Sacred Landscapes chronicles Sam Gennawey’s remarkable six-year, 175,000-mile van life journey exploring over 380 sacred locations preserved by the United States National Park Service. These remarkable parks showcase the best of America—the stunning beauty of nature, historic sites of great significance, and the stories of inspirational people who have left lasting impressions.

The National Park Service sites also serve as reminders of the country’s darker moments, including slavery, the Civil War, the attempted Indigenous genocide, Japanese concentration camps, and other tragedies. Sam, a former urban planner and noted theme park historian, delves into crucial questions about “we the people” of the United States, reflecting on his experiences as he undertakes this journey through America’s national memory. He even volunteered in many parks along the way to gain a deeper understanding of their significance and fuller appreciation for how park rangers have carefully and creatively managed the environment to highlight their stories.

Combining travel experiences, insightful commentary, historical accounts, self-reflection, and practical tips for van life, Sacred Landscapes will inspire exploration, encouraging readers to visit and appreciate America’s national parks’ diverse and rich heritage. Take the journey of a lifetime with Sam Gennawey to learn the secrets of a park you thought you knew, or find a new one to explore.

Sam Gennawey is a retired urban planner, planning historian, and public participation expert. He built his approach and unique point of view based on his passion for history, professional training as an urban planner, and obsession with national parks, theme parks, museums, and historic areas. These abilities have resulted in speaking engagements from Walt Disney Imagineering, the Walt Disney Family Museum, Universal Studios Creative, the American Planning Association, the California Preservation Foundation, the California League of Cities, libraries, and dozens of podcasts. As an urban planner, Mr. Gennawey worked on over 190 projects and conducted over 1,000 community workshops and charrettes.

Mr. Gennawey is the author of The Disneyland Story: An Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream, Walt and the Promise of Progress City, Universal vs. Disney: The Unofficial Guide to American Theme Parks Greatest Rivalry, and Jaybangs: How Jay Stein, MCA, and Universal Invented the Modern Theme Park and Beat Disney at Its Own Game. He has also contributed to books from the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Architects, and Walt Disney Imagineering. Originally from Southern California, Gennawey now lives the #vanlife on the road.

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