National parks in the United States proved to be wildly popular in 2021. They set various attendance records with a pandemic-fatigued public looking for safe things to do.

And now the U.S. National Park Service has an offer in 2022 for an inflation-shocked public as well: Five days when the entrance fees are waived at every park in the country.

Related video above: 5 Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.

The first one is coming up on Monday, Jan. 17, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The winter storm system that has swept parts of the United States has closed some places, including parts of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee.

You can check this link for other possible closures anytime before you head out for a trip.

Meanwhile, the NPS is encouraging people to visit Death Valley National Park in California.

"January is a great month to visit Death Valley," said James Woolsey, acting superintendent, in a news release. "The low-angle winter sunlight makes the contours of the sand dunes and mountains more photogenic."

Other free days this year

Can't make it for MLK Day? The other four free entrance dates are scattered throughout the seasons and the calendar:

• Saturday, April 16: First day of  National Park Week

• Thursday, Aug. 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act

• Saturday, Sept. 24:  National Public Lands Day

• Friday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day

"Whether on an entrance fee-free day or throughout the year, we encourage everyone to discover their national parks and the benefits that come from spending time outdoors," National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a news release.

The entrance fee waiver won't cover fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation or special tours.

Given how popular the parks were in 2021, it might be a good idea to plan early, arrive early and check online for potential timed entries on the free days, especially at the most popular parks.

BOSTON (AP) — A memorial honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King is moving forward in Boston. The civil rights couple met and studied there in the 1950s.

Organizers say fabrication of a towering bronze sculpture depicting arms embracing is expected to start in March.

Imari Paris Jeffries is executive director of the group King Boston. He says the effort also includes an economic justice center and annual racial equity festival in Boston.

“It’s not only how symbols and monuments represent this commitment to equity and inclusion,” Jeffries said. “It’s also about how research, data and policy work to find new solutions, and how we use the arts and humanities to ground us.”

He hopes to demonstrate how public works can serve as a call to action following the national reckoning on racism sparked by George Floyd's killing last year.

When unveiled late next year, “The Embrace” will be one of the country’s largest new memorials dedicated to racial equity, King Boston says. It will be installed on Boston Common near the site of a 1965 rally and march led by MLK, who would have turned 92 on Friday.

PHILADELPHIA — Two days from the inauguration, president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris are pitching in on Martin Luther King Jr. Day service projects.

Their work comes as a militarized and jittery Washington prepares for a swearing-in that will play out under extraordinary security.

Biden and his wife, Jill, joined an assembly line in a Philadelphia parking lot, filling food boxes for people in need.

Harris also took part in a service event in Washington.

More than 20,000 National Guard troops were being dispatched across the city to bolster security.

Monuments — including the King memorial — are closed to the public until after Wednesday’s inaugural events.

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day might have a different meaning for many this year.

That's because, in 2020, the U.S. faced racial tensions similar to those King experienced during his lifetime.

America also said farewell to civil rights activist and King's friend John Lewis last year.

On Monday, many will commemorate the federal holiday by participating in a day of service — just like King and Lewis did when they were alive.

President-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris both participated in days of service Monday, two days ahead of their inauguration.

MLK Day is celebrated each year on the third Monday in January. It became a national celebration on Jan. 20, 1986. The declaration was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

On Aug. 23, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday and Service Act.

To remember the icon, best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience, many usually visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in D.C.

However, the National Mall is closed through Thursday due to security concerns following the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol building and ahead of Wednesday's inauguration.