The journey is the destination for Dr. Brad Ryan and his grandma Joy
Dr. Brad Ryan and his grandmother Joy Ryan have a goal of visiting all 63 U.S. national parks. So far, they’ve visited 62 and are preparing to check off the final park: the National Park of American Samoa, located in the U.S. territory in the South Pacific. Early in their travels, Dr. Ryan decided to document their visits to national parks on social media, which turned into a viral sensation that resonated with fans worldwide. (Photos courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, where grandma Joy saw and climbed her first mountain
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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An iconic view at Arches National Park in Utah
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Dr. Ryan and grandma Joy stop for a selfie at Channel Islands National Park off the Southern California coast.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Standing under General Sherman at Sequoia National Park
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Taking in the view at Yosemite National Park in central California with Half Dome in the background
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Dr. Ryan and grandma Joy walk side by side at Channel Islands National Park off the Southern California coast. While on a boat, they observed humpback whales.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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A bamboo forest on the Road to Hana, a 64.4-mile-long stretch of Hawaii routes 36 and 360 that connects Kahului to Hana on the island of Maui
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Representing his alma mater—The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine—at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. In 2015, Dr. Ryan was in his fourth year of veterinary college at Ohio State and seeking some time in nature to decompress from the mental health challenges he was facing. And so his journey with his grandma Joy Ryan began.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Admiring a waterfall at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in their home state of Ohio. The two are from Duncan Falls, Ohio.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Checking out North America's tallest mountain at Denali National Park in Alaska
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Enjoying the beach at Virgin Islands National Park, which occupies the majority of St. John, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Trekking through a temperate rainforest at Olympic National Park in Washington state
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Timber the dog and grandma Joy enjoy time together at Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. On their journey, Dr. Ryan and grandma Joy have had the opportunity to heal wounds in their own relationship and within their family, and they’ve found their way together through their own private struggles.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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The Ryans explore Alaska’s Gates of the Artic National Park and Preserve. The Ryans emphasize the journey is about not only the places they went and the people they met but also the conversations that came out of the experience of being on the open road together for months at a time.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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Please provide credit as indicated with each photo.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, where grandma Joy saw and climbed her first mountain
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
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An iconic view at Arches National Park in Utah
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 2 of 14
Dr. Ryan and grandma Joy stop for a selfie at Channel Islands National Park off the Southern California coast.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 3 of 14
Standing under General Sherman at Sequoia National Park
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 4 of 14
Taking in the view at Yosemite National Park in central California with Half Dome in the background
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 5 of 14
Dr. Ryan and grandma Joy walk side by side at Channel Islands National Park off the Southern California coast. While on a boat, they observed humpback whales.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 6 of 14
A bamboo forest on the Road to Hana, a 64.4-mile-long stretch of Hawaii routes 36 and 360 that connects Kahului to Hana on the island of Maui
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 7 of 14
Representing his alma mater—The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine—at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. In 2015, Dr. Ryan was in his fourth year of veterinary college at Ohio State and seeking some time in nature to decompress from the mental health challenges he was facing. And so his journey with his grandma Joy Ryan began.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 8 of 14
Admiring a waterfall at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in their home state of Ohio. The two are from Duncan Falls, Ohio.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 9 of 14
Checking out North America's tallest mountain at Denali National Park in Alaska
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 10 of 14
Enjoying the beach at Virgin Islands National Park, which occupies the majority of St. John, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 11 of 14
Trekking through a temperate rainforest at Olympic National Park in Washington state
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 12 of 14
Timber the dog and grandma Joy enjoy time together at Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. On their journey, Dr. Ryan and grandma Joy have had the opportunity to heal wounds in their own relationship and within their family, and they’ve found their way together through their own private struggles.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 13 of 14
The Ryans explore Alaska’s Gates of the Artic National Park and Preserve. The Ryans emphasize the journey is about not only the places they went and the people they met but also the conversations that came out of the experience of being on the open road together for months at a time.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dr. Brad Ryan/@grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account
Slide 14 of 14