Rex is a well-known artist in our community and across our nation. You will find his art displayed in the Owensboro Senior Community, also in many of our local businesses and corporations. He is the painter of the ROMP owl, and his mural, The Blessing of Bluegrass, is painted across the Hampton Inn in downtown Owensboro.

His artistic creativity, along with a keen ear to hear God, gave him insight and brought about his most cherished display of biblical paintings, Biblical Truths, which are on display at the Visual Art Center.

He recently took an 8000 mile trip out West to draw closer to God, seeking divine insight and inspiration from nature. Rex and his dog Cody visited a dozen amazing National Parks but the worst was when his camper tire dropped off the edge of the road, slamming into a granite overhang, then lurching sideways, dancing on the edge of an 8,000 foot drop to Yosemite valley! He screamed GOD HELP US! ! Rex says the camper straightened right out.

He also stepped off a cliff and had seven wrecks but managed to still see the beauty and inspiration through it all.

Hear Rex's inspirational story right here.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

RANKED: Here are the most popular national parks

To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

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