One woman and her grandson have shown that you are never too old to go out on an adventure and for exploring.
The United States is a beautiful and diverse country, spanning several time zones, climates and thousands of miles. Included within those thousands of miles in the United States are dozens of national parks that showcase the varied and rich nature of the country.
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One woman, Joy Ryan, at the age of 93, is now the oldest person to have visited every national park, all 63, in the United States. But she wasn't the only one who went along for the adventure that spanned stops at parks in places like Maine, Florida, Texas, Guam, Puerto Rico and others. Brad Ryan, Joy's veterinarian grandson, tagged along for the fun, according to Good News Network.
Since this goal of hitting up all the national parks meant traveling all over the country, this was something that took years to accomplish. The grandmother and grandson pair began their epic, cross-country adventure back in 2015, according to CBS.
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Joy and Brad's first stop happened back in 2015 and was in Tennessee, where they visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The last stop of their adventure, when Joy became the oldest individual to visit every national park in the country, happened at the National Park of American Samoa.
Brad has been documenting the duo’s travel on the Instagram account since 2019, according to Good Morning America. In one of the posts, GMA reports that being Joy's sidekick during their many adventures has been a blessing.
Brad Says He Has Acquired Wisdom From His Grandmother During their Travels Together
“Grandma Joy has taught the world that you are never too old to show up and live the adventurous life of your dreams," he wrote. "It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be in the driver’s seat as Grandma Joy made history to become the oldest person to achieve this historic feat."
Following her historic trip, Joy said she has enjoyed every second of it. She also added that all her travel has helped to keep her feeling young.
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"This has been an exciting and wondrous journey," Joy told ABC. "And it makes you feel younger when you do something like this. It really does."
What a fantastic and awesome accomplishment. May both have many trips and thousands of miles in front of them.
"The Lord will keep watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time and forever." – Psalm 121:8
WATCH: Joy Ryan and Grandson Visit All 63 U.S. National Parks
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h/t: ABC, Good News Network, CBS, GMA
Featured Image Credit: YouTube.com/CBS News