Doug and Sue's 2015 National Park Tour Blog

Welcome all to our Summer National Park Tour Blog. This trip is the result of a dream long held by both of us in our own ways. For Doug, it has been something he has always wanted to do. It was in the category of one of those daydreams – you know the kind – a wonderful thought followed by the belief that it would never happen.  Sue has always been passionate about immersing herself in pure nature, enjoying hiking, taking pictures and just being absorbed by the beauty of it all.

It was really Doug’s passion for art that made this trip become a reality. The thought of doing a series of paintings in each of the major National Parks was exciting and, at first, he considered doing over the course of a few years – visiting one or two a year. Then the great gift of retirement offered the option to “just do it” and hence the RV trailer idea was born.   

We embarked on our journey on Saturday, May 16.  We will be visiting the following national parks/sites over the course of the summer: Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, Zion, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Sequoia, Yosemite, Redwood, Yellowstone and Glacier. We will then head up into Canada and come back east, entering the US through the Great Lakes. Our return date is sometime in the middle of August. (Yes, we ARE coming back!).  We look forward to sharing our experiences and Doug’s paintings with you via this blog.  

Doug Connects with Artist Thomas Moran

In preparation for this trip. I have been researching early National Park artists like Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Church, and the Hudson River School and found myself connecting especially with Thomas Moran. I have found a parallel in our two lives. Thomas Moran immigrated to the Philadelphia area from England and he painted many areas along Fairmont Park that I have driven past many times going downtown. He also dreamed of going west. In his day, it was via transcontinental railroad, followed by horseback to the sites we will be visiting. He was the first artist to paint Yellowstone.

Thomas Moran travelled with survey teams to these places and painted some magnificent works. His paintings, along with photos and surveys helped convince Congress to make Yellowstone the first National Park. His huge painting “The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” was purchased by Congress and is currently located in the Senate lobby.

I am in awe of his achievements as well as the collective achievements of so many early people who passionately fought to keep these lands wild and undeveloped for future generations to enjoy. I highly recommend watching the Ken Burns series “The National Parks”. You will be amazed at how much continued effort it took to preserve and maintain these lands to keep them from being developed and lost forever.

  

I feel, in a sense that I am walking in Thomas Moran’s footsteps – another artist on a dream quest. Most of all, I realize that I am also fulfilling his dream by being able to walk the lands that he walked and view the same pristine views – exactly as they were when he first painted at Yellowstone. Amazing!