'Not sure what's happening': US national parks in limbo as shutdown drags on

Some parks are closed, some are trying to function with a skeleton staff - and visitors and employees are frustrated Kim Nachazel had been looking forward to a road trip to Mesa Verde national park in Colorado this week. Her husband had been mesmerized by the park since he read about it in high school, and she'd planned them a full day of adventure - two tours of famous cliff dwellings, a camping spot on BLM land, and even a spot for her pup at a dog-boarding place inside the park grounds.She knew about the government shutdown, but that didn't deter her. "I had hope and optimism that this park wouldn't really be affected," she says, "and that we would have an amazing day exploring." Continue reading...