One of the perks of helping retirees find happiness is hearing from them when they do. A consistent theme among this group is a love and curiosity for travel. As research for You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think, our survey of 1,350 retirees across 46 states found that the happiest retirees took an average of 2.4 vacations yearly. In other words, the happy folks love to hit the road and explore. Elayne and Randy took this category and supersized it. There are 63 National Parks in the United States and its territories. They’ve hit them all!
Elayne and Randy with their certificate after visiting all 63 National Parks
Elayne, an Austell native, retired from the printing industry in 2002. Two years later, Atlanta-born Randy retired after a 34-year IT career that ended at Coca-Cola. Now in their 70s, they live in Big Canoe, Georgia, a private mountain community about an hour north of Atlanta. They have two children and five grandchildren.
Why And How?
When it comes to traveling, this retired power couple prefers outdoor settings and enjoys hiking, so the national parks were a natural fit. The idea to visit them all came on a whim, and they said, “Why not?” The freedom to make that choice is one of the benefits of a happy and financially secure retirement.
For those who think it sounds overwhelming to plan for such an epic array of destinations, Elayne and Randy didn’t have an overly stringent set of preparations. They simply took a little time to think about the weather and terrain and then did their best to pack the appropriate clothes and gear needed for each.
Their collection of brochures from each National Park
In fact, as challenging as traversing the scenic countryside might seem, they said the most arduous task was charting courses to get there. Reaching the National Park of American Samoa and back required six flights totaling 30,000 miles—Atlanta to San Diego, San Diego to Honolulu, and Honolulu to American Samoa—as during most of the year, there are only two weekly flights.
American Samoa National Park
Furthermore, some Alaska parks can be difficult to reach. Extreme weather forced their bush pilot to ground the plane more than once, so it took four separate trips to reach all eight national parks of the 49th State.
Denali National Park
The Favorites
Every national park is distinct and majestic in its own way, but Elayne and Randy had some favorites.
Hiking
The trails and people of Grand Teton National Park were hard to beat.
North Cascades National Park was the perfect place for a snowy daybreak hike.
Historic Scenery
The view from above and below Grand Canyon National Park was spectacular.
Glacier National Park provided the opportunity to see glaciers that may not be there much longer.
Animals
They shared the trail with wildlife in Glacier National Park.
They waited 30 minutes for a Bison in no hurry to move off the trail at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
A Grizzly Bear approached their plane when they landed on the shoreline in Lake Clark National Park.
The Utah All-Stars
Including Bryce Canyon, Zion and Arches National Parks, the state of Utah has an embarrassment of riches.
The Takeaway
If a national park voyage is on your list, Elayne and Randy say their biggest tip is easy: get out there and try it. Be prepared, but don’t overthink. Sure, there will be challenges. Some trails they wanted to hike were closed due to bear activity, others because of forest fires. Eight feet of snow blocked their first attempt to see Crater Lake National Park, but eventually, they made it. And so can you.
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Happy retirees are on the move. Elayne and Randy have already ventured north to see five of Canada’s 37 national parks, and they might add more to that list. Furthermore, the current scuttlebutt is that a 64th national park may be designated in Ocmulgee, Georgia. If and when that happens, they can hop in the car and be there in about two and a half hours. Don’t think they won’t!
From Haleakalā National Park on the island of Maui to the Northern Lights in Bettles, Alaska, Elayne and Randy are living the happy retirement life. Let their adventures be your north star, guiding you toward wherever you want to go.
Please note, Elayne and Randy have given us permission to share their story and photos.
