KOA ‘Undercover Boss’ Episode on June 21

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Re-air date set for June 21. If you missed the escapades of Kampgrounds of America CEO Jim Rogers on CBS’s “Undercover Boss” last January, you’ll have another chance to see Rogers in action when the episode re-airs Friday, June 21, KOA has announced. The rebroadcast was initially scheduled for June 7, but was removed from the schedule for that date by CBS on June 6. The original showing of the KOA “Undercover... Read more

Drought Forces N.M. Campgrounds’ Closure

New Mexico has now closed the main campgrounds at what used to be one of the busiest recreation lakes in the state, because the water levels have dipped to levels not seen in 70 years, KRQE-TV, Albuquerque, reported A community meeting was held Monday night (June 17) near Tucumcari, where Conchas Lake businesses got the bad news. The area, like the rest of New Mexico, is in severe drought. Water levels are so low, state parks no longer have jurisdiction in some areas based on their lease agreement... Read more

KOA: Father’s Day Weekend Results Up 4.1%

This “kids stay free” promotion helped KOA notch a 4.1% increase in Father’s Day weekend bookings this year compared to 2012. Fathers and their families throughout North America went camping at Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) locations in increased numbers last weekend, according to figures released by KOA today (June 18). KOA said camper nights across the 485-campground KOA system in North America were up 4.1% this Father’s Day Weekend, compared to Father’s Day Weekend in... Read more

‘Rally’ Sought Wedding Vow Renewal Record

Hundreds of couples lined up early at the New York State Fairgrounds last week to get hitched, again. The Post-Standard, Syracuse, reported that the people who crowded into Chevy Court with the goal of setting a new world record for largest wedding vow renewal were camped out at the fairgrounds for the Camping World/Good Sam Rally, which bills itself as the biggest and best RV event in North America. As couples filed through turnstiles and volunteers collected signatures from each couple renewing... Read more

The Current RV Park and Campground Briefs

  RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind. INDIANA From a news release: The RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind., will help commemorate the centennial of the Lincoln Highway by hosting two events next week. On June 24, a caravan of 25 vintage RVs traveling the highway will stop by the Hall of Fame to spend the night at the museum where other vintage RVs are displayed. Their campers will be available to view throughout the early evening from 6 to 8 p.m. On June 26, a caravan of nearly 100 antique autos... Read more

Six Elements of Good Campground Websites

Jeff Loper Jeff Loper, a 17-year marketing professional and Campgrounds Connect founder, provides campgrounds/RV parks with affordable marketing, social media, website design, video production, photography and graphic design solutions. Jeff is also available to speak at association meetings/events. He wrote the following guest roundtable for the June issue of Woodall’s Campground Management. Visit www.CampgroundsConnect.com to subscribe to the blog which offers valuable marketing ideas. E-mail... Read more

Gorin: Wi-Fi Takes Over Top Spot in His Poll

David Gorin David Gorin is the former president of ARVC and is currently the president of Best Parks in America and the principal of David Gorin Associates LLC. He provided the following column which appears in the June issue of Woodall’s Campground Management. He can be reached by e-mail at david@bestparksinamerica. My informal poll now shows that after many, many years in first place, sewers have been knocked from the top spot. Wi-Fi has replaced sewers and sewage as the No. 1 topic among... Read more

Location a ‘Plus’ for Lazy River Campground

The Jellystone Park near Gardiner, N.Y., (in the top right corner of this map) is located in the scenic Shawangunk Mountains. Map courtesy of the Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway. Millions of potential campers live a short drive from Lazy River. The campground is five miles from the New York State Thruway, making it easily accessible from metro areas of the state, as well as New Jersey and Connecticut. New York City is 90 miles away. Overlooking the campground is the Shawangunk Mountains, the single... Read more

Lazy River Campground: Remarkable Restart

Campground owners John and Heidi Lawrence and Glenn Bracklow When brothers-in-law Glenn Bracklow and John Lawrence and John’s wife, Heidi (Glenn’s sister), decided in the early 1990s that they wanted to go into the outdoor hospitality business, they had two choices: start from scratch or buy an existing campground. They chose the latter and in late summer 1991 bought a rundown campground in the Hudson River Valley near Gardiner, N.Y. The facilities were meager, John recalled. There was a single... Read more

Forecast – 88M Americans Boat This Summer

New data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) show 88 million Americans expected to take to U.S. waterways this summer. According to a press release, NMMA reported that recreational boating in the U.S. has an annual economic value of $121 billion. The industry’s rising tide supports 964,000 American jobs and 34,833 businesses, generates $40 billion in annual labor income and drives $83 billion in annual spending. The NMMA, on behalf of the U.S. boating industry, released these... Read more

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