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Log inHigh gas prices are keeping Maine campers close to home
High gas prices are keeping Maine campers close to home
by Outspoken on Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:01 am
High gas prices are keeping Maine campers close to home
BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer Morning Sentinel
With gas prices on the rise, the age-old tradition of piling into a motor home for a road-trip has seen better days.
Albert and Josephine Bliss love to vacation in Maine.
The retired couple reserve a wooded site for their two-week stay at the KOA campsite in Richmond.
But this year, high gas prices crimped their plans, but they still came to Maine.
They left their gas guzzling mobile home parked in their driveway back in Pataskala, Ohio.
"We opted to come up and stay in one of the park trailers they rent because of the price of gas," Josephine Bliss said. "Gas was four dollars and something, so we decided to leave our RV home. And we're not the only ones. My twin sister has a motor home and they've only taken it out once this year and only went 200 miles. They usually go to Texas in the fall, but they're not even taking it out then."
Nancy Kirkpatrick, owner of the KOA, said she's not seeing the huge RVs like she used to. The ones that would roll in for a night.
Instead, she's seeing more families in small campers and tents who live anywhere from a few miles to a couple hours away. More people are reserving her cabins and park trailers. And instead of one or two nights then moving on, she said they're staying a week or longer
"I'm assuming it's the gas," Kirkpatrick said. "We're having a lot of campers from Sabattus, Bowdoin, Gardiner and from Richmond, which is right here."
It's the same at Two Rivers Campground in Skowhegan. Elaine Strout, manager, said her campers are not traveling as far and are extending their weekends.
"It's because of the gas prices," Strout said. "We're getting more locals and they are staying longer. We're finding people like it here. It's quiet, the campground's clean and they're enjoying it."
Rick Abare of the Maine Campground Owners Association said Mainers camping in their own state this summer made up for the loss of out-of-state campers who did not travel as far because of fuel costs.
He said campers are reducing their travel time to one or two hours. Those who spent four weekends camping during the summer are now down to three and adding a Thursday or Sunday night stay.
"They're not reducing the nights they camp, but are traveling less often," Abare said. "We're seeing that in a big way, which really, for our members, is a good situation. Whenever you own a campground you turn people away during the weekend. Now we're not having to turn away as many people on the weekends and are full up during the week."
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/5317339.html
Staff photo by Andy Molloy
BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer Morning Sentinel
With gas prices on the rise, the age-old tradition of piling into a motor home for a road-trip has seen better days.
Albert and Josephine Bliss love to vacation in Maine.
The retired couple reserve a wooded site for their two-week stay at the KOA campsite in Richmond.
But this year, high gas prices crimped their plans, but they still came to Maine.
They left their gas guzzling mobile home parked in their driveway back in Pataskala, Ohio.
"We opted to come up and stay in one of the park trailers they rent because of the price of gas," Josephine Bliss said. "Gas was four dollars and something, so we decided to leave our RV home. And we're not the only ones. My twin sister has a motor home and they've only taken it out once this year and only went 200 miles. They usually go to Texas in the fall, but they're not even taking it out then."
Nancy Kirkpatrick, owner of the KOA, said she's not seeing the huge RVs like she used to. The ones that would roll in for a night.
Instead, she's seeing more families in small campers and tents who live anywhere from a few miles to a couple hours away. More people are reserving her cabins and park trailers. And instead of one or two nights then moving on, she said they're staying a week or longer
"I'm assuming it's the gas," Kirkpatrick said. "We're having a lot of campers from Sabattus, Bowdoin, Gardiner and from Richmond, which is right here."
It's the same at Two Rivers Campground in Skowhegan. Elaine Strout, manager, said her campers are not traveling as far and are extending their weekends.
"It's because of the gas prices," Strout said. "We're getting more locals and they are staying longer. We're finding people like it here. It's quiet, the campground's clean and they're enjoying it."
Rick Abare of the Maine Campground Owners Association said Mainers camping in their own state this summer made up for the loss of out-of-state campers who did not travel as far because of fuel costs.
He said campers are reducing their travel time to one or two hours. Those who spent four weekends camping during the summer are now down to three and adding a Thursday or Sunday night stay.
"They're not reducing the nights they camp, but are traveling less often," Abare said. "We're seeing that in a big way, which really, for our members, is a good situation. Whenever you own a campground you turn people away during the weekend. Now we're not having to turn away as many people on the weekends and are full up during the week."
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/5317339.html
Staff photo by Andy Molloy
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Plato (427-347 BC)
