I realize it is trivial in the grand scheme of things, but this Government shutdown? It is completely messing up my road trip plans, and I am NOT happy about it.
I don’t like writing grumpy posts, but at the moment it is all I can think about. I wanted to return to Mt St Helens next week and take time to explore the visitor’s center – a long time dream of mine – and it looks like it won’t happen right now. Then there are the parks in California that I wanted to stop at before heading to Camp Mighty, and that doesn’t look like it will happen either.
It leaves me wondering too what other places will be closed or impacted — I’m assuming that the highways that pass through National Forests are still open, but maybe they aren’t? Wouldn’t that be a lovely surprise. Oh, and I can’t look on the National Park Service website for information for future planning (after Camp Mighty) because they shut the website down.
The whole thing just makes me angry. It makes me even more angry when I think about all the park staff who aren’t able to work right now – and all the others who are currently not being paid because of it.
I’m still going to go out there and see the beauty that this country has to offer. I finally have a plan forming of where I will go instead. There is a lot to see, and I’m going to make the most of it. I’m just sad that the National Parks can’t be a part of it.
Photograph above taken at Yellowstone National Park. Last weekend, before they closed.
18 replies on “Dear Government, Thanks For Ruining My Road Trip Plans…”
Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta are open! And they’re so beautiful…. but probably busy 😉
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/state-parks-open-during-shutdown_n_4031133.html
I know I can go to the State Parks, and I will — but I had a specific goal when this whole trip started back in June of National Parks I wanted to visit. I don’t deal well with my plans being changed.
oh i’m so sorry!
So sorry! Maybe a new blog is in order – Revenge of the Avenger of Sexiness…
Tami Curtis liked this on Facebook.
And it’s such a pointless, immature shutdown… all to accomplish what?
I didn’t clue in until I said that to Jason that that is actually my BIGGER issue. I don’t deal well with my plans being changed. At all. Sigh.
You’ll need a cape…
Matthew Cotter liked this on Facebook.
What a mess 🙁
Just imagine you are a WWII vet with a once in a lifetime chance to visit the OPEN AIR memorial of your fallen comrades (via the Honor Flight program) only to find it artificially barricaded. Equally if not more disgusting.
There is a group of 16 people, ready to go down the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon, who aren’t allowed in. They’ve spent over $30k to prepare, taken 3 weeks of time away from their lives to do this once in a lifetime thing. It takes people 10+ years to have this experience.
Nathan Reynolds, I thought they were taking the barricades down earlier today on the open air memorials in Washington, DC? I hope they left them down. That is just crazy, crazy, crazy.
Maybe so, there is a lot of conflicting info. I certainly hope so!
Nathan Reynolds this was from yesterday, so I hope it is still true: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/national-park-service-to-keep-ww-ii-memorial-open-to-veterans/2013/10/02/bddb5678-2b8c-11e3-b139-029811dbb57f_story.html
They don’t even know they’re causing the problems: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/03/congressman-park-ranger-memorial_n_4037524.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
They’re just allowing specific groups of Honor Flight veterans into the WWII memorial. Other memorials are being “breached”, but DC is a totally different place right now. It seems if you trespass, there’s no one to stop you. (NPS areas only. The WH and Capitol are obviously a different subject.)
Kelly Lynn Hrncir, after reading that article I linked above I was going to ask you to be a conscientious objector for me and go to the Vietnam Memorial or maybe the Korean Memorial on my behalf. 😉