REAL PEOPLE/DYNAMIC DUO
A Grandmother, a Grandson and a Grand Adventure
It started out simply: one camping trip. But soon Brad and Joy Ryan were on the tour of a lifetime
Clockwise from top left: Sequoia, 2017; Gates of the Arctic, 2021; en route to Denali, 2021
BRAD RYAN: In 2010, my grandmother and I went for a hike near her home, and she casually mentioned that she regretted not seeing more of the great outdoors.
Joy Ryan: My late husband and I never went on any big trips, like to Alabama or California.
Brad: Her comment really stuck with me. Five years later, I was planning to go camping, and I asked her if she wanted to join me.
Joy: I packed my suitcase, and away we went.
Brad: It was raining, so she held the umbrella as I put up the tent and blew up the air mattress. That first night, she fell off the mattress, but she did so laughing.
Joy: Don’t worry about the small stuff—that’s my philosophy. If you can’t stay on the mattress, stay on the ground. That’s what I did.
Brad: We decided to visit all 63 national parks. We’ve been spending so many hours driving together that she’s been able to give me her wisdom and show me what resilience really looks like.
Joy: Traveling with Brad has changed my outlook. I’ve realized that there is not much difference between the old and the young.
Brad: And I’ve learned that I don’t need to be depressed about getting older. My grandmother has shown me that age 85 or age 92 can look however you want it to look, if you’re willing to show up and try.
Joy: If you have the strength to get out of bed, get up and enjoy it.
Brad: You might not be able to climb a mountain, like she did at 85, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a million things you can do.
Joy: We’re planning to visit our final park, in American Samoa, in April. It’s been a wonderful journey. —As told to Randi Mazzella
Watch the Ryans tell their touching story at aarp.org/nationalparksfamily.
Brad Ryan, 41, is an Ohio veterinarian who consults with vet hospitals. Joy Ryan, 92, is a retired grocery clerk who lives in Duncan Falls, Ohio.