The first milestone is the eighth anniversary of the Two Lane Touring blog, two years as “No Itinerary” and six under the current name. I started the blog as a forcing function to improve photography and can say it has accomplished this as I compare current and earlier photos. I also see more room for growth. Much improvement has come with mentors (aka Dennis Mook) and YouTube instructors along with improving the edit process. Again, lots of ceiling room. In that time I have posted over 3500 entires on the blog, more than 4500 photos and, so far, not missed a day. I have been late, but…

The peak viewing of the blog was in 2019 on our trip to Alaska with a slight decline in 2020 and a slight increase last year with over 2,400 unique viewers, 15,000 page views and 6000 individual visits to Two Lane Touring.

Another purpose of the blog is to record visits to our National Park system. There are 424 parks, and we have now visited 312. Since Alaska in 2019, the pace has slowed rather dramatically. Why? Several reasons:

1. Park closures due to Covid rules is paramount.

2. Web info and park administration. Park websites contain both general info and closures and alerts so finding current open hours is sometimes not straight forward. Some parks are still not fully open after Covid, many are on limited schedules, and some are closed for lengthy refurbishments. This has been the case for our remaining parks in DC for four years. One Arizona park is still officially listed but is closed for the foreseeable future, and another in California is a sensitive location where scheduled trips are rarely carried out. I suggest that current regulations affecting gasoline prices and inflationary issues are also creeping into the mix.

3. Crisis in the Oliver last winter. While in Texas heading for 25-30 parks, we literally melted our electric system requiring a return to the factory and a canceled trip last spring.

4. Long distances, travel time, and expense make very remote parks more challenging. (see also #2): Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, remote Alaska and Hawaii, and some in continental US.

5. They add new parks! After we visited the Natchez Trace near Jackson MS, Medgar Evers’ home was opened in Jackson. Now it is only park we need to see within 500 miles.

So what’s next?

In September, we are again reserved for the 2020 postponed Hawaii trip. There are seven open parks on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island that we hope to visit.

In November or January, we will nearly finish the Southeast with a stop for two Atlanta sites: MLK and a scenic river. In March, we intend to resume our trip to the Southwest with the six remaining parks in Texas and twenty-six more that will complete that portion of the country. No firm plans at the moment but at some point we want to return to Yellowstone, Glacier, and the Tetons and see other few northwestern parks new to our list.

Another milestone is the driver and photographer turning yet another year older. I am so grateful to be able to enjoy life, travel, friends, family, grandkids (yes they are family but need a special spot), go hiking, iand spend day after day with Cindy. I do tire more easily than I did 10 years ago and try to consider that in daily adventures but I still love to go, learn, experience new places and people and an occasional ice cream.  We are trying to stop a bit earlier on travel days, perhaps see fewer places each day, but 600 mile days with four parks are not out of the question - yet. At 74, I appreciate faith, friends and ordinary days more, read more, try to listen more, watch TV and news less and laugh as often as possible. And eat the occasional ice cream!