Dear family travelers:

Are you ready to explore?

National Park Week starts Saturday, April 21^st which means you can visit any of the nearly 400 national parks free all week long. Here's my new column on what the parks have meant to our family.

This is a great way to get the kids outdoors and unplug-at least for a day or a weekend. You can even celebrate Earth Day on April 22^nd in a National Park!

Here are 10 ways to help you make the most of your next visit to a national park:

1. Take a virtual tour to see where you might want to hike, see famous sites or take in a special family ranger program.
2. Get the FREE National Park Foundation Owner's Guide and Parks For Play: 35 National Park Adventures for Kids of All Ages.
3. If you have a smart phone, there are many apps to guide you including the new app developed by the National Park Service's long-time partner nonprofit educational partner, Eastern National, that provides links to all 397 national park websites for quick access to trip planning.  The app also allows users to keep track of the parks they've visited and add photos and descriptions of the trip
4. Break in your hiking shoes-and the kids-before heading out on that first hike in a national park. Also opt for moisture-wicking socks, shirts and pants that breathe and stretch rather than jeans and cotton tee-shirts. Look for options at REI or L.L. Bean  
5. Have the kids become Junior Rangers. They not only learn about the park but what they can do to help protect our wonderful natural resources. Kids get active with the "Let's Move Outside Junior Ranger" program celebrating First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative striving to end childhood obesity within a generation. April 28 is National Junior Ranger Day.
6. Meet a National Park Service Ranger. They not only safeguard our parks but know them best and can steer you to areas in their parks and programs that everyone in your family will enjoy.
7. Volunteer at a national park. April 21^st is the designated volunteer day but there are volunteer opportunities all year long.
8. Plan shorter hikes with children. Remember, the journey, not the destination counts most.
9. Make sure your daypacks include a charged phone, first aid kit, rain jackets, extra layer of clothes, bug spray, sunscreen and snacks and reusable water bottles. Include a field guide so you can answer the kids questions about what you are seeing along the trail.
10. Let the kids make their own trail mix for snacks; Get them National Parks stickers to put on their reusable water bottles.