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CROWLEY, Texas, Oct. 11, 2010 – The upcoming winter season is shaping up to be at least as busy, if not busier, than last year for campgrounds, RV parks and resorts that cater to Winter Texans, according to the Texas Association of Campground Owners.

“Our members are reporting strong advance bookings that are at least

on par with last year’s figures, while some parks are projecting occupancy gains of 5 to 15 percent or more,” said Brian Schaeffer, TACO’s executive director and CEO.

Several park operators said they were pleased with the pace of winter reservations for the 2010-2011 season.

“Last winter was the busiest winter we’ve ever had, and as of right now, we’re looking to be about even or above last year’s figures,” said TACO President Doug Shearer, who owns the 95-site Parkview Riverside RV Park in Concan.

Don Temple, who owns Guadalupe River RV

Continued from Page 1Resort in Kerrville, said he expects a busier winter, too, with occupancies up at least 10 to 15 percent above last winter’s figures. “Reservations are steadily coming in and we’ve got lots of deposits, more deposits than last year. We’ve also got more rallies scheduled this fall,” he said.

Teri Blaschke, who co-owns Hidden Valley RV Park in Von Ormy, said her advance reservations were running well ahead of last year’s figures. “I would say that we’re expecting about a 25 percent increase (in business this winter), just looking at what we’ve got so far,” she said.

Koyote Ranch in Medina also anticipates a stronger winter season. “We’ve doubled the Winter Texan group in the past year and

a half,” said Pete Cook, the park’s general manager, adding, “I think we’ll be twice as busy this winter as we were last winter.” The six-year-old park features 50 RV sites, 31 log cabins, a 5,600-square foot home, which

the park uses as a bed and breakfast inn, a bunkhouse and tent camping areas.Meanwhile, Gwen Craig, who owns Rayford Crossing RV Resort in Spring as well as Timberline Ridge RV Village in Magnolia, said she expects her winter occupancies to be up about 5 percent, based on the latest reservation statistics. “We’re looking at 90 to 95 percent occupancy,” she said, adding, “We’re getting lots of new people, people who

haven’t been with us before.”

Chicago-based Equity LifeStyle Properties, which owns and operates several RV resorts in the Rio Grande Valley, said its initial advance reservations for the upcoming winter were running 8 percent ahead of last year’s figures.

Other park operators said they expected their occupancies to be up only slightly this coming winter. “At the moment, we’re just

Brian Schaeffer: TACO Executive Director

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a little bit up from last year,” said Ed Welliver, owner of Oleander Acres RV Park in Mission.

Jeni Wilson, manager of Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort in Mission, said her advance winter reservations were running about 1 percent ahead of last year’s figures. The park has 247 sites, including nine with 650-square foot casitas and four with park model rentals.

Tom Brooks, general manager of KOA in South Padre Island, said he

expects his Winter Texan business to be about even with last year’s figures.

Some park operators said it was difficult to predict the strength of the upcoming winter season. “It’s hard for us to tell until the last minute because lots of people wait until the last minute (to make their reservations),” said Bonita Story, RV office manager for Llano Grande Lake Resort in Mercedes. Roughly half of the resort’s 1,200 sites accommodate transient RVers, she said.

Continued

Sometime ago we published news of CEO Linda Profaizer's retirement and the ARVC's board decision on the new premises.

Here, at Campground & RV Park E News we like to keep our readers informed of the major happenings within the private campground industry. Those items, we feel, are important issues.

Getting comment or any feedback at all is like

pulling hens teeth. Surely, someone in at ARVC has the authority to handle the press?

We are always happy to send our readers ARVC press releases, the same courtesy should apply to not only us at Campground & RV Park E News but other media as well. We are not alone in the seemingly desert of non communication.

Dennis MacreadyEditor

BILLINGS, MT (October 8, 2010) – A group of 27 Kampgrounds of America executives and campground owners is on its way to Christchurch, New Zealand to join more than 350 owners and operators of campgrounds in New Zealand and Australia at a joint conference of BIG4 Holiday Parks and Top 10 Holiday Parks.

“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with our counterparts on the other side of the world, and we felt it was time to bring some of our top KOA owners over to exchange ideas and expand our camping horizons,” said Jim Rogers, KOA’s Chairman and CEO and the leader, with KOA President Pat Hittmeier, of the KOA contingent. The group includes KOA owners from both the United States and Canada.

The relationship goes far beyond an idea exchange. Earlier this year, BIG4 Holiday Parks of Australia adopted KOA’s KampSight campground operating system as its software for centralized online reservations, renaming their version of the industry-leading system BIG4 PAM (Park Accommodation Management).

“While we certainly had something to offer BIG4 in the way of technical

expertise, we look forward to learning from their vast experience with accommodations camping,” Rogers said. “They have been managing accommodations such as lodges on their parks for a very long time, and they do it very, very well.”

The Christchurch conference also celebrates the success of both BIG4 and Top 10, which have both experienced growth in recent months. BIG4 Holiday Parks has increased its revenue by 5.5 per cent to more than $270.5 million.

To reflect on the combination of shared experience the three groups will bring to the conference, and the support that comes from the relationship they have, the conference will be run under the banner of ‘Together we achieve more’.

With keynote presentations being made by KOA President Pat Hittmeier; Peter Blackwell, CEO of AAA Tourism New Zealand; and Stuart Lamont, Business Development Manager of the Caravan, RV & Accommodation Industry of Australia (CRVA) amongst others, attendees will be treated to information from some of

the industry’s most knowledgeable sources across Australia, New Zealand and America.

BIG4 Holiday Parks Acting CEO James Shearer, said he looks forward to marking the Group’s success alongside TOP 10 Holiday Parks and Kampgrounds of America and is excited to see what each group can contribute.

“A joint conference is a new concept to BIG4 Holiday Parks and one we’re really looking forward to. Following in the pioneering spirit of the original BIG4 Parks who decided to band together because ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parks’, we will use our combined knowledge and experiences to support the industry even more on both sides of the world,” said James.

Those attending from KOA include:Jim and Sandy Rogers, KOA Inc.Pat Hittmeier, KOA Inc.Diane and Scott King, Springfield, MO KOASam Shevat and Renee Scialdo-Shevat, Herkimer Diamond, NY KOAMike Bell, San Diego Metro KOAGuenter and Theresa Kippschull, Fort Collins, CO KOAsMatt, Jeffrey and Catherine Stovold, Toronto North, ONT KOA

Amy and Tony Raposo, Barrie, ONT KOAJoe and Rhonda Landis, Dayton, OH KOADavid and Susan Barton, 1000 Islands Ivy Lea, ONT KOAKristie and Michael Kuper, Thunder Bay ONT KOABarbara and Jerry Dale, Manchester, TN KOAHope Perkins and Nick Harrison, Elhart/Middlebury, IN KOA

Kampgrounds of America Inc. was founded on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana in 1962. Now the world’s largest open-to-the-public system of family campgrounds, KOA has 475 locations in the United States and Canada. For more information on KOA, go to www.koa.com.

BIG4 Holiday Parks is a franchise group comprising more than 180 holiday parks across Australia. The group provides a range of high-quality accommodation options from powered ensuite sites for caravan and motor homes to luxury cabins. BIG4 Holiday Parks’ BIG4 Club has over 170,000 active members. For more information on BIG4 Holiday Parks visit www.big4.com.au

Amtrak is unveiling a $117 billion, 30-year vision for high-speed rail on the East Coast that would drastically reduce travel times along the congested corridor.At a news conference at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, Amtrak President Joseph Boardman said the proposal is at the visionary stage, and there's no funding plan in place. It aims for high-speed rail by 2040.

Boardman says the Next-Gen High Speed Rail line would reduce the travel time between Washington, D.C., and New York City from 162 minutes to 96 minutes. The travel time between New York and Boston would go from 215 minutes to 84 minutes. Amtrak said trains could operate up to 220 mph on a new two-track corridor resulting in a trip time of about three hours between Washington and Boston, cutting in half or better the current schedules, according to the concept plan.

About 12 million riders a year use Amtrak along the northeast corridor.Amtrak says the high-speed trains could accommodate about 33.7 million passengers by 2040."Amtrak’s plan to modernize the Northeast Corridor and make it a truly high speed rail line is the type of innovative thinking we need

to get cars off the road, decrease pollution and put people to work improving America's infrastructure,” stated Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).Funding, however, has not been secured. Amtrak is asking for $4.7 billion annually over 25 years. A steep price to pay, but Amtrak says the service would generate approximately $900 million annually, and would create "more than 40,000 full-time jobs annually over the 25-year construction period.

Construction would include new track, tunnels, bridges, stations and other infrastructure."Amtrak’s High Speed Rail plan will create jobs, cut pollution and help us move towards a modern and reliable transportation system network in the Northeast," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). "As countries around the world continue to build out their transportation systems, we cannot afford to fall further behind. This is an important down payment on the massive commitment necessary to bridge our infrastructure gap."

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif.-With Giant Sequoias keeping watch nearby, Yosemite Conservancy donated $5.9 million to Yosemite National Park to preserve and protect park resources and enrich the visitor experience.

“Providing for Yosemite’s future is our passion,” said Mike Tollefson, Conservancy president. “Our support focuses on creating unique opportunities for people to connect with park. For some that occurs through restoring hiking trails, meadows and iconic lookouts, while others participate in outdoor education and volunteer programs.”

The annual contribution was delivered by stagecoach at the Pioneer Yosemite

History Center in Wawona to Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher during the Conservancy’s Fall Gathering celebration held recently.

The donation funded more than 40 project and programs. A $1 million effort supported Youth in Yosemite experiential learning programs that also repaired trails, improved campgrounds, preserved images from Yosemite’s archives, and expanded educational programs and exhibits at Happy Isles Nature Center. Donations also funded projects to restore Carlon Meadow, study Songbird population changes, and open an exhibit at the Yosemite Museum Gallery entitled "View & Visitors: The Yosemite Experience in the

19th Century.” Yosemite Conservancy programs provide additional support by enhancing visitor experience through educational programs taught by local experts, Yosemite Art and Theater programs and volunteer work. During the last 12 months, Conservancy volunteers spent nearly 17,000 hours providing information to park visitors and improving meadows, trails and woodlands. Sales from Conservancy bookstores, which sell items like trail maps and education books are poured back into Yosemite.

“These projects and programs would not happen without the support of Yosemite Conservancy,” said Neubacher. “The time and resources provided by

this organization makes a huge difference in the quality of people’s experience in the park and its natural condition.”

Yosemite Conservancy is the only philanthropic organization dedicated exclusively to the protection and preservation of Yosemite National Park and enhancement of the visitor experience.

The Conservancy restores trails, protects wildlife through scientific research and habitat restoration, and offers outdoor programs that create a better visitor experience. It has funded over 300 projects through more than $60 million in grants, organizes educational and volunteer programs, and produces award winning publications. Learn more at www.yosemiteconservancy.orgor call 1-800-$-MY-PARK.

The Regional Mixer hosted by Auburn Gold Country RV Park on September 20th was a great experience. CalARVC members from Cisco Grove RV Park, Marble Quarry RV Park, Angels Camp, 49er RV Ranch, Auburn Gold Country and Verona Marina came to mingle with board and supplier members.

“Connecting with fellow park owners was invaluable,” reported one attendee.

Bill Milligan performed an impromptu stand-up routine with CalARVC staff members Mari Dudash and Debbie Sipe. One prospective park attended, because he said he knew he needed help and the

invitation came at the right time. He was grateful for the opportunity to come and ask questions.

James Urquhart of Campground Management Consultants said, “Regional mixers like this are a great benefit to CalARVC member parks as well as an opportunity for non-member parks to get an

introduction.” CalARVC’s newest board member, Sterly Engman is looking forward to hosting one in the coming months. He tells us “The mixer was the most relaxed and informative industry event he can remember in a long time.”

reproduced from CALARVC "Coffee Talk".

Cheyenne, WY – October 6, 2010 The Wyoming Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails has awarded a three year contract to Leisure Interactive, LLC (LI). The move comes in response to evolving consumer expectations and the desire to deliver a new level of customer service for Wyoming State Park visitors. LI was selected after an extensive RFP process and the review of proposals from a variety of extremely capable vendors. The selection of LI was influenced by a number of factors, including flexibility, easy customization, and most importantly, the SaaS (software as a service) solution Hercules - a reservation and property management system designed for the outdoor recreation and hospitality industry.

“Leisure Interactive and Hercules were selected because they offered a flexible solution that could be tailored to our specific needs and deployed quickly.” Said Julie Huntley, Concession & Revenue Manager, Wyoming State Parks. “SaaS, means we always have the latest version of the software without the expense or hassle of maintaining servers and software, or requiring specially trained IT and support staff. Plus we enjoy the benefit of being able to securely manage all

SPHS&T properties from one dashboard from any internet connection, anywhere – even the back country.”

“When we received the RFP from Wyoming we knew we could deliver exactly what they were looking for in the time frame they needed it delivered”, said David McKnight, COO, Leisure interactive. “With Hercules, we were able to customize a solution for SPHS&T and get it up and running in about a third of the time it takes to deploy locally installed software.”

The Wyoming State Parks mission is to contribute to the quality of life of Wyoming through a combination of preservation, education outreach, planning and construction by providing opportunities to learn about and enjoy the state’s arts, parks, and history.

The agency serves over 2.5 million visitors annually through a variety of programs and facilities. LI will manage the entire reservation service including, real-time online reservations, a toll free call center and sale of permits. The new system is designed to improve the guest experience before, during and after the visit to a Wyoming State Park. Campers can reserve

campsites and purchase permits online by visiting http://travel.wyo-park.com/.

About Wyoming The Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources The Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources (Arts Parks & History) consists of approximately 181 full time, 12 permanent part-time, and 130-150 seasonal personnel. The department consists of two divisions: the Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails (SPHS&T) and Cultural Resources. The department’s headquarters is located in Cheyenne, with State Historic Preservation and State/Archaeologist field

offices in Laramie, Trails Program offices in Lander and State parks and historic sites located statewide.

About Leisure Interactive, LLCLeisure Interactive LLC, is a leading provider of online reservation, property management software and marketing solutions for the Leisure Lifestyle industry. Leisure Interactive, LLC also operates a large network of consumer focused leisure travel and information websites, including camping.com campgrounds.com, RVparks.com and rvsales.com.

Best Parks in America is offering a special reward for fall RVers who visit any of the 68 Best Parks in America locations.

Campers who camp at any Best Park through Nov. 30 will be eligible to receive a $7 camping voucher that can be applied to any camping stay at a Best Parks resort from Dec. 1 through 2011.

To be eligible, campers need to send a receipt for each camping stay at a Best Park to Best Parks in

America, Post Office Box 9928, McLean, VA 22102 and in return they will receive a $7 camping voucher for each receipt they submit.

Campers will receive a voucher for each separate stay through Nov. 30. There’s no limit to the number of vouchers campers can collect. For more information visit www.bestparks.com

Quality Inn Forward Conference CenterWest Branch, MichiganOctober 17 – 19, 2010

Discover the opportunities!Educational seminars with exciting speakers, campground & RV park tours, Networking, Sunday night cracker-barrel, low registration fee.

Don’t miss your chance to attend the only fall conference for our industry held in Michigan.

Why Attend?

The most important reason for you to attend this convention is to learn.

You will learn from the educational seminars! You will learn by listening to the outstanding speakers! You will learn the “how to’s” & “why’s” of our camping business form the campground tour! This convention is an opportunity to visit with those experts, your friends and other industry members, for a free flowing exchange of ideas and vital information that is specifically designed to meet your needs. Your business and the industry will move forward because of your attendance.

Cracker-barrel!This is your time to discuss: anything and everything. The cracker-barrel has become a mainstay at the fall convention. It is your chance to ask a room full of experts in the campground industry your most important question.

Because of the great turnout the cracker-barrel is again scheduled for Sunday night.

Campground Tour!On Monday October 18th we will set out on buses to tour area campgrounds.

There is no better way to learn new ideas than to tour campgrounds and have the opportunity to ask the owner/operator questions about how and why he/she does things certain ways. This year we will be visiting:-

Beaver Trail CampgroundRiver View Campground & Canoe LiveryBrown’s Landing RV ParkTawas RV ParkTroll Landing Camp & Canoe Rental

Hospitality!The convention is about relaxing, having a good time, making new friends and visiting with your

friends you haven’t seen in a while.

During the convention you will have ample opportunities in an informal atmosphere to share ideas relating to all facet of the campground industry with other campgrounds owners/operators.

How to Reserve a Room!You need to call the Quality Inn Forward Conference Center at (989)345-3503. They will make your reservation for you. The rate is $77.00 single or $83.00 double.

Make sure you mention that you are with the ARVC Michigan group.

How to Register for the Convention!

You can go to the web site www.michcampgrounds.organd get a registration form or you can call the ARVC Michigan office at (616) 935-7390 and we will be happy to send you a registration form.

mailto:admin@industryenews.com

Halloween is still weeks away, but children at Shawnee State Park this weekend got into the “spirit” of things — so to speak — by attending the Friends of Shawnee State Park’s 2010 Halloween Camp Out.

There certainly was lots for the kids to do. The Camp Out started at the campgrounds Friday evening with Glow in the Dark Golf, hayrides and the Harvest Moon Costume Ball. On “Spooky Saturday” there were crafts at the shelter house, campsite judging, pumpkin carving and decorating contests, a haunted tree, costume contest, trick-or-treat, awards ceremony and haunted camp.

“We have easy crafts for the kids so they can take and decorate their campers with them. We’re making ghost suckers. We have pumpkin faces. We have Q-tip skeletons and picture frames,” said Belinda Hopkins, of Friends of Shawnee State Park.

Park Naturalist Jenny Richards was at the campgrounds also teaching children about nature, and showing them her snakes.

“This is a weekend for families to be with their

kids, and dress-up and be cooky and have fun and carve pumpkins. Halloween’s a fun time,” Richards said.

The campgrounds are always filled with smiling children when Halloween Camp Out comes around. Last year, about 200 kids showed up.

Tom and Brenda Covert, of Portsmouth, brought their four-year old daughter Victoria to the Camp Out on Saturday. Brenda was helping Victoria glue together the pieces of her skeleton at the shelter house next to the lake. Tom said it’s a great activities for children and families. He’s heard about it for years but this was the first time he and his wife have brought Victoria.

“She enjoys the crafts, and she’ll really enjoy the trick-or-treating later. She’s going to be dressed up as Supergirl,” he said.

Hopkins said trick-or-treat was the most fun for her also. Participating families sit beside the road with their bags of candy and pass them out, piece-by-piece, as ghosts and goblins — and little superheroes — come calling.

“Watching the kids dress-up and come around. The kids are so appreciative of everything. You get a lot of thank you’s. It’s wonderful,” she said, wearing a big smile upon her face.

Friends of Shawnee State Park is a non-profit

organization created to help promote the park.

Now in its sixth year, Halloween Camp Out is an annual part of the Friends of Shawnee State Park’s month-long activities, which began last weekend with local fire departments and Smokey the Bear teaching children about fire safety.

After this weekend’s Camp Out, activities will continue next weekend (Oct. 15-16) with a Fall Hike and Bean Dinner, and Oct. 23-24 with Kiddie Trout Derby.

Article and Photo:www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com

Hannah Richards, Kara Richards, Morgan Phillips and Lindsey Phillips helped Shawnee Forest Naturalist Jenny Richards show off some snakes to participants.

There is an old adage, “Waste not, want not”. The notion of thrift is an American value with roots as far back as the Pilgrims and as recent as the Great Depression. Many of our parents and grandparents made it a point to waste nothing at all day in and day out: not food, not money, not time. Such is not the case in today’s world of disposable everything, certainly not with water.

David Engle, writing in the July/August, 2010 edition of Water Efficiency, notes an astonishing statistic from EPA about water use. Every day Americans pump and pipe seven billion gallons of water outdoors, mostly for plants and lawns. That equals a lake of 450 acres 50 feet deep – every day! Much of this watering is controlled automatically, by what EPA estimates to be 13.5 million such control systems. These include not only homeowner systems but also systems used by cities

and towns to water parks and green spaces.

Control systems for watering are still evolving and so not surprisingly, many of these systems do not control for weather conditions, leading to as much as 20% of this water being wasted. If you notice automatic sprinklers going during or shortly after rainstorms you have spotted such a system. The waste is twofold, in that most of this water is treated water. The amount of water being discussed is only a tiny fraction of this nation’s daily water use. Even though every drop counts, the much greater significance of this waste is the mindset that it demonstrates. We accept the use of water to keep things green and don’t mind the waste. The nice thing about mindsets, however, is that they can change!

By Larry

October 18-20: Virginia CampgroundAssociation, American Heritage RV Park,Williamsburg, Virginia. For more informationcontact David Gorin at 703-448-6863or tovca@aol.com

October 19-20: Ohio Campground OwnersAssociation (OCOA) Fall Fun Day & POOT,Cherry Valley Lodge, Newark, Ohio. Formore information contact Kristy Smith at614-221-7748

November 4-7: 47th Annual CONY Conference and Trade Show, Syracuse,New York. For more information contactDonald G. Bennett at 585-586-4360 orDon@nycampgrounds.com

November 1-3 Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expowww.outdoorhospitalityexpo.com or by calling them at 877-901-EXPO (3976).

November 7-10 KOA convention in Savannah, GA Vendors interested in the Expo or Convention sponsorships can call 406-254-7435.

December 1-3: InSites Convention andOutdoor Hospitality Expo, Rio All SuitesHotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. Formore information visit www.arvc.org

December 6-8: PCOA Conference,Wyndam, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Formore information contact Beverly Gruber at610-767-5026 or info@pacamping.com

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