Issue 164 Campground & RV Park E News

October 10, 2011. McLean, VA……In a conference call with Best Parks in America affiliates on Friday, October 7, 2011, Best Parks in America founder and president David Gorin announced the appointment of a key executive to the Best Parks team and a restructuring of the 8 year old national

marketing group for highly rated parks.

“I am very excited to announce that Deborah Kohls, currently the Vice President of Business Development at Leisure Interactive of Anaheim, CA, will be joining Best Parks on November 1 as BPA’s Vice President. Deb will have

responsibility for affiliate and consumer relations and development. Deb will also serve on the new Board of Directors of the re-structured BPA system,” said Gorin “I’ve know Deb since 2001 when she became part of the founding team at Friend Continued

Continued Hewlett Packard, EDS and Sun Microsystems where she developed and managed large customer accounts including Apple, Intel, Kaiser Permanente and the Bank of Hawaii.

Deb Kohls Communications and I’ve always been impressed with her insightful thinking, passion for travel and tourism and for moving the park industry into the larger world of travel and tourism, and for her ability to develop and nurture relationships among people of all persuasions, “ said Gorin. “In searching the park industry for a highly qualified executive to join the BPA team, Deb’s qualifications, energy and passion for the Best Parks mission stood out above all others,” he said.

Kohls’ career included a stint at Fleetwood Enterprises in their Supply Division, Accounting Department and the Information Technology Services Group. She also has experience as a sales executive with some of the world’s major technology companies including

At Leisure Interactive, formerly Friend Communications, she was instrumental in introducing the industry’s first real-time internet marketing solution for the outdoor hospitality and recreation marketplace. Kohls played a key role in growing the business to over 800 campgrounds and RV parks that now use the Leisure Interactive Hercules park management and reservation software.

In addition to Kohls, Gorin also announced that Joe Opp, recently retired Senior Vice President, Membership Services of Leading Hotels of the World, will also be joining the BPA Team as a Senior Advisor for Brand Development.

Former Leading Hotels Exec Teams with Best Parks

Opp has a long track record of success in the travel business having served as Reservation Manager for National Airlines, Director of Reservations for Avis Rent a Car, Director of Reservations for Pacific Southwest Airlines, and Vice President, Marketing Automation for TrustHouse Forte Hotels.

Joe Opp

From 1996 until his retirement at the end of 2010, Opp was the Senior Vice President for Membership Services at Leading Hotels of the World. LHW is a marketing consortium comprised of a select group of independently owned hotels around the world.

LHW has members in every major US market including New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Philadelphia, Houston, New Orleans, and Boston.

“Best Parks in America is based on the Leading Hotels of the World model and there is no one else with the breadth of experience in how LHW works and how it’s become such as great success in the hotel business than Joe Opp. I can’t begin to express how proud and pleased I am that Joe has accepted our offer to become a Senior Advisor to Best Parks,” said Gorin.

BPA Restructuring Moving Forward During 2011, BPA has responded to several legal challenges from a company that represented that they are a BPA competitor and alleged that BPA was selling unregistered franchises.

Continued

Continued In announcing a restructuring of the BPA business, Gorin reported that “to assure that it is crystal clear that BPA is not a franchise and to assure that BPA can continue to build the brand and operate a nation-wide marketing group as we have been doing, Best Parks in America is announcing a business restructuring that will enable the company to move forward unimpeded by unnecessary and unwarranted legal harassment.”

Under the re-structuring, Best Parks in America will be a non-shareholder corporation that will be governed by the affiliated member parks. Gorin reported that the company is being re-incorporated in Virginia and that a Board of Directors is being established that will work with BPA management to build the brand, set membership standards and practices and grow the number of members.

David Gorin

As part of the restructuring, David Gorin Associates LLC retains ownership of the intellectual property rights that provide the foundation for Best Parks in America.

DGA LLC is licensing the IT rights exclusively to Best Parks in America. In addition to her role as BPA Vice President, Kohls is also becoming a member of DGA LLC. “I am pleased to announce that the initial board of Best Parks will include Mike Gurevich, owner of Cherry Hill Park, College Park, Maryland. Mike’s family has been in the park industry since the 1930s I believe, and the park was the first Best Parks affiliate in 2003.

Mike will initially serve with me and Deb Kohls during the restructuring and will assist us in establishing the new company’s bylaws and the new board,” said Gorin.

Best Parks in America was established in 2003 as a marketing group for highly rated RV parks and campgrounds.

Today, Best Parks consists of more than 80 affiliated parks across the US and into Canada. BPA was founded by David Gorin, former President and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds from 1987 to 2001, and the owner of David Gorin & Associates, a consulting company that exclusively serves the needs of RV park and campground investors, developers and property owners

November 6-9, 2011 (Expo on Nov. 9) South Point Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV Contact: (406) 248-7444

November 10-11, 2011 On the Internet Contact: (877) 901-3976

November 14-17, 2011 Embassy Suites, Covington, KY Contact: (513) 831-2100

November 28 – December 2, 2011 Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort Spa & Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, Savannah, GA

DENVER -- Friday is the deadline for RV parks and campgrounds to submit nominations for the Plan-It Green Award to be given by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

One award will be given to the park that can demonstrate that it has taken steps and actions to become more eco-friendly.

Parks wishing to submit a nomination to send a letter and visual documentation, if necessary, that describes the park's goals, actions and results from enacting

If you plan on traveling to Japan in 2012 and you haven’t yet bought your roundtrip airfare there’s a chance you could be taking your trip for free. Japanese officials announced on Tuesday that they plan to give away 10,000 free airline tickets to help increase tourism to the country.

The move comes after expected visitors to the area began looking

new green initiatives in 2011.

Applications will be evaluated on impact of changes made, commitment to environmentally friendly practices, and efforts to educate guests about support of Plan-It Green practices.

The award is only available to member parks that have taken the “Plan-It Green Pledge.”

For more information, email Kera Tomlin at ktomlin@arvc.org.

elsewhere for their next trip following the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant explosion which spewed toxic waste into certain areas.

The move is headed by the Japan Tourism Agency which will begin offering the free tickets to travelers in April.

Austin MN: A fire destroyed the main campground building early Sunday morning at Jellystone Campground east of Austin.

Fire officials continue to dig through the debris today as they try to determine the cause and give a dollar estimate on the loss.

Deputies responded about 4:30 a.m. to find the campground's main building engulfed by fire. Firefighters form Dexter, Grand Meadow, Brownsdale and Adams responded to the scene. The campground is 8 miles east of Austin on Interstate 90.

Campers were evacuated if they were in the direct path of flames and smoke. No one was injured. The fire was finally put out about 10 a.m. Sunday.

Russell Pate, who officials described as the person in charge at the campground, said the fire started in the

kitchen area, but said all appliances had been shut off. No one was inside the main building at the time.

Officials said Pate tried to the fire out, but it grew too fast and firefighters were called.

The building has a restaurant, gift shop, laundry area and restrooms. All were destroyed, officials said.

The state fire marshal was called and spent the day at the site on Sunday.

Officials said the owners, Ken and Tammy Westrich, were expected to return Sunday night.

The business, formerly named Beaver Trails RV Park, became a Jellystone Park in 2009. In 2010, the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce named it the New Business of the Year. www.postbulletin.com

Of course, there is a possibility the only ones that responded are the ones who are happy. I encourage readers to continue feedback on all matters, especially on editorial content.

One response came from Larry, one of our weekly contributors and is worth publishing as one always likes positive feedback!

Last week we ran a survey asking various questions on the use of the flip page software, editorial content etc.

Many readers responded with an overall big tick in all departments. From time to

time we will run the survey as it is our to goal to bring you the best possible product each week.

The survey did show that our readers are happy with the flip page software and find it easy to use.

Overall from an editorial and readership point of view it seems to me, for what it is worth, that you have hit full stride. Each issue has appeal, both visually and in terms of content. It could be

summed up as a blend of news, very helpful information and suggestions, as well as a good amount of actual stories from which there are lessons to be learned.

In particular, I thought the issues following the tropical storms and flooding were done with just the right amount of coverage for the reader to draw important lessons, without sensationalizing the misery being wrought upon countless numbers of people.

And your use of grapics is outstanding!

Take care - Larry

MOUNTAIN REST, S.C. -Hell Hole Campground in Oconee County is apparently living up to its name, and has been closed because of human waste in and around a broken bathroom facility.

Andrew Pickens Ranger District officials said that the problems started with a failure in a pit toilet at the site. They said as a result, people have vandalized the bathroom.

District Ranger Mike Crane said, “As much as I hate to close a campground, visitor safety is our priority.

Because the toilet isn’t working, people are using the bathroom and leaving human waste both inside and outside the building

DEWITT, NY (WSYR-TV) A Central New York camp that serves kids with special needs is scrambling to gather resources for next year.

High Esteem's Camp Goodwill hosts Creepy Camp every October, but this year they hit a stumbling block with the Town of Cazenovia.

"For the first time in 10 years, we've had to have a permit to be able to operate

that houses the toilet, as well as throughout the campground. It’s just not sanitary for campers and we believe it could be causing some resource damage as well.”

The USDA Forest Service has temporarily closed overnight camping. Entry to the campground has been stopped by using large boulders to block access to vehicles. Day use is still allowed, but vehicles will have to be parked at the end of the Forest Service road.

A release said the Forest Service will consider whether to continue overnight camping at Hell Hole. www.wyff4.com

Creepy Camp," said camp director Michelle Lovell.

"With the cost of it being close to $900, that is something, with a nonprofit, we just could not afford at this time."

Without a permit for their spooky outdoor campground, volunteers unexpectedly had to move to a small temporary haunted home in the lower level of Shoppingtown Mall.

They got the keys Tuesday.

A Colorado woman has been indicted for allegedly stealing about $730,000 from the federal government while she toiled for the National Park Service.

Lydia L. White, 48, of Hooper, was named in a 198-count indictment on Wednesday, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office District of Colorado media release.

White is charged with 145 counts of theft of government property, and 53 counts of money

A plethora of industry reports indicates that travel and tourism are back, and, by the end of 2011, will be better than ever.

Revenue is expected to reach nearly $1.4 trillion, a record, says Toon van Beeck, senior analyst at research firm IBISWorld.

This means the opportunity in the sector will be "the biggest it has ever been."

No kidding. Just consider this set of glowing forecasts for 2011: International trips will jump 5.5 percent, to

laundering in connection with embezzling from her employer between March of 2007 and December 2010.

According to the indictment, White allegedly, willfully and knowingly stole money from the National Park Service for her own use and the use of another, prosecutors said.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh, in the release, described White as "a corrupt government employee who was embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars." www.denverpost.com

94.7 million; domestic trips will rise 1.2 percent, to 627.4 million; hotel revenues will go up by 4.4 percent, to $114.8 billion; travel agencies will bring in 3.3 percent more revenue, making the total $12 billion; tour operator revenue will grow 5 percent, to $3.7 billion; and even the

Source: Entrepreneur Magazinewww.entrepreneur.com

What entrepreneur hasn't been told of the need for a written business plan? But most, when asked whether they have one, would cast a guilty look at their shoes.

Well, fret no more.

Continuing research at Babson College, regarded as having one of the top entrepreneurship programs in the country, finds no statistical correlation between a startup firm's ultimate revenue or net income and the supposedly requisite written business plan.

"Some of the heroes of today's would-be entrepreneurs, such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Michael Dell, did not have business plans in hand when they embarked on ventures that changed the world," the study noted.

The research debunked the business plan more than three years ago, but the myth lingers.

Don't get me wrong: I'm all for having a business plan in the verb sense. I'm just not a big believer in the

noun form. Writing a formal business plan invites the paralysis of analysis.

It distracts the entrepreneur from slaying dragons and thinking big thoughts. The result usually is a long-winded missive that's out of date

almost the moment the ink dries.

Should you think through business-planning issues such as how you're going to move from thought to action, how you're going to find customers and how you're going to pay the bills? Absolutely.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — There's about to be terror in Tahoe. A new haunted attraction opens this week in the El Dorado County Campground off Highway 50.

“What I'd like to see is a place where people can come hang out and enjoy Halloween, somewhere if you want some Halloween, you can get it,” said Steve Rozier, who's been working

A new survey of RV owners indicates that they have strong travel plans this fall/winter and expect to save significantly, despite the soft U.S. economy and fluctuating fuel prices.

According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s biannual Campfire Canvass, 34 percent of RV owners plan to travel more this fall and winter than last year, 43 percent plan to travel the same amount and just 11 percent plan to travel less.

“My wife and I are planning a fall trip in our motorhome to Virginia and New Jersey to visit relatives,” says

on the Terror in Tahoe project.

Terror in Tahoe will feature a haunted maze, games and food and drink concessions. It will be open 7 p.m. to midnight, Thursday through Sunday, every week until Halloween. A grand opening will be held Oct. 14. Admission is $10 this weekend and $15 the other weekends.

George Dougherty of Ankeny, Iowa and a former chief technology officer at Faith Baptist College.

“Since 2006, when we bought our first RV, we’ve traveled over 22,000 miles.

“We’re having a great time seeing America and we enjoy the RV lifestyle. We just got back from a twoweek trip that took us through six states, including South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas.

During the winter months, we’ll head south to get away from the snow in Iowa.”

Like the Doughertys, many families are buying RVs to see America. According to Continued

Continued the survey, 71 percent ranked “seeing America” as the most important reason for buying an RV in the last two years.

Along with seeing America, another primary reason why millions of owners will be traveling and enjoying the RV lifestyle this fall/winter is because they appreciate the value that RV travel delivers. Nearly 90 percent said that RVing is an affordable way to travel.

Almost 65 percent of the respondents said that they save at least 25 percent when traveling in their RV compared to other types of travel, while 27 percent

save 35-50 percent. This reflects a new study by PKF, an international travel and tourism consulting company, which found that RVing is 23-to-59 percent less expensive than other types of vacations for a family of four.

RV purchase within the next two years, with 79 percent of those respondents citing the availability of “great deals” in today’s RV market. More than 60 percent will attend RV retail shows this fall and winter.

In addition to saving on rising hotel costs and airfares, RV owners also avoid the expense of eating in restaurants. The study found that 49 percent of RV owners said that they eat at least two meals a day onboard their RVs, while 44 percent said three meals.

Owners surveyed will use their RVs in a variety of ways during the fall/winter travel season.

Despite these uncertain economic times, 45 percent of RV owners said that they’re considering another

69 percent of the respondents said that they plan to sightsee 64 percent visit state parks and 55 percent national parks 46 percent attend festivals and fairs

39 percent take part in foliage tours The survey also reveals that owners are physically active on their RV trips. For example, 41 percent said that they enjoy hiking, 38 percent fishing, 23 percent biking and 12 percent canoeing and kayaking.

Results also show that holiday travel remains popular with RV owners.

Among the respondents, 42 percent said they plan to travel in their RVs over the Thanksgiving weekend and 21 percent over the Christmas/Hanukkah season.

OAKLAND, Calif. – Rue Mapp knew it wouldn’t be too hard to develop a following when she launched OutdoorAfro.com, the social media website that connects African Americans with the Great Outdoors and with each other.

trailer, asking if she had any advice on how she could find other African Americans to go RVing with. Mapp did a quick Web search and put her in touch with a regional coordinator from the National African American RVers Association.

After all, there isn’t any other place on the Internet where African Americans who like outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, hiking, bicycling, rock climbing and river rafting can meet one another and find out about upcoming outdoor adventures with other African Americans.

“These are the kinds of connections I’m trying to help people make,” Mapp said, adding that the whole point of OutdoorAfro.com is to make camping and the enjoyment of nature accessible and relevant to the lives of African Americans, who typically are rarely seen in outdoor activities.

What Mapp didn’t expect was the continuing surge in website traffic and phone calls that have taken place since she publicized an RV trip with her family to Ponderosa Resort in the Sierra Nevada foothill community of Lotus two months ago.

“I’m getting people following me everywhere,” said Mapp, a 40-year-old Oakland resident. “I’m getting lots of traction in California because that’s where I’m from. But I’m also getting hits in New York, Seattle and Atlanta.”

Mapp even got a phone call recently from an elderly Atlanta woman with a

Mapp’s next trip will be Oct. 21st to 23rd in a rental RV from El Monte RV. She’ll head down Route 1, explore the coast, and camp overnight at Big Sur Campground and Cabins, which will serve as a base camp for Mapp and her family as they explore the many hiking trails, waterfalls and scenic coastline in the Big Sur area.

Mapp said she plans to shoot video, tweet and blog about her trip so that the roughly 7,000 African American members of OutdoorAfro.com can continue to follow her and share in her family’s

experiences as they explore scenic outdoor destinations across California.

CampCalifornia.com and Big Sur Campground and Cabins are co-sponsoring her trip along with El Monte RV, which is supplying an RV for Mapp’s use. Mapp’s next trip will take place later this winter in the Southern California desert.

About OutdoorAfro.com Since she founded OutdoorAfro.com two years ago, Mapp has gained significant attention – both in government and in the business community.

Last year, the White House invited Mapp to participate in the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors. She was subsequently invited to participate in a White House brainstorming session for Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, offering her ideas and insights on ways to engage Americans to become more involved in outdoor recreation activities. For more information on OutdoorAfro.com and on Mapp’s upcoming camping trips, please contact Rue Mapp at (510) 913-6100 or email her at rue@outdoorafro.com.

About CampCalifornia.com and its partners Camp-California.com, the travel planning website of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, has taken an interest in Mapp’s efforts and plans to work with her in the coming months to actively promote camping and RVing in the African American community.

For more information on Camp-California.com and its efforts to increase the levels of African American participation in camping and RVing, please contact Meaghan Bertram at (510) 541-4955 or email her at meaghan.Bertram@gmail.com.

To learn more about Big Sur Campground and Cabins, please visit www.bigsurcamp.com or call (831) 667-2322.

El Monte RV can be reached at (888) 337-2214 and at www.elmonterv.com.

commonwealth’s outstanding camping opportunities.”

RICHMOND – Six state parks from across Virginia have joined the Virginia Campground Association.

This is the first time that individual state parks have become members of the association and will provide opportunities for state parks and private campgrounds to better promote all of Virginia’s camping opportunities. The award-winning state park system is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

“We have long worked with state parks to promote camping across Virginia and we welcome the first state parks as full members of the state association,” said VCA Executive Director David Gorin.

“Having these individual state parks join as members participating in the industry’s association and on our board was the next logical step in strengthening our relationship to better promote all of the

Claytor Lake (Pulaski County), First Landing (Virginia Beach), Holliday Lake (Appomattox County), Kiptopeke (Northampton County), Natural Tunnel (Scott County) and Westmoreland (Westmoreland County) are the six member state parks.

“Camping is part of a recession resilient outdoor recreation industry that is critical to our struggling economy,” said DCR State Park Director Joe Elton. “I personally believe it is essential that public and private campgrounds work collaboratively to promote their mutual goals and the value of camping.”

Increased promotion of all Virginia campgrounds is expected to be a result of this partnership. Joint appearances at Camping and Recreational Vehicle shows and marketing national camping events like the Great American Backyard Campout held each June are examples.

State park staff will also explore taking their nature and history programming from their parks to nearby private campgrounds.

The Virginia Campground Association represents 76 campgrounds across the state.

You can find more information on the association and private

camping opportunities at www.virginiacampgrounds.org.

For more information on Virginia’s 35 award-winning state parks go to www.virginiastateparks.gov.

Campers point of view creates a hot topic.

"On a recent trip, we pulled in to a campground, and I went in to register.

The young lady at the desk inquired as to what kind of hookup we wanted, I told her Water & Electric would be fine, looking out the window at my Type A she said that they required Type A's to have full hook ups.

She then asked if I had a 50amp power cable, I told her yes but I rarely pulled it out except when I needed both AC's relying on the adapter & the 30amp and the weather certainly didn't require that. If you've got 50 Amp that's what you need to take. When we got to the site the electrical box had them all, 50A, 30A, and a couple 20A's.

Extra passengers are charged for too, understandably, but when my brother-in-law went to use their shower, there's a coin slot, isn't that just a bit of overkill?

A big difference from other places we've been recently where they were honestly glad for my business.

I think I'm going to have to start voting with my wheels."

I see your location is on the East Coast. We found the campgrounds in the East,

particularly in the NJ, DE, MD, VA area to have an attitude that said, "You should be thankful that we'll let you stay here." They were definitely not familiar with customer service! We also found many of them full because there simply aren't that many in that part of the country. So they can be as independent as they want and still get all the business they want. I've run into a few others in the NE that are the same.

Coin operated showers, I'd hook up the sewer hose and shower in the rig! I've only seen those at a state park in the black hills of South Dakota many years ago. It's the sort of thing you would expect in the desert but I guess the cost of water must be very high in that area.

I live in Colorado and stay at many of the state parks here. All of them have coin operated showers. You get about 4 mins for $1. Don't believe I have ever seen a private campground in Colorado or anywhere else that had coin operated showers but I don't stay at many private campgrounds. I think the state parks here are very good which is why I use them. The overnight prices are very reasonable and I don't mind paying for the showers.

Yes, we're Northeast Coasters, and customer service isn't as good as out west.

This particular campground was in Canada, and was near Montreal.

We rarely use their facilities, but my brother-inlaw always does.

I don't think there was a water shortage in the area.

When you levy charges based on number of persons, shouldn't that cover at least the basics?

State, National & Provincial campgrounds are a very good alternative when they are available.

Yes, I would think that a per person charge for extra people would cover everything. We have encountered parks where you pay a higher fee for 50A electric and then they want an extra charge to use your air conditioners. I figure I get 50A, if I need more than that I should pay extra but not the way they see it. It's their business they get to run it the way they want. If enough of us vote with our wheels they will go out of business. If they are the only park in the area, they can pretty much do what they want with extra charges and fees.

One more note, the costs of operating a shower include heating the water, assuming you are getting a hot shower. That is something I hadn't thought of previously. So another factor in the cost of

showers is the cost of electricity or gas. In Colorado, water is a high cost commodity so I understand the coin operated showers especially in state parks where the fees are otherwise low.

Full Hook-Up Plus Extra charge for 50amps Plus Extra charge for A/C in summer Extra charge for Heat Pumps in the winter, Plus Extra charge for cable, Plus Extra charge for WI-FI. Sure gives a whole new meaning to FULL HOOK UP doesn't It? We were in a park on this last trip and there was a sign over the door inside the Office/Store/Lounge, that said: "If you don't like the rules of the campground,buy it & write your own rules".

In this part of the country rates are often calculated on 2 adults & 2 children, never a discount for not having children, but there is a charge for extra adults?

British Columbia: They are usually known as a welcoming sight for RV campers in need of a place to stop for the night or a few days before continuing on with their journey.

losing parking spaces that we have to provide to our tenants,” Kaiser said, adding the company had received complaints from tenants in the shopping centre.

Besides being a big-box retail store, Walmart parking lots across North America have generally been hospitable to the traveling camper.

She noted overnight stays made it difficult for maintenance crews to clean up the lot.

But, anyone hoping to stay in the Kamloops Walmart parking lot on Hillside Drive for an extended period of time can expect to be turned away.

This past summer, the company SmartCentres, which owns the shopping centre, installed large new signs on the lot reminding customers there is no overnight parking for RVs or trucks.

Sandra Kaiser, vicepresident of corporate affairs for SmartCentres, told KTW the no-overnight rules were always in place, but not enforced stringently until recently.

She said the measure is not meant to crack down on someone staying a few hours or even a night, but is intended to address RV owners staying for days and weeks.

“More and more campers were coming and staying for longer periods of time, to the point where we were

Kaiser said maintenance crews are politely reminding campers they can’t park in the lot long term.

Walmart manager Tim Labermeyer said he’s heard from some customers who expected to park at the store overnight.

However, he pointed out many of the Walmart lots that allow overnight parking are owned by the retail giant.

The Kamloops Walmart leases the property so, in this case, it is not a decision made by the store.

“We have to abide by their [SmartCentres] rules,” Labermeyer said.

He suggested Thompson Rivers University students using the lot during store hours for free parking was a bigger issue than RV parking.

The Kamloops location wouldn’t be alone in banning overnight stays, as a growing number of Walmarts in the U.S. are starting to turn away RVs and campers. www.bclocalnews.com

CROWLEY, Texas, Oct. 10, 2011 – Activities for adults and children alike are taking place in campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across Texas this fall, with several parks featuring Halloweenthemed campsite decorating and costume competitions.

“Park operators know that if they provide enough activities and entertainment, people will keep coming back for more,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO).

Here’s a sampling of some of the special events Texas parks are promoting this fall: Burleson / South Fort Worth Jellystone Park Camp-Resort: This park features Fall Fiesta activities every weekend in October that include pumpkin patch activities, costume contests, haunted “hey, hey, hey” rides and haunted walking trails as well as “Scaryoke Karaoke” activities. Other onsite activities include arts and crafts, movies and story times with Yogi. www.rusticcreekranch.com

Hill Country Jellystone in Canyon Lake: This park’s fall activities include a fall festival weekends on Oct. 28th to 30th, which include a non-scary costume contest and a magic pumpkin patch. Onsite activities also include arts and crafts, movies, laser tag, gem mining and story times with Yogi. The park also has an annual Thanksgiving potluck dinner. Each family brings two side dishes to share and Yogi brings the turkeys. www.hillcountryjellystone.com

Lone Star Yogi in Waller: This park’s fall activities include “Trail of Terror” weekends every weekend in October with Halloween music and dancing, movies, crafts, a magic pumpkin patch, a not-soscary hey rides, ceramic painting, tye-dye t shirt making, campsite and cabin decorating contests and trick or treating. www.jellystonetexas.com Rayford Crossing in The Woodlands: This park has several activities planned for this fall, including its annual chili cook-off on the last weekend of October.

“We anticipate having approximately 30 to 35 cookers in this years event,” said park owner Gwen Craig. “Cash Prizes

are awarded for the first and second place winners.

We also do a street party complete with a band and have an adult costume contest. We also have a best-decorated site contest. For kids, we host a Halloween party during the day with lots of crafts and games. During the evening hours, we do a door-to-door trick-or-treat with the kids.”

Rayford Crossing also planning activities for Thanksgiving weekend.

“We host a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day and then on Friday, we kick off the Christmas Season with Santa visiting our Christmas Party on the Saturday after Thanksgiving,” Craig said.

“We have crafts and games and food and hayrides. It is a 4-day weekend packed with fun!” www.rayfordcrossing.com Traders Village Grand Prairie RV Park: This park, which adjoins the Traders Village open air marketplace in Grand Prairie, provides a convenient location for those wishing to participate in a variety of upcoming events at the marketplace, including a “haunted hallway” Oct. 29th; and the

Annual Mountain Man Weekend Gathering, Nov. 12th and 13th, which provides a window into the past through songs, storytelling and historical reenactments. Mountain Man demonstrations will include: beading, tomahawk and knife throwing, firestarting, blacksmithing, and soap making. www.tradersvillage.com Traders Village Houston RV Park: This park, which adjoins the Traders Village open air marketplace in Houston, is ideally located for families wishing to participate in the upcoming events at the marketplace, including its 11th annual Halloween Boo Bash for Kids on Oct. 30th in which children 12 and under can Trick-or-Treat for thousands of pieces of candy at participating shops throughout the market, while supplies last. The activities also include a Haunted Hallway, which consists of seven creepyrooms of scares and goodies for children. Every child attending will receive a Halloween gift and Trickor-Treat bag while supplies last. The first 250 kids to arrive in costume will receive a special gift from Traders Village. Other fall Continued

Continued events include a Native American Championship Pow Wow Nov. 12th and 13th, with colorful tribal dance contests, an arts and craft show, tipis and singing by dozens of tribes from across the United States.

Dancers will compete for $15,000 in prize money.

Native American foods, including fry bread and Indian tacos, will also be served. The 8th Annual Houston Championship Chili Cook off will also take place at this Traders Village location on Nov. 19th. www.tradersvillage.com Whispering Pines RV & Cabin Resort in Tyler: This park has several special events planned for this fall, including an “Almost Halloween” weekend celebration Oct. 22nd and 23rd, which will include contests for best decorated campsite, best carved pumpkin and best costume as well as opportunities to make candied apples and caramel apples. Halloween weekend, Oct. 29th and 30th, will feature similar activities as well as a “Halloween Monster Mash Dance.” Special activities are also being planned for Thanksgiving weekend. www.whisperingpinesrvresort.com

Many Texas parks, in fact, are hosting Thanksgiving dinners for their guests, including the KOA parks in San Antonio, Mathis and San Angelo, as well as Top of the Hill RV Resort in Boerne, which will be hosting its annual “Turkey in a Trash Can” Thanksgiving.

Having been involved in the production of Campground & RV Park E News since Issue 22 on 10/29/08 143 weekly issues have passed over my keyboard.

We left Australia November 08 with a view to establish Campground & RV park E News as a legitimate player in the Campground Industry's news sources and seek out other publishing opportunities.

Since arriving in the country I took over the role of editor from Dave O'Connor and have since become sole owner and publisher of Industry E News LLC. Not one to sit on my hands I have set out to expand the portfolio of the online magazine concept, taking my existing Timber & Forestry Australian magazine as the successful model to be the basis of expansion in the USA and Canada.

First of which was the launch of the consumer publication, GetawayUSA, now in it's eighth issue.

An ambitious project aimed at getting more people to go camping.

More industry specific series of publications are planned over the next twelve months of B2B and consumer based products.

With expansion comes increased work load pressures and to that end I am pleased to announce Kelley Barnes has taken on the responsibility of GetawayUSA Sales and Marketing.

Campgrounds wishing to contact Kelley can do so by calling 770 615 8175 or via email at kelley@industryenews.com Visit our website at www.industrye-news.com

Kelley Barnes

Florida: Way down upon the Suwannee River, a nudist resort is planned for a campground near White Springs.

We are just like other individuals. It's just that we choose to have an option to wear clothes or not," she said.

The new owners of the Suwannee Valley Campground plan to open the resort there in May. Coowner B.G. Parkes, who also heads the nudist motorcycle group Bare Buns Bikers, said the resort will be open by membership to nudists of all kinds and not just motorcycle riders.

Resort members will have to go through background checks and be a positive addition to the area, she said.

The purchase has raised questions about what the resort means for the Florida Trail, which goes through the property. Steve Williams, a retired river guide who lives near the property, expressed concern about whether the resort would cause the Florida Folk Festival to move from its nearby location and whether the resort might diminish area property values.

"I question whether people want to raise their families next to a nudist resort," he said.

The resort would be affiliated with American Association for Nude Recreation. The group lists 17 other nudist clubs with sites in Florida, the closest being a resort in Baker County. Terry Justice, club liaison for the association, said such resorts typically include activities such as volleyball that would happen at any resort.

"It's totally non-sexual," she said. "It's just like-minded people that like to be socially nude."

Resort co-owner Tom Gillenwater said about $400,000 in improvements are planned for the 29-acre property, including the addition of a bar and restaurant. Nudity will be restricted along the Suwannee River, he said.

The entrance to the property will have a security gate with a camera, he said, and an eight-foot fence will be built along the road.

The group, which started in 2003 and is based in Oviedo, includes many veterans and has donated $86,000 to veterans causes over the past three years. www.gainesville.com

President Obama thinks beer and wine are just the thing to help the U.S. Postal Service with its financial problems.

USPS ability to raise postage rates above current price cap." Have "one-time" or "modest" been dropped from the plan?

The "President's Plan for USPS Reform" includes "acceptance of beer and wine in the mail," according to a recent presentation by Postmaster General Pat Donahoe. Current law prohibits shipping alcoholic beverages by mail.

The beer-and-wine language is also a bit mysterious: "Allow USPS to increase collaboration w/ state and local governments; e.g. nonpostal products, acceptance of beer and wine in the mail." With many states having tight controls and hefty taxes on beer and wine, it's not clear how enabling the Postal Service to deliver such products would constitute collaboration rather than competition.

The Obama Administration may also have altered its USPS plan in a way that would definitely give mailers a hangover, the Donahoe presentation indicated. The Administration announced last month that it would propose "a modest onetime increase in postage rates."

But Donahoe's description was a bit different: "Give

Perhaps the states will enjoy a spike in their liquortax revenues when mailers are notified of the new postal rates.

Jim Croxton, Outdoors RV general manager; Jim Jones, CEO of Northwood Investments; and Darin Nelson, Outdoors RV sales manager.

LAGRANDE, Ore. -Outdoors RV Manufacturing today announced the winner of the company's Welcome to the Outdoors sweepstakes.

Rick and Ann Gray of Bellingham, Wash., were picked out of more than 50,000 total entries into the sweepstakes. The Grays will be presented with the grand prize, a brand new 2012 18F BackCountry travel trailer later this month at Sumner RV in Sumner, Wash. -the dealership where they entered the drawing.

Sumner RV was one of more than 50 Outdoors RV dealers that helped promote the sweepstakes earlier this year.

"The sweepstakes promotion was an avenue to help Outdoors RV dedicated dealer partners bring customers into their dealerships to showcase the climate designed, off road travel trailer products that Outdoors RV produces out of their manufacturing facility in LaGrande, Ore., said Jim Croxton, Outdoors RV general manager.

With the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo less than a month away, the show’s producers have announced that businesses seldom seen at trade shows in the hospitality industry have come onboard.

The producers have also announced a bevy of new improvements to the Virtual Expo which were unavailable at last year’s event. Sponsor’s and Exhibitors who market

goods or services on their web pages where credit or debit cards are accepted as payment, may now have a “Buy It Now” button in their virtual booth, which will take attendees directly to that page. This will mean that Exhibitors who generally rely on a virtual show only to produce leads will now be able to actually sell goods or services at the event.

Another amazing

enhancement is the ability of the exhibitor to turn his booth into a cabin, park model, yurt or even an RV. The idea was presented to VCopious by Yurts of America who wanted to make their display appear as a yurt. In typical VCopious fashion, the answer was “no problem” after they checked with the Expo’s producers.

The Expo which will be held LIVE on November 10th and 11th from 12 noon to 6 PM each day and continue in the “on demand” status for 60 days, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will once again feature exhibits, educational seminars in the Conference Center, product and service demonstrations in the Sponsor’s Seminar Hall, a variety of informative materials in the Resource Library and a Chat Lounge where attendees, exhibitors, the press and other visitors may discuss various issues. Once again attendance is totally free for any and all of the events.

The Producers, Campground Expositions, have joined the National Ski Area Association and the Outdoor Industry Association in order to expand attendance at the Expo. Marinas, Canoeing and Paddleboat Resorts, Golf Resorts and even Dude Ranch owners will also be solicited to attend.

First-time exhibitors to the Expo have rarely displayed their goods and services at outdoor hospitality events and are a welcome addition to the returning businesses.

Sponsors Webrerve.com, Chempace Allied Specialty Insurance and Solar LED Innovation are first-timers at a virtual show. Although well known in the campground industry, Pamela Wright and Focused Words rarely exhibits at shows. The same can be said of Manning & Nozick, who are Strategic Partners of Best Parks in America or Yurts of America, one of this country’s 4 best known yurt manufacturers.

Electrical Materials, Co, and Bag-O-Loot are also newbies to the virtual world.

In the world of entertainment, Kidstuff Playsystems, whose playground equipment even caters to the youngest campers or Murbles Outdoor Game, which is simple and resembles Bocce Ball without the formality of a “court”, are also newcomers to a virtual show.

All of them can be viewed and their products and services on display in the second Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo coming to a computer near you in the second week of November.

Look for the free registration link in this publication in only 2 weeks.

Plentiful cheap water and energy were the foundation for the greatest economy the world has ever known.

Politicians and economists will note that the free enterprise system also played a key role because it allowed capital to flow where needed and markets to be exploited.

The economy and environmental concerns have become a theme of considerable size in the current election season, reflecting the tip of a huge iceberg threatening to sink our economy like never before.

The tip of this iceberg is the EPA, currently under some rightly-deserved political fire from Congress for the way it is using regulations to solve environmental crises.

Congress created the EPA monster and now the monster threatens to eat the master.

Our nation was able to thrive because it had plentiful, free water along with cheap energy: windmills, streams, safe wells, coal, wood and then eventually oil, gas and electricity. Hydro electric dams and expansion of the grid helped bring our economy out of the Great Depression.

Now that the federal bureaucrats are turning out 6,000 regulations per month, the proverbial s___ is hitting the fan: in some manner or form the environmental fallout must be reckoned with if human health is to survive the effects of all this progress and prosperity. But killing the economy to keep us healthy doesn’t seem to compute. Something is wrong when it is environmentally advantageous to grow corn for gasoline while one third of the world is starving and cornflakes cost too much. Actually, the price of everything that uses corn is too high, including corn and gasoline.

Don’t be surprised if Congress makes a law that monsters are not allowed to eat masters. The EPA might retaliate with an exemption, provided that the monster does not emit too much gas in the digestive process.

Web entrepreneur John Peterson is pleased to debut his outdoor-centric business, http://www.Tents4Trucks.co m. The site, launched in mid-July 2011, boasts a comprehensive collection truck, SUV/mini-van, and PAC camping tents.

“Tents for trucks present a way for people to go camping, and enjoy the luxuries of camping, without having to put out as much money as an RV or a trailer,” said Peterson.

“People can sleep off the ground and when they’re done they can put the tent away and still have the vehicle to use for other things.”

The number one complaint among campers, is waking up stiff and sore from having slept on the cold,

hard ground, or worse- a cold hard rock! Truck tents are a simple, cost-effective solution. The Sportz Truck Tent 57890 is a popular model that sets up easily thanks to a color coded pole and sleeve system. Inside there is over five feet, five inches of headroom, two large mesh windows and ceiling vents, as well as a patented sewn in floor. The various Sportz Truck Tent models fit such vehicles as GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, Ford F Series, Nissan Titan, and Toyota Tundra. Larger tents that work well with SUVs, mini vans, sports wagons, and hatchbacks are also available. The roomy 10’x10’x7’ Sportz SUV Tent 84000 has plenty of room for mom, dad, and kids.