Jaunted

Over in Yosemite, where “every day is Earth Day,” the've got a lot going on. They had a whole kickoff celebration over the weekend to welcome Earth Week, but still have a lot of stuff leftover for Wednesday. In the morning you can join the park rangers to help preserve the natural habitat by removing Himalayan blackberry and other invasive plants. Bring some gardening gloves, since weed killer will probably be frowned upon. In the afternoon there’s a scavenger hunt by bicycle, and they’ll even rent you a bike for just $5. We're not sure what the prize is, but we're thinking that it's just feeling good about yourself.

If you’re feeling guilty about being in Las Vegas, take a ride out to the Grand Canyon. There’s going to be “special activities” during the afternoon at the Market Plaza on Wednesday—whatever those are. However, we do know that they’ll be an afternoon parade featuring local school kids later on in the afternoon. If you have some kiddos in your group, visit on Saturday—National Junior Ranger Day. Kid friendly programs will be everywhere, along with patches, pins, and other paraphernalia that you’ll just have to buy for your kids. Maybe they can even get in an early application for a sweet government job.

If you’re lucky enough to be on the Big Island of Hawaii, head into Volcanoes National Park to celebrate our big blue marble. In the morning visitors can join park botanists to learn about how the native plants have recovered along the Mauna Loa Road. If you’d rather go for a hike, they have you covered as well. Park rangers will be offering a four-hour journey through Kipuka’akihi. You’ll be checking out the rain forest, so dress accordingly. This tour is limited to twenty, so give them a call and register before you go.

Related Stories:
·Yosemite National Park - Special Programs [Official Site]
·Grand Canyon National Park - What's New? [Official Site]
·Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - News Releases [Official Site]
·The New York Times Goes Camping, Nobody Gets Hurt [Jaunted]
·National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Alaskan Dude]