Video: Natchez Trace Park Reopens, Visitors and Furloughed Workers React

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NATCHEZ TRACE, Miss. (WCBI) – President Obama has signed a debt bill into law ending a deadlock that brought our country within hours of defaulting on our borrowing authority. The measure restarts government and puts federal workers back on the job. The Natchez Trace Parkway was one of the places effected by the partial shutdown.

Visitors traveling the length of the 44 hundred mile long trace through three states were inconvenienced for a while and some federal workers were sent home temporarily.

“You know the national parks are all about the American people and the parks belong to the American people. And we want the people to come visit the parks. Its not really in our DNA to turn people away from the park so we are glad to see them back open and we’re extremely happy that we are able to open again this morning,” said Dale Wilkerson, Trace Superintendent.

“Former military member I understand you know and the government, but I hate to say it, but we are pretty much dysfunctional. And we need to somehow get ourselves straightened out so this doesn’t happen,” said Daryl Keezer, Kentucky.

Without the usual accommodations at these recreational stops along the way, they are unacceptable to vacationers Daryl and Dee Keezer.

“We travel with an air stream camper and we stay in a lot of the National Parks and the state parks so its important to us that they are open,” said Dee Keezer.

“Kind of makes it inconvenient when you are trying to get information to see our national forests and parks, and we’re glad that they are open again,” said Wilkerson.

And so for now….disaster somewhat averted at a national cost of some 24 billion dollars to taxpayers.

“The Natchez Trace Parkway generates about 93 million dollars in direct revenue to the economies within the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee,” said Wilkerson.

The bill signed into law funds the government through January 15th and extends the government’s borrowing power through February 7th.