The government shutdown earlier this year brought with it many hardships for millions of Americans who depended on those missing pay checks to feed and clothe their families. On a less drastic note, it also brought _ among a laundry list of other things _ the closure of the country's national parks.
That meant a not-open-for-business sign on majestic Yosemite and Yellowstone; on the exotic Everglades and the stark Death Valley; on the spectacular Grand Canyon and Mammoth Cave.
And while assuredly, these closures didn't impact the public like the loss of wages, they represented a significant loss to the nation's psyche.
This started me thinking of what would happen if such a catastrophe occurred again, and while I fervently hope it doesn't, there is a travel alternative.
The United States has (as of a recent survey) 8,565 state parks, ranging in diversity from New York's Niagara Falls State Park, the nation's oldest, to Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in Kansas, the newest (opening later this year). Many of these gems are often overlooked in favor of their national counterparts, and that is a shame. Following is a roundup of five of my favorite state parks.
