There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
I'm an avid adventurer, especially when it comes to US National Parks. I know there are countless incredible hikes in State Parks, or even outside of any recognized park, but the National Parks have always held a special spot in my heart. National Parks are also by far the most heavily visited parks in the country, and I think it's fantastic that so many people take advantage of these parks and support them.
A deliema I face with almost every National Park on my first visit (sometimes second and third) is what hikes, trailes, and viewpoints to spend my time trekking to. The parks are often so vast it would take days to fully explore, and that scenario is only realistic if you are superhuman and can manage strenuous 7-12+ mile hikes day after day. I often go on trails that have been recommended to me by others, and that realization is what this post is all about.
I had the idea that we (Massdrop users) could start a recommended guide of what trails and viewpoints to check out at National Parks. As more and more people fill this out I'll consider a few different ways to start compiling the data/answers as well and after sufficient time and/or answers update the OP with that data in a way that is quick and easy to look through.
Included below is a template of what I think should be included in each post here so feel free to just copy/paste it in a postif you want. Also, if you have any feedback on that aspect or on how you'd like to eventually see the data people submit here organized let me know!
After I get some data I'm thinking of making a heat map with hike locations that link back to the original comments here and putting in in the OP for easy reference :)
National Park: [Park Name, State]
Trail or Location: [Trail, viewpoint, or location name]
Difficulty | Time | Distance: [Easy, Moderate, Difficult, Expert and how long from start to finish]
Payoff: A brief 2-3 ticket summary of what to expect
Additional Info: Any other links, photos, etc!