The 2018 National Parks Photo Contest July 30, 2018

One of our favorite parts about coming into work each day (besides getting paid to draw cool pictures) is interacting with our fans. Y'all are the life blood of this company & your passion for travel (especially to America's National Parks) inspires us constantly.

Last month, we reached out to our email followers & asked them to share their favorite Park memories with us. Thus began a two week process of reading, laughing, and tearing up just a bit as we read their stories & ooo'd and ahhh'd at their photography (gotta love the high def quality of today's cell phones).

The following is a list of our favorite stories and photos, including the three winners of the National Parks Expanded Edition coffee table book. Enjoy!

Winners

From: Tiffany Jamieson

"I met my husband in college. After graduation we made a bucket list filled with things big and small- we started working on the list little by little.
When I read about Angels Landing, Observation Point and the Narrows, it immediately went on our bucket list.

own a home ✔️
travel abroad ✔️
see the Pacific Ocean✔️
Run a marathon ✔️
Read three new books a year ✔️
Get a puppy ✔️
Visit Zion ✔️

There was one item on that list that was a bit harder to check off. We both dreamed of having children. Despite our best efforts, it didn’t seem like that was in our cards. To get away from it all, my husband surprised me with a trip out west- Vegas, Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon! It was going to be amazing and just what we needed after our second miscarriage.

Before leaving I took another test. It was POSITIVE. We were in shock. This photo is our favorite from our trip as well as how we shared the news with our family. We took this at the top of observation point in Zion. A difficult hike, with a beautiful ending. I cried taking the photo and others did too when they figured out what those two little hiking shoes meant! It was a truly unforgettable trip.

I’m happy to say we checked an item off our bucket list on December 20, 2017 when our son, Elias, was born. While pregnant, he visited Zion, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Parks. We added taking him to every national park to our bucket list."

From: Chris Atterberry

"I took this picture back in 2016. After several years of working behind a desk, I finally built up the courage to take a risk and move away from my hometown in Missouri to explore out west.

I left behind the comforts of a steady job and close-by family to take a traveling sales job in an industry I knew next to nothing about.

Having never been out west, I signed a lease for an apartment I’d never even seen in a town just west of Denver. The job was stressful and all the travel made it difficult to make friends. I had begun to wonder if I had made a mistake.

One morning while I was staying in a small town in western Colorado, I decided to set my alarm to 3am and visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I arrived before the sun rose and was the only person in the park.

I walked the trail and wandered to the edge of a cliff looking down into the Canyon. As I sat there, I was truly happy for the first time since I’d left home behind. I began to visit as many parks as I could during my travels and met friends along the way.

I’ve since moved back to the Midwest for a new job, but I keep this picture framed on my desk to remind me that the best moments are often experienced outside of your comfort zone."

From: Stephanie Hudzik

"The flowers are all from the 2016 Death Valley superbloom. I’m a geographer and the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin, was obviously on my bucket list for awhile! I booked a trip to Vegas with my sister and I happened to catch that a potential superbloom was on the horizon. I, of course, immediately changed my plans and booked a car and extra days! It was fabulous. I spent three days 'chasing flowers!'

The Joshua trees are from Joshua Tree NP of course. I got so lucky with some very cool sunsets.

The Joshua Tree-less sunset photo is from Yosemite. I was driving south on Wawona Road as the sun was setting and I stopped at pretty much every turn off to take a picture. It was so spectacular.

Finally, the lighthouse is from Acadia. My friend from college, who lives on the west coast (I am on the east coast), and I meet once or twice a year and that trip we picked Maine and Acadia. I climbed down precariously on some rocks to get that shot."

Honorable Mentions