10/27/2026
Tim Hobbs, retired pastor of Community Baptist Church, shared stories & photos from his extensive travels around the U.S. & the world.
Tim said that growing up, his father ran a pharmacy, working 12-hour days seven days a week, while his mother managed the finances of the business. “That did not leave much room for traveling” with his family, he said.
But he did get to visit Washington, D.C., with members of the school patrol & go to Canada with the Boy Scouts.
After college, he spent a summer in Spain, including visiting Pamplona to witness the famed Running of the Bulls. “It was all extremely positive and probably planted the seed of wanderlust” that remained with him all his life.
Tim years ago managed to visit all 50 states, and as part of that, he and Susan visited many national parks. Now he is determined to visit all 64 national parks, having already visited 62. He intends to visit the last two in September 2027.
Tim showed photos he has taken in two of his favorite places: Africa & Alaska.
On safaris in southern Africa, he photographed many classic animals: zebras, elephants, lions, impala, leopard, giraffes, hippos, cheetah, rhinos & a baboon.
In Alaska, the Hobbs visited Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, which is by far the nation’s largest — a wilderness as large as Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks plus Switzerland combined.
Flying by bush plane, Tim & his brother visited Gates of the Arctic National Park, “a complete wilderness” with no buildings, signs, restrooms or other improvements, “but absolutely beautiful and very quiet.”
