Be Where Your Feet Are

There is something different about beginning a STEAM in the PARK adventure when there isn’t really an “arrival” at all. There is a boat. There is a pile of gear. There are new tents and Pelican boxes and food and fishing poles and paddles and people looking at all of it wondering, “Is this REALLY all going to fit?” And somehow, aboard the Ne-zho-dain it did. For the first time, our entire group came over early, and EVERYONE jumped in to help build our home for the week. We unloaded, hauled, carried, organized, raised our new tents from ROMO Family Camp, created our kitchen, and turned a little piece of Voyageurs National Park into STEAM in the PARK.

And then we got to enjoy it. Before dinner, fishing poles came out and canoes slipped into the water. We started looking around and realizing just where our feet had landed. Water in every direction. Eagles overhead. Beavers doing what beavers do. A sunrise that reminded us why waking up in a national park is worth every uncomfortable sleeping position imaginable. Voyageurs was already showing off, and we had barely begun.

After dinner, things got a little more…secretive. There was an initiation. There were Eastern White Pines. There was sniffing. And just like that, another group of unsuspecting educators entered the highly prestigious and slightly ridiculous Secret Society of Tree Sniffers. If you know, you know. If you don’t, find yourself an Eastern White Pine, get your nose in there, and perhaps someday you too will understand.

But underneath all of the laughter and adventure was our intention for this week: Be Where Your Feet Are. We talked about what it means to really be here—not thinking about what is happening at home, what needs to be done next week, what email is waiting, or what comes after this. Just here. Right now. On this island. In Voyageurs National Park. With these people. We exchanged our Book Buddies, began learning about the history and stories of this incredible place, and settled into our tents as the day finally grew quiet. Day 1 wasn’t about rushing through a schedule. It was about building something together—quite literally. A campsite. A kitchen. A community. And maybe the beginning of a week where we practice being fully present in the place where our feet happen to be.

It was a beautiful first day at Voyageurs National Park. Eagles. Beavers. Canoes. Fishing. White Pines. Laughter. A boat packed with more gear than seemed humanly possible. And a group of people willing to jump in and make this place home.

For this week, our feet are at Voyageurs.

And that is exactly where we want to be.

​Every STEAM in the PARK week has its own soundtrack.

Some weeks are quiet ballads. Some are full of adventure anthems. Others are songs you don't realize you'll remember until long after the music has ended.

Indiana Dunes has been all of those.

It began with "Here Comes the Sun." Twenty-four educators arrived from across the country, carrying different stories, different experiences, and different expectations. By the end of the week, those individual melodies blended into something far richer—a chorus of encouragement, curiosity, and friendship.

There were moments that deserved "Walking on Sunshine." We wandered through Miller Woods searching for monarch eggs, climbed towering dunes, laughed our way through karaoke, paddled across the waters of Lake Michigan, explored the Great Marsh, discovered the secrets of ecological succession, and somehow managed to find joy in nearly every hour. Even the moments that left us sweaty, sandy, and a little exhausted became part of the rhythm of the week.

Some memories sounded more like "Three Little Birds." We learned that nature has a remarkable way of reminding us that things have a way of working out. Whether watching pollinators, studying dunes shaped by wind and waves, sitting quietly during our Wave Break along the shoreline, or simply noticing the beauty hidden in the smallest details, Indiana Dunes kept whispering the same message: notice more, worry less.

The laughter, though, deserves its own song. Maybe it was "Happy." Maybe it was "Don't Stop Me Now." Maybe it was a song without words because no title could ever capture the sound of friends laughing until tears rolled down their faces during free time, campfires, boat rides, meals, and one more inside joke that somehow became part of camp history. If Glacier gave us quiet reflection, Indiana Dunes gave us contagious joy. The laughter became the soundtrack playing underneath everything we experienced together.

There were moments that felt like "Stand by Me." We encouraged one another on long hikes, celebrated each other's successes, shared stories that mattered, and discovered once again that community isn't built in one grand moment. It grows through hundreds of small acts of kindness, shared conversations, helping hands, and the simple decision to keep showing up for one another.

As we packed this morning, another song quietly found its way onto the playlist: "On the Road Again." Our time among the black oaks, shifting dunes, monarchs, Great Marsh, and the incredible team at the Dunes Learning Center has come to an end. To Ranger Erin, Erin Croft, Leo, Kayleigh, Bethany, Joe, and every educator, staff member, volunteer, and behind-the-scenes supporter who welcomed us so generously—thank you for allowing us to become part of your story this week. You reminded us that Indiana Dunes is far more than a beautiful landscape. It is a place where restoration happens—in habitats, in communities, and sometimes in ourselves.

Now the playlist changes once again. The next song is "Leaving on a Jet Plane." Tomorrow we fly toward Voyageurs National Park, where forests meet water, where canoes have carried stories for generations, where loons call across quiet lakes, and where another group of educators is waiting to write the next chapter with us. The scenery will change. The wildlife will change. The lessons will change. But the heart of STEAM in the PARK never does.

Different park. Different songs. Different adventures. Yet the same purpose continues to guide us. We leave Indiana Dunes with sand still tucked into our shoes, laughter still echoing in our hearts, and gratitude that is impossible to measure. Thank you for being part of this week's soundtrack. The music isn't ending. It's simply carrying us north, where a new melody is waiting to begin.

There is a tendency to think that the biggest emotions are always the hardest ones to carry. We think of grief, fear, heartbreak, or uncertainty. But this week has reminded me that joy can be just as big. Laughter can fill every corner of a room. Happiness can be so overwhelming that your cheeks hurt from smiling, and a simple moment can stay with you long after it has passed.

That has been the story of this week at Indiana Dunes National Park. Everywhere we've turned, there has been laughter. The kind that starts quietly and grows until an entire group is laughing together. There have been chuckles over unexpected moments, stories shared around the table, conversations on the trail, and those little moments that no one plans but everyone remembers. Joy has been woven into every part of our adventure.

Joy has a remarkable way of doing that. It invites us to let our guard down. It reminds us to notice the people beside us as much as the places around us. It helps us celebrate small victories, laugh at ourselves, and appreciate the simple gift of sharing an experience together. Sometimes the most meaningful learning doesn't happen during a lesson. It happens in the spaces between—the conversations while walking a trail, the laughter at dinner, or the quiet moments watching the waves roll onto the shore of Lake Michigan.

Tomorrow we'll head home carrying lesson ideas, photographs, and memories of Indiana Dunes National Park. But I hope we leave with something even more important. I hope we remember that some of life's biggest emotions aren't the difficult ones. Sometimes they arrive wrapped in laughter, shared experiences, new friendships, and the quiet joy of realizing that for one remarkable week, we were exactly where we needed to be.

The world doesn't always reveal its best stories all at once. Sometimes they are tucked beneath a milkweed leaf, buzzing quietly through a patch of wildflowers, or carried on the wind across a lake. Our morning at Miller Woods was spent looking closely. Really closely.

With Sea Grant intern Kayleigh, we searched milkweed plants for monarch eggs and tiny caterpillars, learning how scientists monitor one of North America's most recognizable migrations. Every discovery was photographed and uploaded to iNaturalist, where our small observations become part of a much larger picture. It's comforting to know that paying attention still matters.

Just down the trail, Bethany from the USGS introduced us to another group of often-overlooked heroes—the bumblebees. We walked the pollinator gardens learning about their surprising strength, their remarkable ability to buzz pollinate flowers, and the quiet work they do every day without anyone stopping to applaud. Nature has a way of reminding us that some of the most important work is also the least noticed.

By afternoon we found ourselves standing along the shore of Lake Michigan. Neysa led us through a Wave Break activity, inviting us to simply breathe, listen, and let the rhythm of the water do what it has done for thousands of years. It was peaceful...for us, anyway.

To everyone walking by, it probably looked a little different.

Imagine twenty-four educators dressed head-to-toe in matching pink shirts, standing silently in a line facing the lake with our eyes closed. Hands in the air, waving up and down with each crashing wave. Parents began gathering their children just a little closer as they hurried past. We couldn't have planned a funnier scene if we had tried. Sometimes the best laughs come from seeing yourself through someone else's eyes.

Ranger Erin took us from the shoreline into the story of the dunes themselves. We talked about waves that build and reshape beaches, examined rocks that have traveled farther than most of us ever will, and then set off on the Ecological Succession Trail. The word "trail" doesn't fully prepare you for the sandy climbs, winding hills, and those famous 272 steps waiting at the end. Fortunately, someone understood exactly what tired hikers need because ice cream was waiting for us at the finish.

The rain arrived just as we made it back to camp, creating the perfect excuse for comfort food, dry clothes, and an evening of karaoke. There is something wonderfully freeing about a room full of educators who are completely willing to sing off-key, clap loudly, laugh at themselves, and cheer everyone else on.

Tomorrow we trade hiking shoes for life jackets as we head out onto Lake Michigan. Here's hoping for calm water, blue skies, and another day filled with things we never would have noticed if we hadn't gone looking.

This morning, we became part of Indiana Dunes National Park history.

As the inaugural STEAM in the PARK group to stay in the newly restored Goodfellow Lodge, we realized that we weren't just visiting a historic building—we were helping begin its next chapter.

Originally built in 1941 as the centerpiece of U.S. Steel's Good Fellow Youth Camp, the lodge welcomed generations of children whose parents worked at the Gary Works steel mill. After the National Park Service acquired the property in 1976, the building waited decades for its next chapter. Today, thanks to an extraordinary restoration effort and the dedication of people who believed this place was worth saving, Goodfellow Lodge is once again filled with laughter, learning, and community.

One of those people is Judy Collins, who has spent decades working to preserve the history of Indiana Dunes National Park and advocating for the restoration of Goodfellow Lodge. Because of her perseverance, along with the efforts of countless others, educators from across the country are able to experience this remarkable place. We are incredibly grateful for her vision and commitment to ensuring that future generations will continue to learn from and enjoy this historic lodge.

One of the highlights of our day was gathering outside the lodge for a group photograph that will become part of the new Goodfellow Lodge time capsule. What an incredible honor to know that years from now, someone will open that capsule and discover the faces of the very first STEAM in the PARK educators to call this beautifully restored lodge home.

Our learning continued with the incredible Great Marsh Wetland Restoration team. We learned about the importance of native plants and wetlands before rolling up our sleeves to help clean seeds that will eventually be grown in their native nursery. It was rewarding to know that such a simple task today will contribute to restoring habitats throughout the Indiana Dunes ecosystem. Conservation isn't always glamorous, but it is always important, and today we became a small part of that ongoing story.

From there, it was time for the Indiana Dunes Rescue Challenge. Campers worked together to solve problems, think creatively, and discover just how interconnected the plants, animals, and people of Indiana Dunes really are. We also explored our artistic side by creating paints from natural materials we found around camp. Every color came directly from nature, reminding us that the landscape itself can be both our classroom and our art studio.

Then came one of the funniest moments of the week so far—our Adaptations Auction. This year was a first for me because I stepped into the role of auctioneer, and I have to admit...I think I found a new favorite job! Pacia and Neysa embraced their roles as my wildly enthusiastic auction assistants, helping keep the bidding moving while adding plenty of laughs along the way. Emily wisely chose a different strategy—she mostly stood back and laughed at all of us as the competition became more and more spirited. It was energetic, a little chaotic, and exactly the kind of joyful learning we love.

Our Rewilding session was another success as we continued talking about the small actions each of us can take to restore habitats and make a positive difference long after camp comes to an end. It is always encouraging to watch educators begin thinking about how they can take these ideas home to their students and communities.

We closed the evening with our CCC LEGO Build, where campers recreated Civilian Conservation Corps projects while learning about the lasting impact the CCC had on Indiana Dunes and parks across the country. It was a fitting way to end a day that connected history, conservation, creativity, and community.

Tomorrow we head out for an all-day field experience with our amazing Indiana Dunes National Park rangers. We can't wait to explore more of this incredible park together.

Today marked a milestone we've been looking forward to for a long time—our very first STEAM in the PARK camp at Indiana Dunes National Park.

For years, we've driven past these dunes, admired this incredible landscape, and dreamed about bringing educators here. This place is unlike anywhere else in the National Park System. More than 15,000 years ago, glaciers helped shape these towering dunes along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, creating one of the most biologically diverse national parks in the country. It's a place where forests, wetlands, prairies, rivers, and beaches exist side by side, offering endless opportunities to wonder, explore, and learn.

We're especially grateful to be spending the week at the Dunes Learning Center, a place with an incredible story of its own. Our campus was originally Camp Good Fellow, a summer camp built by U.S. Steel in 1941 for the children of employees at the Gary Works steel mill. Thousands of children spent their summers here exploring the woods, the river, and the dunes. After the National Park Service acquired the property in 1976, a vision emerged to transform it into a place where new generations could learn about this remarkable landscape. Today, through a unique partnership with Indiana Dunes National Park, the Dunes Learning Center serves as the park's official outdoor school, welcoming students and educators from across the region to experience one of the most biodiverse national parks in the country. 

One of our favorite moments happened before camp even officially began. Every one of our 24 campers had arrived within the first 90 minutes. That almost never happens! There was so much excitement as hugs were exchanged, new friendships began, and returning campers welcomed those joining us for the very first time. It already feels like this is going to be a wonderful week together.

This afternoon we introduced one of our favorite activities, To Each Its Own. Each camper selected an apple tree leaf, carefully observed every detail, and then entrusted it to us for a while. Later, when dozens of leaves were mixed together, the challenge was to find their own. At first glance they all looked nearly identical, but as campers slowed down, they began noticing tiny characteristics they had overlooked before—the shape of the edges, small blemishes, subtle color differences, the curve of the stem, even tiny insect bites. Before long, almost everyone had reunited with their leaf.

It reminded us of an important lesson that extends far beyond nature. The world is full of incredible things waiting to be noticed, but too often we move too quickly to really see them. Whether it's a leaf, a bird call, a kind gesture, or someone sitting quietly who could use a friend, noticing changes everything.

One of our campers, Jen T, shared a wonderful children's book called Noticing and suggested it might become part of our future camps. We loved the idea. Sometimes the best ideas come from the people around us, and we're grateful whenever campers help make STEAM in the PARK even better.

This evening we met with our new Book Buddies, sharing stories, conversations, and the excitement of getting to know someone new. Those partnerships always become one of our favorite parts of the week, and we can't wait to watch those friendships grow over the next few days.

As the sun began to set, we gathered around the beautiful campfire area at the Dunes Learning Center for one of the best camp traditions—s'mores. This year's version included classic chocolate bars from Walmart alongside some delicious Albanese chocolates, which made for some pretty amazing combinations. We also celebrated Satomi and Stefannie's birthdays with s'more cupcakes, plenty of laughter, and a campfire full of new friends singing "Happy Birthday."

We're so thankful to finally be here at Indiana Dunes National Park. A huge thank you to our host, Erin, at the Dunes Learning Center and to Ranger Erin from Indiana Dunes National Park for welcoming us so warmly. We have a feeling this first Indiana Dunes camp is going to become one we'll remember for a very long time.

Here's to an incredible week of learning, exploring, laughing, and noticing all the wonderful things this remarkable place has to teach us.

As another STEAM in the PARK week comes to a close, I keep looking around at the people gathered here and thinking how incredibly fortunate we are. Beautiful people. Humble hearts. Kind spirits. The kind of people who notice when someone is carrying too much and quietly step in to help. The kind of people who celebrate one another's successes without needing the spotlight for themselves. The kind of people who remind us that the world is still full of goodness.

This week at Glacier National Park has been one we will carry with us for a very long time. Between the mountains, the lakes, the wildlife, the laughter, the learning, and the friendships that formed around campfires and hiking trails, it has been a reminder of why we continue saying yes to this work year after year. It isn't simply because Glacier is breathtaking—although it certainly is. It's because places like this have a way of bringing out the very best in people.

Every conversation, every shared meal, every trail, every quiet moment by the creek reminded us that education is about so much more than information. It is about relationships. It is about curiosity. It is about kindness. It is about becoming the kind of human being who leaves every place and every person just a little better than you found them.

Today also marks Day 62 of our summer journey. In just a little while, we'll board a plane and fly home for a brief visit before heading back out to finish our final three STEAM in the PARK camps. We are looking forward to sleeping in our own bed for a couple of nights, hugging our family, taking a deep breath, and letting our hearts catch up with the miles we've traveled. Then we'll pack our bags once again and head back out, ready to finish this summer strong.

Behind every journey like ours is a family that sacrifices alongside us. They cheer us on from hundreds or thousands of miles away. They celebrate the victories, pray through the challenges, answer late-night phone calls, and welcome us home without keeping score. They remind us who we are when the miles get long.

As author Lisa Wingate wrote, "Family isn't just an important thing. It's everything." The love and encouragement we receive at home become the strength we carry with us when we serve others. We couldn't do this work without the people who faithfully support us behind the scenes.

There is wisdom in taking time to refill what has been generously poured out. As Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote, "If one is to keep putting forth, one must have something to put forth." A few days at home aren't a pause in the mission—they are part of it. They remind us that caring for others begins by allowing ourselves to be cared for, too.

So today, we leave Glacier thankful beyond words—for extraordinary campers, remarkable environmental educators, dedicated park rangers, and a place that welcomed us with open arms. This has truly been one of the most meaningful STEAM in the PARK weeks we have ever experienced.

The mountains will remain long after we leave, but the friendships, lessons, laughter, and hope we've shared this week will travel home with us. We can't wait to see the people we love, and after a little rest and rejuvenation, we'll be back on the road to finish these final three camps with the same joy, purpose, and gratitude that have carried us through the first sixty-two days.

​Keep the lights on kids! We are coming home! 

Day 4 invited us to slow down and experience Glacier National Park in a completely different way. With Rangers Matt and Lindsay leading the way, our campers rotated through a series of Five Senses stations before heading out on a sensory hike. Instead of rushing to the next destination, we paused to notice the small things that are so easy to overlook. We listened to the water of nearby streams, felt the rough bark of ancient cedars, breathed in the fresh mountain air, searched for the subtle colors woven throughout the forest, and even tasted a few Glacier-inspired treats along the way. It was a wonderful reminder that nature has so much to teach us when we simply pay attention.

Back on campus, it was time for one of our favorite challenges of the week—Glacier Rescue. Every camper became either an animal, plant, or natural feature found within Glacier National Park. Through games, problem-solving, and plenty of laughter, they discovered just how connected every living thing is. It didn't take long before food webs, habitats, predators, pollinators, decomposers, and forests all came together in ways that made perfect sense. Watching those "aha" moments happen never gets old.

The afternoon brought something every camper had been looking forward to: free time. Some chose to kayak or paddleboard across the crystal-clear waters of Lake McDonald while others headed for the beautiful Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake Trail. Of course, another stop for huckleberry ice cream was absolutely necessary. At this point, we're fairly certain the black bears are wondering where all the huckleberries have gone. Ironically, not long afterward, we spotted a black bear enjoying a moose carcass, a powerful reminder that nature follows its own rhythms and that every animal has a role to play in this incredible ecosystem.

Our final evening together was filled with the traditions that make the end of every STEAM in the PARK week so memorable. Campers signed our camp poster, wrote postcards to each other, and gathered together to watch National Parks Adventure, and then made our way outside for our closing Firefly Ceremony.

This evening carried even more meaning as we celebrated the twelve campers who joined us for their very first STEAM in the PARK experience, along with three outstanding environmental educators who shared their knowledge, enthusiasm, and hearts with us all week. Welcoming new people into this community is one of the greatest joys of what we do, and watching them become part of the family in just a few short days is something I'll never stop appreciating.

And maybe that's why our closing Firefly Ceremony has become one of the most meaningful traditions of every STEAM in the PARK week. A single firefly doesn't light up the forest. Its glow is small, quiet, and easy to miss. But when hundreds of fireflies begin to shine together, the darkness is transformed. No one asks another firefly to glow exactly the same way. Each one simply offers the light it was created to give.

I think people are a lot like that.

None of us can solve every problem or change the entire world by ourselves. But each act of kindness, every encouraging word, every listening ear, every helping hand, and every moment of choosing compassion over criticism adds a little more light. Before long, those small lights become something beautiful that others can see from far away.

Our hope has never been to create people who all think alike. Our hope has always been to create people who choose to be light wherever they go. If every camper leaves this place carrying just a little more kindness, a little more courage, and a little more willingness to look for the good in others, then that light won't end when camp ends. It will travel home with them, into their classrooms, their families, their communities, and into countless lives they'll never even realize they've touched.
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That's how darkness loses. Not because one bright light overpowers it, but because thousands of ordinary people decide to shine.

​

Today we loaded into three top-notch travel vans and made our way up the legendary Going-to-the-Sun Road toward Logan Pass. It is easy to understand why this drive is considered one of the most spectacular in the world. Towering peaks, waterfalls spilling from impossible places, and wildflowers stretching across alpine meadows reminded us that Glacier National Park is a place where nature still feels wonderfully untamed.

The wildlife certainly didn't disappoint. Along the way we spotted a black bear, a grizzly bear, mountain goats gracefully navigating cliffs that looked impossible to climb, yellow-bellied marmots soaking up the sunshine, and what may have been the loudest Columbian ground squirrels on the planet. They announced their presence long before we ever saw them.

Our hike to Hidden Lake was everything we hoped it would be. Snow still clung to the mountainsides while wildflowers painted the landscape with color. Every few steps someone would stop to point out another incredible view, another animal, or another memory worth capturing. We also made the required stop at the Logan Pass Visitor Center where, somehow, everyone found something they "needed." The good news? Every purchase helps support our national parks, so we felt pretty good about our shopping adventures.

On the way back we made one more essential Glacier stop—Apgar Village for huckleberry ice cream. If you've never had huckleberry ice cream in Glacier National Park, add it to your bucket list. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable afternoon before we returned to campus where a few of us discovered that a quick nap can be just as glorious as a mountain view.

Tonight, however, became something truly special.

As the sun settled behind the mountains and Big Creek quietly flowed beside us, we gathered around the campfire to welcome Jack Gladstone. Many of our campers already felt like they knew Jack after watching Out There last summer, and meeting him in person was every bit as meaningful as we had hoped.

Jack Gladstone is an acclaimed storyteller, musician, educator, and cultural ambassador from Montana who is a citizen of the Blackfeet Nation. For decades, he has shared Indigenous history, culture, music, and storytelling with audiences across the country, helping people build a deeper understanding of the land and the people who have called it home for generations. Rather than simply performing for us, Jack invited us into an experience. Through songs, humor, history, and heartfelt stories, he reminded us that every landscape holds a story, every community has wisdom to share, and each of us has a responsibility to honor, cherish, and protect the places we call home.

As we shared sweet and savory s'mores around the fire, Jack left us with words that will travel home with all of us.

"What we do in life will echo in eternity."

This is not just a beautiful quote. It's a reminder of how we hope to live—paying attention, caring for one another, respecting the places that have welcomed us, and leaving them better than we found them.

As I write this, we're getting ready to head back outside for some dark sky festivities beneath the Glacier night sky. Today was about mountains, campfires, good friends, and people like Jack Gladstone who remind us that learning isn't just about what we know—it's about who we become.

Our morning belonged to Ranger Lindsay, who somehow managed to make all of us appreciate beavers even more than we already did. Two of our campers became honorary beavers as Lindsay dressed them for the part and helped us discover why these remarkable animals are often called nature's engineers. We learned the difference between a beaver lodge and a beaver dam, bushwhacked through an active beaver complex, and examined wildlife camera photos that revealed just how many creatures depend on these incredible wetland builders.

Then it was our turn to think like beavers. Using baking pans, rocks, sticks, mud, and other natural materials, teams designed and built their own miniature dams before putting them to the test with flowing water. Some held strong. Some...well...provided valuable engineering lessons. Every group walked away with a better understanding of just how much planning, persistence, and problem-solving goes into every dam a beaver creates.

The afternoon took us into the cool waters of Big Creek, where campers searched for and identified macroinvertebrates—tiny aquatic creatures that tell us a great deal about the health of a stream. It's always amazing how quickly a small insect can become the most exciting discovery of the day.

One of our favorite activities followed: our Adaptation Auction. Each team received a budget and had to strategically "bid" on animal adaptations like camouflage, sharp claws, waterproof fur, powerful wings, venom, or incredible eyesight. The catch? You couldn't buy everything. Teams had to decide which adaptations were worth spending their limited budget on before creating a brand-new animal perfectly suited for its habitat. The creativity was unbelievable, and every creature came with its own story and survival strategy.

After another incredible dinner, we mixed our own natural paints using materials from around camp. It's been fun watching everyone's confidence grow with this activity. Each day the colors become richer, the techniques become bolder, and the artwork becomes even more personal.

We wrapped up the evening continuing our CCC Legacies, reflecting on the lasting impact of the Civilian Conservation Corps and considering the kinds of legacies each of us hopes to leave behind.

One thing has become abundantly clear after just two days: this place is special. The Glacier Institute staff has welcomed us like family. Their knowledge, enthusiasm, kindness, and willingness to jump into every adventure alongside us have made this week even more meaningful. We are pretty sure we've gained at least 13 new best friends.

Tomorrow we head up the legendary Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most spectacular drives in America. And yes...every time someone says the name, at least one person can't resist thinking, "Heeere's Johnny!" We have a feeling tomorrow is going to be unforgettable.