Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons are two of my favorite places. This video captrues them in their stunning beauty. Seven minutes of pure bliss from two great national parks. Enjoy.

Primordial ---- Yellowstone / Grand Tetons from Voortex Productions on Vimeo.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of America's national parks. They represent some of the most spectacular outdoor playgrounds in the world and I'd recommend travelers visit them whenever they get the opportunity. The video below was created by the National Parks Conservation Association and is a great reminder of just how amazing these places truly are.

NPCA SnapShots from NPCA on Vimeo.

By now I'm sure you're all well aware that the shutdown of the U.S. government has ended and all services are being restored. This is, of course, a good thing for not only the States but the rest of the world, because if a budget compromise hadn't been reached by yesterday, the U.S. would have defaulted on its debt, causing all kinds of economic issues across the globe. Fortunately that didn't happen and some semblance of normalcy can return one again.

With the standoff between Democrats and Republicans over (at least for now!) the federal government began ramping up operations once again on Wednesday evening. As a result, all of America's national parks are open once again and visitors have already been flowing through their gates. With the fall travel season in full swing, this is good news for everyone who enjoys the outdoors and it means that we are no longer officially shut out from some of the most spectacular landscapes in North America, if not the world. I say "officially shut out" because many visitors to the parks ignored barricades and went inside during the shutdown anyway.

The news is not so rosy for the researchers and scientists hoping to travel to Antarctica this season. As I mentioned previously, the shutdown forced the government to put several Antarctic bases into "caretaker status" which essentially reduces everything to a skeleton crew and maintains the bare minimum or resources. Ramping back up from that isn't as easy as removing barricades and opening gates, as there are a lot of logistics that go into supplying those bases and ensuring staff can arrive there safely. Most of those plans were canceled or put on hold pending resolution to the budget crisis, and since those schedules are so tightly set, getting back on schedule is an uphill battle.


The National Science Foundation is currently evaluating its options and working to get back into service. As of this writing, their website still isn't even functional. From what I understand, they'll spend the next few days figuring out which Antarctic projects have priority and determining what funding they'll have available, before deciding on how to proceed.

If I were to guess, I'd day we'll see a paired down Antarctic schedule for the season ahead. Some projects will still be salvaged but others will have to be delayed until next year or beyond. Operations will likely ramp up much more slowly than normal and will probably be at a much lower capacity. We'll just have to wait to see how things play out, but with the Antarctic expedition season about to commence, decisions will need to be made quite quickly.

I, for one, am glad to have the parks back in operation and at least some movement in Antarctica. Now if we could just get some people to move in Washington, things would be much better all around.

Yesterday the U.S. National Park Service announced three new national water trails, offering up some excellent options for paddlers looking for great routes to explore. The three new water trails each bring their own unique properties to the table which will likely make them popular options for kayakers.

The three new routes include the Island Loop Trail in St. Clair County, Michigan, which crosses two rivers, a canal and parts of Lake Huron. The Missouri National Recreation River Water Trail is a 147-mile stretch of river that passes through parts of South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, while the Red Rock Water Trail is a very scenic 36-mile loop that falls on beautiful Lake Red Rock, which is also in Iowa.

The press release announcing these new water trails highlights more of what the have to offer. For instance, the Island Loop flows along the border of the U.S. and Canada, while the Missouri River route follows part of the route that Lewis and Clark took on their famous expedition to explore the western United States back in 1804. The Red River Trail, which I've actually been on, even passes by abandoned frontier towns that still stand today.

While we are starting to creep into late fall, the days are still plenty warm and the last of the autumn colors can make for a great time to go on a paddling excursion. Before too long, winter will be here and most of us will put away our kayaks and canoes until spring. If you've got the time, why not break out your boat for one last paddle this weekend. You may even find a national water trail near you.

The video below was released last week, prior to the U.S. government shutdown getting resolved. but its core message remains a good one even though the National Parks have reopened. It was put together by the National Parks Conservation Association with the cooperation of some park rangers who were clearly not happy that the shutdown kept visitors out of the parks for two weeks. Even now, with the budget issues resolved, the parks still face plenty of challenges to their future however, and the video is a good reminder of how special these places truly are.

I Am a Park Ranger from NPCA on Vimeo.

This video captures one of my favorite national parks in all of its glory. Yellowstone is definitely an amazing place and this timelapse video manages to show off some of the more spectacular settings there, including numerous geothermal features that the park is famous for.

Timelapse: Yellowstone National Park from Roadtrippers on Vimeo.