Gas Prices Keep Vacationers at Home
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WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) - Despite a spate of wet weekends, family camping is enjoying a surge in Connecticut this vacation season. High gas prices are given much of the credit.
Most state parks and private campgrounds claim above average reservations for this time of year, while outdoor supply stores report a brisk business in camping gear.
A survey of campground activity around Northwestern Connecticut also reveals that pricey gasoline has forced some key changes over last year's early season traffic: More local customers, fewer long-distance travelers, more RV guzzlers staying put, and more ``tenters'' awaiting dry weather.
``We are doing even better than last year,'' reported Jacquelyn Brown, owner of Lone Oak Campsites in Canaan, the largest private campground in Connecticut, with 490 sites.
``We'd be even busier if wasn't for all the storms,'' said George O'Brien, who manages the state park at Lake Waramaug, where all 77 campsites have been booked on week-ends since Memorial Day, with about half of them occupied during the week.
Industry analysts say an upsurge in camping may be one of the few bright spots in the energy crisis, because, although some gas is used to get to the supply store and campsite, the final destination is a money-saver.
They also see the camper profile changing as a result of soaring gas prices.
``In our case, the big trailers are parking for the whole season, because they can't afford to haul those units long distances,'' said Melissa Schneider, manager of the Hemlock Hill Camp Resort in Litchfield.
``We're not getting the family from Texas en route to Maine or Canada any more,'' said Denise Brammer, owner of Thomaston's Branch Brook Campgrounds.
She said vacationers from the nearby area and seasonal workers are largely responsible for 85 percent occupancy of her 68 campsites.
Overnight sites at state parks were ``100 percent booked'' for the July 4th weekend, which has been the pattern in recent years, said Cyndy Charnaca of the state Department of Environmental Protection, which manages Connecticut's state park system.
The bargain for close-to-home campers is undeniable. State parks charge $11 to $15 a night, while private campgrounds range from a low of $25 for tenters and more for trailer hook-up sites during the week to 25 percent more on weekends and about three times as much on holiday weekends.
The growing interest in outdoor activities, the urban-suburban yearning for a nature experience, and a state promotional campaign called ``No Child Left Inside,'' are also contributing to a camping surge, the experts say.
But as the nation's third smallest state, Connecticut has limited escape space. The state system has a total of 1,400 campsites, occupying only 15 of its 138 state parks and forests. Some 52 private campgrounds add another 3,000 sites. That's one campsite for every 800 residents.
Nevertheless, the outdoor retail industry has recently targeted Connecticut as ripe territory, mindful of statistics showing a high discretionary income exceeding $10,000 per capita.
Three nationwide franchises Cabela's, L.L. Bean and REI have established retail outlets in Connecticut within the past year.
``We're extremely pleased with the traffic we're getting,'' said Bill Fick, general manager of Cabela's, the East Hartford outdoor superstore. On a recent midweek afternoon, at least a third of Cabbala's 750 parking spaces were occupied.
Monica Caldwell of Cozy Hill Campground in Bantam said she was surprised that about 40 percent of her customers have braved heavy rains and wind during the past three weekends. ``It doesn't seem to bother them,'' she said.
``You're not really camping in those big vehicles,'' said Katie Golembeski, a New Milford nurse who reserved two weeks at Lake Waramaug State Park with her 11-year-old daughter, Leanne. ``We're die-hard tent trash,'' she laughed.
And when the storms get too much, they just jump into the car and wait it out.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) |
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