The 58 U.S. National Parks are among the most magnificent places in America - pristine wilderness, geologic wonders, awe-inspiring wildlife - places everyone should put on their must-see-before-I-die list. Matt and Karen Smith take you with them on their journey to see them all. Dear Bob and Sue is a heartfelt and hilarious travel diary of their trip, written as a series of emails to their dear friends Bob and Sue back home. They wrote, “If we were 20 or 30 years younger, we would have written this book as a series of text messages.” Matt and Karen introduce you to the parks and share their irreverent humor as if you were riding in the back seat with them. Volume one covers the first 33 national parks they visited: North Cascades, Olympic, Mount Rainier, Cuyahoga Valley, Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Glacier Bay, Wrangell-St. Elias, Denali, Kenai Fjords, Crater Lake, Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Death Valley, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Great Basin, Acadia, Shenandoah, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, Big Bend, and Virgin Islands.

Dear Bob and Sue Volume One: Into the National Parks (Volume 1)

Karen Smith

Matt Smith

Dear Bob and Sue is the story of our (Matt and Karen Smith) journey to all 59 U.S. National Parks. We wrote the book as a series of emails to our friends, Bob and Sue, in which we share our humorous and quirky observations. It is at times irreverent, unpredictable and sarcastic, all in the spirit of humor. We describe a few of our experiences in each park but do not provide an exhaustive overview of each experience or park. We did not intend for this book to be a travel guide nor a recommendation for how to visit all 59 of the U.S. National Parks although many readers have said they’ve found it to be a useful guide. Rather, it is our story about how we did it.If you enjoy quirky humor set in the magnificent U.S. National Parks, this book may be for you. If you are looking for eloquent descriptions of the natural beauty we encountered or detailed descriptions of every activity you can do in each park, there are many other books available where you can find that information. All that said, many readers have commented that it’s “laugh out loud” funny and a light-hearted glimpse of our journey through the parks. Some have voiced concerns about the language we used in the book. We are not entirely sure which are the offending words, but here are a few possible candidates. There is a point in the book where Matt suggests that one of the caves at Carlsbad Caverns National Park be named Put Your Scrotum in a Vise Cave. Another passage mentions that Matt has a low tolerance for bullshit. Still, another quotes Karen as saying that men who use a laptop while it sits directly on their lap expose themselves to the risk of “cooking their testicles.” For the sake of full disclosure, Karen’s testicle comment offends Matt as well. These are representative examples of what we feel are the most “adult” language usages in the book. If these are offensive to you, then you might re-consider whether you should read this book. We also talk about drinking beer and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Based on comments we’ve received from readers, we should warn you about these as well.

Dear Bob and Sue

Travel

Smith, Matt

Smith, Matt and Karen

Smith, Karen

Food, Lodging & Transportation

In this second book of the series, follow Matt and Karen as they work their way around the western United States discovering some of our most beautiful public lands, hidden gems, and revisiting a few of their favorite national parks. Some of the places they write about in Season 2 include Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park, Mojave National Preserve, Hoover Dam, Indian Canyons (Palm Springs), Goblin Valley State Park, Canyonlands National Park, Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, and Buckskin Gulch. More than a laugh out loud travel memoir, Dear Bob and Sue: Season 2 will bring to life the joy of discovery, the pure satisfaction of accomplishment, and the humor that comes with experiencing new places and activities. Season 2 is the follow-up to Dear Bob and Sue, a charming and sometimes irreverent chronicle of a middle-aged couple as they visit each of the country’s fifty-nine national parks, testing their mettle and stretching their endurance.This book is not a hiker’s guide, though you will feel as if you are right there with them on some of the most amazing trails the country has to offer. Through a series of emails written to their friends, Bob and Sue, the couple brings the reader along on their adventures, sharing their experiences as they hike the lesser known parks and national monuments. By the end of the book, you’ll be itching to drag out your hiking boots, dust off your tent, and discover the culinary joy of eating freeze-dried meals next to a campfire. If you are looking for a fun and easy read that takes you to new and exciting places, the Dear Bob and Sue series is for you.

Dear Bob and Sue: Season 2

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Matt Smith publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Matt Smith