America’s National Parks are a treasure that can’t be overestimated and I am thrilled with this issue that details parks from Alaska to Florida and everywhere in between.

It seems like everyone has a favorite park, a cherished childhood memory, or a family tradition that involves one of the parks. In fact, more than 285,579,941 people visited one in 2009 (according to the National Park Service).

And that only makes sense. The National Park System comprises 392 areas covering more than 84 million acres in every state (except for Delaware), the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails and the White House.

Our NATJA writers in this summer spectacular—Sarah Jaquay (page 8), Paul Rubio (page 16), Jeffrey Lehmann (page 22), and Jennifer Crites (page 28), to name but a few—touch upon some of these sites and offer tips about visiting in the off peak season, discovering lesser known jewels and tricks for avoiding the crowds. You’re sure to discover somewhere new that you’ll want to add to your bucket list.

This issue also marks my last as editor. I have immensely enjoyed my tenure here and especially working with so many talented writers. I am thrilled to announce my successor, Donna Airoldi, a veteran travel writer and talented editor. Please reach out to her with a warm welcome!

I hope to see you on the road sometime soon. You can also find me at my latest venture, The Savvy Factory (www.thesavvyfactory.com). As always, happy and safe travels!

Kim Kim Foley MacKinnon, Editor-in-Chief