Family adventure: How the Fields visited all 63 national parks in 11 years

For the Fields family, travel has always been about more than destinations. It has been about love, family time, and making memories that last a lifetime.

What started as a simple bucket list in 2014  became an 11-year journey through all 63 U.S. National Parks. Along the way, Jason, Cindy, and their kids, Jordan and Janna, discovered not just the country’s natural beauty, but also the joy of exploring together.

“This is our family tree, but it is our travel tree,” Cindy says, showing ornaments collected from parks across the country. It is something I will cherish forever in my mama heart.” The first ornament? Yellowstone. Yellowstone is also the first U.S. National Park, established in 1872. 

“He made a bucket list, and we just started naming off places we wanted to go,” Cindy remembers.

Jordan, now 23, says the trips opened his eyes. “It was just beautiful and eye-opening for me, and like, wow, what else is there for us to see?”

Janna, now 20, says she loved exploring the beaches and deserts. “I love the beach, I love the sand, a National Park on an island,” she says. “You wouldn’t think of it as a sand pit, but flying in a little puddle jumper, it looks like the Sahara.”

Jason says many people think you need a passport to travel. 

“I have told everyone, you can live your whole life, and see everything in our great country and see something else every time you go,” he said. “Little bits at a time, and you can do it very affordably. You can drive, sleep in a tent, or get a Motel 8 down the road.”

Along the way, they spotted wildlife and had some unforgettable close encounters. 

“We were just hanging out at the beach, and this giant grizzly bear walked 10 feet from us,” Jordan said. 

And the family kept the adventures fun. Jason pulled off headstands, while Janna filmed TikToks along the way, turning road trips into shared laughs and memories. 

“Make the goals and do them,” Cindy said. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes you, one step in front of the other. You’re not promised tomorrow, and my kids are growing up. We wanted to value the time that we had with our kids.”

Cindy remembers an unforgettable moment in Hawaii. 

“When we started 2025, we decided to go to Hawaii, and about 10 days before we left, Kilauea started erupting. We never expected to see a volcano erupting.”

Their final parks came full circle, from where it all began in Yellowstone to where it ended, together, in the Smoky Mountains. Some of these were done just this summer when we went to Alaska, Cindy adds.

And while they have now completed every National Park, their wanderlust is not over. 

Their next goal is to explore all seven wonders of the world, one adventure at a time. 

Jordan encourages other families, saying, “Do it, you won’t regret it. Just plan one trip at a time and slowly chip away at it.”