Seattle tour company hit hard by government shutdown

SEATTLE — Evergreen Escapes is a Seattle tour company that has lost thousands of dollars this month. It had to cancel a couple dozen tours to Mt. Rainier and Olympic national parks. Tours to Mt. St. Helens can no longer bring clients to the edge of the crater at Johnson Ridge. The shutdown of the federal government shut the gates to some of this state's most popular tourist attractions.

"Approximately a third of our revenue was derailed," said Executive Escapes Vice President Dan Moore. Moore said his company has had to get creative. Instead of going to Olympic National Park, it's now offering trips to state parks on Whidbey Island and in Port Townsend. Instead of going to Mt. Rainier, buses are taking passengers through the mountains to Leavenworth. Moore realizes it's not the same experience, but his company is trying to make the best of a bad situation. "We're definitely making lemonade with those lemons, and unfortunately it's those national parks that are drawing people from around the world to this region and so, we're missing out on that," he said.

His company is watching what's going on in Washington D.C. every day and hoping Congress can agree on a plan to fund the federal government soon. Evergreen Escapes would like to get back to business as usual.

KIRO