I am so excited for Season 3 where we'll be visiting the Indiana State Museum's 11 historic sites around the state. So many of these sites are just a stone's throw away from a state park, AND the historic sites were once managed by Indiana DNR. Today we'll hear from Cathy Ferree, the president of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. She shares her background, her passion for Indiana history, and why museums and historic sites are even more valuable today, especially for kids. I loved this conversation with Cathy!

Be sure to plan a visit to the Indiana State Museum or any of the 11 historic sites. You can learn about hours, costs, and memberships on their website.

Learn more about what to do at White River State Park and plan a visit.

Buy an Indiana state park hat for yourself or a friend! Check out the IN the Parks website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook.

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Any mistakes are my own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come with me to one more national park, the Grand Canyon! This park definitely lives up to the hype. We loved walking along the rim to look down into the canyon, but I especially loved hiking down part of Bright Angel Trail! You'll also hear about Monument Valley and finding a place where Forest Gump was filmed, plus seeing all sorts of wild animals (hummingbirds, California condors, and elk) in the park.

I wrap up by sharing the hiking gear we were thankful for, our rankings for the six national parks we visited, and which pie from Gifford's was the best!

Plus, you'll hear a little about what's coming up next for IN the Parks. Season 3 starts in TWO WEEKS!

Buy an Indiana state park hat for yourself or a friend!

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Any mistakes are my own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, was our 5th stop in Utah's Mighty 5. We took on strenuous hikes and kid-friendly adventures! Arches has a spectacular entrance, accessible and back country hiking, a sizable nature center, and hundreds of arches. We loved spending a day and a half here! (Note: there are a TON of ravens in this park, and they will definitely come around if you have food. And even if you don't.) In this episode, you'll also learn about the Junior Ranger program and why 4th graders get in free.

We hiked: Delicate Arch, Double Arch, Balanced Rock, Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, The Windows, Turret Arch, and Park Avenue.

If you have a 4th grader (or will one day!), you'll want to learn about the Every Kid Outdoors program.

Buy an Indiana state park hat for yourself or a friend! Check out the IN the Parks website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook.

Apologies for my froggy voice in the episode. I'm on the other end of a cold, and my voice is not quite back!

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Any mistakes are my own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.