Tara Licastro

What national park do you dream of visiting?

I have dreamt for decades of visiting Olympic National Park in Washington state. This area has intrigued me for so long due largely to the diversity of landscapes that can be experienced there from snowy mountain peaks to rain forests, waterfalls, and beaches along the coast. Traveling over two thousand miles from my hometown in the Great Plains of Oklahoma to the far northwestern corner of our nation would be like visiting another world by daylight, stargazing into distant galaxies at night.

What has been your favorite adventure experience?

My favorite adventure experience was taking my children to explore Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for a week during summer break. This unforgettably exciting family excursion made such a deep impression upon my youngest son that he wrote and illustrated a book about it when he returned to school in the fall. The amazing sights are too many to capture in such a finite space as this. The unusual, powerful, geological formations are breathtaking and rivaled only by the abundant wildlife.

What would you do with $10,000?

With $10,000 I would make a down payment and secure a mortgage. We have been renting here for years, so it truly feels like home. Unfortunately, the owner suddenly wants to sell, so we must qualify for financing promptly enough to purchase it or pack all of our belongings and find somewhere else to live. $10K would greatly assist in making our dream a reality of remaining in our beloved forever home as a stable base from which to launch future explorations and the family vacations we’ve missed!