Bill Introduced Banning Foreign-Made Products In National Parks

Above, yours truly in a Yosemite gift shop.

Whenever I travel somewhere, especially in our national parks, I avoid foreign-made curios in gift shops when I buy souvenirs.

This year, I noticed some items made in China at the Crazy Horse Memorial gift shop in South Dakota. 

There is a bill to eliminate the sale of foreign-made products in national park gift shops and visitor centers.

According to SF Gate:

A new bill introduced this week would require national park gift shops and visitor centers to only sell products produced in the United States. 

Congressman Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, introduced the bill on Monday, just weeks after the Interior Department ordered that gift shops, bookstores and concession stands inside national parks be purged of items that President Donald Trump’s administration finds objectionable — namely, those linked to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

To read more, go here.

Zion National Park To Ban Large Vehicles From Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway In 2026

Above, the east entrance into the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the big attractions of Zion National Park is the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway that includes a mile-long tunnel. 

The last time I drove the highway was in 2015 while heading home from Yellowstone National Park.

According to SF Gate, the tunnel has seen too many problems with large vehicles, including vehicles getting stuck and crashes. 

They wrote: 

Zion National Park’s Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and its historic bridges and tunnel offer the fastest route between Zion, Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon national parks. The famous tunnel was the longest of its kind in the United States when it was completed in 1930, but for the past three decades, it’s been plagued with congestion, crashes and oversized vehicles becoming stuck. Now, big changes are in store.

Beginning in mid-2026, large vehicles will be required to skirt the 11.9-mile Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and its tunnel. Matthew Fink, a spokesperson for Zion National Park, told SFGATE that the park service doesn’t have an exact date for when the change takes effect. But once it does, visitors traveling in recreational vehicles, tour buses and other oversized vehicles will be ushered toward alternate routes, extending their travel time by 10 to 45 minutes. 

The National Park Service policy will be: 

Vehicles exceeding 11’4” tall, 7’10” wide, 35’9” long, or 50,000 pounds cannot pass through Zion National Park’s Zion-Mount Carmel Highway safely and will be rerouted in 2026.

Above, the clearance of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel is 13'1". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My Class C motorhome is within the future limit as it is exactly 11' tall.

To read more, go here.

Hawaii Hotel Rates Rising

Above, surfers on Waikiki Beach. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was a good thing that I took a vacation trip to Hawaii eight years ago before the current inflation rate made hotel accommodations very expensive. Prices have risen so much so that it is pricing out some potential visitors.

According to SFGATE:

Hawaii’s hotel room rates have increased dramatically in the past five years. It’s causing some travelers to look elsewhere, as the number of visitors to Hawaii is declining.

The state’s average daily hotel room rate increased 35% in April 2024 compared to April 2019, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Hawaii Hotel Performance Report. Oahu increased the least, at about 20%.

“It’s inflation. Some people try to blame it on Hawaii. It’s everywhere,” Jo Wattle, travel adviser and owner of Travel with Jo, told SFGATE. 

The Island of Hawaii and Kauai top the state in terms of percentage increase. Daily room rates in April 2019 were $260 and $267 respectively, while April 2024 data shows rates have increased more than 60% to $442 and $432.

Josh Hargrove, general manager of the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, agrees that inflation has increased Hawaii’s overall room rates. 

To read more, go here. 

Two San Diego Area RV Parks Fined $750,000

Above, beach area next to Campland on the Bay. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Several years ago, we were down in San Diego to take care of a recall matter involving my 2015 Winnebago Minnie Winnie and to go to Sea World.

While there, we stayed at Campland on the Bay for a night. I wasn't too impressed with it as it seemed to be a glorified asphalt parking lot, especially considering the price per night they charged.

Well, the California Coastal Commission isn't too impressed with Campland and another RV park either.

They were both fined for signage misleading people to think the public beaches they're on are private.

SF Gate reported:

Two RV parks along the California coast have been penalized three-quarters of a million dollars after a government agency said that the public was misled to believe its adjacent beaches were private, as reported by KGTV San Diego. 

Campland on the Bay and Mission Bay RV Resort allegedly had signs surrounding the properties stating that beach access was private and for use by their guests only. 

The California Coastal Commission reached a settlement with the parks, which are both public trust state tidelands, to ensure the surrounding area knows the beaches are available for all.

To read more, go here.