Have RV, still gonna travel
“But to be quite honest, the high gas prices may not totally be a negative,” says Porter. “We’re so close to what we call the ‘Santa Rosa corridor.’ And, we’re a destination resort. People might come to Benbow and stay a week.”
Many of them, he adds, could be locals, who typically comprise the bulk of his RV park guests over the major holidays.
It all sounds oddly cheery, considering that up the coast in Oregon there are reports of RV parks suffering a 20 percent decline in reservations, and down in Santa Rosa three RV dealers recently went out of business. Maybe there’s just a lag in impacts here. Mel Wright, who with his wife Patricia owns the Wright RV dealership on Broadway, says business is going well.
“In fact, up until recently, we had more units sold than we could deliver,” Wright says. “But I don’t know if that will continue. Our manufacturers are way down on orders.”
Still, it’s all relative. For the brand-new Ancient Redwoods Immortal Tree RV Park, any business is good business, says Dean Lewis, whose family has run a burl shop on the same site north of Redcrest for 41 years. Their park’s grand opening was May 1 and they had “100 percent vacancy,” Lewis says, laughing. A big storm in December washed out a section of the Avenue of the Giants, deterring visitors. But they now have two RVs in the park, and more on the way.
“What we’ve noticed,” Lewis says, “is an increase in Canadian visitors.”
→ post a comment
seven-o-heaven
Old Town Arcata
Will Plaza Point put the kibosh on Arcata whippersnapper shenanigans?
Recent special section
Sept. 22, 2011
Open Door Community Health Centers
Sept 2011
Aug. 25, 2011
Open Door Community Health Centers
July 28, 2011
Open Door Community Health Centers
Today
Label GMOs Signature Gathering Training
meetings / 4 p.m. Sun Yi's Academy of Tae Kwon Do, 1215 Giuntoli Lane, Arcata. Help gather valid signatures to get the 'California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act' on the 2012 ballot. E-mail northernhumboldtlabelgmos@hotmail.com. 223-0424.
Open Celtic Music Session
music / 3 p.m. Cafe Veritas/Mosgo's, 180 Westwood Center, Arcata. Informal monthly gathering of musicians playing Irish and other Celtic music. Hosted by Seabury Gould. seaburygould.com. 845-8167.
Nonviolence Action Camp
etc. / 10 a.m. Chinmaya Mission near Piercy. Weekend-long direct action orientation features workshops, role playing, seminars, ceremonies and field trips. Bring food, bedding, warm clothes, signs, banners, bikes, drums, acoustic instruments. Pre-register. saverichardsongrove.org. 932-5898.
Audubon Society Field Trip
outdoors / 9 a.m. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 1020 Ranch Road, Loleta. Meet at Refuge Visitor Center off Hookton Road. Leisurely, two- to three-hour trip intended for people wanting to learn birds of Humboldt Bay area. 822-3613.
More →
ONE Comments
Comment / By calamityjaimie / June 12, 2008, 6:29 p.m.
This is happening in many places, though in our travels, we’ve seen many Europeans traveling in rented RVs. With the dollar being down for them, this is an inexpensive way to travel for foreign tourists.
Other RVers are finding places to work or volunteer as they travel. Instead of putting lots of miles on their vehicles, they get paid (or at least an RV site) for being in an interesting or beautiful place.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak Author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider’s Guide to Working on the Road