Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 13, 2004 No pitched battle By Steve Zimmerman Ashland Daily Tidings With the fast approaching Memorial Day weekend, the official kickoff of summer travel season, local campgrounds and RV parks are gearing up for what they hope will be a great summer. The best spots for camping on Memorial Day, like this shore spot at Emigrant Lake, may be in good supply. Many campground hosts say the holiday weekend is not a busy time of year. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings So far, high gas prices have not deterred people from traveling. But the high prices may alter somewhat how they travel. According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry of America, a recent survey showed travelers will be taking more mini-vacations this year. According to the survey, three-fourths of the RV owners surveyed said they expect to travel more this spring and summer than last year. About 23 percent said they will travel the same amount as last year while just two percent said they would travel less. The Ashland KOA Campground is readying for a big summer. While the Memorial Day weekend is a good travel weekend, it is not the best for campgrounds in Oregon. "A lot of our campers come from Portland, the Bay Area and Napa Valley," owner Valerie Bennett said. "Our busiest times are around the Fourth of July, and we usually have sites available for Memorial Day weekend." One of the interesting aspects of visitors to the KOA in Ashland is the numbers that come for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. "We have some guests who have been coming for upwards of 20 years," Bennett said. "They will reserve next year's site before they leave this year. We have many guests that do that." The campground charges a nightly rate for the summer months. The campground had a strong April due to the warm weather throughout the month. A hot spot for Ashlanders who camp or RV is Bend. According to the Bend KOA Campground, they have plenty of space available for the holiday weekend. "We do not fill up for Memorial Day normally," Cindy McCarthy, an employee at the campground, said. "We are usually full during the Quilt Show and the rodeo and the Fourth of July. Memorial Day doesn't fill up because the weather is still cooler." McCarthy said so far, they have seen no drop-off attributable to gas prices. She said most of the campers, including a good number from the Rogue Valley, come to Bend because it is a destination with many activities. The KOA Campground in Bend takes reservations by the day or week. They do not have a monthly or permanent rate. Reservations are requested. The Family Motor Coach Association, an international association for people who RV, is holding one of its two conventions this summer at the Deschutes County Fair and Exposition Center in Redmond, Aug. 16-19. "There will be a variety of activities scheduled, one of which will be a motorhome show," Director of Communications Pamela Kay said. "It will include more than 800 different motorhomes on display. Dealers from throughout North America will be on hand." Also available will be seminars on the latest trends featuring all the latest in accessories. "The seminars will include everything from chassis maintenance to microwave convection cooking," Kay explained. "It will run the full gamut. People don't realize just how many amenities there are on board a motorhome these days." One of the most popular seminars is for prospective RV owners. "It is called, 'Before You Buy Your First Motorhome,'" Kay said. "They can come in and check out the exhibits and go to the seminar to pick up some tips. It is a major purchase and you need to do your homework. Coming to the convention is one way to do that." Another aspect of the convention that draws people each year is the sense of community among RV'ers. "There are a lot of social activities, including an ice cream social and a morning coffee hour every day," Kay said. "If you go out to the parking area in the evenings they are all sitting around in their lawn chairs talking and eating hors d'ouerves." To register or for more information on the convention, call (800) 543-3622 or go to the organization's Web site, www.fmca.com. Early bird discount registration runs through July 30. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams