Heartwarming: Grandson travels with his 93-year-old grandmother to all 63 national parks in the USA

At the age of 85, the American Joy Ryan had never seen mountains or the sea. Her grandson wanted to change that – and traveled with her to all of the country's national parks.

The only trips Joy Ryan ever made until she was 85 was to Florida fishing. "Every winter, my husband took me to Okeechobee and we fished. That was about the extent of my wandering," said the now 93-year-old, according to the US broadcaster CBS News. Her grandson Brad couldn't believe it: "When I learned that she had never seen the great wilderness of America – deserts, mountains, oceans, whatever – I thought it would haunt me if I didn't intervene somehow." And so the foundation was laid for a great journey.

62 national parks in seven years: 93-year-old goes on a voyage of discovery with his grandson

At first, Brad decided to take his grandmother with him to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the US state of North Carolina. This excursion gave him the idea to go even further: "The more I read about the parks and saw how close they were to each other and that we could do this huge round trip, the more I became obsessed with it." All he could think about was how he wanted to show his grandma Joy all the known natural wonders of the country, the Old Faithfull geyser in Yellowstone National Park or the Grand Canyon. "I just had to have those memories to be happy in the long run," Brad Ryan said.

The duo began by planning big road trips, visiting several national parks on each trip. Between 2015 and 2022, they had already explored 62 of the 63 national parks in the USA – and experienced a lot: from whale watching in the Channel Islands to the larger-than-life trees in the Redwood Forest. "She went whitewater rafting at 91 years old," Brad said, according to CBS. "Class three rapids. She was braver than I was." She can also keep up with her grandson very well when it comes to hiking – her secret? "Well, I think it helps to be optimistic. And you have to have the will to do it. And I'm lucky that I'm in a position to do that in terms of health," said the 93-year-old.

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But Joy and her grandson had the best moments of their trip during their long journeys. "We're on the road together and we're starting to talk about our lives," Brad said. He learned a lot about his grandmother's life in the 80s and 90s, including difficult things she had never talked about with anyone before. And her grandson was also able to open up to her and tell her about problems in his life. "I think that's what's so impressive about the open road: you can only drive so far until the memories come back.

Last national park completed: grandmother and grandson reach their destination

The 63rd and last national park on their list was the National Park of American Samoa. This is almost 11,000 kilometers from her hometown of Ohio and the only American national park south of the equator, far out in the South Pacific. It's no coincidence that this national park is the last one on their journey – and it's not just the beaches that invite you to relax after all the adventures. From the rangers working there, they learned that the island community in American Samoa is very much rooted in the family: "And I think there is also a certain poetic beauty to end up there," says Brad.

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Last week, the duo finally reached their destination and visited American Samoa. The park rangers on site rewarded the two with a certificate for their achievement. This would "refute the false assumptions about the limits of aging," Joy's grandson is sure. He had always seen his grandmother as an inspiration because of her way of life, which was determined by joy and gratitude: "This is a power that we all have and a choice that we all have. And I think that was my biggest lesson." And Joy agrees: "I thank the Lord every morning for giving me another day. And it's up to you to decide whether you're going to have a bad day or a sunny day. So, smile at everyone and let everyone know you're having a great time."