Brad Ryan is on a mission with his grandma, Joy Ryan. A 41-year-old man and a 92-year-old lady aim to visit all 63 of the United States’ national parks.
Furthermore, they are getting extremely close to achieving their aim.
The intergenerational trip began in October 2015, when the couple from Duncan Fall, Ohio, embarked on an expedition to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Brad remarked on “GMA”: “I felt bad that she was always living vicariously through my stories. Knowing she had never visited deserts, mountains, the ocean, or other wild areas on Earth, I thought it was my responsibility to make sure she had some memories to contribute to her life story.”
Joy had never seen the ocean, a mountain, or the flow of a major river before embarking on their journey.
Brian and Joy didn’t get along very well until they struck their arrangement.
They finally spoke after a ten-year quiet during his sister’s wedding, when Brad learnt that his grandma was “extremely near to death.” It had been ten years since the two of them had spoken.
“You can’t just pick up where you left off after ten years. Therefore, you are forced to make a decision, and I decided that the best way to proceed would be to just create something more beautiful”, said Brad.
Brad anticipated that accompanying his elderly grandmother on a trip would be difficult, but this was not the case.
They were having the best time ever.
“I’ve always tried to live my life in a good manner, and it didn’t hurt to try something new at least once,” Grandma Joy added. I didn’t want you to have regrets the next day.”
Grandma has gone ziplining, white water rafting, and flying in a small plane. Brad received a lot of attention once he began blogging about their excursions on social media.
Brad and Joy had previously visited 29 parks before COVID arrived.
“All we could do was hope that things would change and those opportunities would still be available, and then be thankful for what we had been able to experience and see up to that point,” Brad continued.
In July 2021, they picked up their plan and went to Alaska to see eight of its National Parks.
They met new friends while hiking close to glaciers and getting up close to wild animals.
“I finally got to witness the bears catch the fish, which was something I’ve always wanted to do. It was fun, no doubt about it,” Grandma Joy said.
The next stop on Brad and Joy’s agenda is the National Park of American Samoa, which will bring them one step closer to achieving their goal of seeing all the national parks.
Their final trip will be bittersweet, but they are looking forward to it.
Grandma Joy reminisced on the trip, calling it a “wonderful journey.” “This has truly been the most amazing, great adventure. And I wouldn’t exchange it for the world.”
Learn more about their adventures in the video below, and please SHARE it with your friends on Facebook.