If you asked any American what they’d like to do after they retire—and you offered them the chance to go on a road trip to see all 63 national parks—most might consider that a great way to sail into the sunset.
Well more than just saying it, a 93-year-old grandmother has done it—all 63 parks in about 8 years time, becoming the oldest person ever to do so.
But, Joy Ryan didn’t do it herself. She had a handsome young man—her grandson Brad—for company, who described the adventure as “the greatest privilege.”
Their journey began in October of 2015 when they visited Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee and concluded last Monday when they made it all the way out into the South Pacific to American Samoa.
“We departed from our hometown of Duncan Falls, Ohio at 3:00 am on Saturday,” Brad Ryan told Good Morning America via email.
“We took a two-day break in Oahu before boarding our final flight to Pago Pago, American Samoa, on Monday. Three flights and nearly seventeen flying hours were required before we touched down in American Samoa on Monday evening.”
Throughout the recent parks, Brad and Joy have been documenting their trips on the @grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account.
“Grandma Joy has taught the world that you are never too old to show up and live the adventurous life of your dreams. It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be in the driver’s seat as Grandma Joy made history to become the oldest person to achieve this historic feat.”
The most recent and final trip, organized by Brad who works as a veterinarian, has been particularly bittersweet (though he emphasizes the ‘sweet’) since it came just a week after the death of his father, Joy’s oldest son.
Out in American Samoa, a park that spans 7 villages of Indigenous land, the duo got to enjoy breathtaking views of the South Pacific, and see interesting wildlife like a colony of fruit bats.
While Brad said their national park adventure has ended, their travels will not. They plan to take it internationally, visiting Kenya on a National Geographic-organized expedition as the first stop on a mission to touch all seven continents, and maybe, if Joy keeps her enthusiasm, outer space as well.
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