nature \u2014 its danger as well as its\nbeauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellowstone<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Our<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Yellowstone National Park, our number one travel destination,\noffers everything a nature lover desires: lakes, mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife.\nAnimals roam freely throughout the park, particularly the meadows in early\nmorning and late afternoon. Herds of buffalo frequently stop traffic while they\nmeander across the road. Trust me, they have the right-of-way. Enjoy viewing Yellowstone\u2019s\nwildlife, but keep your distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than all the other attraction, Yellowstone\u2019s seismic\nactivity demands our return. We join the throngs when Old Faithful blows, but we\nprefer to probe the park\u2019s other geysers, mud pots, steam vents, and hot\nsprings. Every time we visit, we discover new areas to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mammoth Cave<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Explorers continue to discover new territory in Kentucky\u2019s\nMammoth Cave, the world\u2019s longest known cave system. Visitors to Mammoth Cave choose\nfrom several tour options, depending on their time, age, size, stamina, and\nmobility. Most tours include a moment when the guide extinguishes all light.\nThe absolute darkness creates a hush among the group. When the guide then\nlights a single match, it illuminates the empty space. What a great reminder of\nJesus, our light, our hope in a dark world, and how He calls us to reflect His\nlight into the emptiness around us.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grand Canyon<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What\u2019s so fascinating\nabout a big hole in the ground?<\/em> Only someone who has never seen the Grand\nCanyon could express such skepticism. One glance from any viewpoint will more\nthan answer the scoffer\u2019s question. The canyon\u2019s size alone boggles the mind.\nAdd to that the rock formations\u2019 changing colors and the Colorado River that\nappears so deceptively small from above, and our senses go on high alert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of tourists flock to the South Rim with its\nrugged overlooks. Most never travel the 220 miles around the canyon (10 miles\nas the crow flies or 21 miles for hikers) to the less crowded, heavily\nforested, and much cooler North Rim. The difference in the two views alone\nmakes the drive worthwhile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy and Protect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Following the world\u2019s creation, \u201cGod saw\nall that he had made, and it was very good\u201d (Genesis 1:31 NIV). God then\nentrusted the world to us to work and enjoy. Let\u2019s protect and care for it in\nobedience and as our gift back to God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe earth is the Lord\u2019s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it\u201d (Psalm 24:1 NIV). From Sequoia on the west coast to Acadia on the east, with such jewels as Yellowstone,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1547,1551],"tags":[4296,477,4150,4295,67,4298,4293,4292,4297,1009,4294],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nOur National Treasures - Inspire A Fire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From Sequoia on the west coast to Acadia on the east, our family\u2019s favorite vacations revolve around our national treasures in the national park system.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/inspireafire.com\/our-national-treasures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our National Treasures - 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