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You'd better hold off on any summer plans to visit national parks

outside shooter

outside shooter

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The National parks system is dealing with widespread forced retirements, layoffs, and a permanent hiring freeze that even extends to seasonal employees, despite assurances from the government than seasonal employment would not be affected.

Park law enforcement, park rangers, park firefighters, EMTs, ticket takers, maintenance workers, and even the reservation systems for the more crowded parks and for reserving camping areas are being sidelined /shut down.

Longtime Yosemite staff describe the "chaos" here:

 
outside shooter said:
The National parks system is dealing with widespread forced retirements, layoffs, and a permanent hiring freeze that even extends to seasonal employees, despite assurances from the government than seasonal employment would not be affected.

Park law enforcement, park rangers, park firefighters, EMTs, ticket takers, maintenance workers, and even the reservation systems for the more crowded parks and for reserving camping areas are being sidelined /shut down.

Longtime Yosemite staff describe the "chaos" here:

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Chaos? Crowds? Understaffed? Long lines at entrances? Full parking lots?

Sounds pretty normal to me.
 
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It will be interesting, the Parks are exceedingly popular. Our vacations are almost always to a National Park. We have gone to shoulder seasons just to be able to get in because they are overcrowded in the main season. And now the shoulder seasons are packed. We were at Glacier last year days before it shut down and Going to the Sun Road was lined with traffic.

If the Parks that do bus service have to stop it, or can't keep Ranger stations open, it is going to many people pretty upset.

I'm hoping for a Gettysburg trip again this summer, hopefully, they don't do things to interfere with it. Ruining Gettysburg invites being called unpatriotic.
 
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Marvin the Martian said:
It will be interesting, the Parks are exceedingly popular. Our vacations are almost always to a National Park. We have gone to shoulder seasons just to be able to get in because they are overcrowded in the main season. And now the shoulder seasons are packed. We were at Glacier last year days before it shut down and Going to the Sun Road was lined with traffic.

If the Parks that do bus service have to stop it, or can't keep Ranger stations open, it is going to many people pretty upset.

I'm hoping for a Gettysburg trip again this summer, hopefully, they don't do things to interfere with it. Ruining Gettysburg invites being called unpatriotic.
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I last visited Yellowstone and Tetons almost 6 years ago. It was awful. Can’t be worse. Once you are at capacity, there isn’t room for more chaos.

Check out BLM and NFS sites. Many in Colorado and Wyoming are scenic and still peaceful.
 
Americans have a strong dislike for many government programs. I would submit that the National Parks System is clearly NOT one of them.

I recently purchased my lifetime parks pass. I wonder if those will be cancelled. Fun times.
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
I last visited Yellowstone and Tetons almost 6 years ago. It was awful. Can’t be worse. Once you are at capacity, there isn’t room for more chaos.

Check out BLM and NFS sites. Many in Colorado and Wyoming are scenic and still peaceful.
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You have to be mad to visit Yellowstone or Grand Tetons in peak season. Go in late September and October. Crowds are non-existent late in the year. Also, if you are over 62 you can get a lifetime pass to National Parks for less than $100. I suspect that program may end soon so get it now.
 
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Aloha Hoosier said:
One of DOGE's goals was to fix government by making it more efficient. This is the opposite of that.
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DOGE goal is chaos. That's pretty clear. Find small inefficiencies, blow them out of proportion, attempt to shut them down, and then take massive self aggrandizing victory laps. All while ignoring real problems and claiming folks who are annoyed by that are "part of the problem. Derp derp."
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
I last visited Yellowstone and Tetons almost 6 years ago. It was awful. Can’t be worse. Once you are at capacity, there isn’t room for more chaos.

Check out BLM and NFS sites. Many in Colorado and Wyoming are scenic and still peaceful.
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Yeah you can't go in peak season. Also never go in the main entrances. I found that part out years ago. The lesser known entrances have way less traffic and the trails are typically just as good or even better.
 
Aloha Hoosier said:
One of DOGE's goals was to fix government by making it more efficient. This is the opposite of that.
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Decades of more funds, more staff, more lobbyists, and mission creep made much of government functionally obsolete if not a total waste of money. . Even though core missions were still important, fixing stuff will temporarily interrupt core functions.

Take USAID. That became a terrible aimless agency. Shitcannjng the whole deal and moving the nuggets of good stuff into the state department is a great move. I’m looking for more of that.
 
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My June plans include Badlands National Park, Wind Caves National Park, Mt. Rushmore (all South Dakota) and Teddy Roosevelt NP in North Dakota. Hopefully these places are not Musked by then.

My wife will then have visited all 50 states after this trip. Growing up on a farm I didn't do any traveling growing up, so I have a few left. After this trip I think I will be at 47, needing Idaho, Oregon, and New Mexico.
 
Aloha Hoosier said:
One of DOGE's goals was to fix government by making it more efficient. This is the opposite of that.
Click to expand...

Based on what?

You've never been part of a force wide temporary stand down to find a solution to a serious problem...? That's exactly what's happening here (force wide)...

If this is an issue in mid-June you can "run in circles, scream and shout"... I'd give it a couple of months before losing it though, otherwise you'll start to look a lot like a Democrat...
 
76-1 said:
Based on what?

You've never been part of a force wide temporary stand down to find a solution to a serious problem...? That's exactly what's happening here (force wide)...

If this is an issue in mid-June you can "run in circles, scream and shout"... I'd give it a couple of months before losing it though, otherwise you'll start to look a lot like a Democrat...
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You mean how the fine pubes on here started crying like babies in January 2020, and are still showing signs of diaper rash to this day?

Or all those “tourists” at the capitol?
 
outside shooter said:
My June plans include Badlands National Park, Wind Caves National Park, Mt. Rushmore (all South Dakota) and Teddy Roosevelt NP in North Dakota. Hopefully these places are not Musked by then.

My wife will then have visited all 50 states after this trip. Growing up on a farm I didn't do any traveling growing up, so I have a few left. After this trip I think I will be at 47, needing Idaho, Oregon, and New Mexico.
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Where you're headed you need'nt worry... As long as they have someone who knows how to turn on the lights at Mount Rushmore you're good to go...( if you stay for the evening light show)...

Wind Cave is a waste of time... I'd strongly suggest you take that allotted time, add a couple of hours to it, and drive west over to Jewel Cave National Monument (between that and Wind Cave, Jewel is the one that should have National Park status, in my opinion)...

Badlands is mainly a driving tour with some very short hikes, same with Theodore Roosevelt (now..., both of them can be turned into much bigger adventures but that's rarely done by the average visitor)...

Pro Tip: don't cross the Bison herds up in TRNP, to do otherwise will entail an embarrassing phone conversation with your vehicle insurance agent...

If you're interacting with a Ranger (outside the Visitor Center) at most of the places you're headed it's because something has gone desperately wrong..
 
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outside shooter said:
My June plans include Badlands National Park, Wind Caves National Park, Mt. Rushmore (all South Dakota) and Teddy Roosevelt NP in North Dakota. Hopefully these places are not Musked by then.

My wife will then have visited all 50 states after this trip. Growing up on a farm I didn't do any traveling growing up, so I have a few left. After this trip I think I will be at 47, needing Idaho, Oregon, and New Mexico.
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You live in Florida? Ever been to th Everglades?
 
outside shooter said:
My June plans include Badlands National Park, Wind Caves National Park, Mt. Rushmore (all South Dakota) and Teddy Roosevelt NP in North Dakota. Hopefully these places are not Musked by then.

My wife will then have visited all 50 states after this trip. Growing up on a farm I didn't do any traveling growing up, so I have a few left. After this trip I think I will be at 47, needing Idaho, Oregon, and New Mexico.
Click to expand...
49. Can’t think of any reason to go to Connecticut. Actually 49 x 2. X 3+ except for Alaska and N. D.

New Mexico is one of my favorites. Santa Fe is one of my favorite cities. History, culture, food, art, architecture, opera and scenery, are all hard to beat.
 
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76-1 said:
Wind Cave is a waste of time... I'd strongly suggest you take that allotted time, add a couple of hours to it, and drive west over to Jewel Cave National Monument (between that and Wind Cave, Jewel is the one that should have National Park status, in my opinion)...
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Yeah, Jewel cave is on the list too.

Plus, in driving back from Teddy Roosevelt Park in ND to Rapid City, we are thinking of taking the western route, which will let us see Devils Tower, WY

Lots of stops, but we are booked for 10 days
 
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VanPastorMan said:
Then we will have cats and dogs living together....mass hysteria. Look friend I am not picking on you today. I think this is the third reply to you. I hope you have a significant other and enjoy Valentine Day
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Pastor not all can see what’s meant as a teaching exercise and a lesson of awakening. Your patience, demonstrated daily on executing your lessons here, is remarkable
 
tbone6004 said:
You have to be mad to visit Yellowstone or Grand Tetons in peak season. Go in late September and October. Crowds are non-existent late in the year. Also, if you are over 62 you can get a lifetime pass to National Parks for less than $100. I suspect that program may end soon so get it now.
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hopefully they don't start killing off people with lifetime passes
 
CO. Hoosier said:
Devils Tower is cool. Worth seeing.
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I agree... That's another one you don't need a Ranger for (just don't try to climb it without a permit though or you'll get to meet one)...🍺

Definitely worth a visit... (if you're already within, say, 100 miles of it...)..
 
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outside shooter said:
yes, many times, and Biscayne Bay NP
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I've went to Key West twice. Fun town.

First time, I took a detour to the Everglades. Good decision. I've been to 38 States. Grand Canyon, on top of a mountain in Colorado, Blue Ridge Parkway, etc, seen a lot of cool stuff. For free. I worked for a guy who traveled the country teaching method 9 EPA emission classes.

If they want to lay anyone off, start with the IRS.
 
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mrhighlife said:
DOGE goal is chaos. That's pretty clear. Find small inefficiencies, blow them out of proportion, attempt to shut them down, and then take massive self aggrandizing victory laps. All while ignoring real problems and claiming folks who are annoyed by that are "part of the problem. Derp derp."
Click to expand...
I'd be interested in your explanation of calling a $36Trillion debt, growing by $10 Billion daily , a small inefficiency, blown out of proportion....

Honest question...do you read your own posts?
 
Mas-sa-suta said:
I'd be interested in your explanation of calling a $36Trillion debt, growing by $10 Billion daily , a small inefficiency, blown out of proportion....

Honest question...do you read your own posts?
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You think DOGE is going to get anywhere close to 36 Trillion? They won't get within 35.9 of that. The Republicans just announced they are adding another 4 trillion this year. Any of the savings DOGE finds are just going to that.

Do you read your own post?
 
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