Before They're Gone: A Family's Year-Long Quest to Explore America's Most Endangered National Parks

Michael Lanza, an experienced hiker/backpacker/travel writer who has enjoyed the outdoors both personally and professionally for decades, takes his wife and young children (ages 7/8 and 9/10) on 12 months' worth of National Parks exploration. He has the background to make this the trip of a lifetime for his children, and the motivation to enjoy the parks as they are, while they still are, with them, making priceless memories with his family. His big worry - besides the safety of his family - climate change. The impact of climate change on our National Parks and the global ecosystem is a character in this travel memoir as much as he, his wife, their children, friends and family that join them, and the magnificent National Parks themselves. Lanza selects 10 destinations: The Grand Canyon (AZ), Yosemite National Park (CA), Glacier Bay National Park (AK), Mount Ranier National Park (WA), Olympic National Park (WA), Glacier National Park (MT), Rocky Mountain National Park (CO), Joshua Tree National Park (CA), Yellowstone National Park (WY), and The Everglades National Park (FL). The selection runs the gamut of what the U.S. has to offer in the way of topography, wildlife, climate, and more. Each offers its own unique adventure to the Lanza family, and it's a delight to hear the children's reaction to the sights, sounds, smells, and encounters of each of these vastly different but exquisitely wonderful National Parks. I've visited a few of these National Parks - and a few more were already on my radar for future trips - but there's not one of these places that doesn't captivate and entice me to visit after reading about them. Each has its own draw, and the way Lanza describes them brings them to life, painting a vivid picture of natural beauty, fierce independence, and raw emotion. I equally loved reading about places I'd seen and places I haven't - hearing the Lanza's perspectives about Mammoth Hot Springs and comparing it to my own experience was as exciting as hearing about the vast expanses of Alaska, which I've not yet seen with my own eyes. Following the family's adventures was absolutely the main draw for me with this book, but reading about the history of the parks, the changes that have taken place due to the changes in climate over the past 100 years, and the changes expected over this next century if global warming continues, had a big impact on me as well. While I would have appreciated a more actionable take on climate change, I still learned a lot, and the truth is that the fix to this problem we've created is likely too complex to fit in this text without bogging it down. Hands down, though, the most touching parts of this memoir were seeing all the wonder of these 10 National Parks through the eyes of children thrilled by a year-long adventure with their parents. About the book format: Structured with an introduction and epilogue to set the stage before the year starts and summarize it after, each park is granted a full chapter in which the narrative of the family's trip alternates with information on the park's challenges and the impact of climate change. Each chapter begins with a picture illustrating the most unique feature of that park, and is dated to show the family's progression through their planned trips. Sources are provided at the end of the book.