Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” We had many discussions along these lines while on the road this summer. These thoughts of living a “dare mighty things” life occurred to us while falling asleep under the stars at Natural Bridges National Monument, kayaking at Grand Teton National Park, and while on beautiful hikes. We commented many times about the realization that many of our own friends, along with thousands of Americans, would never understand what it is to camp out under the night sky instead of sleeping in a hotel while on vacation. We discussed the number of people who drive through our national parks without ever stepping foot on a trail. It breaks our hearts to know what is out there and that many of our fellow Americans will never even begin to fully understand the wonders that are in our own back yard.
We made our summer recap video with the hopes that someone might be inspired to take the first steps of a hike, pick up a few pieces of litter while exploring our public lands, or brake for the brown signs while traveling. Both of us love earning our Junior Ranger badges and have worked hard to earn them, but our greatest accomplishment is seeing friends, students, and Instagram followers going on their first hike or earning badges for themselves.
Do you have a “dare mighty things” story? Did you climb a mountain after finishing chemo treatments? Did you take up camping after no exposure to it as a kid? Are you embarking on your own 52 Hike Challenge? Let us know!
Not-so-Junior Rangers 
Very lovely post and great message about experiencing these parks on a more personal level. Sometimes camping comes with complications (like when an unexpected blizzard moves through Moab hahaha) but they make for adventures and lifelong memories!
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We had to collapse the tent at 2 AM when we were in Kanasas during the first week of the trip. The wind speeds were getting way too close to surpassing the recommended wind limits for the tent, so we packed it up and slept in the car for the rest of the night. We definitely won’t forget that one.
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