BARNESVILLE, Pa. — When Kenny met Marissa, little did he know she would take him out of his comfort zone in Schuylkill County.
“It took a little bit to get Kenny to go out of Lavelle because he's a homebody, but I guess it didn't take that long,” said Marissa Klinger from Lavelle.
Going on a journey to walk through every State Park in Pennsylvania, 124 parks to be exact.
“We bought the passport book, and we were just flipping through it. She said, 'We should try and fill this, and I thought, 'well, that's a bit of a commitment, but if that's what you want to do, then that is what we'll do,” Kenny Marlow, from Lavelle, said.
A commitment that took nearly two years for Kenny and Marissa to complete. Documenting every park on the way.
“They're not all the same; there's one that is three acres and another that's 30,000 acres,” Klinger mentioned.
“Believe it or not, the state is a lot more diverse than you'd expect. You think the whole state is just mountains and fields, which I guess is true, but just the way that it's laid out, it's so different,” added Marlow.
The state-wide road trips became a part of their love story. Helping them grow closer as a couple.
“The one state park down near West Virginia is called Kooser State Park. As we were leaving and I got the picture with the sign, I said to her, 'You know that would be a good name for a dog,' so our puppy’s name is Kooser,” Marlow explained.
Shortly after, Kenny realized he wanted Marissa to be his adventure partner for life.
“We went to an overlook, and it just felt right. Both of our parents were there. It just felt right,” he said.
Just because the State Park passport is full doesn't mean their journey is over.
“Maybe we'll be getting married at a state park sometime soon,” said Klinger.
A relationship with roots in every Pennsylvania State Park.