Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America's National Parks

While on my 3rd visit to the Grand Canyon in 2017, I saw this book in a gift shop on the south rim. I made note of the title and just got around to reading it now. I read the bulk of the book over Mother's Day weekend and it really resonated with me. Like Mark, I also love our National Parks. I have been to over 15 of them (which may not seem like a lot but some people haven't been to any) and several of them more than once. As I get older, I seem to go to one or two a year. I am 49, Mark was 50 when he wrote this book. On the eve of his fiftieth birthday, Mark decides to take a yearlong trip through the national parks, one a month. He is a journalist working in Florida and was awarded a grant to do this project. Sounds awesome to me! Mark's love of our parks began as a child when his parents would take him and his two sisters to Redwood, Yosemite and The Grand Canyon. They were campers and appreciated the outdoors and all it had to offer. My love of the parks began as a teenager when my parents took me and my three siblings on a cross country tour of some of the most popular parks (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Bryce, Rocky Mountains). We didn't camp in a tent (we were in a Winnebago!) and sometimes only stayed at a park for a day or two but I remember that trip as one of the best vacations ever. My love for the national parks was sparked. A few months into the year, Mark's mother is diagnosed with cancer and only has a few months to live. Mark would often go to visit his mom in Tucson after one of his park visits. The beauty of the desert is stark and healing for Mark. While reading this book, my mother's heath was rapidly declining and it was comforting to read this book. I found myself looking up parks I haven't been to yet (Yosemite, Olympic, Haleakala) and learning facts about many of them. This is a beautiful memoir of family, our national parks and the legacies we inherit and leave behind. Someday, I hope to go too many more. I would even love to work in them when we are retired!