A park bench is sometimes more than just a place to sit, but a place for couples to talk about starting a life together

A park bench has always been a popular place to sit and hang out, but for many couples, benches hold a special place in their relationship.

Take Ryan Macedo and his wife Carla. After meeting on a plane, the Seattle couple immediately hit it off and started to date. In fact, they each privately told their family "this could be the one."

Ryan didn't take long to make his move. But he wanted his proposal to be special.

He and his family were big Disney fans and he had many fond memories of vacations spent there.

So he thought, why not propose at The Magic Kingdom? His original plan was

July is National Park and Recreation Month and a time to get outdoors and appreciate your national, state and local parks and the effort that goes into providing these open, green spaces for all to enjoy

July is the time to get out of the house, replace your desk with a picnic table and your office chair with a park bench.

Every year, this month is officially designated as Park and Recreation Month by the National Recreation and Park Association.

How important are parks to Americans?

Two people relax on a park bench. Research shows that the average American visits a park 29 times a year

If the Trust for Public Land checked out parks in your town, would they reward the city with a bunch of park bench accolades for providing open spaces for local citizens?

Minneapolis certainly earned recognition. In fact, that city was given the highest ranking and a "Five Park Bench," award as the best park system in the US, according to a study conducted by the Trust for Public Land.

The Sixth Annual ParkScore survey was created by the trust to provide a benchmark for how cities rank for their parks compared to

Leigh Lake at Grand Teton National Park. Photos such as this are available at NPS.gov

April 15 is the start of National Park Week in 2017 and a reminder to appreciate just what a privilege it is to sit on a park bench and behold the vast wonders of our national parks. In honor of this event, for two weekends you can visit a national park for free!

In fact, there is a whole treasure chest of goodies about our national parks that are available to the public. So, find a park bench or get out your hiking shoes and check out all of these free guides, maps, photos, videos and apps.

Free Admission to National Parks for two weekends - for

Park benches attract friend

By Alysa Kleinman

Park benches - think of your memories. It's a spot we take for granted—many of us expect there to be park benches keeping us comfortable at our local parks.

But when you really think back on the times you've spent on a park bench, there are probably a few cherished moments that come back to you. Maybe you laughed with an old friend, shared an important conversation with a family member, opened up your heart to someone you cared about, or met a new acquaintance that impacted your life. Park benches