By the time she was 85 years old, Joy Ryan of Duncan Falls, Ohio, had never seen the ocean or mountains. Now, she's 93 years old and has seen every corner of the U.S. – after visiting all 63 U.S. National Parks. Joy went on the epic journey with her grandson, Brad Ryan, who was first inspired to travel with is grandmother in 2015.
"When I learned she had never seen the great wildernesses of America – deserts, mountains, oceans, you name it – I thought that was something that would haunt me if I didn't intervene in some way," Brad told CBS News
Brad decided to take her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and that trip sparked an idea. "The more I read about the parks, I saw how close they were to one another - we could make this giant loop, it became an obsession," Brad said. "all I could think about was, 'I've got to see Grandma Joy at Old Faithful, I've got to see her at the Redwoods, I've got to see her at the Grand Canyon. I just have to have those memories for my own long-term happiness. I think we're two peas in a pod when it comes to just our desire for travel, adventure, connection.'"
The pair started their plans.
While the pair have found themselves on many adventures during their travels – whale watching in the Channel Islands and seeing larger-than-life trees in the Redwood Forest – their best moments happen in the car. "We hit the road together and we start talking about our lives," Brad said. "And she told me things in her 80s and 90s about her life, some of the difficult things that she's been through, that she's never spoken to anybody in her life. I was able to open up to her about some of the trials and tribulations of my own life. That's what, I think, is so powerful about the open road, is that you only can drive so far before those memories start to creep forward."
Joy, who has three children and four grandchildren, can still keep up with Brad when they're hiking mountains. Her secret to staying active? "Well, I guess it helps to be optimistic. And you have to have the will to do it. And I've been lucky health-wise that I'm able to do that," she said.
Uplifting Credit: Grandmajoysroadtrip and CBS News
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