issue 132 campground

Preston, Conn. — Strawberry Park Resort in Preston sold at auction to its largest creditor for $8 million Saturday, millions less than officials say is needed for the beleaguered RV site to dig out of its debt.

At noon, Leeland Cole-Chu, of the law firm Kepple, ColeChu, Cipparone, Avene &

Zaccaro, began the foreclosure auction in a vacant video arcade.

Within five minutes, the property was in the hands of TD Bank Vice President Alice Paxson.

The site, Connecticut’s Continued Page 2

Continued from Page 1 the largest campground in Connecticut. We might be interested in trying to acquire it.”

only five-star RV campground, was carrying a debt load of nearly $12 million.

Strawberry Park is home to more than 500 sites, 189 of them owned by individuals as part of a cooperative.

Hyman Biber opened the business in 1974, and maintained it until late last year, when it was placed under the control of a courtappointed receivership.

Biber has blamed the rising debt on capital costs and electrical system upgrades.

He could not be reached Saturday for comment.

Rory Rickes stood near the back of the arcade Saturday, surrounded by dozens of owners who, like him, anxiously waited to hear the fate of the 160acre RV site.

“I hope it stays a campground,” said Rickes, who lives at the park. “It’s a great place. Everybody’s got a lot invested in their sites.”

For the roughly 100 people packed into the tiny arcade — many holding coffee cups or unfolding lawn chairs — Saturday’s

outcome capped several months of confusion, uncertainty and measured hope for the future of the campground.

“With all the rental units here, we just can’t figure out where the money went,” said Paul Garrity, of Essex, who has owned a lot at the site for four years. “I feel a new owner will make it profitable again. This place should thrive. There’s no reason, except for bad management, the place wouldn’t survive.”

It took a $650,000 deposit to qualify for bidding.

According to information on hand at the auction, Paxson was one of two bidders, along with representatives of Seymour Adelman, of Bozrah, who declined to give their names.

Bank’s plans unknown TD Bank’s winning bid is expected to cover its investment in the property, but Paxson declined to comment on the bank’s plans for the park. It also

remains unclear how Preston Strawberry Funding Associates — the facility’s second-largest creditor — will recoup the $3.4 million it invested in the campsite.

Minutes after the auction, Ian Wilbraham, owner the Sarasota, Fla.,-based Royalty Resorts Corp., said he’ll approach TD Bank in hopes of purchasing the property.

“TD Bank will have to decide what they want to do,” Wilbraham said. “It’s a long-standing, wellestablished resort, and it’s

Deneane Congdon, of Sprague, who has owned a lot at Strawberry Park for 12 years, said she is eager for a new investor to emerge.

“I hope to get it all ended and taken care of, so we can go back to our lovable seasons that we have here,” she said. “We’ve become a family here. A lot of us have owned for years and years and years. We’re just all looking forward to getting the park back operating like it has in the past.”

Article: www.norwichbulletin.com

Livingston, Texas (March 1, 2011) – Evanne Schmarder, owner of Roadabode Productions, proudly introduces the RV park and campground industry’s first-ever Digital Marketing Workshop (www.DigitalMarketingWork shop.info).

The Digital Marketing Workshop is an online learning series consisting of five live one-hour modules covering today’s hottest, need-to-know digital marketing topics.

Class attendees will learn how to effectively use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, email and emerging digital tools such

as QR codes and Groupon plus explore productivity tools in this five class workshop.

The spring curriculum, designed to help small business owners understand and use today's virtual marketing tools for the upcoming summer camping season, is offered three times in its entirety on a rolling schedule to allow participants flexibility.

Included with each registration is an Intro to Digital Marketing e-booklet as well as topical eworkbooks and recording of each session attended.

“I am delighted to be able

to bring this type of highquality training to park owners and operators across the country…from my desktop to theirs. Each session will leave participants buzzing with practical, actionable ideas that can be put into play immediately,” remarked Schmarder. “Digital marketing is modern marketing. No business – especially one as relationship-centric as ours – can afford to ignore this trending new way to engage with customers and prospects.”

The Digital Marketing Workshop begins midMarch, is $259 for the five

class series, and comes with a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee. The class schedule, module details and registration information can be found at www.DigitalMarketingWorks hop.info. Questions and comments can be directed to Schmarder at evanne@roadabode.com or 702-460-9863.

If you're looking for an affordable beach-style escape that won't break the bank, a fun-filled destination is closer than you think. Nashville Shores is a 385-acre family recreation attraction located on Percy Priest Lake, just 10 minutes from downtown Nashville. It is a favorite destination among teens and children.

Kowabunga Beach, a spectacular four-story interactive water attraction, will open here in May as this locally owned lakeside venue continues to add state-of-the-art attractions to its already expansive selection of water park activities. In addition, Nashville Shores includes a marina, lakeside beach, picnic areas and an amphitheater.

In 2011, visitors will have the option to stay on-site.

This year marks the opening of the brand-new RV resort that includes 100 RV sites and lakeside cabins. Reserve a lakeside cabin for the family for $150-300 per night.

Whether you plan to spend a day or a weekend, this local adventure is guaranteed to provide hours of fun.

Article and photo: www.tennessean.com

On Wednesday March 2nd, the US House of Representatives will begin consideration of the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011 (H.R. 4), sponsored

by Representative Dan Lungren. This bill would repeal the onerous Form 1099 expansion requirement but does not provide for any revenue raising measure to replace the anticipated revenue from the 1099 expanded requirements. The Form 1099 expansion would

have required all businesses to provide 1099 forms to every vendor with whom the business did $600 or more in business during the year.

subsidy that was included in the original legislation.

Eliminating the cost of the subsidy would balance the expected income from the proposed 1099 expansion.

It is expected that the Ways & Means Committee Chairman, Cong. Dave Camp of Michigan, will offer H.R. 705 as a substitute to H.R. 4. This amendment would repeal the 1099 reporting requirement and pay for the repeal by recapturing (eliminating) a health care premium

The House will meet on Thursday to complete consideration of H.R. 4.

The House is scheduled to conclude the legislative week by 3 pm on Thursday and will also be acting on a short term Continuing Resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown.

The House must act before Friday, March 4, when the current government funding resolution expires. It appears that the House will approve a two week continuing resolution.

legislation that included funding for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The House action is separate from the Senate (the House has the constitutional authority to initiate revenue measures) and the House will remove the Senate 1099 provision from the FAA legislation.

Therefore, the House passed repeal of 1099 will either go back to the Senate for action, or will be in a conference committee between the House and Senate in the near future.

Keep your fingers crossed this 1099 nightmare may be close to an end.....at least for the moment.

The Senate has already passed a repeal of 1099 in

By David Gorin

I've always heard the term "March Madness" as it relates to the game of basketball. Now, for me it is referring to that time of year when many State Associations hold their Annual Conventions & Meetings.

concerns. For me it is also a time to catch up with good friends and make some new ones along the way. I know for many parks that this is the time of year when you are gearing up for your season. It's easy to say, "I don't have the time." I have a saying, "If you want to be there, you will find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." Hope to see you there.

By Jeff Sims

This entire month will require many of the ARVC staff to be on the road, which gives us a chance to visit with you firsthand and listen to your needs &

Do you have an email program set up where you email your past guests on a regular basis? Are you thinking of switching to Social Media? Maybe the right thing to do is to combine the two to get the best of each.

Let’s take a look at a comparison of the two markets.

1.)Who is your target for your campaign? Does your campground have a young family demographic or is your RV Resort used mainly by guests who are over 50?

Young families are quite comfortable with Social Media. They probably use a combination of Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare on a daily basis. On the other hand, guests who are over 50 are a part of the fastest growing population on Facebook as well as the biggest users of email for communicating.

2.)Building a long term relationship is the target of almost all marketing campaigns. Social Media is the best avenue for creating and developing a community. It is much easier to develop your Social Media campaigns around the personality of your park. With the short messages, you develop an image in the follower’s mind of what they can expect to find at your park. “The water park is open” implies a family oriented park as opposed to “Bingo night on

are interested in you and your RV park are so small that you would need a microscope to find the number. Be consistent in your comments. Don’t suddenly take off and start talking about the climate in Belize unless you can bring it back to your RV park.

Wednesday.” At the same time you can use the same posts to change the image.

How about “Adult night at the water park on Tuesday” or “Candy bar Bingo on Thursday.” Every time you post anything on Social Media, be sure that it is creating the image you want for your RV Park.

3.)Personalizing your message is done much easier and better with email. You can create a basic email and then using one of the many email services, you can send it out with the person/family’s name in the salutation.

Unless you want to spend the time in creating DM’s (Direct Messages), this isn’t something that is easy to do using Social Media.

4.)If you want to provide value to your contacts, Social Media makes it easy.

Post links such as “Getting your Rv ready for the season” or “How to winterize your RV” to give your followers something worth the effort of following the link back to your site.

Providing value is probably one of the greatest ways you can find to reach out to people who aren’t currently your guests. There are any number of things that you can create a web page for that will interest your followers.

5.)Email is the best place to go for any direct sells that you may want to do. Want to give away a free night to

Pamela Wright one of your past guests?

You wouldn’t want to post that on a Social Media site where anyone can see your postings.

6.)Want a quick response to your comment? Let’s go back to the statistic in #1. If your guests tend to be young families, send a Direct Message through your Social Media pipeline.

If your guests tend to be over 50, send the message by email.

Now that we have separated out our markets, let’s look at some basic rules for each.

Social Media 1.)Do Not Sell. Social Media is a means to have a conversation with your followers and fans. It’s not a soapbox for broadcasting how great you are.

2.)It will take time and consistency to build your community. Don’t fall for the programs that want to guarantee you followers.

The chances of those followers being people who

3.)Put a plan together!

Don’t take a lot of time making it pretty and formal, just have your thoughts written down about who you are talking to, what they would be interested in and what you can provide of value to them.

4.)Test to see what time of day and what day of the week you get the most response from. It’s not going to do you a lot of good if you are posting on Mondays at 8 am but the majority of your followers aren’t paying attention to posts until Wednesday between 2pm and 5 pm.

Email 1.)Find an email program that gives you a method to allow people to opt in or opt out of your email messages. The best is a double opt in program.

That means that people first tell you that they want to receive your message and then they are asked to verify their request.

2.)Check your analytics on your emails regularly. If you are sending out 10,000 emails but only 150 of them are being opened, you are Continued

Continued spending a lot of money for very little return. Your initial time through with a good email program you will probably receive quite a few bounced emails from bad email addresses.

Don’t let this slow you down. It is going to take a while to develop a program that has good response.

3.)Your email program should allow you to personalize the emails and it should be an easy task to do so. Getting an email addressed as “Hello Pamela” is a lot more likely to get my attention than one that says “Hello Valued Guest.”

4.)Don’t bombard people with 20 emails over an 8 day period. Just like Social Media, put together a plan that schedules when you are going to email and what you are going to say.

Once you have your programs set up and running, the maintenance

BILLINGS, Mont. -Thousands of North American camping families will head to their favorite Kampgrounds of America locations again in May for the 8th Annual KOA Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend May 13 and 14.

Last year, more than 25,000 camping families stayed at nearly 400 participating KOA campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada. The event, created in 2004, provides a free night of

of posting and sending out emails doesn’t take up nearly as much time.

Social Media is here to stay and will become even more important as younger generations move into RVing. Don’t let the train pass you by. Jump on, grab hold and enjoy the ride. If you are a little worried about the jumping on part, just reach out and I’ll grab your hand and help you get started.

FocusedWords is a company dedicated to helping you promote and market your campground to RVer’s everywhere. Be sure to follow Pamela on Twitter: @rvstops and @FocusedWords. Check out her blogs at RvTripKits.blogspot.com and at FocusedWords.com/blog1.

Pamela has now made her database of Group contacts available to you.

For more information, email her at pwright@FocusedWords.com.

camping on Saturday, May 14, to all campers who stay as paying guests on Friday, May 13.

KOA campgrounds have several fun events planned that are designed to both entertain campers and help raise funds to support KOA Care Camps, a system of 43 specialized summer camps around North America that provide a true summer camp experience for children with cancer and their siblings.

DNR officials said Tuesday that campers are scrambling to reserve camping sites for the Memorial Day weekend.

Reservations were opened last week for the busy weekend at 15 state park campgrounds. Many sites with electricity are already reserved.

"Campers are ready to get out there and those who are unable to get a reservation at the park of their choice should plan to arrive early in the week, and I mean by Monday or Tuesday, if they what a walk-in campsite,” said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of State Parks for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Last year, more than $370,000 was raised during the Come Kamp & Care With Us event to benefit KOA Care Camps.

“This event is a wonderful way for our campers to start their summer camping seasons, and at the same time help raise money to send these very special kids to great summer camps,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers.

“This event has proven to be extremely popular with both our KOA franchise

The state parks reservation system underwent a major change including increasing the percentage of reservable sites at select state parks.

“We have at least 50 percent of our sites reservable at each park, but during the website overhaul, we let the park staffs determine, based on campsite use, if the need was there to increase that percentage or not,” Szcodronski said.

owners and their campers, and we’re happy to offer it again this year."

Campers can to go www.KOA.com to see a list of participating campgrounds and make their reservations. Some campgrounds will be offering their kabins and luxury lodges for the event, so campers are encouraged not to wait to make their reservations. tates and Canada.

The owners of a campground near Maple Creek, Sask., are suing the provincial government over losses they claim are related to massive flooding in June.

Rebne and Pernell Lehr filed their lawsuit in January, asking for an unspecified sum of money to cover repairs and lost income.

According to the statement of claim, the couple did receive $475,000 in disaster assistance money, however they say that is not enough to cover their losses.

"This will not cover the reconstruction costs, or adequately compensate them for the extraordinary loss they have suffered," the claim says.

"Business was excellent in 2008 and 2009," the claims says, "there was a lengthy waiting list for seasonal stalls and no significant changes were anticipated in 2010."

The lawsuit said the business, known as the Eagle Valley Park Campground, had an appraised value of $2.7 million and that the

operators had recently added $300,000 in upgrades.

provincial government did not do enough to protect their land from flooding.

The lawsuit claims the

Full Article: www.cbc.ca/

Traveling north, Jellystone Park Campground in Maine is located in the central part of the state in Madison which is near Skowhegan.

Formerly named Yonderhill Family RV Park, the campground is located at the gateway to one of Maine’s most beautiful scenic byways.

The area features plenty of recreation including hiking, cycling, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, rafting and some of the best hunting and fishing in the state.

services, as well as WiFi and cable TV for many sites. The onsite deli is open daily and weekends feature cook-outs including lobster bakes, pig roasts, steak dinners, bean suppers, and pasta plates.

The region’s rich Native American history means there are many welldocumented historic sites nearby.

The clean, peaceful campground boasts one of the largest outdoor pools in

Maine and accommodations for every camper, from the smallest tent to the biggest RV – and even cabins. The renovated grounds include new electric and sewer

Jellystone Park campground in Delaware is located on Brick Granary Road in Lincoln, just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay’s miles of family beaches.

With tent, pull-thru and roomy RV sites, the campground can accommodate any camping style. Each site offers a picnic table and fire ring, and guests have the option of a concrete slab or decking. Add a pool, clubhouse, horseshoe pit, playground, walking trails and more, and you’ve got the perfect beachside destination.

This summer, owner Brent Fannin and his family plan to expand the park’s

The nature trail, playground, outdoor pavilion and planned activities make this yearround park perfect for family fun.

activities program. And look for an outdoor theater, cabin rentals and a pedal kart track to be added in the future. The season opens April 15 with a Grand Opening bash planned for Memorial Day Weekend. A full schedule of summer themed weekends is already on the books; your family will love Under the Sea Weekend, Death by Chocolate, and Relaxin’ with Yogi Bear.

Billings, MT (February 24, 2011) Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) jumped from number 21 to number 10 in franchisee satisfaction in the Large Systems category, according to Franchise Business Review’s 2011 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards.

KOA has been steadily rising each year in the Franchise Business Review ‘Top 50 Franchises’ Large System rankings, which rank franchisors with 200 or more units. KOA, with 475 locations, ranked 24 in 2009 and 21 in 2010. In 2011, KOA is ranked at number 10 in the Large System cateory. In the newlycreated Overall category, KOA ranks 20th among all franchises from all categories. In the Sports and Recreation category, KOA ranks second.

Kampgrounds of America President Pat Hittmeier

says, “Ninety-eight percent of KOA franchisees renew their franchise agreements; that in itself indicates an incredibly high level of satisfation.”

“Many of the awardwinning companies have maintained great satisfaction scores throughout the recession and only continue to improve. It’s very telling when you see a franchisor with impressive franchisee satisfaction even when the economy is struggling,” says Franchise Business Review President and CEO Eric Stites.

In 2011, according to Franchise Business Review, KOA is nearly 10 percentage points higher in franchisee satisfaction than the average of companies they survey.

“Franchisee satisfaction is related to trust and

Pat Hittmeier confidence,” says Jim Rogers, CEO of Kampgrounds of America.

“We’ve been developing our franchisee support system for nearly 50 years.

KOA franchisees trust in the business they’re in, affordable outdoor recreation, and in the partnership they have with their franchisor. Our franchisees, like our campers, know what to expect: proactive communication and leadership in the Outdoor Hospitality world.”

The Franchise Business

Review is just one of the feedback mechanisms that KOA uses to track how franchisees feel about the company and their individual businesses. KOA conducts an internal Franchisee Satisfaction Survey each year and holds an annual convention where franchisees are encouraged to voice their successes and concerns.

Additionally, franchisee advisory groups meet with KOA leadership to help shape future strategies.

Franchise Business Review surveyed more than 10,000 franchisees representing more than 300 franchise brands to measure satisfaction levels related to their franchise ownership experience. Survey questions cover everything from training and support, system quality issues, franchisor relationship, financial opportunity to overall satisfaction.

NOVI, MI -- 03/01/11 -- The 45th Annual Detroit Camper & RV Show, sponsored by the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles & Campgrounds (MARVAC), experienced its best show in 10 years. The show, which ran from February 1620 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, recorded 18,400 attendees -- a 12 percent increase from the 2010 show.

to Bill Sheffer, director of MARVAC, show visitors lined up on Saturday before the show opened, with strong ticket sales continuing all day.

Saturday alone saw over 9,000 attendees, making it the busiest day in MARVAC RV show history. According

"Buyers are back," said Victoria Rokas of Vicars Trailer Sales in Taylor.

"Customers were upbeat, positive and confident about purchasing an RV as they look for more value for their dollar."

Bill Sheffer

Over 280 new recreation vehicles were on display at the Detroit Camper & RV Show. Many RV dealers in the show reported customers looking for smaller, lightweight and more fuel-efficient RVs.

According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, RVs are now attracting young buyers between the ages of 18

and 34. In fact, the fastest growing group of RV buyers falls in this age demographic, although buyers between the ages of 35 and 54 remain the largest segment of RV owners.

Sheffer noted the same trend at the Detroit Camper & RV Show, "Show attendees varied in age, but large numbers of families with young

children were prevalent throughout the day."

MARVAC also sponsors the Flint Camper & RV Show in Flint at the Perani Arena & Event Center and the 19th Annual Northwest Camper & RV Show in Traverse City, which will both run in March this year.

For more information on these upcoming shows, visit www.marvac.org.

The 2011 Campers World RV Show will be held at the York Expo Grounds on March 11, 12 and 13. This unique show is in its 33rd year and the event promises to be bigger and better than ever with over 30,000 square feet of indoor display space.

Fifteen area RV dealers will show off over 190 folding campers, travel trailers, fifth wheels, toy haulers and luxury motor homes. Also on display will be forty campgrounds showcasing their facilities and twenty vendors offering products to enhance the RVing experience.

The York RV Show is the one and only time this spring that all the dealers are together in one place, competing to offer the best pricing and amenities.

“Grab a pencil and a piece of paper before you come,” says Beverly Gruber, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association, the show’s manager. “You’ll want to do the math, because RV travel is very affordable.”

Gruber’s enthusiasm is echoed by the RV Industries Association, where a recent study confirms a family of four can spend up to 74 percent less when traveling in an RV. Regardless of the size or make you choose, today’s RV travel

experience is more fuel efficient and comfortable than ever before as manufacturers design with convenience in mind, using lighter materials and more streamlined exterior looks.

Hours for the show are:Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Reports from RVIA (rvia.org) and the RV Dealers Association show that nationwide, shipments of RVs are up. “With the economy showing signs of recovery, more people than ever before are discovering the freedom and flexibility an RV vacation affords, adds Gruber. “Great camping memories are part of almost every family’s history and it’s a great stress-reducer.”

Admission is $8.00 per person with children under 12 admitted free. Balloon designing clowns will be on hand to entertain the children. There will also be games, door prizes, and camping weekend giveaways.

The 15 dealers participating in the 2011 Show are: The Barn Yard, Christiana, Pa.; Ben's RV Center, York, Pa.; BerksMont Camping Center, Boyertown, Pa.; Family Camping Outlet, Stowe, Pa.; Fretz Enterprises, Souderton, Pa.; Gayle Kline Travel Center, Mountville, Pa.; Juniata Valley RV, Mifflintown, Pa.; Keystone RV Center, Green Castle, Pa.; Lerch RV, Milroy, Pa.; Martin Camper Sales, Mechanicsburg, Pa.; Mellot Brothers., Willow Street, Pa.; RV Value Mart, Lititz, Pa.; Stoltzfus RV & Marine, West Chester, Pa.; Stoltzfus RV Inc., Adamstown, Pa.; and Susquehanna Valley RV, Selinsgrove, Pa.

The York Expo Center is located at Carlisle Avenue

in the city of York. If traveling Interstate 83, get off exit 22, take Route 30E. Follow signs to Fairgrounds/Expo Center.

Make plans now to attend the 2011 Campers World RV Show in York,, Pa. on March 11, 12 & 13.

If you have questions, call 610-767-5026 or look online at www.yorkrvshow.net, where you may also download a $1 off coupon for admission to the show.

By Larry The National Weather Service flood experts are forecasting some very bad news in the spring flood outlook to be released March 17. Moderate to major flooding along the Red River of the North (eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, including the Souris River Basin, Devils Lake and Stump Lake drainages in North Dakota; the main stem Mississippi River from the headwaters in St. Paul, Minn., to St. Louis.

Some places of greatest concern include Devils Lake at Minnewauken, Fargo, N.D., Grand Forks, N.D., the James River at Huron, S.D., the Big Sioux River at Brookings, S.D., and St. Paul, Minn..

The snow in this region has been tremendous, with the March snowstorms still to come. Much of the snow has been combined with unusually low temperatures. Saturated ground has frozen solid and now has very deep snowpack with nowhere to go when the spring rains come and the thaw begins in earnest. The upper Midwest and those areas hit by blizzards and frigid temperatures such as parts of Kansas and Missouri should also be alert. If there are heavy, prolonged and late spring rains the flooding could be devastating: a danger to life, property, spring plowing and planting, disruptions and destruction of infrastructure.

By implication, a vast territory between eastern Montana and the Dakotas to St. Louis would be well advised to prepare now for flooding, especially any locations that flooded last year or the year before.

Start preparing by monitoring the forecasts: NOAA National Weather Service: http://www.noaa.gov and Facebook at http:// www.facebook.com/usnoaa gov

BILLINGS, MT (February 24, 2011) – North America’s largest camping company is partnering with the continent’s largest producer of recreational vehicles for the 2011 “Kamping in Style” RV Giveaway.

The contest, sponsored

by Keystone RV Company and Kampgrounds of America Inc., will present

system. The winner will also receive 10 free nights of KOA camping at any KOA location in North America.

one lucky winner with a 28foot Keystone Springdale camping trailer, complete with a powered patio awning, power stabilizer jacks and tongue jack, and a deluxe entertainment

“The interest in RV ownership has risen dramatically,” said Pat Hittmeier, president of Kampgrounds of America.

“We’re honored to partner with Keystone RV Company and be a part of that excitement by offering this fantastic prize package.”

To enter to win the Springdale RV and the KOA camping package, just go to www.KOAKompass.com.

All contest rules and limitations are listed on the online contest entry page.

Keystone is the Number One selling RV brand in North America, including travel trailers, fifth wheels and “toy haulers.” One out of every four RVs sold today is a Keystone.

Established in 1996, Keystone brands include Alpine, Avalanche, Bullet, Cougar, Fuzion, Hornet, Laredo, Montana, Outback, Passport, Raptor, Springdale and Sprinter.

Keystone RVs are available at more than 1,000 dealerships in the U.S. and Canada.

http://issuu.com/industryenews/docs/getawayusamediakit1

CLAIMED to be the smallest caravan on the Australian market, this little beauty attracted great interest at a major show in South Australia.

Little Guy Trailers' spokesperson Elissa O'Donohue told Caravanning News her company had been showered with praise during the Adelaide Caravan and Camping Expo.

"We were complimented during the five-day event that our product was considered by some to be the best value at the show,"

she said. "Our trailers are always positively received and reviewed as a convenient way to travel on the road with no set up required. And for extended stays our annex provides extra space for comfortable getaways."

The Adelaide company's 2.2m Little Guy" weighs in at less than 500kg. "They are compact, lightweight, easy to tow and simple to manoeuvre," Elissa added.

The teardrop-style caravan can be towed by most small cars, sleeps two people and is priced within the reach of most Australians.

The Merced County Courthouse Museum said it was opening "Past Tents: The Way We Camped," a humorous excursion exploring camping in California from post-Gold Rush times to the mid1900s.

The exhibition opens March 17.

Through three exhibit themes — “Round the Campground,” “Hitting the Trail,” and “Open Roads, Open Fires” — visitors enjoy contemporary prints of rare historic photographs and objects from the collections of the California Historical Society and the Bancroft Library.

Replica tents are packed with curious vintage gear and long-lost camping tips suggest simple remedies for sore feet (as long as you pack along some tallow).

"This exhibition just makes you happy and brings out that desire to get back to nature and really camp," said one museumgoer while peeking into a tent.

Merced County Courthouse Museum invites campers of all ages to enjoy the exhibition beginning Thursday, March 17. At the opening reception at 5 p.m., camping enthusiast Herb Wood will sign his new book, "Camping for Beginners." In addition, Boy Scout Troop 88 will

demonstrate their camping skills.

Early camping was an enterprise of independence, simplicity and conviviality. It offered, according to a museum news release, a change of pace, the splendor of scenery and an opportunity to be close to nature, escaping the trappings of society for a time. Camping still offers that respite, and rejuvenation and "Past Tents" encourage visitors to pack up the tent and sleeping bags and enjoy the beauty of California's natural environment.

"Past Tents" is based on the book of the same name by Susan Snyder, published by Heyday Books and the Bancroft Library in 2006. Snyder, librarian at the Bancroft, spent years exploring the library's stacks and attics discovering California’s treasures. The museum invited residents “for this enchanting adventure in a bygone era.”

"Past Tents: The Way We Camped" was produced by the California Historical Society and the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley. The traveling tour was organized by the California Exhibition Resources Alliance (CERA).

Photo courtesy of Bancroft Library John and Annie Bidwell with their tent, 1898

The planning and zoning meeting room was filled with people who oppose a proposed RV campground within the boundaries of the Rehoboth Shores manufactured home park near Long Neck.

Owners of the park want to replace 260 undeveloped manufactured-home lots with 367 seasonal RV lots.

Nanticoke Shores Associates LLC is applying for a conditional use to convert the property.

Opponents at the

Thursday, Feb. 24 planning and zoning commission meeting provided a long list of reasons why the application should not be approved including increased traffic, overcrowding of existing amenities, security issues, the potential for increased crime, alleged mismanagement of the park and using the same access and streets for the RV park as the manufactured home park.

Full Article: ww.capegazette.com

Lots of new fees are contained in the next twoyear budget that Gov. John Kitzhaber has proposed and lawmakers still must approve.

The fees would affect Oregonians in myriad ways.

Recreational-vehicle users would pay more for overnight stays in state parks, as would visitors using cabins or yurts.

State park fees After a round of fee increases approved by lawmakers two years ago — the first since 1996, excluding lodging taxes that were added in 2003 — Oregon State Parks have requested smaller increases that would take effect in 2012.

The daily fee for tent camping would remain at $19. But the daily rates for recreational vehicles would jump from $24 to $26 for power and water only or $28 for full services. Rates for yurts and cabins, which

Gov. John Kitzhaber are not offered in all parks, also would increase.

State parks no longer draw from the tax-supported general fund after voters approved a 1998 ballot measure that reserved part of lottery proceeds for parks and watersheds.

"With falling revenues from lottery and RV registrations, state parks were challenged to continue providing the kind of experience expected by visitors," said a document released by Chris Havel, state parks spokesman, accompanying the latest request.

Following the latest increases, which took effect last year, parks officials said there was greater public support for smaller, more frequent increases instead of big jumps every 10 to 15 years.

Full Article: www.statesmanjournal.com

By Art Lieberman We’ve all seen it so much recently. When two or more parties are on different sides of an argument they quickly cite numbers taken from various sources that can be used to validate their assessments. They display surveys taken of certain portions of the population or they point to polls taken by various agencies that back up their arguments.

In this age of political disagreement, the numbers game is used quite frequently. Neither surveys nor polls tend to be extremely accurate and they can easily be maneuvered to the benefit of the arguer. Most of the general public knows this and regards surveys or polls with a skeptical eye.

It’s unfortunate that statistics, especially ones which are derived from mathematical computations, or scientific facts gathered by computers, and do not rely on opinions, are also looked upon with great skepticism. Nothing can be more obvious when presenting arguments nowadays about global warming or budgets.

But there are statistics that ARE available that impact various industries, including the campground industry, which are accurate based upon statistics gathered from mathematical computations. They can

predict, to a limited extent, trends which MAY occur in the future. Of course, circumstances can always change, but statistics from the past should be regarded as accurate if electronically obtained.

Utilizing the figures we have garnered from processing credit cards for well over 200 campgrounds of all sizes and from all parts of the country over the past 7 years we have discovered: 1. That less than 3% of all campgrounds do not accept credit cards.

2. That 79% of all revenues at campgrounds is from plastic and that figure has grown continuously over the past 7 years.

3. That less than 8% of all campground owners use leased POS machines to process credit/debit cards (thank goodness).

4. That nearly 27% of all transactions now accepted by campgrounds are debit cards rather than credit cards and that figure has also grown over the past 7 years.

5. That the Campground Industry has steadily grown, albeit by small percentages, over the last 7 years, even though the economy has declined during the last 3 years.

After the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo last year, a “Survey Monkey” was sent out to all visitors.

Notably we discovered that

although 79% of attendees loved the concept of a virtual show, 69% of respondents disliked the software – causing us to change software companies this time around. We have previously published attendance statistics from the event that came from the computerized registration.

But it was the website statistics of the Expo that really made us excited. By utilizing Google Analytics we discovered that since our Website, www.outdoorhospitalityexpo. com opened on June 15th of last year, we have had

2,251 visits from 26 different countries or territories utilizing 12 different languages. This clearly indicates worldwide interest in our Virtual Expo and demonstrates that the Expo can be an International event!

Art Lieberman is the President of MCPS for Campgrounds and, along with Deanne Bower, is the Producer of the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo II, which will begin on 11/11/11. Art can be reached at MCPS at 877858-9010 or at Campground Expo at 877901-EXPO (3976)