The turning of the calendar says it is time for what has become an annual Parking Full Time tradition: my year-end summary and reflection post! 2025 was a fantastic year on the trail with God's creation in its natural state. We did 60 new hikes this year covering 150.6 miles of trails across 20 different states. None of those numbers are personal records, but they are good numbers. Highlights for the year include a bucket list trip to Hawaii where I visited and hiked in my 50th state. That trip marked the end of a journey I began back in 1995 and fulfilled a goal I set in 2014 to hike in every state before my 50th birthday. (I turn 50 this coming October, by the way.) I also completed my goal of visiting and hiking in every state park in Alabama; that will be my next set of ranking videos, which will be released this coming summer. Finally, I had nice trips to Texas Hill Country and New Jersey. I really enjoyed climbing Enchanted Rock in Texas and hiking around some Revolutionary War battlefields in New Jersey.
Looking ahead to 2026, I have a return trip to Texas coming up soon. Last year I bought a Texas State Parks annual pass that expires at the end of February, and I intend to make the most of that pass. Perhaps the trip I am most excited about is a planned trip this fall to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Wyoming. I have hiked at many of the big western national parks including Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, and Zion, but I have never been to Yellowstone. We also have our usual trips to Ohio and Tennessee planned. I am looking forward to another great year on the trail in 2026!
As always, I want to thank you for reading the posts and watching the videos here at Parking Full Time. Your views, comments, subscribes, and likes encourage me to keep this project going. I'll see you on the trail in 2026!
Happy new year, take care, and Lord bless,
David Prager, aka Big Dave, the Parks Professor
2025 Summary and Reflection Video (recorded at Cheaha State Park in Alabama):
No comments:
Post a Comment