Why?

Why build Streaming2NPs.com?

In late 2019, we decided to build a web site, so we could:

1 Build more flexible, searchable access to our growing collection of Adventure Albums and National Park Visit Albums, built using Microsoft Sway. It works to organize our Travel Pictures & Videos into “Albums”, but the results can’t be “searched”.

2 Finally start a Blog about our Life on the Road with Lizzy. A few of our friends / “Facebook Travel Groupies” had been asking us when we’re going to “blog” about our trips for a while.

3 As a “side benefit”, Exercise our Brains! Mark, in charge of “the pipes”, is freshening up/using his Linux & Security skills. Gail, in charge of content, is learning/using WordPress, to publish pages & posts (and still using Sway to make more Albums.)

Ultimately, Streaming2NPs.com is the latest iteration in our quest to keep our ever-growing collection of travel pictures organized in a way we can find specific trips, visits, etc. AND…we can more easily share them with interested friends & relatives (without using Facebook).

Evolution of Organizing/Sharing Adventure Pictures

2001 to ~2006 – We took our pictures with film, shared copies with each other, stored them in shoe boxes. (Gail did make a Scrap Book for our 50th Hawaii Bdays Trip!)

~2006 to ~2009 – We migrated from using film to taking only digital pictures, started posting highlights of trips on Facebook, stored all paper & digital pictures individually.

Late 2011 (and continuing) – When Gail retired, she started merging our older digital pictures into shared folders…and…started putting all new pictures into shared folders, as we took them.

2014-2017 – Gail began organized pictures and video clips from some of our “Bigger Trips” into “Video Slide Shows”, using Microsoft Movie Maker (starting with the one now available in 2012 Xmas X-Country Trip).

Early 2016-mid 2017 – Discovered ScanCafe, converted our older Photos & Slides to digital, merged them into our shared folder structure, and even made some into Video Slide Shows, e.g. the one available in 2003 50th Hawaii Bday Trip.

2018 – We started using Microsoft Sway to organize our pictures & video clips into “Online Albums”, instead of using Movie Maker, which had become defunct. (Sway provides a link and is easier to share than a video, anyway.)

  • We started organizing some “Adventure Albums” for recent trips
  • Then we set up an Adventures with Mark & Gail page, to summarize and link to the Adventure Albums, as we made them
  • We started making some separate National Park Visit Albums, as well, and organized them on a summary page, as well.

2019 – Decided to replace Adventures with Mark & Gail with a Web Site, as it was awkward & clunky, with no search capability. We reserved the name, Streaming2NPs.com, and “announced” the site in our Holiday Card.

2020 – The Covid-19 Pandemic gave us the time to actually launch Streaming2NPs.com, as we hunkered down at home for awhile.

  • Published/Went Live in mid May
  • All existing Sway Albums were linked into the site by mid June:
  • Got focused on completing more Sway Albums…in mid-June we had 66 of 176 National Park Visits in Albums, by early August, we had 91 of 176.

2021-2022 – Spent more time adding Albums in Sway, and tweaking & adding “stuff” to Streaming2NPs.com, and we started traveling again, slowly.

  • We kept the latest Adventures & National Park Visits up to date as we traveled (just a bit).
  • We kept making progress completing older Albums when home.
    • By August 2022, we had 152 of 181 National Park Visits in Albums…61 more than August 2020 (including the 5 new visits in June/July 2022).
    • We got all Adventures & National Park Visits Albums back to 2018 up-to-date
  • We also added other content to Streaming2NPs, as ideas occurred, e.g.

2023-Current – Back to “Life on the Road” in 2023, traveling & touring a lot…9-10 months/year.

  • We’re putting more info & pics into our “Traveling Where Now?” posts, as we struggle to keep the latest Adventures & National Park Visits Albums up to date.
  • We try to catch up on latest and make progress on older Albums when we’re home.
    • As of May 2024, we have 179 of 248 National Park Visits in Albums…only 27 more in Albums, than August 2022, with 67 more NP Visits!
  • We also added new features to Streaming2NPs, such as:
    • A new page, What’s Coming Up?, which outlines future travel plans
    • Ability to scroll through “Traveling Where Now?“ posts, via PREVIOUS and NEXT links at the bottom of each post.