Let’s get outdoors! Especially since it’s cooled off, right? And here’s how to do it free. On Sat. Sept. 28, every national park will be free to visit in honor of National Public Lands Day. Personally, I’d head to Joshua Tree. The best way to enjoy these free days is to get there at the crack of dawn, enjoy several hours of nature and, then, when it starts getting packed with everyone else who wants to get in free, go eat lunch or head home. Maybe that just sounds crazy, but then maybe you haven’t seen the sun come up over the desert on the drive out there. It’s fabulous. I always head for the Wonderland of Rocks, it’s my favorite part of the park. If you’ve never been to Joshua Tree, you can drive all the way through the park and exit on the end near Palm Springs. If you do that, make sure you have gas and food and water, because there are no facilities inside the park. If you want to go somewhere different, I also recommend Pinnacles National Park. It’s beautiful and never crowded. Same rules about gas and supplies apply here. And enjoy! The next free day will be Veterans day, Monday, Nov. 11. Start planning now. nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.html