SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Fire away. Ask all the stupid questions you want Sept. 28, because it’s officially Ask a Stupid Question Day.
This special day was initiated more than 20 years ago by well-meaning teachers hoping to inspire reluctant students to ask more questions in classrooms.
Teachers haven’t cornered the market on answering stupid questions. Park rangers have heard some doozies while trying to keep straight faces. Here is a compilation of questions reportedly asked by curious visitors at national and state parks and other wilderness areas.
Asked at:
Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz.
n “Exactly why did you guys put it here?”
n “What year did they build this?”
n “Is the mule train air-conditioned?”
n “Are there dining cars on the mule train?”
Denali National Park &Preserve, Alaska
n “Can you show me where the yeti lives?”
n “How much does Mount McKinley weigh?”
Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada
n “What time do the bears show up?”
n “What time do y’all turn on the Northern Lights?”
Mesa Verde National Park, Colo.
n “Do you know of any undiscovered ruins?”
n “Why did they build the ruins so close to the road?”
Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.
n “How do you turn it (Old Faithful) on?”
n “We had no trouble finding the park entrances, but where are the exits?”
n “Can we eat this?” (holding a handful of moose droppings that look like Milk Duds)
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, N.M.
n “How many pingpong balls would it take to fill this up?”
n “How much of the cave is underground?”
Yosemite National Park
n “What time of year do you turn on Yosemite Falls?”
n “Where are the cages for the animals?”
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