• FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) -- Stop at a cafe in the remote stretches of northern Arizona and southern Utah in the fall, and you're likely to hear a mix of languages as tourists from around the world step into the iconic western landscape, marked by breathtaking canyons and massive rock formations.
• Millions of visitors tour the region each year for what can be once-in-a-lifetime vacations.
• Those visitors didn't stop with the government shutdown, which forced officials to close down roads, campgrounds and tourist centers at national parks dotting the landscape.
• Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has offered to use state money to keep the Grand Canyon open, and several businesses made similar pledges -- all of which have been politely rejected by the national park.
• The impact isn't just ruining vacations. It also has brought local economies to a near standstill.
• THUMBS DOWN
• Outside Yellowstone's north entrance, two men on a bus with Indian and Chinese passengers frown and give the thumbs down sign after seeing the park is shut down. A family of Japanese tourists leaves the Grand Canyon in tears. An English couple and a Belgium couple touring national parks out West settles for a drive around Yosemite without being able to put their feet on the ground.
• "Looks as though both sides are having a bit of a childish tantrum," says Englishman Neil Stanton.
• Songyi Cho, on a separate trip to Yosemite, says: "This is crazy. How can a whole government shut down?"
• While some international tourists kept tabs on American politics in the days before they ventured to national parks, others were blindsided.
• Alan Platt and his wife, Leana, first heard about a possible shutdown while at the Grand Canyon on Monday. Platt guessed that lawmakers would be pushed to the brink but pass a budget by the deadline. He was wrong, and the couple was forced to cut their three-day Grand Canyon stay short.
• "For the rest of the world, we're concerned about the fact you have partisan positioning going on," he says. "No matter who's in power, there's a national pride in engagement we saw. Suddenly, we see a great divide."
• ICONS FROM A DISTANCE

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