The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is the U.S.’s 63rd and newest national park. And the designation is already drawing more visitors to this gorgeous part of West Virginia. I was lucky enough to visit in early May, when the wild rhododendrons were blooming and the New River was running fast enough for me to try white-water rafting for the very first time. For this well-traveled writer, the experience was thrilling. Take a look at my story in the Chicago Tribune.
