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Monthly Archives: July 2025
[Last Updated June 25, 2025] Now that I’ve been to 52 of the 63 national parks, I’ve also covered all the different caves you can find! Here’s the run down on the 4 different types of caves you can see in 7 national parks. Be sure to read till the end for 3 bonus cave locations that are not national parks. Karst Caves Karst caves are usually formed through the dissolution of… Read More
[New River Gorge National Park, Apr 13, 2025] Today was the start of a warming trend that would continue into the next few days. It was too bad it was my last full day here! Nevertheless, I donned all the clothes I had plus a scarf I had picked up at Hawk’s Nest State Park the day before. It was going to be cold start (upper 30s/low 40s) for my New River… Read More
[Beckley, WV / New River Gorge National Park / Hawks Nest State Park, Apr 12, 2025] As forecasted, temps dipped into the mid 30s overnight! It was cold! I decided to spend the morning doing indoor touristy things in Beckley while waiting for the temps to rise in the afternoon. My first stop was the Exhibition Coal Mine. The mine opened about 1889 and operated until 1953, when the property sold to… Read More
[New River Gorge NP, Apr 11, 2025] Two weeks into my trip, I was finally on the way to New River Gorge National Park – my 49th! I knew that spring weather might be tricky, so I allowed myself 3 full days in the park. This seemed like a lot when I planned the trip, but it turned out to be a good call. The forecast called for a cold front to… Read More
