Matt and Karen Smith, a couple who met in college and spent 25 years building a life together, decided to take a break from their jobs in 2010 to embark on an adventure. Inspired by their love for hiking and wildlife, the Smiths set out to visit every US national park. Although they weren’t particularly fond of crowds, they found that with over 325 million visitors last year, avoiding them was almost impossible.

As empty nesters after their youngest child left for college, the Smiths used their savings to travel to all 63 national parks in the US. From remote areas like American Samoa to north of the Arctic Circle, they experienced it all. During their journey, they documented their experiences in emails to friends and eventually turned them into a book called “Dear Bob and Sue.” Today, Matt and Karen continue to share their adventures through Instagram and a podcast where they offer valuable insights on how to avoid crowds in national parks.