J. R. Ball
Published: 2020-12-15
Total Pages: 264
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This is the true story of how I used a dead-end job-with an unrelenting travel schedule-as the perfect alibi to secretly spend a year exploring America's national parks. This once-in-a-lifetime adventure captures the spirit of a country rediscovering nature in record numbers amid the pandemic. THE PHOTOGRAPHS: Over 150 high-resolution, color photos paint a vivid portrait of the unspoiled, protected lands across the contiguous U.S.-from our most beloved natural landmarks to remote vistas and prairies. From coast-to-coast, nearly every type of topography is recorded in rich detail; from rugged mountains and arid deserts to ancient forests and thundering waterfalls. THE STORY: A series of long-form essays-recorded in real-time, on-location-accompanies the book's dramatic photography. The story transports the reader into the backcountry and illustrates how I evolved over the course of the year, adding levity and a relatable, first-person perspective to the adventure. THE PARKS: Told in chronological order, each chapter focuses on a specific national park and relays my experiences-from coming face-to-face with wolves and bears to traversing glaciated mountains and kayaking freshwater oceans-at these incredible wild spaces: Muir Woods, Olympic, Yellowstone, Mt. Rainier, Great Smokey Mountains, Voyageurs, Arches, North Cascades, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Grand Canyon, Badlands, Chickasaw, Pinnacles, Rocky Mountains.