Issue 112 Campground

LARKSPUR, Colo., Sept.

13, 2010 – Year-to-date occupancies and revenues at campgrounds, RV parks and resorts through Labor Day weekend were generally consistent with last year’s figures, according to campground industry officials.

“Private park operators are generally pleased with their performance this year,” said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks

and Campgrounds, the Larkspur, Colo.-based trade association for the private campground industry.

She added that parks that have invested in rental accommodations, such as park model cabins and cottages, have done particularly well.

The biggest exception, however, were parks along the Gulf Coast, many of which lost considerable summer business as a result of the BP oil spill and related media coverage.

Linda Profaizer

Continued Page 2

Continued from Page 1 Billings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), the nation’s largest campground chain with roughly 475 parks, said its year-to-date occupancies through Labor Day weekend were down 0.7 percent, while revenues rose 2.7 percent, according to Mike Gast, KOA’s vice president of communications.

The slight occupancy decline was largely due to weaker business levels last winter, while summer occupancies actually outpaced last summer’s figures by 2.5 percent, Gast said. He added that revenues for the company’s park model cabins and cottages, which KOA markets as “Kamping Lodges,” were up 27 percent over last year’s figures, which reflects both rising consumer demand

for rental accommodations in campgrounds as well as a larger rental inventory.

Indeed, KOA and other campground chains have increasingly invested in park model cabins and other rental accommodations in recent years.

Milford, Ohio-based Leisure Systems Inc. (LSI), which

franchises Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park CampResorts, saw its year-todate occupancies through August increase by 4 percent, while revenues grew by 3 percent, said company Vice President Dean Crawford. Demand for cabins and park models, however, grew by 13 percent, also reflecting increased demand and an

increased inventory of units, he said.

Meanwhile, Equity LifeStyle Properties, a Chicago-based Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) whose holdings include RV parks and resorts, said occupancies and revenues for its core RV properties were up 2.3 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, through July, according to Ellen Kelleher, ELS’s executive vice president of property management.

Kelleher added that while occupancies for transient or traveling RVers fell by 3.3 percent during the period, revenues were up 3.3 percent. ELS also reported gains in seasonal and annual customers, up Continued

Continued 15.3 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, while revenues increased by 3.9 percent and 4.9 percent.

The annual figures include occupancies and revenues from consumers who own park models at ELS parks, Kelleher said.

ELS also reported an 8.5 percent decline in park model rental occupancies through July, but this was because the company wound up selling many of its units to consumers who wanted to stay for extended periods of time at ELS resorts.

Across the country, several park operators and industry officials reported an exceptional summer camping season.

Kennebunkport, Me. in addition to serving as chairman of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

“We are showing an increase of 6 percent in business for 2010. This is our actual increase in site nights after subtracting for our annual rate increases,” said David L. Berg, who owns Red Apple Campground in

Berg, whose park is affiliated with the Best Parks in America network, attributed much of the increase at his park to an unusually hot and dry summer in Maine. Berg also said many campers are taking more frequent trips, but for shorter periods of time. “I find folks making reservations at the last minute, or trying to get in when we often are sold out.

Also they are not staying for week-long stays, but rather doing three- and four-day mini vacations and are getting away more often.”

David L. Berg

Berg also said he has seen a large influx of tent campers this year, which he attributes to the economy. “I feel this is a win-win situation for all,” Berg said.

“Customers get a reasonable priced vacation and we as an industry get new customers, who if they get the experience they are looking for, they will upgrade in time to a pop up or RV of some sort down the road.

This is an example of finding the silver lining in the tough times we are all in economically.”

But tent camping is also influenced by weather patterns.

KOA, for example, saw tent camping decline by 1.3 percent at its parks nationwide, Gast said.

“Weather nationwide is probably the primary driver of that,” he said. “Inventory

(tent sites) has been relatively stable for years.”

Other parks also saw significant business gains this year, including Misty River Cabins & RV Resort LLC, a Best Parks in America affiliate in Walland, Tenn., which saw its year-to-date business grow by 17 percent, according to park owner Jimmy Felton.

Castaways RV Resort and Campground in Berlin, Md. also saw double-digit growth during the summer season, with a 4 percent increase in business yearto-date, according to Kathleen Morris, the park’s general manager. Morris attributed the increased business in part to the warm dry summer on the East Coast.

Meanwhile, Crossroads RV Park in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, saw a 19 percent increase in year-to-date occupancies, said park owner Jeff Krug, who also serves as president of the Iowa Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

Krug attributed the increase in part to the relative newness of his three-year-old overnight park, which more and more campers are discovering.

In California, Ron and Sheryl Culp of Green Acres RV Park in Redding said their year-to-date business was down 2.7 percent from last year, although their summer business was up 4.3 percent from a year ago.

Resorts have been offering Halloween oriented activities for years. But independently owned and operated campgrounds are also increasingly getting into the act.

“October is our busiest month,” said Dana Gabriel, co-owner of the Jellystone Park in Swansea, S.C. If you’re passing through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada during the last two weekends of October and hear a lot of screaming.

Don’t panic.

You could be hearing participants in this year’s “best scream” contest, one of several Halloween themed events taking place at Far Horizons 49er Village RV Resort in Plymouth, Calif.

“Both weekends are sold out,” said Sue Trimble, office manager for the 329site campground.

These aren’t your ordinary camping enthusiasts, mind you. The camping and RVing enthusiasts who book their sites during the last two weekends of October come with friends and family members and create their own haunted campsites.

“Sometimes groups of people will come and they’ll use two or three campsites and invite everyone in the

campground to come in and visit their haunted RVs,” Trimble said.

The campground also invites drama students from neighboring Amador High School to come over and read scary stories to the younger campers.

Sound extreme?

“You’d be surprised to know what campground operators are doing at this time of year,” said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

“Instead of letting Labor Day be their last hurrah, many campground owners have discovered that they can keep having busy weekends right on through September and October, particularly if they have Halloween oriented activities.”

Campgrounds affiliated with Kampgrounds of America (KOA) and Jellystone Park Camp-

The last three weekends in October, however, are when the park gets really scary, with a “Darkwood Plantation.” Guests start their adventure visiting a haunted plantation house, then proceed into the gardens, a cemetery and a swamp where there is a voodoo witch.

“We have a mix of static props, animatronics and 10 or 15 actors who make it a pretty scary place,” Gabriel said.

The Winston-Salem KOA in Statesville, N.C. has generated a similar following with its “Midway Wicked Woods,” a frightening walk in the woods. “It is very scary,” said Jocelyn Hogue, a park manager, adding that the haunted trail is open to campers as well as the general public.

Of course, campground operators aren’t limiting themselves to Halloween themed activities. Many also offer other activities and entertainment, such as fall harvest festivals, Western themed weekends and Oktoberfest celebrations.

Some campgrounds also offer corn mazes, including the Jellystone Park in Sioux Falls, S.D., which offers a seven-acre corn maze, with an easy section for young children and a more difficult section for teenagers and adults.

Here is a sampling of some of the activities and special events taking place at campgrounds and RV parks and resorts across the country through the end of October: American Family Campground, Godeffroy, N.Y.: This park will celebrate Oktoberfest Oct. 8th to 11th with a krautdogs over the campfire, an evening hayride and a Bavarian dinner.

Four Paws Kingdom, Rutherfordton, N.C.: This park will celebrate Oktoberfest Oct. 2nd and 9th with German music, a party and German food, including sauerbraten, spaetzle, knockwurst, brats, kraut, red cabbage, potato salad and more. The campground will also offer sausage bobbing for big Continued

Continued from previous page and small dogs at its dog parks. A Mediterranean potluck is also scheduled for Oct. 16th and will feature Spanish, Greek, Italian, Croatian French and other cuisines from the Mediterranean region.

Land-O-Pines Family Campground, Covington, La.: This park offers a wide range of activities and entertainment this fall, including “Swamp Pop” band extravaganza Sept.

24th to 26th; a “Pink Party” and walk-a-thon for breast cancer awareness month Oct. 1st to 3rd, with activities including a walk-athon, raffles, pink dessert, and a pink bingo party. A “not so scary” kiddie preHalloween activity weekend is scheduled for Oct. 15th to 17th with scary Halloween activities slated for the weekends of Oct. 22nd to 24th and Oct. 29th to 31st.

Lazy River at Granville, Granville, Ohio: This park will host an Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 24th with crafts, five stations of games, a DJ beer garden and German food, including brats, potato salad, apple dumplings and beer. The campground is also planning Halloween weekends, with campsite decorating contests, trick or treating and a haunted house on the weekends of Oct. 8th and 9th; 15th and 16th and 22nd and 23rd.

Mountain Lake Campground and Cabins, Summersville, W.V.: This park will celebrate Halloween with costume and campsite decorating contests and trick or treating on the weekends of Sept. 24th to 26th; Oct. 1st to 3rd; and Oct. 8th to 11th, the latter of which will also include a “Monster Mash Dance.” A spooky haunted trail walk is also being planned for a time yet to be announced.

Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina in Newport Beach: Special activities this fall include a Halloween party on Friday, Oct. 30th, with a costume contest, music, games and dancing for people of all ages.

Sacred Rocks Preserve in Boulevard: This park, located at the 4,000 foot level in the mountains east of San Diego, is planning a horse camping weekend Oct. 15th to 17th, with free camping offered to those who bring a horse.

Sea Pirate Campground, West Creek, N.J.: This park will celebrate its annual crab festival on Sept. 18th.

The campground will celebrate an early Halloween on Oct. 2nd with a costume parade, trick or treating, a Halloween hayride and cupcakes and refreshments.

Sky High Camping Resort, Portage, Wis.: This park will have Halloween costume dances and campsite decorating on the weekends

of Sept. 17th to 19th, and Sept. 24th to 26th.

Smoky Hollow Campground, Lodi, Wis.: This park will celebrate Oktoberfest Oct. 1st to 3rd with a mix of adult and kid-friendly attractions, including music, homemade ice cream, root beer, brats and sauerkrat. The campground is also organizing pre-Halloween activities, including trick or treating, costume contests, haunted wagon rides, a haunted pavilion and opportunities to make your own caramel apple on the weekends of Sept.

17th to 19th and 24th to 26th.

South Haven Family Campground in South Haven, Mich.: This campground will have an apple festival on the weekend of Sept. 17th to 19th with apple crafts, apple juggling and opportunities to learn how to make applesauce and caramel apples.

Halloween activities, including face painting, mummy wrap races, pumpkin carving contests, costume and campsite decorating contests and trick or treating are scheduled for Oct. 8th to 10th, 15th to 17th and 22nd to 24th.

Woodland Campground in Woodland, Pa.: This park will celebrate Halloween with family activities on Oct. 1st. The park will also have an Oktoberfest

celebration Oct. 9th with food, crafts and a flea market.

The Woods Campground in Lehighton, Pa.: This park is having a country western weekend Sept.

24th to 26th with line dancing and a chili cookoff. The park will also have a “motorcycle leather weekend” Oct. 1st to 3rd with a “Mr. and Mrs. Woods Leather Competition.” An Oktoberfest lunch is planned for the weekend of Oct. 22nd to 24th with Halloween activities, including a haunted hayride and costume party on the weekend of Oct. 29th to 31st.

Of course, these are just a sampling of some the activities and special events taking place at campgrounds and RV parks across the country in the coming weeks.

Consumers can find private campgrounds in their area by checking www.GoCampingAmerica. com. The site includes links to RV parks and campgrounds, which provide their own “activities” or event calendars, which can help you figure out which parks have activities your family will enjoy.

SPECIAL REPORT – We have mentioned several times in the past how processing banks are charging fees relation to Processing Card Industry compliance regulations.

PCI Compliance has become a huge issue in the United States since identity theft has become America’s #1 crime.

In order to be Compliant with regulations passed by the Processing Card Industry (Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express) every single merchant in the United States must take action to satisfy these regulations. Every merchant MUST complete a “PCI DSS SelfAssessment Questionnaire and Attestation of Compliance Form” which can be obtained from the merchant’s processor or by going to https://www.pcisecuritystan dards.org.

There are 4 different forms on this site, each pertaining to the method of processing used by individual merchants.

Many banks are already charging a “compliance fee”, either monthly or yearly, some of which carry an “assurance” guarantee in the event that the merchant’s data is breached. The processor will stand good for the fines levied against the merchant.

Our company charges $6.95 a month for this service, which also includes assistance in completing the forms and they will answer any questions merchants might have which pertain to PCI Regulations.

Now, however, many banks are adding a monthly NONCOMPLIANCE FEE in the

event that the merchant does not complete the questionnaire.

It should be noted that completing the questionnaire could take as little as ten minutes especially if merchants are using telephone lines to process transactions.

Utilizing computers or wireless devices could take slightly longer, but in either case completing the form will not take long.

Banks are reporting that a very small percentage of merchants have actually completed the forms and to avoid action by Visa they are now assessing the additional fees.

Frankly it is either noninformation or laziness that has caused this action to be taken by processors. If merchants do not have computers their processor can mail or fax the forms to merchants.

By Art Lieberman Of course, dear reader, YOU have no such problem.

Art Lieberman is President of MCPS for Campgrounds, a credit card processor sponsored

by Woodforest Bank NA. Art has been in the Credit Card industry for nearly 13 years. Art has been conducting webinars online and seminars on credit cards in many State and Regional Association Conventions

The Leave No Trace eTour visited the Jellystone Park campground in Frankenmuth, Michigan for “Family Reunion Weekend.” Frankenmuth, known as Little Bavaria, is an interesting community with a strong German heritage that was settled first as a Lutheran mission in the early 19th Century.

The celebration of its Bavarian roots is the signature feature of the community today. Local

school children still study German from kindergarten to high school, and the architectural styling, music, food, and beer all recall the traditions of German alpine culture.

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and the Jellystone Park™ campground system have forged a partnership to reach hundreds of thousands of families with Leave No Trace education.

The partnership is part of a

comprehensive effort to teach outdoor skills and ethics, as well as help

make the critical connection between people and the outdoors.

From time to time we bring our readers exclusive special deals, the latest being from Jumping Pillows USA. This is an off season advantage that simply won’t be repeated and the ad below says it all.

The owners of Jumping Pillows USA were asked about the many existing clients with (now) older pillows.

“We now have pillows out there that are 6 years old and since those installations our material

technology has improved greatly” said Gary Wakerley.

‘The offer in our ad extends to existing clients who may be considering a replacement canvas but with three of the 10 specially priced Jumping Pillows available sold already the emphasis is on reacting fast” he said.

“It’s not every day you get to save $5000 on a tried and proven product and we’re happy to make the offer to readers of Campground & RV Park E-News first”

BILLINGS, MT (September 8, 2010) – Kampgrounds of America saw a slight increase in Labor Day Weekend camping numbers, despite Hurricane Earl’s holiday visit to the Eastern U.S. and Canada.

KOA, the largest system of open-to-the-public family campgrounds in North America, saw a .4% increase in camping nights

compared to Labor Day week figures from 2009.

“That’s a pretty significant accomplishment, when you consider that campgrounds from Northern Florida to Nova Scotia were affected

by Hurricane Earl at some point during the Labor Day Weekend,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers.

Kampgrounds of America has 475 locations

throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Camping results have been strong throughout the summer, with a nearly 2.5 percent increase in camping nights projected between May and October, compared to the same period in 2009, comparing the same campgrounds in the system.

“This summer has been largely a repeat of what we experienced in 2009,” said Rogers. “North Americans are looking for a fun, affordable vacation alternative and our strong summer results over the past two years indicates that KOA camping meets that need.”

BILLINGS, MT (September 10, 2010) – A record number of children with cancer from all over North America will be enjoying summer camp next year thanks to the efforts of Kampgrounds of America owners and their campers.

KOA Kampgrounds raised a record $378,232 from all sources during the May 1415, 2010 Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend event. During the sixth

Jim Rogers

CEO Jim Rogers.

annual event, a record 57,000 campers received a free night of camping on Saturday just for staying as a paid guest on Friday, May 14.

“Our KOA owners across North America do a wonderful job creating fundraising activities for their campers and really pull out all of the stops to help raise funds for KOA Care Camps for children with cancer,” said KOA

KOA Care Camps is a network of 44 specialized summer camps located throughout North America that give children with cancer and their siblings a summer camping experience, while allowing them to continue their treatments and recovery.

The camps are staffed with medical personnel and specially trained counselors.

All donated funds go directly to operate the summer KOA Care Camps.

Next year’s KOA Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend has already been scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, 2011.

The event was created in

2004. That first year, about $30,000 was raised through donations to benefit KOA Care Camps.

“You can see how the May event and the ongoing charity efforts have grown over the years,” Rogers said. “Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend has become a recognized ‘start of the summer camping season’ event for tens of thousands of camping families throughout North America.”

Hoster stressed the importance of Camp Club USA member feedback.

Affinity Group Inc.’s Camp Club USA discount camping club has grown to 50,000 members and 1,200 campgrounds since it began in 2006.

“It has been a real success for Affinity Group,” said Bruce Hoster, vice president and executive director of Camp Club USA. Camp Club USA’s closest partners are Woodall’s and Camping World, whose rep teams generally add 100 or more parks each year to Camp Club’s directory. “We envisioned we would cap out at 1,500 campgrounds,” Hoster said. “The rep teams have done a great job and we think there is still a lot of growth potential. We continue to add parks and we hope the membership side will also continue to grow.”

While Hoster anticipates that the club in two years will be close to doubling its current

size to 100,000, he says Affinity Group would ultimately like to see Camp Club USA grow to 200,000 members.

Although there are other discount programs available to campers, Camp Club USA parks are rated by Woodall’s and have to be 3W or higher to be included in Camp Club USA’s directory. “We did some research and that was one of the biggest complaints of other discount programs is campers were unhappy with the campgrounds themselves,” Hoster said.

“All of our campgrounds are quality.”

“We listen very closely to member feedback and do take action when we receive negative feedback,” he said. “As much as we hope to know about our network of campgrounds, our 50,000 members are out there traveling and know more. If there is a campground that we are personally recommending to our members that did not pan out, then we need to take it off our listing.”

A consumer typically pays $49.95 to become a Camp Club USA member, but there are President’s Club discounts and other promotions for $39.95.

Camp Club members save 50% on campsites Camp Club USA had been publishing and distributing its own stand-alone directory, but in 2011 will partner with the Woodall’s North American Campground Directory. “We decided it is two directories in one using Woodall’s,” Hoster said. “There will be a special insert that will just be for Camp Club USA with locator maps.”

Within the body of the Woodall’s Directory all Camp Club USA parks will be noted with a special symbol on state maps. And

Bruce Hoster: Camp Club USA

next to each listing, if it is a Camp Club USA Park, it will have the club logo next to it.

“We think it will be a real benefit for our members,” Hoster said. “Not only do they get all of what they are used to getting with Woodall’s North American Campground Directory, they get the Camp Club USA listings.”

Camp Club USA has not partnered with the Association for RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), but does exhibit at ARVC’s National Conference and is on its Supplier Council.

Woodall’s reps continue to attend nearly all the state ARVC events.

There is no cost to become a Camp Club USA campground affiliate.

Participating campgrounds receive a free listing in the club’s directory.

Each campground listing contains complete details of the park’s facilities, amenities, restrictions, directions and a map of their location.

Campgrounds choose when and for how many nights they will accept Camp Club USA for discounted camping.

Article: Woodall's Campground Management.

New Berlin, PA – The Producers of the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Show are busy inputting information into the “PreShow” portion of the computer program which will enable exhibitors to set up their booths and for attendees to pre-register for the Expo. The show is scheduled for November 1st thru 3rd and will begin at 12 noon EST on the 1st.

Booth assignments have been made, with Gold Sponsors in front of Aisle A in booths 101 thru 105.

Leisure Interactive will be the first booth attendees see when they enter the Exhibit Hall, followed by Pelland Advertising, David Gorin Associates/Best Parks In America, Checkbox Systems and MCPS for Campgrounds.

Silver Sponsors Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality Insurance, RV Tripsetter, Evergreen USA and Midwest Electric Products booths will follow in that order. The rest of the exhibitor booths have basically been assigned in the order that they were purchased with Media Sponsors and Trade Association sprinkled in the mix.

“Booth assignments, other than those of the Sponsors, are not yet written in stone”, says Producer Art Lieberman.

“We just didn’t want competing businesses next to each other”.

Deb Kohls of Leisure Interactive, a member of the Advisory Committee and the person in charge of the educational portion of the Expo, is assembling the information on all the webinars and Open Forums at the show. An announcement of the speakers is expected soon and Deb is busy assembling bios and photos of the professionals who will be conducting the seminars.

The Souvenir Program for the Expo is also being assembled and will be edited by the publisher Campground & RV Park eNews. The publication’s editor Dennis Macready has been onboard with the Expo since its inception. A rate card for advertising will appear in the current issue of the e-News.

As mentioned in previous press releases, the producers will be inputting names of nearly 4,500 owners of outdoor hospitality businesses into the Expo software’s database, assigning User Names and Passwords and then e-mailing those businesses with that information and other information about the event. When the attendee logs into the actual Expo, they will have the opportunity of changing both the User Name and Password to something more familiar and they will

be asked to complete the registration information in order to enter the show. It is hoped that 1,500 attendees or more from RV Campgrounds, Marinas, Golf Resorts, Paddlesports Resorts and Ski Resorts will actually attend the event.

Lounge. Assistance will always be available at the Expo’s Help Desk.

On November 1st, the software will switch to the “Live” version, allowing attendees access to the Exhibit Hall, the Conference Room, The Resource Center and the

Information about the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo can be found at their website at www.outdoorhospitalityexpo .com or by calling them at 877-901-EXPO (3976)

“It’s all so exciting!” says the Expo’s Co-Producer Deanne Bower. “I realize that Art has produced trade shows before, but it’s a new experience for me.”

The US Military have approved the Jumping Pillow for installation into US Military bases and the first installation will take place at Fort Polk in Louisiana later this month.

General Manager of Jumping Pillows USA Mr. Brian Banks said that most US bases provide playgrounds for the families who live on base and being Government they are very particular about what products they accept. The Jumping Pillow was recently tested and pronounced LeadSafe and Allergy-Safe and these factors helped with the US Military acceptance. This now opens the gate for all

Brian Banks Military Campgrounds as well.

Our product is expanding into many new sectors as a result of the exposure that the Campground Industry has given the product over the past several years and we’re indebted to it Mr. Banks said. Fort Polk is a very large Army base with a recreation campground for use by existing and ex service persons and their families.

Darrell Hess & Associates are proud to announce the 25th anniversary of the original Campground Buyers’ Workshop.

Prospective buyers from all over the U.S. will be attending the workshop being held the weekend of September 25-26, 2010.

This is an in depth informational workshop for those thinking about buying an RV park or campground.

It is not a sales seminar and has been attended by Linda Profaizer, President and CEO of ARVC, one of the Vice Presidents of the KOA Franchise, and representatives of the Yogi Bear Jellystone Franchise and is highly recommended by all three.

Darrell conducted the first Campground Buyers’ Workshop in 1985, and has since presided over 75+ such seminars throughout the United States. This twoday seminar is approved for credit by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) Certified Park Operator’s Program.

Darrell sold his first campground in 1982 in

Florida and has since gone on to become a licensed broker in 10 states in the eastern US. The staff of 5 brokers at Darrell Hess & Associates have been involved with the sale of over 260 parks including small campgrounds up to large RV Park Resorts and many independent parks as well as franchised parks.

Darrell and staff are soughtafter speakers and have conducted workshops for many camping associations, including the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), the Yogi Bear Jellystone Camp Resorts franchise system, and many state campground associations.

Along with speaking engagements and workshops, Darrell has written and published three guidebooks entitled, “Getting Your Banker to Say ‘Yes’ to Your Request,” “4 Steps to Determine the Profitability of an RV Park,” and “Thinking of Selling”.

For details visit their website at www.CampgroundsForSale.com or 828-452-1535.

SANTA CLAUS, IND.---Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort in Santa Claus, Indiana, is hosting seven Halloween themed weekends every Friday and Saturday beginning on Sept. 17 and ending on Oct. 30.

The 10th Annual Lake Rudolph HalloWeekends will feature games for all ages including the Rudy’s kid’s carnival, Hadi Shrine Clowns, pumpkin decorating, Hallo-TEEN games, and Mummy’s bingo party. Kids staying at the campground can trick or treat on Saturday evening.

Other features include a site decorating contest, Halloween dance, costume contest, frightful film classics, and Rudy’s haunted hayrides. The RiverTown Story Tellers will host Bonfire Ghost Stories each Friday evening. These events are for those staying at Lake Rudolph only.

Four people were rushed to the hospital Saturday night when an R.V. caught fire outside a North Eugene Wal-Mart.

Firefighters got the call around 9 p.m. that a trailer was fully engulfed in a parking lot off of Delta Oaks. Crews say the four people inside were cooking. When they ignited a flame, the entire R.V. caught on fire.

Everyone was able to get

out but they all suffered mild burns.

"They purchased the R.V. and almost immediately started using it. Didn't have time to really work out the bugs and that's mostly what led to this going on," said Capt. Marcus Lay of the Eugene Fire Department.

Crews say the group told them they had been having problems with the gas system.

Lake Rudolph’s 2010 HalloWeekend souvenir Tshirt is also available in the Lake Rudolph Camp Store.

This year’s design features Rudolph the Red-Nosed Wizard.

family lodging options including rental RVs and cabins. The campground also offers over 200 fullhookup RV sites and tent sites, including 100 sites with concrete pads.

The closest camping and lodging to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort features 218

Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, is open daily through the end of October.

(Springfield, MO) -- A big shout-out for families of children with type 1 diabetes.

The Ozarks Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation held its 3rd Annual BBQ and Silent Auction Saturday at the KOA Campground.

The JDRF invited families impacted by type 1 diabetes to stop by and support their loved ones.

There was plenty to eat, as well as a silent auction, inflatables, 2010 Walk Awards.

JDRF was founded in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes. It has awarded more than $1.3 billion to diabetes research.

"They have a challenge day-to-day," says coordinator Jennifer Cotner-Jones. "Because their blood sugars go up and down, when they grow up they go through puberty and hormone changes, so that's gonna be a huge affect on their lifestyle and what they can do."

Article: http://ozarksfirst.com

September 14-15: NCA Great Escape, Danforth Bay Camping Resort, Freedom, New Hampshire. For more information contact Dianne Battles at 603-539-2069 or info@danforthbay.com The 42nd Annual Pennsylvania RV & Camping Show, Sept. 1519 at Hersheypark Entertainment & Resorts Complex in Hershey, Pa., will feature the nation’s largest display of recreational park trailers.

October 18-20: Virginia Campground Association, American Heritage RV Park, Williamsburg, Virginia. For more information contact David Gorin at 703448-6863 or tovca@aol.com October 19-20: Ohio Campground Owners Association (OCOA) Fall Fun Day & POOT, Cherry Valley Lodge, Newark, Ohio. For more information contact Kristy Smith at 614-221-7748

November 4-7: 47th Annual CONY Conference and Trade Show, Syracuse, New York. For more information contact Donald G. Bennett at 585586-4360 or Don@nycampgrounds.com November 1-3 Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo www.outdoorhospitalityexpo.com

or by calling them at 877901-EXPO (3976).

November 7-10 KOA convention in Savannah, GA Vendors interested in the Expo or Convention sponsorships can call 406254-7435.

December 1-3: InSites Convention and Outdoor Hospitality Expo, Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information visit www.arvc.org December 6-8: PCOA Conference, Wyndam, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. For more information contact Beverly Gruber at 610-767-5026 or info@pacamping.com

When Rob and Rachel Kaiser came to Orleans County and purchased Wildwood Lake in 2004, they were strangers to the area, Rachel Kaiser said.

Being named Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year is a big honor for them.

“It means the people in the community recognize and appreciate what we are doing here,” she said.

What the Kaisers have done during seven seasons at the campground on County Line Road is major cleanup. They overhauled basically every building on the grounds, built a new swimming pool and activity hall, added two new playgrounds and a jumping pillow, built a basketball court, added cabins and lodges, revamped site areas, upgraded electricity and added a KOA franchise.

“It’s great for the county to have this national franchise,” Mrs. Kaiser said.

In 2009, the Kaisers received KOA’s President’s Award, based on the company’s inspection of the campground and customer feedback. They have been rated No. 1 in

growth among KOA’s 482 member campgrounds, Mr. Kaiser said.

Running the campground is a family affair. The Kaisers, including children Layla, 12, Madeline, 10, and Gabriel, 4, move to Wildwood from North Tonawanda every summer.

The campground offers more than 300 sites, from bare bones campsites to full-service sites with water, sewer and — some with cable and WiFi. Two new lodges accommode eight and four individuals.

A lake on the property offers swimming, fishing and boating. Other features include boat rentals, planned activities, golf cart rentals, a pavilion for groups and a redemption-style gameroom. Every Saturday, Mr. Kaiser gives the children rides in a restored firetruck.

Medina/Wildwood Lake KOA is open from May 1 to Columbus Day weekend.

Article and Photo: http://thedailynewsonline.com

Rob and Rachel Kaiser stand by the new swimming pool at Medina/Wildwood Lake, their KOA affiliated campground on County Line Road, which was just named Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. (Virginia Kropf/Daily News)

YELLOWSTONE -- It has been a record-breaking summer for Yellowstone National Park. Visitation figures for June, July, and now August, have all shattered previous records.

Yellowstone hosted 854,837 visitors in August.

It is the first time August visitation has passed the 800,000 mark, and is up more than 81,000 from the previous August record of 773,307 visitors set back in1995.

Visitation for the 3 summer months topped 2.5 million.

Visitation for the first 8 months of the year was almost 2.87 million.

Yellowstone hosted a record number of visitors in 2009. Nearly 3.3 million people visited the world’s first national park last year, up 7.5% from 2008 and up 4.6% from the previous record of 3.15 million visitors set in 2007. The park is on track to break the 2009 record this year.

By Larry

Aquifers are underground pools of water. Unlike surface water, the water in aquifers is stored in rocks and shale that absorb moisture as the aquifer fills and release water as the aquifer empties. This is in contrast to “water tables” that refers to the moisture levels below the surface of the ground.

Aquifers are shallow, medium depth, and deep.

The deepest ones are thousands of feet below the surface and contain water deposited from the Ice Ages. They are so deep that no water flows into them. Medium depth aquifers can be as deep as several thousand feet below the surface. They may rise by several inches or feet of water each year.

Shallow aquifers occur from near the surface to several hundred feet below the surface and will rise and fall with the seasons.

Surface aquifers can range from a few yards to hundreds of yards wide and deep.

Aquifers are a vital part of our water usage for two reasons: first, much of our drinking water and irrigation water is drawn directly from them.

Secondly, they help keep surface water flowing and fresh. Wells and springs draw their water from aquifers. Streams and rivers add water to aquifers near the banks in times of heavy flow and draw from them in times of slow flow.

Early in the Fall is a good time to observe your wells, springs, creeks and rivers. If they are nearly dry the aquifers are being strained. If you detect any evidence of pollution they may also be contaminated.

The contestants Monday, September 13th was the first day of the Bish's RV Challenge in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Twelve contestants will try and rough it out for a week, living in an RV and being confined to a fenced-in area. They will be camping in an RV with only the clothes on their back, a sleeping bag and one personal item.

Each day, two contestants will be voted out after competing in the daily challenge. Their objective is to win a brand new 2011 Dutchmen 275 Bunk House travel trailer, provided by Bish’s.

Bish's RV held the event two years ago and wanted to bring the challenge back to the community.

“We just want to bring it

Megan Walker: Bish's RV back because the community really enjoyed the competition,” said Megan Walker of Bish’s RV. “The ultimate goal is to get people out to the Challenge to support the contestants and to get people camping.”

Each day this week at 5:00 p.m., the contestants will have a new challenge leading up to the final elimination on Saturday morning where one person will win the new Dutchmen RV.

McLean, VA (September 14, 2010) – Best Parks in America is very proud to be part of the national “Experience the Outdoors Sweepstakes” promotion currently underway. The Hormel Foods sweepstakes is being rolled out at thousands of supermarkets nationwide, in magazines, on the Outdoor Channel on cable television and on the Internet. Best Parks is teamed with www.camping.com and Coleman in offering runner up prizes. The BPA logo is displayed in all collateral materials and on the

sweepstakes website www.hormeloutdoors.com.

Best Parks, Coleman and camping.com are providing the runner up prize of a week of camping at a Best Park in America of the winner’s choice, a wide array of Coleman camping equipment and $1000 provided by Camping.com.

Grand prize winners receive a trip to meet Michael Waddell while filming his new show Bone Collector™ airing on the Outdoor Channel. Grand

prize winners also win a Bad Boy Buggy® All Electric 4-Wheel Drive Silent Utility Vehicle, ScentBlocker® Bone Collector™ Mack Daddy™ hunting clothing, $2500 in spending money and a $500 Spa gift certificate for that someone special in your life - over $19,000 in prizes.

recognition and consumer awareness for Best Parks in America,” said BPA President David Gorin.

“This is the first time Best Parks has been nationally recognized in collaboration with major national brands like Hormel, Coleman and camping.com. This is a major step in the development of brand

Best Parks in America is launching a Facebook campaign on its Facebook Fan Page to help drive traffic to the sweepstakes and further build up awareness of Best Parks in America.

Gorin also expressed his thanks to Leisure Interactive and camping.com executives Kelly O’Bryan and Deb Kohls for helping establish this partnership.

A town in Australia uses a Yogi Bear statue to measure flood waters.

Here’s the story from the Sydney Morning Herald: Wangaratta residents have smiles on their faces, after their trusted floodwater measure, Yogi Bear, declared an end to the crisis.

For decades, Yogi, a playground fixture at Apex Park in the centre of town by the banks of the Ovens River, has told residents how bad the floods are.

If water reaches his eyes, it’s considered a moderate

flood and anything over that is considered major.

Wangaratta Chronicle editor Jeff Zeuschner told AAP.

On Sunday Yogi went right under the swirling brown floodwaters and stayed there for three anxious days as residents waited to see whether creeks and rivers would swamp homes around the town.

“I don’t know who the prankster is but it’s good fun and hopefully people will get a bit of a chuckle out of it.”

But as the waters finally subsided on Wednesday morning, Yogi emerged, complete with snorkel and goggles.

Mr Zeuschner said Yogi’s comic re-emergence would be welcome after some anxious days for people who have been watching the flood levels to see whether they would need to evacuate.

“When Wangaratta awoke and saw Yogi surface this morning, he’d emerged with snorkel and goggles,”

Yogi has long been a trusted measure of the depth of the floods and to see him peek back out from

under the waters was a sign the worst was over.

“Certainly there’s a sigh of relief,” Mr Zeuschner said.

And Yogi, who was saved and carefully replaced after a park renovation some years ago to ensure he could continue advising the town on flood matters, has once again played a vital role.“He’s done the city proud.”