Sep 02 2008
New Campers Push Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Visitation Up
The “staycation” trend has pushed visitation at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore up by 12%. Chicago Tribune excerpts and link:
While high gas prices and job jitters have resulted in a disappointing bottom line for luxury hotels and resorts, campgrounds—both public and private—are the beneficiaries of this new belt-tightening, with many sites posting record seasons.
At Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton, attendance is up 12 percent over the previous summer, a pattern repeated all across the state.
“The economy definitely comes into play,” said Brandt Baughman, property manager of the park, where 85 percent of the campers are Illinois residents.
Not everyone fits the stereotype of the traditional hard-core outdoorsman or woman who can dispense with amenities such as mattresses and indoor plumbing.
Baughman is seeing more first-time and diverse campers than ever before.
“The problem with the greenhorns is that they show up and then are surprised to find that we’re full . . . while the experienced folks have had reservations for months,” Baughman said.
Back at the Indiana Dunes, many campers predicted that that economic anxieties might be the catalyst, but once these rookies have had a taste of the great outdoors, they will be converts.
“I love it,” said Mary Doolittle, part of a four-family group that has been making this a summer’s end ritual for years. “The Dunes and the trails are beautiful, and there’s nothing like it for bonding with our kids.”
The others, all from northwest Indiana, echoed Doolittle’s sentiments. They have talked about going elsewhere, but the idea that they can make the trek on a couple of gallons of gas, along with the fact that they can leave by 4 p.m. and pull into their driveways less than an hour later, is part of the appeal.
“You know things are changing when you see the Lexuses and Mercedes here—along with the RVs,” said Sherrie Bereda, adding that the changing demographics extend into the fall, especially when the Notre Dame football team is playing at home.
Even so, Curt Schroeder, 51, of Highland, Ind., concedes he is getting to the age when portable toilets and cold water just do not cut it, revealing yet another advantage over more far-flung sojourns.
“When my wife can’t handle it anymore,” Schroeder said, “she’ll run home to shower.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-camping-01-sep01,0,4630023.story