April 22nd is Earth Day!! A day to celebrate a true ~QUEEN~. One that puts up with our bullshit, our terrible behavior, and our trash. Like, if any of us were in a similar relationship to the one humans have with Mother Earth, we’d leave it in our past but only after we ignored the countless red flags until we no longer could ignore them. But, unfortunately for the earth, she doesn’t have that option. Gravity makes it so that she’s stuck with us till she implodes or something. #science.

So, here we are with a Valentine’s Day equivalent in a really shitty relationship; Earth Day. It’s the one day a year where human beings try not to treat the Earth like disposable garbage and instead do nice things for her like group cleanups, being more cognizant of turning lights off in unused rooms, unplugging and more, for the sole purpose of relieving that guilt for a mere day.

Here’s an idea: do whatever makes you feel like you’ve contributed to bettering the Earth then celebrate the beautiful rotating mass we live on by going on a date in one of the top 10 national parks in the United States at some point this year!

What better way to celebrate it than to immerse yourself in it?

Let’s go!

1. Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite is a World Heritage Site because of course it is, HAVE YOU SEEN IT?! It’s got some pretty damn cool waterfalls and granite walls that tower over the valley floor by 3,000 feet.

There’s alpine trekking and renown rock climbing routes for the more adventurous types. More interested in hiking? Here are some of the best hiking trails to follow for a day of breathtaking views!

Pro tip: impress your date by avoiding Glacier Point’s crowds and going to Sentinel Dome which has similar views with less people!

Betcha didn’t know: they’ve also got cool cultural things like the Yosemite Music Festival and Sierra Art Trails. They also have the largest granite slab in the entire world.

2. Zion National Park, Utah

What’s interesting about this national park is that it’s got a desert landscape riddled with red-walled canyons and rock formations. The colors don’t stop there though, it’s also got emerald pools, rivers and waterfalls. So as you can probably imagine it’s super damn cool to see irl.

Pro tip: go to antelope canyon (it’s to die for) and have a photoshoot type of date!!

3. Sequoia National Park, California

So, this park is known for its gigantic Sequoia trees, and I mean GIGANTIC. They’re actually the biggest trees in the world.

GO👏 SEE👏 THEM👏.

That way, when y’all get to the bedroom, size won’t matter because she literally just saw the biggest thing on earth so…

Oh, also, being among gigantic trees is probably a humbling and spiritual experience or some shit, I guess.

Pro-tip: here are 7 can’t-miss activities at this park!

4. Joshua Tree National Park, California

Remember when Miley Cyrus sat on a Joshua tree and people freaked the eff out? Yeah, this is where you can find these beautiful, endangered and protected trees!

This is one of the places in Cali where you can really get away from the big city and completely unplug. If you’re into mountain biking or rock climbing, this is also the place for you! Plus, look at how cute these fluffy little trees are. Just don’t climb them please.

Pro-tip: DO NOT CLIMB THE TREES.

5. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho

I’ll give you 20-seconds to pick your jaw up off the floor, plus, the benefit of taking a date to Yellowstone National Park is that literally everything is breathtaking, so it’s hard to say something awkward to mess up the date ’cause you won’t be able to!

This particular spring is called the Grand Prismatic Spring for reasons that are obvious. But this park also has some amazing wildlife including elk, bison, pronghorn and moose!

WTF is a pronghorn you ask? No, it’s not a sex thing. It’s this majestic creature:

Pro-tip: Check Old Faithful out in the early morning or evening to get a quieter, more intimate, experience with the geyser.

The big US of A has an incredible backyard so why not go explore in it?! Happy Earth Day! And don’t forget to be nice to her more than once a year!