IDAHO: Making unhappy campers

The family and I usually do an annual trip down from Canada to Idaho. We like to tent at Farragut State Park because it is beautiful. We usually bring my mother and sister, who stay at a nearby hotel.

Throughout the week we spend hundreds of dollars at Silverwood, and thousands more in Coeur d’Alene and nearby Wallace.

This year, I tried to book our usual spot at Farragut. However, a tenting spot was going to cost us nearly $500 (over $600 CAN). I thought this was pretty extreme given that we were staying in a tent and previous years had cost us less than half of that amount.

After doing some research, I recently learned that state parks had doubled their fees; but only for out-of-state guests in an attempt to get more locals. I could have reluctantly paid this amount or simply stayed somewhere else.

However, Idaho state had made their stance loud and clear: Foreigners are NOT WELCOME. Instead, we will spend $100 camping and thousands more in nearby southern British Columbia. It has possibly even more stunning scenery and the locals are very welcoming toward people and foreign money.

LEEVI STERNHAGEN

Canada