191: For the benefit and enjoyment of the people...

Tonight was the second installment of the Ken Burns documentary about the National Parks. I have been looking forward to this since I knew it was coming out because Ken Burns is amazing (and my secret hero) and I love the National Parks. Watching even just two nights of the documentary have me itching to pack up our car and head west.

It's been really neat to watch the documentary because I come from a family where getting stamps in our National Parks Passport was a family pastime and have been to many of the parks. (Okay, don't cry, Mom) Some of my favorite family memories have taken place in National Parks, ranging from my dad singing God Bless the USA while standing on top of the men's bathroom at Mount Rushmore on the 4th of July while sporting a Kenny Rogers beard (not kidding) to hiking desolate landscapes out to Anasazi ruins and enjoying a few sips of an ice cold beer upon returning to our car.

I pulled out my Pin Hat tonight from the other room while the documentary was on. I got this hat the summer my parents and I spent a few amazing weeks out west hiking and visiting what seemed like a million national parks/monuments. Since then the hat has become too laden with pins to wear comfortably so it's a decoration. I thought it would make a neat subject for my photo of the day today.