KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — A Kansas City, Missouri couple will put their lives on hold as they fulfill a dream of visiting all 59 U.S. National Parks over a 59-week time span beginning April 1st of this year. The idea first came to mind for Don and Shelly Hafner in May of 2013 after vacationing in South Dakota in July. They would leave their jobs, purchase an RV, rent their home out, and make the extensive travel arrangements necessary for their "ultimate bucket list" journey, all of which they have accomplished over the past six months.
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Shelly said the purpose of their journey is to "Promote the virtues of our National Park System." The couple's tour will begin in Arkansas at Hot Springs National Park, and wrap up with their 59th national park visit on July 4th of 2015. They also intend to visit the Devil's Tower National Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park, and other national park service "units" while on their journey, about 50 in all.
The Hafners have spoken on the subject of national parks during the "Genius Hour" at two Kansas City Metro elementary schools, and are strong proponents of getting children interested and involved in the country's national parks. The Hafners feel that children will benefit greatly by experiencing the learning opportunities at many of the national parks and "unplugging" from technology such as video games and the Internet.
The couple has developed a number of themes for their journey, and believes that it will appeal to a wide and varied audience, including:
- Anyone can follow his or her dreams by developing and executing a good plan.
- The national parks are a "manifestation of our freedoms," every person can benefit by visiting the national parks, which are an experience unique to America.
- Preserving the country's national parks and expanding them for future generations is essential.
- Our national parks must be kept open and funded.
The Hafners are excited about their journey, and will chronicle it on their website at http://59nationalparks.com, created by their local web development partner Phil Singleton at Kansas City Web Design.
The couple intends to document their journey through photography, blog posts and email newsletters. Don and Shelly will also keep in touch with followers via Google+, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter: @59nationalparks.
Pics by Shelly, LLC owns 59nationalparks.com, and is a business in which the Hafners promote posters, post cards, and art-quality photographs. The website also affords small businesses near the national parks an opportunity to advertise at affordable rates. Having already formed business relationships with Eastern National, Flow397, and National Geographic Bags, the couple hopes to attract national sponsorship opportunities with the following industries:
- RV sales, campgrounds, and supplies
- Photography
- Pet suppliers
- Outdoor gear
- Travel service websites
The Hafners hope to engage others' interest and build excitement as they travel around the U.S. Shelly said that she hopes "everyone follows along, it will be fun."
Media Contact:
Don Hafner
816.729.6610