Tezels on the Road
Our Road, Our Story
Mark & Alicia Tezel — retired explorers sharing travel stories, trail adventures, national park wisdom, and the places that shape us.
▶ Just Released · Ranger PamPaw Podcast · April 29, 2026
S1E6 — Stories They Don’t Put on the Signs
Funny moments, quiet moments, and meaningful encounters from a ranger’s career — the stories that never made it onto a sign, a plaque, or a brochure.
Explore What We Do
Stories, trails, podcasts, and park encounters — all in one place.
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Travel Blog
Trip stories, photos, and reflections from cruises, road trips, and adventures near and far.
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Ranger PamPaw
Park stories, behind-the-scenes insight, and ranger wisdom from 35 years in the National Park Service.
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Tuesdays on the Trail
A video series exploring scenic hiking trails across national parks and historic landscapes, one trail at a time.
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First Encounters
Exploring the National Park System — one first visit at a time. Stories from parks seen through fresh eyes.
Now Exploring
🌍 2026 Travels
Follow along as we explore the world in 2026 — a Southern Caribbean Cruise, Big Bend, Chicago, and more adventures on the way.
Ranger PamPaw’s Park Guides
Practical guides and trail resources for exploring America’s public lands — drawn from a lifetime in the National Park System.
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Ranger PamPaw’s Guide
In-depth park guides covering history, planning, and what to expect — written from a lifetime of National Park experience.
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Trail Guides
Step-by-step trail guides with distance, difficulty, highlights, and practical tips for hikes across the National Park System.
Latest from the Road
Our most recent stories, episodes, and trail adventures.
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▶ A Note from Ranger PamPaw There are places in the National Park System where the story lands differently than you expect. Blackwell School is one of them. Standing on that dusty half-acre lot in Marfa, you’re looking at adobe walls that held 600 children who weren’t allowed to use their own language. The school…
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Ranger PamPaw’s complete guide to Effigy Mounds National Monument — Iowa’s only national monument, and one of the most quietly remarkable places in the park system. Trails, mounds, overlooks, and everything you need to plan your visit.
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Trail Guide – Nugget Falls Trail
A trail guide to Nugget Falls in Tongass National Forest, Juneau, Alaska — a 1.9-mile walk to a 377-foot waterfall with front-row views of the receding Mendenhall Glacier.
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▶ A Note from Ranger PamPaw I’ve stood on a lot of park ground over the years, but there’s nowhere quite like Lassen. The moment you smell that sulfur drifting up from Bumpass Hell — that sharp, unmistakable reminder that the earth beneath your boots is still alive — everything about geology and deep time…
Mark & Alicia Tezel — lifelong explorers, national park advocates, and storytellers. Meet the Tezels →
