Why Do Tourists Visit Ancient Ruins Everywhere Except the United States?
I&#x27;m often struck by how arbitrary our nation&#x27;s tourists are. Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc.: packed with tourists every single day they&#x27;re open; while dozens of surrounding National Monuments and National Parks and National Forests (mostly free to visit), are often nearly devoid of visitors.<p>I live in an RV and travel most of the time...I make it a point to visit any National anything (park, forest, monument, as well was BLM lands that seem interesting) and state parks, within 50-100 miles of my route (depending on my schedule and ability to go off the grid at that time). There are places where you&#x27;ll see maybe a dozen people on your hike; while in the &quot;big&quot; parks, you can&#x27;t spit without hitting somebody taking photos from an obvious vantage point. I&#x27;ve stayed in BLM campgrounds that are <i>stunningly</i> beautiful, and I may be the only person there for a week or more. These places often have historical significance; as much of the US does, since there were great civilizations that rose and fell here before Europeans arrived.<p>There&#x27;s like a weird need for there to be a gate with a ranger taking entrance fees and such, for someone in the US to want to see and experience a place.