Big Views, Bigger God: A Grand Canyon Family Adventure
Have you ever seen something so big and beautiful that it took your breath away? That’s how you feel standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is one of the most amazing places in the whole U.S.A. This giant canyon stretches 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and dives over a mile deep! As a result of Noah’s time and God sending the Flood, waters covered the earth, forming the Colorado River—flowing through the bottom of the canyon, carving deep paths over time. The colorful layers of rock-red, orange, pink, and purple– look like a giant painted staircase, telling stories of how God shaped the earth with His powerful hands. More than 500 kinds of animals live in and around the canyon, including bighorn sheep, bald eagles, elk, lizards,...
Read MoreDesert Wonder: A Family Adventure in Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park, located in southern California, is a stunning desert landscape where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet. Famous for its twisted, spiky Joshua trees and towering rock formations, kids and adults alike will be amazed by God’s creativity. Once inhabited by Native American tribes like the Cahuilla and Serrano, the area features ancient rock art to be explored along scenic trails. Families can also climb giant boulders while hiking through Hidden Valley, Skull Rock, or the Cholla Cactus Garden. In the 1800s, miners arrived seeking gold, leaving behind weathered cabins and abandoned mines that still stand as echoes of the past. Wildlife such as bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, and desert tortoises can be spotted among the cacti and creosote...
Read MoreGreat Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
by Sandra Merville Hart Over 250,000 people visit Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado every year. These sand dunes are the tallest in the United States. Unusual surroundings Unusual landscapes surround the impressive sand dunes. Guests find wetlands, snow-capped mountains, aspen forests, grasslands, and alpine lakes. They also see tundra, a treeless area of flat land where the ground is frozen. Sandboarding and sand sledding Slide down a 300-foot sand dune on a sandboard or sand sled, which are specifically made for sand. The sand can reach 150 degrees in summer, so plan to ride in early morning or evening in that hot season. Always wear shoes. Spring afternoons may be windy. Sandboarding, skiing, and sledding are allowed on dunefields away...
Read MoreTallgrass Prairie National Preserve
by Sandra Merville Hart The 10,894 acres of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas are almost all that’s left in the United States of tall grass prairies. Only 4% of prairie remains More than 400,000 square miles of prairie existed fifty years ago. Only 4% remain. The rest have been plowed up or destroyed to build malls, roads, and cities. This Kansas national preserve wants to rescue tall grass prairies. Tall grass can grow as tall as seven feet Over seventy species of grasses grow in the Flint Hills. Many of them reach full height — four to seven feet — in September and October. Several Native American tribes including the Pawnee, the Osage, the Wichita, and the Kansa hunted in this area. Controlled fires burn away old...
Read MoreSequoia & King’s Canyon National Park
by Sandra Merville Hart Sequoia National Park is the second oldest national park. It is located in the Sierra Nevada, which means “snowy mountain range” in Spanish. The California park was established in 1890. About 930,000 people visit each year to see the huge mountains, rugged foothills, canyons, caverns, and the world’s largest trees. Over 200 caves have been discovered in the parks. They are different from other caves in that these formed in marble. Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States but can’t be seen from park roads. The peaks of the Great Western Divide hide it from west side of the park. For the hearty climber, a day-long hide to the top of Alta Peak allows the hiker to see the top of Mount Whitney...
Read MoreShenandoah National Park
by Sandra Merville Hart Shenandoah National Park, established in 1935, is visited by over 1,000,000 each year. Just 75 miles from Washington D.C., President Herbert Hoover kept a vacation home in Rapidan Camp while in office from 1929 to 1933. Spectacular views of cascading waterfalls, the Shenandoah River, and rolling hills are found in 75 overlooks in the park. Four campgrounds, a lodge, and rustic cabins give visitors a variety of options to spend a few days enjoying the beauty of nature. The only public road in the park is Skyline Drive, a 105 mile drive along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The winding hills make this a challenging bike ride, but the rangers suggest those riding bikes starting before 10 am to avoid high volumes of traffic. If your family likes to...
Read MoreWhen Jesus Whispers on YouTube
Site Editor
If it’s in the Bible, The Pirate Preacher knows the story. Monday nights he leads a “Jesus Study” in Moore Square, Raleigh, NC. Each Sunday you will find him in the park and at the bus station helping others enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised.
The Pirate Preacher helped launch Christian Devotions Ministries and is the former CEO of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, a Christian book publishing company. He’s also a “Blessed Selling” author and Writers’ Coach.
DevoKids on FaceBook!
Jehovah Jireh: The Incredible Provider — A super Hero Graphic Novel
