Well, hello there! Let us introduce ourselves. We are Jeff and Mary Ellen Powell, co-creators of two blogs – Smoky Mountains Ventures and National Park Ventures. It’s so nice to meet you!

Jeff and Mary Ellen at Rocky Mountain National Park

We’ve been married for 35 years, have two sons, and are the proud grandparents of Ellen and Cal. We live in a cabin in Cherry Log, GA, in the beautiful North Georgia mountains. I (Mary Ellen) am a high school teacher, and I (Jeff) am a retired minister. I also spent a few years helping run a zoo. Mary Ellen worked there, too. (Really!)

Jeff holding a black bear cub
Mary Ellen holding a spider monkey

We have always enjoyed traveling, having visited several countries (Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Canada, Kenya, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Vietnam, Thailand, etc…). Still, our favorite destinations have always been America’s national parks. Traveling to national parks has become a big part of who we are. So far, we’ve visited…

Jeff enjoying the view at Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

But we’re just getting started. Our goal is to visit every US national park. Next up on our list for 2024 are…

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park (We live only a couple of hours away, so we visit there often!)
  • Gateway Arch National Park (Our younger son lives near St. Louis, so we will make that a regular trip.)
  • Congaree National Park (We want to see the fireflies!)
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Wedding anniversary!)
  • Haleakala National Park (Wedding anniversary!)
Jeff and Mary Ellen standing in front of the Kilauea Caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Why We Created “National Park Ventures”

There are a couple of reasons we started this blog.

First, we love national parks. Some of our best memories come from exploring them. We hope our blog encourages you to get out there!

Second, some national parks are BIG – like REALLY BIG – and we know your time there may be limited. (Gotta get back to the job, right?) So, we want to share what we’ve learned through our own experiences. What are the “can’t miss” experiences, hikes, and places to eat or stay? And what are the places to avoid that aren’t worth the time or money? We’ll give you some Pro Tips to help you optimize your national park experience.

Thanks for joining us on our National Park Venture!

Jeff and Mary Ellen