Meet the Parkers.

I didn’t get their real names, but we had a nice visit on the bumpy road between McCarthy and Kennicott Glacier Lodge.

This couple had a goal to visit all of the national parks in the U.S. We agreed it was a noble quest on the 250th anniversary of our country. Thus, my nickname, “The Parkers.”

The Parkers had visited all the famous parks in the Lower 48: Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Yosemite and many others. They also had visited Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii. But they were saving the Alaska parks for the end of their quest.

I could hear both of them discussing whether or not to make the trip to American Samoa to visit the national park there, 2,600 miles south of Hawaii. “Does it really count?” Mrs. Parker asked her husband.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s the only U.S. park in the Southern Hemisphere.”

McCarthy is a quirky little town at the end of the McCarthy Road in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the nation’s largest national park.

The town is separated from the end of the road by the Kennicott River, which spills out at the toe of the Kennicott Glacier. Although there is a bridge for cars and trucks, it’s limited to locals who must buy an annual pass to use it.

After driving the 60-mile dirt road from Chitina, visitors park in one of several lots by the river and hike across a foot bridge.

Originally built in the early 1900s to service the giant Kennecott copper mine 5 miles up the road, McCarthy now hosts a couple of restaurants, a hotel, a museum and a few other businesses catering to outdoor adventure in the giant park.

The McCarthy Road, which follows the old rail bed of the Copper Valley Railroad to the Kennecott (with an “e”) Mine, is a deterrent for some to visit the park. The posted speed is 35 miles per hour. The road is in pretty good shape, although there still are some bumps from the old railroad ties and the occasional spike that pierces the occasional tire.

Most rental car companies prohibit driving their cars on this road, the haul road (Dalton Highway) or the Denali Highway between Cantwell and Paxson. Some companies, like Alaska 4×4 Rentals and GoNorth RV Rentals, allow travel on any Alaska road.

If you want to avoid driving on the road, take a plane ride from Chitina with Wrangell Mountain Air. The 30- to 40-minute flight goes through the mountains and over the massive glaciers on the way to McCarthy. Travelers get a great view of the old mining district, including the 14-story wooden mill building where the copper ore was processed for shipping on the train to Cordova.

Between the mine, the giant glaciers that you can hike on, the rivers you can raft and the massive expanse of wilderness, the park is one of my favorite destinations in Alaska.

Plus, you can drive there. There is just a small collection of national parks in the state accessible by road.

Denali National Park is a giant attraction both with visitors and locals. Even though the park road still is washed out about halfway to Kantishna, the hotels near the park entrance are full of folks who want to see the mountain and the critters that call Denali home. From the park entrance, visitors can hop aboard one of the buses and go as far as possible while they’re rebuilding the road.

I like the option of going to Talkeetna and catching a ski plane for an up-close and personal view of the mountain. Three air services, K2, Talkeetna Air Taxi and Sheldon Air Service, offer flights up to the Ruth Glacier (or others, depending on the weather), where you’re as little as 11 miles from Denali’s summit.

Kenai Fjords National Park is most easily accessed on one of the tour boats operated by Major Marine Tours and Kenai Fjords Tours. It’s possible to walk into the park at Exit Glacier, but that’s a rough way to go.

While Denali National Park was founded in 1917 as Mount McKinley National Park, most of the state’s parks were established or enlarged due to the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980.

That includes Lake Clark National Park.

Maria Benner just returned from a weeklong camping and kayak trip in the park. Much of the time was in the Twin Lakes region, where Dick Proenneke built a cabin and kept a journal on his experience in the wilderness.

“Lake Clark blew my mind,” said Benner. “I had no idea it was so beautiful.”

Benner’s outfitter, Alaska Alpine Adventures, designed a trip using inflatable kayaks that they’re able to fly in to Twin Lakes, including a stop at Proenneke’s cabin.

The National Park Service maintains the cabin, which includes a logbook for visitors to sign.

“I was amazed at how few people have visited,” said Benner. “Most of the people I met were on a mission to visit all of the national parks.”

Valerie Stimac runs a travel website featuring Alaska itineraries and trip-planning strategies called Valerie and Valise.

Last summer, Stimac planned out a fast-and-furious journey up to Kotzebue to visit two national parks, a couple of national monuments and a national preserve.

“My goal is to see all of Alaska’s national parks,” she said. “So this was sort of a tick-the-box trip for me.”

From Kotzebue, Stimac booked a flight with Golden Eagle Outfitters to see Gates of the Arctic National Park and Kobuk Valley National Park.

Stimac loves the geologic features of Alaska, so she was drawn to the sand dunes of the Kobuk Valley. Although she did touch down at the western edge of the Gates of the Arctic park, she acknowledged that much of the dramatic landscapes in the park are farther east.

Stimac booked another flight to see two more sites: Cape Krusenstern National Monument and the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.

Golden Eagle’s landing spot at Bering Land Bridge was at Serpentine Hot Springs, which ended up being Stimac’s favorite location on the trip. “The hot spring is a geothermal area that’s rustic with lots of hiking opportunities,” she said.

While Stimac enjoyed her exotic adventure up north, a big part of her heart is in Denali National Park, where she worked for one summer.

“Denali is my favorite,” she said. “It’s really special and so large and so accessible. I think that provides visitors with a sense of scale.”

Bob Kaufman has been to most of Alaska’s national parks.

As the founder of Alaska.org, a travel planning website, Kaufman and his family have been camping, rafting and backpacking all over the state.

“There are lots of locations in Alaska that would be national parks elsewhere,” he said.

What surprises Kaufman about Alaska’s parks is how little they get seen.

As an aviator, Kaufman is able get up in the air and see more than most.

“One of my favorite places is Kichatna Spires, 70 miles southwest of the entrance to Denali Park,” said Kaufman. “It’s one of the most dramatic spectacles in the world. It takes flying to get there.”

Flying has opened up much more of Alaska to Kaufman — as it has to other adventurers.

Still, Kaufman says, “you’re only seeing a sliver.”

“There’s something about pure wilderness,” said Kaufman. “You just feel like a flicker of time in the scope of eternity.”

It’s worth the effort to get out of town to see Alaska’s national parks, although it’s not cheap.

To see part of Katmai National Park at Brooks Falls where the bears feed on the migrating salmon, check with Rust’s Flying Service or Anchorage Aero at Lake Hood.

To visit Glacier Bay National Park out of Juneau, check with Glacier Bay Lodge.

Many travelers sail through on big cruise ships without touching land. I recommend flying the 60 miles from Juneau and staying at the lodge. The next morning, take the boat on a daylong tour of the park. In addition to the glaciers, you’re likely to see some wildlife, including whales and bears. There also are beautiful trails through the rainforest around the lodge.

Do you want to feel small in the face of nature’s grandeur? Do you want to craft a deeper connection with the natural world? Then perhaps a trip to a national park is in your future.

Be sure and say hello to the Parkers!

PHOENIX – The Milwaukee Brewers begin an 11-game, 10-day road trip by taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 3.

Follow along for live updates as Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.57) faces Jose Cabrera (0-1, 3.60) in the pitching matchup.

What time is the Brewers game tonight?

Time: 8:45 p.m. CT.

What channel is the Brewers game on?

AppleTV+

What is the Brewers record?

53-32.

Brewers lineup

TBA

Diamondbacks lineup

• Ketel Marte 2B
• Geraldo Perdomo SS
• Corbin Carroll RF
• Gabriel Moreno C
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. LF
• Nolan Arenado 3B
• Ildemaro Vargas 1B
• LuJames Groover DH
• Tommy Troy CF

Brewers probable pitchers and schedule

A mother and daughter who went missing after going for a hike on a difficult trail in San Bernardino County’s San Gorgonio Wilderness have been found “alive and well,” the sheriff’s department announced Friday.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department told KTLA they were uninjured and “walked out on their own.”

Krystal Meyers, 41, and her daughter Alexis Meyers Martinez, 21, were hiking on the Vivian Creek Trail Thursday but didn’t return, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

They were last known to be at the 10,300-foot elevation mark above the High Creek switchbacks at 11 a.m., according to the San Gorgonio Search and Rescue team.

The Vivian Creek Trail is widely considered one of the more strenuous and hazardous routes in the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

The U.S. Forest Service says it’s the shortest and steepest route to the summit of Mount San Gorgonio and requires experienced mountaineering skills.

Officials did not provide any further details about the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.