American National Parks – Scribbles and Snapshots

March 12, 2026 (We crossed the international dateline!)

Our last US National Park. Number 63. The last hurrah. We did it. I didn’t utter these words out loud until after we left the park, but my fear the entire time had been that something would happen and we wouldn’t be able to make our port of call at Pago Pago… but everything was on our side.

We made it to Pago Pago, American Samoa. We found a company that would take us around the island with a specific emphasis on the national park – and rounding out the day at a beachfront bar. Leaving the ship we were greeted by a few tents – one of which had a few National Park Rangers.

My eyes immediately started to water. It was actually happening! We grabbed maps from them and looked for tour company. As soon as we checked in, we got ushered away to our own private vehicle. (One of the perks of booking one of the smaller tours!)

She started off by driving to the visitor center – where we quickly picked up our usual postcards, magnet, and picture by the visitor center sign. But this time was different! When we were checking out I noticed on the printer they had certificates for completing all of the national parks, obviously we qualified for that.

The ranger printed one out for each of us and then took our picture for us. It was a really special moment, and how cool that they do that. (I’m actually unsure if any of the other parks do that!)

We wandered around the visitor center a bit more before hopping back into the truck. She took us around to a few different stops that included look out points, beaches, and other historic buildings. She gave us a lot of history of the island and cultural information. She did a really great job and we enjoyed our time with her.

The final stop was at Tisa’s Barefoot Bar, which is known for its piña coladas and beautiful beach front location. We didn’t know this when we booked it, but there was going to be a hog roast.

Tisa said that we looked so good she had to take a picture of us!

Unlike in Hawaii, where the cooking happens underground. This version is done above ground – hot rocks stacked and covered with banana leaves to hold in the heat. The pig goes in alongside all the sides, everything cooking together slowly beneath the layers.

I don’t eat pork, but wow – it smelled so good! The sides were a little outside my usual comfort zone (octopus included), but the breadfruit and papaya were genuinely delicious. The rest of our group couldn’t get enough of it. Even as a picky eater, I’d wholeheartedly recommend doing this if you’re in the area.

We also got to meet Tisa herself, which made it even more special. While we were sitting there, she and her husband turned away about 15–20 people. They intentionally keep it to around 20 guests at a time to protect both the beach and the experience – and that exclusivity makes it feel even more meaningful.

We spent the other part of the day swimming in the private beach. It really didn’t get much better than that!

After leaving Tisa’s we made our way back to the ship.

Since we crossed the International Dateline – we lived two

March 12, which meant we skipped our anniversary. But the ship was technically celebrating March 13th.

Back on the ship we decided to do the tasting menu at one of the elevated restaurants. Thankfully, I had a small lunch. But I could barely walk after that delicious meal because it was SEVEN courses. (Plus an extra palette cleanser in the beginning and an extra dessert sampler!) I didn’t think I would ever be hungry again!