One grand Ohio duo is wrapping up an all-American journey of a lifetime.
Brad Ryan and his 92-year-old grandmother, Joy Ryan, have officially visited 62 of 63 U.S. national parks, with one more left to go.
Brad Ryan and Joy Ryan joined “Fox & Friends” on Friday to share the details of their adventure beginning back in 2015, when Brad called his grandmother and asked if she’d accompany him.
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“I’m glad he called,” Joy Ryan said.
“I wasn’t doing anything at the time, just sitting there resting,” she added.
“So, he wanted to go and I was willing.”
The Ryans have driven more than 50,000 miles to explore “every corner of this beautiful country,” Brad Ryan said.
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The grandson’s initial prompt to get up and get out into the wild was for the benefit his own mental health, he said.
But he revealed that bringing along his grandmother on the trip with him has been “transformational” for their relationship.
“Like a lot of people her age, she felt left behind,” he said.
“I was in my fourth year of veterinary school at The Ohio State University, and I just wanted to break away from the stress of that … and just remember what life is really all about.”
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The then-85-year-old Joy Ryan experienced camping and climbing a mountain for the very first time, which has fueled the duo’s interest in continued travel.
“She was 91 last year, and she went whitewater rafting in Alaska,” he said.
“Our message is, no matter how old you are, life is still happening — and [you can] make that adventure happen for somebody in your life.”
Brad Ryan admitted that spending time with his grandmother has put current-day pressures into perspective — and he described the oldest generation as “resilient.”
“It’s been a positive experience for me in every possible way,” he said.
Brad and Joy Ryan will be making their very last stop at the National Park of American Samoa.
