May 03, 2022

Tarantula Tourism Is Taken, Why not Tumbleweeds?

Migrating tarantua in southern Colorado (12News Denver).

For polar bear tourism, Churchill, Manitoba, is the spot. For grizzly bears, probably Yellowstone. For sandhill cranes, try western Nebraska or the annual festival in Monte Vista, Colorado. For snow geese, it's Lamar, Colorado.

For tarantulas, it will be La Junta, Colorado. The financing is in place.

Adding to the news of the new logo, director Pam Denahy said the board has received $20.000 in a grant from the Colorado Tourism Board, La Junta matched it with $5,000 for an educational campaign on the Tarantula. It would include creating a microsite with the Visit La Junta Site that would focus on inspiring responsible and respectful visitation during the migration season. That includes advice on how to visit the tarantulas and how to leave them alone.

Denahy said that information became much needed. "We even got a call, I think, last summer from a pet shop in Denver saying that people were taking the tarantulas from here and trying to sell them up in Denver," she replied.

 OK, so tarantulas are taken. What about tumbleweeds? The migration takes place in the early winter, and it is "oddly terrifying."

 

2 comments:

Darrell said...

I was driving west from US 40 one time, took the Hwy 94 turnoff to head for Colorado Springs. Storms were cooking up to the west and it was very windy. I crested the drop off down to the valley to a strange sight--the valley floor looked like a stormy ocean, crashing waves and all, as far as the eye could see. I slowed down but continued west. As I got nearer I saw that it was tumbling tumbleweeds, a veritable sea of them. I tried driving through them, it was nightmarish. Tumbleweeds stuck in my grill, stuck under the car, stuck everywhere. My car must have looked like a giant porcupine. Tumbleweeds make a terrible sound when they're dragged under a vehicle. I finally broke through after several miles, had to get out and pull them off and out from under the car. One of the strangest things I ever saw.

Ruth said...

FYI I'm getting a trojan virus warning when I try to get into your blog