RV Podcast #182: Our National Parks are in Crisis

There’s a good news/bad news story about our U.S National Parks that you need to know about. The good news is the parks have never been more popular and attendance continues at all-time high. Unfortunately, though, the bad news is so bad that it is jeopardizing our much-loved National Parks. Devastating budget cutbacks, staff reductions, inadequate roads, backlogged maintenance and indifferent Congressional inaction have created a crisis that could result in partial shutdowns at many parks. We’ll talk to an expert and explain the problem as well as what you can do to help. Also this week, lots of travel advice, RV and tech tips and another great off the beaten path report about a place you will want to visit. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #182 March 7, 2018 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:24"] We’re planning a trip to Texas, hugging the Gulf Shore through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, before entering Texas and eventually up towards Waco and the wide open spaces south of San Antonio. We’re calling it our “Barbecue and Bluebonnets Tour” as we’ll be scouring the area for good Texas barbecue, maybe a little Tex Mex and then to take in the magnificent display of the blooming bluebonnet wild flowers that turn the hill country into carpets of blue each spring. We are considering an impromptu meet-up for Sunday March 18, somewhere near Waco. If we hear from enough people interested, we’ll let you know in next week’s podcast and on our Facebook Group. We’re still on the Emerald Coast, our winter travel base. We’ve spent the week catching up on video editing for our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube and planning out our spring and summer travel schedule. So many places to go, so little time! Here’s what is in the news this week National Parks Release Attendance Numbers The National Parks System visitation numbers are in and the number of visitors in 2017 was almost identical to the record setting visitor count in 2016 (330,882,751 verses 330,971,689). Some of the parks broke attendance records because of the solar eclipse. Overall national records show, visitors are staying in the parks longer. And the most Visited National Parks in 2017 are ... Speaking of national parks, ever wondered what the top ten most visited national parks are? Here's your official list, with recreational visitors recorded for 2017. Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 11.39 million Grand Canyon National Park - 6.25 million Zion National Park - 4.5 million Rocky Mountain National Park - 4.44 million Yosemite National Park - 4.34 million Yellowstone National Park - 4.12 million Acadia National Park - 3.51 million Olympic National Park - 3.4 million Grand Teton National Park - 3.32 million Glacier National Park - 3.31 million RV Industry reports record setting January The latest survey of manufacturers tracked by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association show January 2018 was the best on record. The survey of manufacturers found RV wholesale shipments were up 25.3 percent with 42,441 wholesale shipments in January 2018 verses 33,859 in January 2017. Towable RVs were also up, reporting an increase of 26.6 percent with 28,931 in January 2017 and 36,322 in January 2018. Sandhill Cranes arriving in Nebraska en masse Planning to be anywhere near central Nebraska this month? If so, be sure to not to miss the great Sandhill Crane migration. Each year about 500,000 - 600,000 of the beautiful birds, standing roughly 4-feet tall with 6-foot wingspans, pass through Nebraska's Platte River Valley region on their way north. Some estimate 80 percent of the bird's population passes through this area this month, attracting thousands of visitors. The migration typically runs all of March, peeking mid-to late month, and into early April. To read more click here or here. This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="17:44"] One of the things about having a house on wheels is - well, it's on wheels! That means your home is constantly moving from one great camping location to another, causing the items in your refrigerator to move, too. I can't tell you how many times I have opened the door of our RV refrigerator, after settling into a new spot for the night, and a cup of yogurt, or carton of some other item slides out, having shifted during our time on the road. Recently I came across something I am anxious to try. It is a spring-loaded suspension bar that is designed to hold your food items in place when you travel. The bars remind me of the suspension curtain rods many people use over their bathtub showers, only these are a double rod, designed to fit across an RV refrigerator and hold everything on its shelf. Manufactured by Camco, their price is $5.15. I found them at Home Depot, Amazon, and several other retailers.. I am planning to order some myself to see how they work. Here’s the direct link on Amazon - http://amzn.to/2BCIsRl And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week is brought to you by RadPower Bikes ,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="21:53"] QUESTION: Chuck is planning to head to Glacier National Park this summer heading out from Indiana and wants to know about the best routes and what to see along the way. ANSWER: There are two main routes: The first is interstate 90, from Chicago all the way through to Montana, from where you’d make your way north and east. On the way there, you’ll travel through South Dakota. We did a video on five of our favorite spots to stop in South Dakota along I-90. The other route is also fast. It’s I-94. You can take that from Chicago, too, heading a more northerly route before turning west. This takes you through North Dakota. Again, you follow 94 to the Montana border and then, right after you cross over, you head north again, picking up US 2, a two lane highway that is just south of the Canadian border. They call this the Hi Line country. It will take you right into Glacier. There’s lots to see here, too. In North Dakota, a great sidetrip is along the Enchanted Highway. We did a video on it at https://youtu.be/kOCqN1DtqQ4 . In Montana, make sure you stop and see the Underground City in Havre. Yes, we did a video on it, too. You can find it at https://youtu.be/R0vHqf2m5c8 LISTENER COMMENTARY [spp-timestamp time="27:51"] Listener Kevin sent us a short little commentary that delivers a very powerful message we all need to hear. It has a happy ending but you need to hear it yourself. Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’ RVs with locations St. Louis, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Kalispell, Montana and now… Colorado Springs, Colorado.. INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="35:18"] There’s a good news/bad news story about our National Parks that you need to know about. The good news is the parks have never been more popular and attendance continues at all time high. Unfortunately, though, the bad news is so bad that it is jeopardizing our much-loved National Parks. Devastating budget cutbacks, staff reductions, backlogged maintenance and indifferent Congressional inaction have created a crisis that could result in partial shutdowns at many parks. Our guest in this podcast is Emily Douce, the Director of Budget & Appropriations for the Government Affairs team of the National Parks Conservation Association In that role, she advocates for additional funding for the national parks, both through appropriations and supplementary sources. She leads the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition comprised of travel and tourism, outdoor industry, and historic preservation groups to advocate for additional park funding with Congress and the Administration. She has a M.S. in Environmental Resource Policy from The George Washington University and a B.S. from Texas A&M University. Prior to working at NPCA, she worked at Marine Conservation Institute on ocean conservation issues. For more information, read this news release from the National Parks Conservation Association. The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new or used Roadtrek motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country TRAVELING TECH TIP [spp-timestamp time="52:17"] Steve Van Dinter By Steve Van Dinter Verizon Wireless Congrats everyone, we made it through the worst of winter! And as those spring plants start to peek out for the first time this year, we’re also getting a sneak peek at some next generation smartphones as well. Samsung recently announced it’s latest flagships - the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. With a quick glance you may think you recognize these devices, but the truth is there’s much more than meets the eye. What is back is that incredibly beautiful and immersive infinity display stretching from side to side. Now, you can add immersive virtual sound in there as well with speakers than are 40 percent louder! And if you’re looking to keep your music to yourself,