THE NATIONAL PARKS BUCKET LIST - Linda Mohammad


I'm a huge fan of the American National Parks (and Monuments) and I've found that books and other merchandise for and about the Parks system is generally quite attractive and engaging.  This is no exception.

The book is primarily a journal for logging and tracking the parks that you've been to.  Each park (the book contains all of the parks in the National Parks system) is a two-page spread. the first page has a gorgeous retro-styled art for the park along with a quick debrief (location; size; established; etc) and a one paragraph description of the park. There is also a highlighted 'tips' section that are a bit more personal from the author (ie: "Don't miss the northern lights! For my Gates of the Arctic trip, I had dinner at ... and made friends with folks who promised me a northern lights wake-up call. The knock came at 2am...").

The second page of the spread is the journaling page (it is the same for all the parks). It's nicely made and manages to be both simple and comprehensive - space for flora & fauna, things you see on your hike(s), the weather, companions, and more.  The downside would be that the space for each is pretty limited. (More than four plants and animals? Too bad. No place specific for birds.) Still, it's a great starting place and I'd guess that 80% of the people who actually use this won't need more than this.  More serious journal-ers will use their own system.

There is also a space for the National Park Passport stamp, which is a really great idea.  Although I own multiple National Park passports, it seems I never have them with me when I'm at a park and end up stamping a spare piece of paper.

The book is broken down by region and the start of each region includes a checklist of the parks in the region, a map.

There are more journaling pages at the back of the book, along with prompts (such as "What not to do on future park visits" and "Best conversations with park rangers") to round out the book and give the park journaler a few more opportunities to make notes on the parks.

This book is nicely made and really appeals to the average park-goer, but those who like journaling will find this especially appealing.  I hope this will find its way into Parks' stores as I think it will be a strong park impulse buy.

Looking for a good book? The National Parks Bucket List by Linda Mohammad is a really nice, simple book for fans of National Parks and journaling and list-makers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

* * * * * *

The National Parks Bucket List: The Ultimate Adventure Journal for all 63 Parks

author: Linda Mohammad

publisher: Epic Ink

ISBN: 9780760386811

flexibound, 176 pages

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