The Epic 43,000 Mile Road Trip to Every National Park

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview.

If you're looking to crank your summer travel plans up a notch, look no further that your local national park.

Stefanie Payne, a communication strategist at NASA, and Jonathan Irish, a professional photographer represented by National Geographic, took a year-long sabbatical to make an appearance at every single national park in the country. They traveled to all of America's 59 national parks — that's one park every six days.

Jonathan and Stefanie join The Takeaway to share some highlights of their trip, and to inspire listeners to take advantage of the majestic scenery and natural wonder offered by The National Parks Service. They document their incredible journey in a new multimedia project, "The Greatest American Road Trip."

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear Jonathan and Stefanie discuss their trip, and check out some of their photos below. 

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Hot Springs National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Big Bend National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Death Valley National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Death Valley National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Joshua Tree National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Joshua Tree National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Saguaro National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Petrified Forest National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Grand Canyon National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Zion National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Sequoia National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Yosemite National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Redwoods National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Voyagers National Park

Jonathan Irish

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North Cascades National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Glacier Bay National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Kenai Fjords National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Katmai National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Lake Clark National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Glacier National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Grand Teton National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Acadia National Park

Jonathan Irish

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Star trails at Joshua Tree

Jonathan Irish

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.