'And as she's gotten older now where she's hiking on her own and on her own two feet, she loves it,' said 3-year-old Journey Castillo's dad.
Embarking on adventures as a family is truly blissful. However, when that adventure turns into an accomplished goal, it feels exemplary. Good Morning America shared the accomplished adventure of 3-year-old Journey Castillo who has successfully explored all of the 63 US national parks with her parents. Having truly made her childhood memory, the little girl is also popular for having completed 21 national parks per year of her life. What began as a simple plan when Journey was born back in 2020, has ventured into something thrilling and adorable. Her parents Eric and Valerie Castillo intended to do only 21 national parks initially.
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"And then we said, 'Let's get to 42 by the time she's 2,' and then we stuck our foot in our mouth and said, 'Let's get to 63 by three,' and we had to finish our goal, which we did," Valerie Castillo said. On account of the girl’s third birthday earlier this September, the family visited their 63rd national park in Alaska. However, taking a little child for a diverse outing requires tremendous preparation. The couple mentioned routines at home which involved getting Journey to adapt to different weather conditions. To do this, her parents revealed, they’d take advantage of their neighborhood and take their daughter out in the cold with the right gear.
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Journey truly was mesmerized by the varied scenic beauty she was able to encounter. "She was soaking it up, her eyes were just so opened up, she would be smiling," Eric explained. "Her head would just kind of be on the swivel. And as she's gotten older now where she's hiking on her own and on her own two feet, she loves it,” added her father. He added that the trips have been beneficial for her growth both physically and mentally. The family traveled to different parts that accounted for 33 states owing to their wonderfully pleasant visiting plans.
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The trip has done nothing but energize and surprise little Journey in every way possible. Her parents gladly revealed that the girl is as enthusiastic and energized as ever, thanks to her frequent journeys."And she's fearless," Valerie said. "You know, this is a child that if you approach her, she's gonna have a conversation with you, she will ask questions. She wants to know everything. And she has, you know, just this curiosity to her,” the mom added. The couple believes that these trips are a “big investment” for their daughter’s future.
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Valerie shared a post on Instagram among the many that marked the milestone of having completed 63 national park visits. In her caption she wrote, “After three years of adventure, countless logistics work and not giving up, we could not be more proud to share the conclusion of our quest: visiting all 63 US National Parks.” While Journey has bagged the title of being the youngest person to have visited 63 US national parks, there is only going forward. In another post, her mum shared an endearing caption that read, “It's been a three-year quest to achieve this goal. You did it, baby girl! A gift of a lifetime. We love you.”