Thank you @59nationalparks.bsky.social and @naturetechfam.bsky.social for hosting, and for keeping #ParkChat together for 12 years, and giving us a happy space to share our memories! I look forward to many more!

A12 As of Friday, I am married once again! I have now had the unique experience of being both a groom and a bride! #ParkChat

A11 I've been to 44 National Parks, don't know the number of NPS units (somewhere between 100-150 I guess). These days, I don't usually volunteer that information; I just assume nobody's interested. #ParkChat

A9 I would like take a road trip with @camarowrx.bsky.social from Niagara Falls, NY to Wendover, UT (since she is always up for a road trip), so we can have a nerding-out competition about our favorite not-yet-NPS sites. #ParkChat

A8 My late wife and I briefly were on a historic hotel bagging quest. We used Historic Hotels of America as a reference, though that's certainly not an exhaustive list. Some of the park lodges are in that guide! #ParkChat

A7 I'd like to see the Cleveland Orchestra at their summer home, the Blossom Music Festival, in Cuyahoga Valley NP. The hike I most want to do is Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton - the whole length, not just the part that all the tourists do to the waterfall and the lookout. #ParkChat

A6 Honey roasted peanuts! Protein, and a little sugary kick too. #ParkChat

A5 I don't understand that type of visitor. How could you even drive in through the entrance and not be inspired to stay longer than it takes to get a stamp? And what good is a stamp, or any souvenir, if it doesn't have a story behind it? #ParkChat

A4 This may seem strange, but being in #ParkChat has actually gotten me to desist from park questing. I feel like I can experience the parks vicariously through you if I can't visit there myself.

A3 I don't have a formal list, though I was disappointed not to see any flamingoes in the Everglades. #ParkChat

A2 Take environmental crises like climate change seriously. They say, "Think globally, act locally," but the opposite is also true. What's good for the planet is good for the parks. #ParkChat

A1 I'm missing a number of sites in Arkansas, including Buffalo River! But in my defense, Arkansas has never really felt like home to me. Where I'm actually from, I've visited a much higher percentage of NPS sites. #ParkChat

Happy birthday to #ParkChat!🎂🎉

Thank you @e-j-terren.bsky.social for hosting this #ParkChat, and thanks to everybody who posted a question! I salute you!

A11 What is Christmas like at this park? (for the aforementioned Hallmark script) 😁 #ParkChat

A9 Yes, I would! I would write a book about the experience! (and maybe a Hallmark Channel movie script 😏) #ParkChat

A7 I would have loved it when I was younger. I'm sorry I didn't think of it before, actually. I could have used a bit more adventure back then. #ParkChat

A6 I don't mind being alone, but I'm not used to going without certain creature comforts. So it would be a mixed blessing. #ParkChat

A5 I don't think so. I can only take so many people calling me "sir." #ParkChat

A4 Yes, unfortunately. I was waiting for a parking space at the VC at Great Smoky, and someone backed into my car. I was glad that there was someone specially trained for this work. #ParkChat

A2 When I was in P'town for Trans Week, two gender nonconforming NPS employees gave a presentation to us about the natural history of Cape Cod. I feel fortunate to have any vacation spot that is friendly to me, and to know that it's in such a beautiful & unique place makes it even better! #ParkChat

A1 Even if I don't ask them any questions, or attend any ranger programs, just seeing a friendly face lets me know that there are people who care about the land we collectively own. #ParkChat

Thanks @tthrash.bsky.social! You're one of my favorite repeat #ParkChat hosts!

A11 Cape Cod National Seashore! 'Cause I know where all the good hangout places in P'town are! #ParkChat

A10 When I was younger, I could fit it into a bigger trip, but now that I have less energy for travel, I have to make a plan to see it. #ParkChat

A9 I visited Gateway Arch in 2004, on my first road trip with my wife-to-be. Then I visited it in 2021, recently widowed, and a mere week into my transition. My last vacation in men's clothes. A couple on my tour insisted on airing their political ideas. A place changes when you change. #ParkChat

A8 I'm more likely to redo the things I enjoyed last time. Because if you remember from the last time I hosted #ParkChat, I'm comforted by ritual and routine.

A7 My next visit to Shenandoah will be in August, just because that's when I'll be there. I'd much prefer to go there in late May-early June, like last time, to see the mountain laurel in bloom. #ParkChat

A6 Who needs to stay overnight in Mammoth Cave? I wondered. But on my 2nd visit, I got us a cabin for the night, I saw the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen in a NP. #ParkChat

A5 Often it's just because it's on the way to a new place! If I'm going from Yosemite to Grand Canyon, might as well stop at Death Valley! #ParkChat

A4 I used to prioritize new parks, but now that I have a new travel companion, I enjoy taking her to places that are familiar to me, but new to her. See how her reaction compares to my wife's. #ParkChat

A3 I don't know if it was better or worse, but my second trip to Death Valley was definitely hotter! #ParkChat

A2 Yellowstone! Because I have a partner with ADHD who loves multisensory experiences. I've been there 3 times, but not with her yet. #ParkChat

A1 I believe I've been to 18 NPs more than once. I'll call it 18. It's an auspicious number. 😁 #ParkChat

Hi @tthrash.bsky.social! Corpus Christi 2, Travelers 1 across the street. Top of the 6th. #ParkChat

A10 That would be Death Valley for me, where the elements are at their most raw. This is where I realize what a privilege life is. #ParkChat

A6 I just go out behind my building! The cottonwoods along the river make a pleasant sound. #ParkChat

A4 I must mention the Grove of the Patriarchs at Mount Rainier. I was there in 2002. I'm sure there were plenty of other visitors there, but they've all disappeared from my memory. The place gets quieter every time I remember it. #ParkChat

A1 I would go to Yellowstone, because I never tire of telling people about it, & I want them to see it for themselves. My partner loves multisensory experiences, and you could hardly do better on that score in the parks than in Yellowstone! #ParkChat

Thank you @pamportland.org for hosting! It's not easy to host #ParkChat; you're always standing on the shoulders of giants.

A11 I've stayed at Crowne Point Inn on both my trips to Provincetown. It's in a sea captain's house from the 19th century. And any hotel that has a complimentary wine and cheese hour is my kind of place! #ParkChat

A10 Gatlinburg is the shoulder town that everybody loves to hate, but they fit a lot of amenities in a space that's severely constrained by topography, and provide all the necessary amenities for a gigantic body of tourists. #ParkChat

A9 West Yellowstone! 'Cause you can't have a town called West anything without something for it to be west of! #ParkChat

A8 I like how the old Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond is a medical museum that's part of the battlefield park. #ParkChat

A7 As long as people know that shuttles are available in places like Springdale, Tusayan, and Estes Park, it would reduce crowding at the park entrances greatly. I only wish this setup were feasible at more parks. #ParkChat

A6 Nothing wrong with a captive audience! 😏 #ParkChat

A5 You already know what my answer to this question is! P'town provides the entertainment, Cape Cod National Seashore provides the recreation. And I'm confident that no visitor center staff will ever enforce any stupid Federal government bathroom order! #ParkChat

A2 Maybe because I've been there so often, I'm partial to Southern Shenandoah and environs. Charlottesville to the east, Staunton to the west. Nice arts scene in both towns. #ParkChat

A1 They can help relieve some of the congestion in the park. If you're staying in the park, it will get a lot quieter in the evening after the day visitors head back to their motels. #ParkChat

Transgender Day of Visibility. Unlike my persecutors: I don’t need armchair psychiatry. I don’t need pseudo-religious dogma. I don’t need validation from politicians. I don’t need to hide behind the anonymity of a username. I just need to be seen.