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Oct. 14, 2016
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Traveller to visit every U.S. national park
by Lura Jackson

 

     This past April Mikah Meyer began a road trip that will take him to all of the 413 units of the National Park Service (NPS) over the next four years. When he completes his journey the 30-year-old will be the youngest person to have visited all of the designated sites of the NPS, as well as the only person to do it on a single continuous trip.
     Combined with his youth, Meyer's record‑breaking logistical ambitions are admirable, but they are far from the sole motivating factors for his journey. As an openly gay man with an active interest in the outdoor community, Meyer aims to provide an example for others that he never had.
"It's hard to be what you can't see," Meyer says, sharing a favorite quote from Marian Wright Edelman. Describing himself as a "little gay pastor's kid" who grew up in Nebraska and didn't come out until his 29s, Meyer says his goal is to "be what I couldn't see, for other kids and for people out in the world."
     The seeds for Meyer's trip were planted early in his life. When he was 10, his father purchased a plot of land in Florida. Meyer would make the 20‑hour drive from Nebraska with his father to clear the land, and later the whole family traveled together to build a house. "It was normal," Meyer says of the frequent and enjoyable trips. Sharing the experience with his father created an enduring comfort for the road. "I remember driving through the mountains of Tennessee, and it was storming," he recalls of one particular night that stays with him. "I saw my dad at the driver's helm, and I just knew everything was going to be okay, and I fell back asleep."
      When Meyer was 19, his father passed away from cancer. A few days afterward, Meyer took his first solo road trip in his father's car C a six‑month adventure. "It was such a transformational experience for me," Meyer says. It crystallized the importance of "following your dreams, because you might not get the time you think you're promised." Every year after that, Meyer has taken an annual trip in his father's car.
      Around the age of 25, Meyer considered making a much larger trip rather than periodic small ones. He embarked on a 260‑day trip to 46 states and shared the summary of it online to tens of thousands of people, an experience that directly contributed to the development of his newest trip. Knowing he would need funds, Meyer began to save money by living and teaching as a singer at Georgetown Preparatory School near Washington, D.C.
     As his 30th birthday approached, Meyer formulated the idea of visiting all of the parks of the NPS -- coincidentally in the same year that the organization was celebrating its centennial year. The scope of the task was a bit more than he anticipated. "I didn't know there were this many national parks," Meyer says, describing how he thought there were only 58 or so. Upon finding out that there are 413 units, Meyer realized that he had the unique opportunity to promote the lesser‑known parks as part of an ongoing travel blog.
     Meyer began to actively raise donations and publicity for his journey, and soon a van was donated by Unwined Candles. Other sponsors began to join in, and the federally run Voice of America news site announced it would feature a weekly update on his adventure that would reach 187 million people around the world. At the end of April, Meyer officially began his four‑year journey at the Washington Monument -- arriving in Maine to visit St. Croix Island National Historic Site at the start of October.
     The experience isn't without its uncertainties. "Technically, I started this trip without the money to finish it," Meyer says. Each day he eats peanut butter sandwiches, and each night he sleeps in his van. "A lot of this is living on faith that this will work out."
     Accompanying Meyer is his boyfriend. "It's important to continue providing that example to the LGBT community without slamming it in everybody's face," Meyer says. "I'm still worried that potential sponsors won't sponsor me because I'm gay."
     Despite the challenges, Meyer remains committed to the trip. "I talk a lot about destiny," he says. "Many times I wake up wondering if I'm crazy. But I knew when I was 30 I wanted to do this." Along with the NPS centennial, his trip coincides with the 50th anniversary of the National Park Foundation and the centennial of the National Parks Conservation Association. At the same time, the NPS has actively been reaching out to youths and to the LGBT community. "It's so much bigger than myself for so many reasons," he says.
     "I think about those things during the tough times, like waking up and its 36 degrees," Meyer says, amicably recalling the Maine morning.
     It's been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Meyer finds no difficulty in seeing it everywhere he travels. So far on the trip, North Dakota has been a standout for him. "It's a lot of prairie, but there's beauty in the prairie," he says. Arriving at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Meyer was struck by the geological layers revealed in the glacier‑eroded canyon. Realizing that such layers were present beneath the prairie, Meyer was awed. "I talk about it like it's a cake. If you just take the top layer of the cake you're not getting the full experience."
     Aside from the natural beauty of the country, Meyer has also enjoyed the cultural elements of the trip. "As diverse as our country is, it's amazing the things that connect us, even if it's just our commerce," he says. "There are things that are similar all around the country that we all share as a common culture."
      To follow Meyer's journey, or to make a donation to support it, visit <www.tbcmikah.com>.

 

 

 

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