As an American, I am often embarrassed about a lot regarding this country — how little Americans know about and travel the rest of the world, our disastrous and disgustingly expensive (and ineffective) healthcare system, our lack of gun control and restrictions, our general prioritization of business and profit over actual lives, our high infant mortality rates and low competency levels for K-12 schools. As strange as it sounds, I think one of the things that makes me proudest of this country is all the beautiful and varied land we have here, particularly our national park system, which is so well maintained and full of diverse growth, rock formations, and bodies of water.

During this trip to Utah, we’re primarily here to visit Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, two very different parks in southern Utah that I didn’t even learn about until about four years ago when reading about the national park system and Utah specifically. Odd “hoodoo” rock formations shaped like pillars are all over Bryce Canyon, and because they are all grouped together over a large panoramic view in a canyon, in some ways, they almost make even more famous parks like the Grand Canyon seem plain. Zion kind of sounds like its name, some biblical paradise that has gorgeous red, yellow, pink, and purple rock formations with a sea of green plants and trees everywhere. Both parks have hikes of varying intensity, and we’re planning to do as much as possible to enjoy our condensed time here.

When I visit places like Zion or Rocky Mountain National Park, which we visited in November 2012, I feel sad for people who think there’s not much to see in the U.S. other than the cities and states along our east and west coasts. So much exists in this country that makes it unique and beautiful that we should be proud of and appreciate. These places are so stunning that all I can really think when I see them is… wow. The photos never give a full portrayal of the vastness of these places. Being there in person is what is so awe-inspiring. It’s just little us in these big, big parks and even larger world.

There are 58 national parks in the U.S. I wonder how many of them we will be able to see in our lifetime, if not all of them.