Incubating eggs in the harsh coastal expanses of Kenai Fjords National Park and Preserve in Alaska is tough business to start with, and with predators on the prowl, it becomes even more difficult to rear a brood.

The million-plus acre Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument that's squeezed between Grand Canyon National Park and the Utah border has drawn kudos for its wonderfully dark night skies.

Barring a spring storm, facilities along the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway will begin opening for the high season on April 1, with most facilities open by June 1.

“Pirates used to hide in these keys,” Carlos, our guide, tells us as our boat swings behind a small, steep-sided island. Numerous forested islets dot the shoreline like floating haystacks. “English and French pirates hid in Samaná Bay to ambush Spanish gold ships leaving Santa Domingo. The 58 cays and inlets made perfect hiding places.”