The Ultimate Year of Travel: 22 in 22 (Visiting 22 National Parks in 2022)
The Ultimate Year of Travel: 22 in 22
(Visiting 22 National Parks in 2022)
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” -Lao Tzu
It started out innocently enough…
Opportunities were created…
One road trip lead to another…
Then another…
More opportunities…
Spontaneity and luck were required…
But before I knew it, I had visited 22 different National Parks in 2022
Introduction
To provide some context, my first real road trip and my first experience with the National Park system was in 2011 when my Dad and I drove from Charleston, South Carolina to Bandon, Oregon. Six months later we drove from Bandon, back to Charleston, taking a different route, and seeing more of the country along the way. Since then, I've been hooked. To date, I've gone to 35 United States National Parks as well as a handful in Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, and New Zealand.
January
The PGA Show is always the last week of January in Orlando, Florida. The week before that, is my Mom’s birthday. So mid January, I packed up the car and drove down to North Carolina to celebrate my mom’s birthday, play some golf at Morehead City Country Club, go to the beach, and prepare for the 10,000 mile road trip ahead of me.
My next stop was Sarasota, Florida to meet up with my wife who was spending time with her Mom who recently moved down there. To break up the drive, I decided to swing by Congaree National Park in South Carolina. It was mid January, and the perfect time to go. The park is one of the most pristine examples of a lowland swamp which makes summertime a breeding ground for mosquitos. On this trip, I lucked out. No mosquitos, and only 2 other hikers. Oh, and a wild pig!
From there, it was down to Sarasota. After a day of recovery, my wife and I drove down to Flamingo, Florida, the southernmost tip of the peninsula, to explore Everglades National Park where we saw both Alligators and a rare crocodile as well as many birds, trees, and even a rare orchid. After an espresso and an amazing dinner in Little Havana, Miami, we made our way to our campground in the middle of the Everglades.
The next day we decided to skip the interstate and opt instead to drive route 41 from Everglades City up the coast to Sarasota. It took longer but it was nice to explore a new region of Florida for the first time. After we got home, I wanted to play some golf so I looked up courses in the area. I was fortunate to get a reservation the next day at The Concession Club in Bradenton, Florida.
I had a late tee time after all the members had gone out. It was just me and my caddy. We started on the 9-hole par 3 course which in and of itself was an incredible experience. The Gimmie as the course is called, draws inspiration from classic holes from all around the world. The conditions are as pure as you could imagine, and to have the place all to myself was a wonderful experience.
It had been a while since I had seen my Meme who lives on the east coast of Florida so I decided to drive across the state and spend the evening with her. We went to a local driving range to hit balls, enjoy dinner, and caught up. It was an amazing evening and certainly one of the highlights. She's a much more naturally gifted golfer than I so it was awesome to see her hitting great shots and having fun!
Ultimately, I was headed to Scottsdale where I was performing my Move Better - Play Better Workshop with the National Personal Training Institute NPTI of Arizona as well as helping 2nd Swing set up and open their new location in Talking Stick.
My wife and I packed up and headed out for the longest day on our drive. The plan was to knock out a large chunk early so we could spend more time in other places. Destination, New Orleans, Louisiana.
New Orleans is one of my favorite cities to visit. The culture, the food, the music. It’s one of a kind anywhere in the world, especially in the United States. It has a distinct feel and energy and I always look forward to walking around the French Quarter and eating too many beignets (no such thing).
Next up it’s Austin, Texas where it’s all about good barbeque and donuts. Having lived in Portland, Oregon for a number of years, I’m a sucker for VooDoo Donuts. Honestly, I didn’t expect Austin’s to be as good as Portland but I’ll say, they were of equal quality! For BBQ we got Stubbs downtown, and Salt Lick a few miles out of town.
February
The biggest surprise of the year came a few days later when we left Austin to go to Big Bend National Park. Of all 22 National Parks visited this year, Big Bend captivated me the most. I had no idea what to expect. What would I find in a remote corner of Texas, isolated between the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico itself? The answer? Incredible beauty. Vast Wilderness. Diverse flora and fauna. And the most relaxing hot spring bath.
After a long day at Big Bend, we rose early before the sun and started to make our way to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the highest point in Texas. We quickly realized GMNP is best explored on foot. We walked a short trail by the visitors center but got back on the road to make it to Carlsbad Caverns National Park for our timed tour. The Guadalupe Mountains need time to be explored which we didn’t have much of.
I’ve been to a number of caves around the world, but nothing is quite like Carlsbad. The sheer vastness of the cave system and the astounding beauty of the rock formations is overwhelming. It’s difficult to comprehend, much like the first time one sees the Grand Canyon or the Ocean. I’m sure if I were to go back, there would be much I didn’t pick up on the first time.
We had been debating which route to take next but decided while we were in this part of the world, to drive to White Sands National Park. Despite mother Nature's best attempts to stop us with a whiteout blizzard on the mountain pass from Carlsbad to White Sands, we made it alive and in one piece, just in time before the park closed. We were the last ones let in the park and had just enough time to drive the road to the end and back.
After a relaxing evening in Las Cruces, we were off on a beautiful drive through southwest New Mexico up toward Petrified Forest National Park, one of my favorite National Parks. I was excited because this was my wife’s first time there. It had been a special experience for me the first time I went with my Mom, and was excited to also see my wife entranced by the beauty.
That evening, we drove to Grand Canyon National Park. The skies were clear, the moon was new, and the weather… very very cold. In hindsight, this was not a good idea or a pleasurable experience. 12* Fahrenheit was too cold to camp in.
After that experience, my wife and I decided to spend a few days in Sedona, Arizona, one of our favorite places in the country. Known for its powerful energies called vortexes, Sedona is a spiritual haven for anyone looking for greater connection.
After some much needed R&R in Sedona, it was down to Phoenix where I dropped my wife off at the airport so she could go on a side adventure with her brother to Grand Teton National Park.
I spent that week helping 2nd Swing relocate and open its new store in Talking Stick, Scottsdale. It was a great experience that taught me a lot about opening a retail facility, staffing, communication, and operations.
My day off coincided with the WM Open at TPC Scottsdale. This event, known as “The Peoples Open” live up to everything you’ve heard about it and more. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Forget about Golf, it’s unique for any sport. I’m not sure what was more fun, watching the golf, or watching the people.
The next day we met up with my friend, Travis Wapelhorst, owner of the National Personal Training Academy of Arizona (NPTI) to host the Move Better - Play Better Workshop. NPTI is an accredited school for personal trainers. What makes the school unique is that they’re located inside a facility and are able to get hands-on experience during class, with clients, or with guest experts.
A few years ago I wrote a curriculum for NPTI to educate their students on how to work with Golfers. The Move Better - Play Better Workshop originated as a hands-on component to complement the coursework.
It was time for my wife to head back to Florida and for me to drive back to Maryland. In true me fashion, I took a longer more inconvenient but the much more scenic route and enjoyed every minute of it.
First, it was up to Santa Fe, New Mexico where I hiked some beautiful lava fields along the way and found the best dumplings I’ve ever had at a hole-in-the-wall noodle shop downtown.
I figured when’s the next time I’ll ever have an opportunity to drive through the entirety of Oklahoma? So I did! Including the tip of the panhandle. Destination? Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.
Hot Springs National Park has been a destination for hundreds of years, even before it was designated as a National Park. The water, or “tonic” as it’s known, that comes out of the mountains from deep in the earth has been touted as a cure-all miracle drink, said to cure ailments of all kinds. People have traveled here since its discovery to drink the water, soak in the baths, and heal. Say what you will, it works.
“When in Rome” as they say… Why not swing by Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky? After all, it’s only a couple of extra hours, and when is the next time I’ll be in this part of the world and have time? I feel like I barely touched the surface of what Mammoth Cave has to offer. It’s quite literally the largest known cave network in the world and even the experts say they haven’t scratched the surface. But between the numerous different tour options available underground and the vast expanse of hiking trails aboveground, the park has a lot to do.
Before going back to Maryland, I needed to swing by North Carolina again. And what’s between Kentucky and North Carolina? Great Smokey Mountain National Park. The Smokeys are the most visited national park in the country. It has easy access from many metropolis areas such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Asheville, Knoxville, Nashville, and Birmingham. The park is also extremely car-friendly making it easy to get in and out of.
The Smokeys were the first National Park I visited with Dad all those years ago. How fitting that it was the last park visited on this epic 10,000 mile road trip through 12 national parks.
March - June
While no more National Parks were visited during this timespan, there were certainly a lot of travels and adventures. Multiple trips to the beach in North Carolina, Assateague Island in Maryland to see the wild horses, watching the PGA Tour at TPC Avenal Farm, giving lessons at the KPMG LPGA Championship at Congressional Country Club, going to the OBX for Memorial Day Weekend, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and of course my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary in Charleston, South Carolina where we played The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island.
July
July is my birthday. This year my wife and I decided to meet up with her brother in Utah, rent an RV, and go on a road trip. We flew into Salt Lake City where we had a couple of hours to kill before picking up the RV so we stocked up on supplies at Walmart, and grabbed lunch at In-and-Out.
Once we picked up the RV, we made our way east, through Park City, to Dinosaur, Colorado, then south through Grand Junction to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. What intrigues me so much about Black Canyon is that I didn’t know it was there until we rented the RV and started planning the route. It was the perfect place to wake up and watch the sunrise and the beams of sunshine fill the bottomless black pit that is the Black Canyon.
From there we drove south to Mesa Verde National Park. Originally it wasn’t on our itinerary but what the hell, when in Rome! Mesa Verde is unique because it’s a beautiful place, high atop a green mesa with miles of views in all directions. But it’s also culturally significant. People have been calling that Mesa home for over a thousand years. The remains of which can be awe-inspiring.
We started at one of my favorite parks, Canyonlands National Park. By size, it’s one of the largest parks in the National Park system. By visits, it’s popular, but not nearly as popular as its neighbor, Arches National Park.
Just next door to Canyonlands is the greatest concentration of natural arches in the world. Created because of natural forces that today continue to weather and shape the rock, Arches is a mystical, otherworldly place with many hikes and places for adventure. We chose to do the famous Delicate Arch hike which I recommend everyone do to get a great glimpse of what the park is all about.
While we were in town, we cooled off from the hot summer sun by rafting down the Colorado River on a guided rafting tour. The surrounding landscape and natural beauty along with occasional swims in the water to cool off make it a must-do during your trip.
On our way out of town, we stopped by SkyDive Moab to take a better look at the Parks from 13,000 feet up. I really enjoyed seeing the parks first from the ground, then from the river, and finally from the sky. It put the whole area into context. What at first seems like a barren wasteland turns into a beautiful oasis for those capable of surviving there.
August
Back home, for a little while at least. That is until we go back to the OBX for a weekend relaxer, beach driving, and golf.
September & October
Call it a birthday trip. Call it a second honeymoon. Call it an excuse to see a friend. Call it what you will, September was an excuse to get away and spend time with my wife and deepen our relationship. And for that, maybe no excuse is needed. Hawaii is a unique place unlike anywhere else in the world. Each island has a different energy, history, and culture. It was a reminder about getting back to nature and living off the land.
While on the island of Maui, some of the highlights were driving a Camaro SS Convertible on the Hana Highway, a famous scenic drive renowned for its twists and turns through lush rainforests, waterfalls, and swimming holes, and playing golf at The Plantation Course at Kapalua.
The trip to Haleakala National Park however takes the cake for fun adventures. We booked a sunrise bike ride with the last remaining bike tour company allowed to offer rides down Haleakala. We had to get up at 1:00 am but it was worth it. They shuttle you to the top of Haleakala Mountain where you watch the sunrise from above the clouds. We then got pictures of the crater and of Maui National Reserve from the top of the mountain before beginning our descent.
26 miles. Nearly all downhill. With the exception of a few hundred yards at the very end of the ride, you don’t even need to peddle. The journey starts on top of the mountain just outside the national park entrance gate. You twist and turn your way down the scenic volcano side, into the lush forest, and finally back to where you started.
Our tour guide told us they are the last remaining company allowed to do these tours and locals are trying to shut them down completely. These tours may not be offered for long so I highly recommend doing it if and while you still can. It was easily one of the coolest experiences of my life.
👉 https://www.bikemaui.com (I have absolutely no affiliation, I just want them to do well)
The Big Island was a different experience. Goodbye hotels and hello camper van. Our first night was spent on an off-grid spot on the side of Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanos National Park. HVNP is one of the most interesting parks I’ve ever been to. Mainly because of how young it is. Geologically speaking that is. The land there is very young. And as such, it has different characteristics and energies to it than the more ancient lands of Maui or Kuai.
The Lava Tubes and Lava Fields hike was definitely one of the highlights. I suggest starting with the rising sun so you’re not caught in the lava field in the middle of the day when the sun is the strongest. You’ll want to stay plenty hydrated and be prepared for some sharper rocks.
October is known for foliage in the northeast. The closest national park to home is Shenandoah National Park which coincidently is one of my favorite places to see the leaves change. At 4,050 feet at its highest, the Shenandoah offers one of the most expansive views on the east coast, and with neighboring Washington-Jefferson National Forest running parallel to Skyline drive, it's the perfect place to drive and watch the leaves change. In January I plan on driving the entirety of Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic byway, on my way down to the PGA Show.
November
At this point, I had been to 21 different national parks throughout the year. 22 in 22 wasn’t even on my radar until after Hawaii but now I knew there was still an opportunity to get to at least one more. Early in the month I went to PING Headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona and got to play Camelback Golf Club.
After returning, I was able to spend some time in Williamsburg, Virginia with my in-laws and played some of my favorite golf courses; Stonehouse Golf Club, and the Plantation Course at Kingsmill.
December
The opportunity came and I had to take it. I knew with my upcoming travels that I wouldn’t have any other opportunity to get a 22nd national park. I didn’t have any work on my calendar, the weather was good, and it was time to go. I packed up the car, and the pups and I were off to Ohio to visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was near Akron and Cleveland so I had a hard time imagining a National Park there.
Looking Back
As the year comes to a close, I can’t help but look back at the year that’s transpired and feel immense gratitude. This year taught me a lot. It taught me about the world, myself, opportunity, and serendipity. It reminded me that if something’s important, you’ll make it happen. It also reminded me that we already have what we need to be successful, the rest we will learn while doing, so just get started. Most importantly, it taught me not to wait because in a moment, everything may change.
If there’s something you want to do in your life, go do it. Don’t wait for things to be perfect. They won’t be. Much of this year's travel took hard work. It took sacrifice. It took help and favors from others. It took planning and budgeting. It took compromise. But most importantly, it took heart. And when you follow yours, everything will work itself out.
Move Better - Play Better
Coach Blaine ⛳🏌️♂️
👉 For more, visit www.TourShotGolf.com
22 in 22
- Congaree
- Everglades
- Big Bend
- Guadalupe Mountains
- Carlsbad Caverns
- White Sands
- Petrified Forest
- Grand Canyon
- Saguaro
- Hot Springs
- Mammoth Cave
- Great Smokey Mountains
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- Mesa Verde
- Canyonlands
- Arches
- Capital Reef
- Bryce Canyon
- Haleakala
- Hawaii Volcanoes
- Shenandoah
- Cuyahoga Valley
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