In today's busy world, we don't often hear about recipients of a good deed taking time to formally thank a Good Samaritan. Two California residents made it a point to return to Yosemite National Park recently to thank a ranger they credit with saving their lives.

If you've got plans, or can make plans, to visit Grand Teton National Park during the next four weeks, you'll definitely want to read the rest of this story.

Hiking is an easy and enjoyable activity that can quickly turn into a lifelong passion. And while it's as easy as setting one foot in front of another on a path through the woods, sometimes the fleeting attention spans of kids can make that difficult. That's where the rangers of Shenandoah National Park come in.

Are many months as fickle as April? Bogged down in gooey mud that once had been the campground at Deer Lodge in Dinosaur National Monument while grilling brauts over an open fire in the rain didn't seem to portend a good river trip. At least it wasn't snowing. No, that would come the next night.