What effect would a government shutdown have on the national parks?

by Kraig Becker on

As the battle over the U.S. budget continues to grind on, the country is starting to face the very real possibility of a government shutdown starting as early as next Friday, March 4th. What would that shutdown mean to America’s national parks and the communities that depend on them? If past history is any indication, it wouldn’t be good.

National parks continue to be very popular vacation destinations, hosting more than 300 million visitors system wide each year. There are national parks or monuments in 49 of the 50 U.S. states, many of which have a direct impact on local economies, generating as much as $13.3 billion in private-sector revenue each year. If a shutdown does occur, the government would shutter all but the most essential of operations, meaning that all the national parks, recreation areas, monuments, and so on would close as well.

That is exactly what happened back in 1995 and 1996 when the U.S. government closed for business for a total of 27 days. During those two closures, the National Park Service was reduced to just 1% of its usual staff and employed only four people in Washington D.C. The gates to major parks were closed and locked tight, and wire fences were strung up around national monuments. Many travelers canceled their trips, which left hotels and campground empty, costing park dependent communities an average of $14 million per day.

This doom and gloom scenario could play out again if Republicans and Democrats can’t find a way to compromise on the budget. They have until next Friday to pass a funding extension that would keep the government fully operational. If that doesn’t happen, be prepared to cancel any planned trips to the national parks in the near future.

3 great ways to make your travel agent hate you

by Chris Owen on

Having a good travel agent in your pocket can gain you real advantages from booking to sailing on a cruise vacation. If you are lucky enough to have found and established a relationship with a Cruise Expert, an agent who specializes in cruises only, all the better. It’s an ongoing process to be sure, one that aims at building a long-term business relationship that will benefit you for years to come.

A good agent, with your best interests in mind, can gain you lower pricing and greater value down the line. Your click-to-book agency or even the cruise lines themselves will not even come close to talking about something like that. Complementary upgrades, bonus onboard amenities and quick access to good information are just some of the benefits you can gain.Finding one of those great agents is one thing. Keeping them interested in you like they might be interested in the travel plans of a close family member is another. Here are some great ways to make your travel agent hate you. Avoid these

  1. Ask “I want to go on a cruise. Whatcha got?” Do a little homework. At any given time there are zillions of possiblities for sailings all over the world. Try to narrow it down to a hemisphere.
  2. Start a conversation with “I heard on CruiseCritic that…” CruiseCritic.com is the premiere website for all things cruising. Message boards there have a lot of useful information. God does not write what you read on the message boards though so don’t place wagers based on information you get from member IKnowEverythingAboutCruises
  3. Start a conversation with “Here are the prices my online cruise broker gave me, can you beat these?” You might as well holler “If somebody else comes along that’s $20 cheaper I will drop you like a hot potato so don’t invest a lot of time in me”

A good cruise expert is an invaluable resource but one that takes a little time to get the most out of. It’s an ongoing process built on trust, loyalty and courtesy. If you feed your travel agent dirt odds are you won’t get diamonds in return.

You want this person to love you.

You want them to think of you as their brother, sister, mom or dad and have a personal commitment to you right along those lines. That does not mean you should accept anything less than flawless arangements and excellent value. All things considered, your travel agent should afford you easy to see advantages over booking any other way. There should be no doubt about it. If there is, you have either unrealistic expectations or the wrong “expert” in your pocket.



Flickr photo by Jorge Quinteros

Photo of the day – New York City subway sign

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Today’s Photo of the Day is a neo-noir fragment of New York if there ever was one, a grainy, atmospheric shot of a New York City subway sign at the 3rd Avenue L station. It’s a starkly minimalist yet unmistakable image, part of a compelling 365 project by its photographer, jameskadamson.

Do you have an image of an urban fragment that unmistakably captures the essence of an urban center? Upload it to the Gadling group pool on Flickr. We might just choose it as a future Photo of the Day.

Highway 1 in photos

by Elizabeth Seward on

My first drive down Highway 1, properly called State Route 1, was during the summer of 2007. My two best friends and I constructed a loft bed in our van and we took off driving down the coast… from the tip of Oregon and, eventually, down to San Diego. Images from the trip, in my mind and in my photo albums, have regularly sent me into a west coast reverie. Now that my most recent birthday is fresh under my belt, I think I spent the celebratory weekend well: driving up Highway 1 this time.

I didn’t get to go far, but the picturesque drive is one for the savoring, no matter how short. So I savored what I could get. My first attempt at driving up the Highway 1 was cut short because of flooding. When I approached the highway the second time, I nervously drove my uninsured rented car through a foot or two of moving water and I crossed my fingers, hoping that’d be the last of the flooding. And, for the most part, it was. And then I spent a day driving up the coast, trying to keep my eyes on the road.
For the sixth day in a row, incessant rain had been predicted. But the sun came instead of the rain that day and photographer Ben Britz and I drove. And we stopped to take photos. And we continued driving and stopping until the sun went down. Here are some of the photos from the trip.

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Photos by Ben Britz

Ten cruise comments you would rather not hear, ever

by Chris Owen on

Cruise ship operations often get a lot of criticism for having too many announcements over the ship’s loudspeaker system. Some are essential for safety and just general organization of the many passengers on board. Others are not so essential and often aimed at just selling something. Some lines have more than others, some leave phone messages, others attempt to make announcements in crowded deck areas which are hard to hear.

It’s all part of the experience but some comments you would just rather not hear at all. Here are ten of them:

  1. “Hello, this is ship security. I have your son here and…” No matter what comes next, it can’t be good.
  2. “If your luggage has not yet been delivered to your stateroom, please report to…” (They found your smuggled booze)
  3. “HANG ON!” You are on Brilliance of the Seas and another “unexpected storm” will be encountered shortly.
  4. “Fire!” This means you will be having Spam for the next few days, delivered by aircraft carrier.
  5. “Is that your luggage floating in the ocean?” You should have tipped the porters.
  6. “Motion discomfort bags have been places about the ship for your convenience” (rough seas ahead. Get ready to say hello to that lobster you had for dinner again)
  7. “Oh look honey! There is a big sale at in the ship’s jewelry store! Let’s Go! Your husband won way more money in the casino than he said he did.
  8. “Oh look honey, the Golf Pro is giving lessons today!” She’s trying to get rid of you.
  9. “This is not a drill” Unless you are in a dentist chair and your dentist is Homer Simpson, you’re probably going for a swim. In the ocean. Without Rose or the diamond.
  10. “Customs is on board!” Actually this is one that strikes terror into the hearts of Royal Caribbean crew members/drug dealers. You may be short a waiter at dinner tonight.

Flickr photo by RAYANDBEE