Raining Cats and Dogs

While most people may think that a long holiday weekend is a real money maker for a campground in reality is its more of a service to our guests. Yes, the weekend does promise additional revenue, but along with it comes added responsibility. It's one of the few times in the year where we may need to tell guests that we are full leaving them disappointed that they did not plan far enough ahead. Most every site is full so not everyone has as much space as they might like. We try to match the right site to the needs of the group but that is not always easy to do. This year there were additional challenges. The weather forecast had thunderstorms possible for about ten days before the holiday and 10 days after. Watching the weather reports, guests could expect that sometime during their stay it would be raining cats and dogs.

Long holidays are times when family and friends plan to camp together. We have many more requests for tent sites as well. This means when a group decides to cancel last minute due to weather concerns, we are often left with multiple sites open rather than just one. When guests do decide to take a chance on the weather,  owners worry that the weather conditions will spoil their good time or even put them at risk. This holiday had a bit of everything as large groups cancelled and last minute shoppers quickly filled the vacated spaces. We were so pleased to see that once the weekend was in full swing the weather was mostly nice and the rain was minimal. Our craft this holiday weekend was painting wooden cats and dogs. While the kids did not get the connection they were very creative in decorating the animals. So despite the forecast there was plenty of opportunity to have a good time.

Holiday weekends mean long days and lots of moving parts- they are hard but made easier by the good folks you meet along the way. Mid summer weekdays are quiet and peaceful. Weekend campers bring energy and excitement. Longer term guests and weary travelers  need a safe and quiet place to rest. What we hope to say is that all types of guests are welcome here. Variety is a good thing- like a  dog that gets so excited to see its owner or the cat quietly sitting in your lap. We hope everyone had a chance to reflect on the reason for Memorial Day and the sacrifices made to proved us with the freedoms we enjoy. Thank you for joining me in this reflection- Karen

2018- Look Out

We have to admit that winter in Eufaula does not have the same hectic pace we see during three day holiday weekends or peak vacation season. Still it is a great time to welcome longer term guests, finish up pending projects and plan for the new year. We actually do update the business plan each year and its great to see what we have accomplished and what ideas we had that are now part of the Campground tapestry. Even a simple thing like Pool Christmas Decorations helps make the space more festive and fun.

For the last several years one of the more interesting questions to answer has been how many sites do you have? The campground was designed with many more sites than we actually use on a regular basis so this year we took the plunge to make as many sites as possible larger, basically double sites. I look forward to site 59 having as much character as site 38 and being a great option for your weekend camping trip. We were also able to work with the cable company to get these sites all hooked up with cable TV. 

The big ongoing project for the year is working to upgrade the bathroom area so we can offer more individual space for campers and day use. Its a bit of balance to work on the new area but still keeping the older sites operational. So far so good with no major problems encountered as we proceed with the upgrades.  One project the family is rather excited about is offering some tent spaces in the 9 Ponds Retreat Center area. These sites, once completed, will be a bit more private and will encourage more people to enjoy the space. If we get the expansion completed by year's end we will be doing well - keep up with our progress on facebook.
We are entering our 4 year for hosting a chili cook off and this will be year two for our spring Bike A Thon . We would love to do more weekend focused events like orienteering or a cornhole tournament but since the interest of our guests vary a great deal look for these new ideas on holiday weekends to start.  Thanks to all of our Guests for your continued support and your help in making the campground better each year.