Brad Ryan
Joined Atlas Obscura in 2026
Brad Ryan and his grandmother, Joy Ryan, are the duo behind the history-making journey known as Grandma Joy's Road Trip. In 2015, after Joy revealed that she had never seen a mountain at age 85, Brad invited her on a camping trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. What began as a simple weekend adventure grew into a seven-and-a-half-year quest to visit all 63 U.S. National Parks together.
Along the way, they traveled more than 100,000 miles across the United States and its territories, encountering grizzly bears, glaciers, sea turtles, volcanic landscapes, and countless strangers who became friends. In 2023, Joy became the oldest person known to begin and complete visits to all 63 national parks.
Their journey transformed a relationship once marked by years of estrangement into a powerful story of healing, forgiveness, and intergenerational connection. Today, Brad and Joy share their experiences through speaking engagements, media appearances, and Brad's memoir, Grandma Joy and Me: A Journey of Healing, One National Park at a Time. Together, they inspire people of all ages to embrace curiosity, seek adventure, and discover that it is never too late to start exploring the world—or reconnecting with the people you love.
Grandma Joy did not get her first U.S. Passport until she was 91-years-old. The duo is currently pursuing a new goal to visit all seven continents. They have visited nine countries and five continents to date, and plan to complete their goal later in the year with trips to Asia and Australia.
Based in Ohio, Brad and Joy continue to travel widely, proving that adventure has no age limit and that healing can be found in the most unexpected places.
