Dear Bob and Sue

Over the last few weeks, I've enjoyed the Dear Bob and Sue audiobook by Matt & Karen Smith.  The book follows this couples journey to the 59 National US Parks.  They have a quirky sense of humor with most of the ribbing directed at each other.  The structure of the book was perfect for my commute.  At each national park, my geography was tested.  They don't tell you what state they are in when they get to a park.  It challenged me to dig back in the crevices of my brain and associate a park with an area of the country.  I have only been to about a dozen national parks.  This inspired me to get out there and see the country...

One of the last parks they visited was Death Valley National Park.  There is an area called The Racetrack.  Silly me.  I thought it was where they did some sort of car racing time trials in the dessert.    In actuality, rocks move across the playa.  I can only imagine what it would be like to see in person.  On more than one occasion at many of the parks, the comment is made that the camera pictures did not capture the magnificence and beauty.  Again, that plug to get out there and see the beauty.

From their visit to Lake Clark, Alaska, I was so intrigued by Richard Proennekes and his life in the wilderness of the Aleutian Peninsula.  I want to watch the documentary, Alone in the Wilderness.

Besides all the park highlights, Matt & Karen were inspirational.  They grabbed life by the horns, quit their jobs and set out to visit the national parks.  They did not wait until retirement.  They seized the day and checked the parks off their bucket list while they had they chance.  We are working through the book, The New Retirementality by Mitch Anthony.  The book gets you thinking.  The Big Guy and I don't have our plan yet.  After reading Dear Bob and Sue, it was rewarding to know folks do live out their dreams!