Nat Park Stories

"We're the Parkbound Maitlands. This is our 402nd Park. We're going to all of them. It's taken about 8 years to get to this many... Our job is not to be like 'oh look at us, we've been to all these Parks', we want kids, we want more people to come visit these Parks to learn about the history of these Parks. We need to help the world because the glaciers are slowly going away. We need more people to help... to understand that these glaciers aren't going to be here that long if we don't do something about it." -Gerald Maitland   The Parkbound Maitlands are a traveling family of four that have been to HUNDREDS of National Park Units, and have collected incredible stories and fascinating knowledge, over the last 8 years.   I met the Junior Park Rangers Gerald and Jameson Maitland, and their parents Cheri and Jim at Exit Glacier in Alaska, because of their vests and jackets that were LITERALLY covered in Jr Park Ranger badges and patches.  I asked if I could hear their story for the podcast and they excitedly agreed.    Meeting the Parkbound Maitlands were one of the highlights of my entire trip.  You can tell how much I enjoyed the conversation during this interview, and after I turned the mic off, we continued to chat for hours, and still keep in touch.    We had so much in common, even beyond our shared love of Parks we had so many stories to exchange. Plus, they’re just really nice people!   After I chatted with the kids about National Parks, I talked to their parents about stories of traveling and meeting people on the road, then we headed to their RV (with an attached trailer) to get out of the rain and talk even more.   In this interview we talk about their many years of National Park travel, the things they’ve learned while visiting the units, some of their many stories, tips for travel, and so, so much more.    And I end this episode in a unique way, so you won’t want to miss that.   After listening to this interview, you will want to see the incredible amount of patches and badges they have. You can find a picture of the family (holding my pup) with all of the badges on the Nat Park Stories Instagram and Facebook.   You can also see a bunch of pictures of them and hear a ton of their fascinating stories online, just google Parkbound Maitlands.

Do you know how long it takes a water bottle to completely decompose? Take a guess, and then listen to this episode.    As I was walking out of the visitor center in Denali, I saw a table with a sign about Subaru’s Zero Landfill Initiative in the parks. I’d never heard of it, so I had to stop and check it out.   In this interview, I talk with Patrice La Vigne about what the program is doing and what we can personally do to lessen our impact in the parks. Being a big Nat Parks traveler herself, she also gives tips for how we can show up to the parks as prepared as possible.   After listening to this interview, you’ll probably want more information about Subaru's Zero Landfill initiative, you can check out at Subaru.com/csr/environment.  It’s a pretty awesome program!   Let’s hear the story.   --- Check out Nat Park Stories on Facebook, Instagram and Patreon for more content!

After riding the bus for 4 hours, we finally arrived at Eielson, which gives a breathtaking view of the park.    While I was taking in the view, two little girls ran up to me and started asking questions about my mic.  I asked their parents if I could do a quick interview and they agreed.    The girls, Lacy and Tora, were giddy, and although Tora soon lost interest in the interview, Lacy gives a really fun description of the view.    This is one episode where I’m going to urge you to go to my Instagram and see the picture of the two adorable girls. Not only can you see their too-cute-for words smiles, you’ll also be able to see what Lacy was describing during the interview.   Let’s hear their story!   --- Check out Nat Park Stories on Facebook, Instagram and Patreon for more content!

When was the last time something was so beautiful, it literally brought you to tears?   For Sarah Liem it was while we rode the bus through Denali National Park.   Sarah — also comically known as Bacon— is literally one of my favorite people I met on this trip because of her willingness to be vulnerable and real, and the elegant and hilarious way she put the feelings that this park evoked for her.    She came on this trip with Henry, who I interviewed in the last episode. It was both their first trip together and their first trip to Alaska.   A couple of minutes in, we viewed some bears for a bit, and although I originally thought to cut it out, I decided to leave it in because it really felt like part of the experience — it should make you feel like you’re riding the bus along with us.    Sarah and Henry are so easy to get along with, you can hear our friendship blossoming over the interview, which sends us off topics here and there, and they even took me out to dinner for my birthday the next day.   This interview gives you a peek into why I LOVE doing this podcast.  I am so moved by the parks, and although I can’t always adequately describe the feelings the parks invoke, some of my interviewees can verbalize it quite well. I also love the friendships that are formed from the strangers I meet in the parks.   I hope this episode makes you feel like you’re riding the bus, forming a friendship, and seeing breathtaking sights right along with us.   --- Check out Nat Park Stories on Facebook, Instagram and Patreon for more content!

When you think of Alaska, what comes to mind? It is a specific image is it a fuzzy question mark?    Like many of the other people I met in Denali, I met Henry, traveling with his friend Sarah, on the bus.    They got on later than the others, stopping the bus on its way through the park, traveling to their next camping destination with their big backpacks, holding a bear proof box — the first I’d ever seen.   When the bus stopped to pick them up, Henry yelled up to the driver that their Bear Spray had blown up all over his hands and pack so they had to store their bags in the luggage area under the bus.    I didn’t know if they’d want to chat, but true to my nature, I was too curious not to ask.    The interview with both of them turned out to be a couple of my favorites. They both talk with palpable excitement and the same eagerness I felt when gazing on the landscape. `   We actually became friends after the interview and they took me out to dinner for my birthday the next day. It was some of my favorite memories from the whole trip and something I remind myself of when I’m questioning whether or not I should approach strangers.    In this interview, Henry and I talk about Denali, and some special moments he and Sarah shared in the park that made her cry and took his breath away, as well as what drew him to Alaska, and why others should visit this big question mark of a state.    Let’s jump in!   --- Check out Nat Park Stories on Facebook, Instagram and Patreon for more content!

What Keeps Elton Parks, a Denali Bus Driver, Coming Back to the Park for the Last 33 Years? And how does he describe working in Denali? You won’t want to miss this.    When I was about to board the bus, a nice Park Ranger out front said to me, “Oh you’ve got Elton! He’s great. You’re going to love this.” I wasn’t skeptical for a minute, as right away the bus driver introduced himself as Elton Parks, and gave the facts of the trip, adding his humorous touch to even the instructions for the ride.    Through the whole bus trip, Elton kept up the commentary, telling us the history and geography of many of the 66 miles that we drove.  On the 8 hour round trip, when I wasn’t interviewing the rest of the passengers, I was sitting in the very front, peppering Elton with questions.    Not only does he have a fascinating story about how he only expecting to work in Denali for one summer, then coming back for the last 33 years, but Elton also has a fascinating life and is full of wonderful travel stories. As he states in the interview, he's flown over 5 million miles with over 190 airlines, and done over 300,000 miles of rail travel.    Although I found the whole conversation interesting, this interview really starts picking up pace around the 6 minute mark when I asked Elton what brings him back the Park year after year.    And if you want those links that he mentions at the end, he did email them to me, so just let me know!    Let’s get started!

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be just feet away from a hungry grizzly (or 12)?

In this episode, I interview a father and a son from Huston that are on a 17 day RV road trip with their family.

I sat next to them on the bus in Denali and asked if I could hear a bit about their experiences in Alaska so far.

Although we do talk about Denali throughout the interview, we mainly focus on their experience in Katmai National Park, where they had just witnessed a bunch of grizzlies catching salmon.

Two things to note in the interviews, one is that Michael told me beforehand that he’s a little shy, so you’ll listen as he relaxes and gets excited (a tiny bit) during his telling of his love of Denali, his favorite National Park in the country.

And about half way through Andrew, his son, will hop on the interview and tell some really great stories about seeing the bears in Katmai.

There is also a little bit of chatter from the passengers and the bus driver, who did a great job of narrating the whole experience and who I interview later… but overall, I think you’ll find this a really interesting perspective of Alaska and it’s Parks from a Texan family.

Also, after Andrew’s awesome description of the bears, you’re going to want to check out his instagram, which he gave me permission to share. Just search Andrew Shirey on instagram.

Enjoy!

Fall back in love with America through stories of strangers in the National Parks. Follow the adventures of a solo female VanLifer exploring the US National Parks, and talking to people she meets about their impact. 

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Welcome to the Nat Park Stories Podcast.

This is a podcast that follows me, Summer Slevin, as I travel to all the National Parks in my home van with my pup and have conversations with the many strangers I met.

In 2015, I went to my first National Park, the Rocky Mountain National Park, and I fell in love.

I bought my National Parks Pass, and traveled in my car for two months talking to strangers and exploring Nature.

A couple years later, after working the rat race and settling into the corporate world, I found myself burnt out and miserable.

I had also witnessed so much division in America that I had started falling out of love with it and looking for international places to relocate.

At the end of 2017, I tried to remember a time when I felt at peace and in love with the country.

My mind went back to being in the National Parks and talking to people about their beauty.

At the beginning of 2018, I decided to create a little home in a van, and set off to all our National Parks for the next two years, in hopes of falling back in love with America. 

I wanted to start it in a big way, to prove to myself and others that I was serious.

In July, I hit the road from my hometown in Central Illinois, and headed to Last Frontier, Alaska.

 

My first park of the podcast, Denali National Park, blew my mind and instantly I felt myself fall back in love with my country.

My hope is that you will too, through the stories of strangers I meet in breathtaking places.

Each interview will vary — every story is different and inspiring in their own way— most of the time, they will center on what it feels like in that specific national park and why others should visit these protected places.

Sometimes you’ll hear my story of exploring the parks, or the people I meet along the way, but most of the stories are of the people I meet in parks. 

Every month, I plan to release all the episodes from one park, in the order I traveled to each of them.

Every 3-6 months, I will take a break, breaking the podcast into seasons.

During season one, I will talk to strangers at Denali, Kenai Fjords, and Wrangell - St Elias National Parks all in Alaska, as well as Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Texas and New Mexico. 

You’ll hear from park rangers, bus drivers, tour guides, retirees, children, friends of mine, families, couples, single travelers, bird watchers, authors, Americans, international travelers, and so much more.

You can find pictures and stories of the parks, people, and my adventures -and chat with me-, on my Facebook, Instagram, and website.

Just search Nat-Park-Stories.

And if you want to support this podcast, receive post cards from the parks, get behind the scenes content and more, go to Patreon.com/NatParkStories.

Just a note, most of these recordings are captured outside — in the parks, so you might hear quite a bit of Natural Sounds… please bare with me. 

I have also never created a podcast before, so I’m really open to your feedback about what you think will make this podcast even better.

Feel free to reach out to me on Facebook, Instagram, or my website. 

I am really so excited to share this journey with you, so let’s get started! :)

 

In this episode we’ll be talking about my first Park of the Podcast, Denali National Park in Alaska, where I went at the end of July 2018 — and we'll talk to a man who’s been coming to the park since the 60s.

The thing that stood out to most people I interviewed is the vastness and isolation of the park.

You can drive 15 miles into Denali National Park, the rest of the park is only accessible by bus or hiking.

While I took an 8 hour round trip bus ride, I interviewed almost everyone that rode along with me, including Ike Waits (WAITs) the man who quite literally wrote the book on Denali.

I honestly couldn’t believe my luck!

He’s been coming to the park since 1967 and has seen a lot of changes since then.

One of the big things that he’s noticed is an increase in the superficial enjoyment of the park.

In 2000, he wrote hiking and photography guide that he hopes will encourage people to get off the bus and explore the park.

I was so excited to chat with him about his experiences in the park, how it feels to hike the vast wilderness of Denali, why he thinks people should get out and explore, and so much more.

As he says at the end, we cover a lot of ground in this interview so buckle up and enjoy, but don’t forget to get off the bus at some point!