I am fortunate to have been in many interesting and beautiful places.  Between family vacations, boy scout outings and trips with friends I have been to 39 states and very  many National and State Parks, Forests, Monuments and Historic Sites.
I also stepped a few feet into Mexico, walked on Glaciers in the Canadian Rockies and spent almost a year in abroad in Israel.

Whether by nature or nurture, my whole family is science oriented.  We have been to the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tuscon Arizona (I got to play with the mirror of the big solar telescope there) and the Green Bank Radio Observatory in West Virginia.  We have also been to countless science museums and enjoyed them on different levels as I have grown up.

Below is a map of the National Park System. I have been in the states with a blue line next to them and have been to all the Parks marked with a red dot.  Please click the map to see a larger version.

Through these visits I have learned a great deal about many different topics, Here are a few:

• Caves- I have seen many of these
• Geysers- Very cool mechanism
• Fossils- I have a small collection of my own
• Glaciers- Go out an see one before they disappear
• Canyons- My family canoed 8 days through Canyonlands,
• General Geology- The parks are full of this
• Plants and Animals- Each park has a unique ecosystem with its own variety.  Some parks are better than others for animals, but you can't avoid plants.  From living dirt, to barnacles or birds living in cactuses, interesting things go on in these parks.