Grandma Joy's Road Trip began in 2015, when veterinary student Brad Ryan learned that his 85-year-old grandmother, Joy Ryan, had never seen mountains or the ocean. He invited her on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, and that one hike turned into years of travel. By mid-2019 the pair had visited 29 US national parks, and in 2023, when Joy was 93, they completed all 63, finishing at the National Park of American Samoa.
Their photos and posts, shared as Grandma Joy's Road Trip, made them one of the internet's favourite travel duos. Here is how the journey started, where it took them, and what families can learn from it.
How the trip started
In 2015 Brad was burnt out from vet school and went home to Ohio to spend time with family. Joy lived in Duncan Falls, a small village in the south-east of the state, where she had worked in a grocery store until she was almost 80.
Brad ‘HB’ Ryan (@doctorhellbender) on
Talking about his own trips, Brad was struck when his grandmother admitted she had never stood in front of a mountain range or looked out over the sea. On the spot he asked whether she would like to come hiking with him in the Smoky Mountains. She said yes.
The trip also repaired a relationship. The two had drifted apart for roughly two decades after Brad's parents divorced, according to NPR's 2023 report. Long hours in the car gave them time to talk in a way that short family visits never had.
Brad ‘HB’ Ryan (@doctorhellbender) on
From one hike to a national park quest
The Smokies trip was such a success that they planned another, and then another. Before long the goal was clear: visit every national park in the United States. Brad shared their adventures on Instagram and Facebook under the name Grandma Joy's Road Trip, and the photos of Joy smiling in front of some of the country's grandest scenery, quickly found a large audience.
By the summer of 2019, Brad said they had driven about 25,000 miles together through 38 states and visited 29 national parks. The list stretched from the towering dunes of Great Sand Dunes in Colorado to the rocky Atlantic coast of Acadia in Maine.
Acadia National Park (@acadianps) on
The national parks noticed too. Park accounts, such as Acadia National Park's Instagram, shared their visits and helped spread the story to people who might never have thought of a park trip with an older relative.
Adventures along the way
This was not a series of quick photo stops from the car park. Over the years Joy tried things many people half her age never do. NPR reported that she went zip lining in West Virginia, whitewater rafting in Alaska and sand dune sliding in Colorado. She got her first passport at 91 so they could travel to parks outside the continental US.
Grandma Joy’s Road Trip (@grandmajoysroadtrip) on
Their trips were also adapted to Joy's needs. They chose trails and viewpoints she could manage, planned rest days and used park facilities designed for visitors with limited mobility. The pace was set by what she enjoyed, not by a checklist.
Brad ‘HB’ Ryan (@doctorhellbender) on
All 63 parks, and beyond
In May 2023, after a pause during the worst of the pandemic, the pair reached their 63rd park: the National Park of American Samoa in the South Pacific, around 6,700 miles from home. Joy was 93. "I'm the oldest old lady to ever visit every national park," she told NPR.
Brad, who became a veterinarian and wildlife conservationist (his Instagram handle refers to the hellbender, a giant North American salamander), summed up the experience simply: "The best thing I ever did was to call her that day." In June 2026 he published a memoir about their travels, Grandma Joy and Me: A Journey of Healing, One National Park at a Time, and the two went on a book tour together. According to Boston.com, Joy, then 96, had a new goal: setting foot on all seven continents.
Why their story resonated
Part of the appeal is simple joy: an older woman seeing the ocean for the first time is moving to watch. But the story also challenges assumptions. It is easy to decide that grandparents are too old, too tired or not interested in big adventures. Joy's travels suggest that the main barrier is often that nobody asks.
Research on ageing supports the idea that staying socially connected and physically active is good for older adults, and loneliness is widely recognised as a health risk in later life. A road trip will not suit everyone, but shared plans and new experiences can strengthen family bonds at any age.
Planning a trip with an older relative
- Ask, then plan together. Let them choose some destinations and activities, so the trip is theirs too.
- Check accessibility first. The National Park Service publishes accessibility information for parks, including accessible trails, viewpoints, shuttles and facilities.
- Look into the senior pass. US citizens and permanent residents aged 62 and over can buy a lifetime Senior Pass for entry to national parks and many other federal lands.
- Build in rest. Shorter driving days, regular stops and comfortable accommodation make a big difference.
- Think about health. For long trips, high altitude, heat or remote areas, it is sensible to talk to a doctor beforehand and carry medications and a list of conditions.
- Start small. A picnic at a scenic overlook or a day at the beach can be just as meaningful as a far-off national park.
Sources: Photos and posts by Brad Ryan (@doctorhellbender), Grandma Joy's Road Trip and Acadia National Park on Instagram; Grandma Joy's Road Trip on Facebook; NPR via WWNO, 31 May 2023: Joy Ryan, 93, is the oldest woman to visit every U.S. national park; Boston.com, 11 August 2026; National Park Service: Accessibility.
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