Archive for June, 2005

>They arrive every summer with the regularity of mosquitoes and road construction, huge creatures that spark awe, disdain and the urge to scream “A delay of more than four vehicles is illegal, asshole!” as you putter down the Seward Highway in a 10-vehicle convoy. But sometimes when I drive behind a motor home, I’m fascinated, and jealous. What must it be like to go anywhere you want with a place to sleep and cook your favorite tortellini dish? To be able to just hit the road not knowing where you’ll end up, but knowing you’ll have a home when you get there? To start in South Dakota and wind up in California or Kenai with your favorite pillow? Full Story…

>A city-owned RV park reopened this week at Mission Bay’s De Anza Cove.

After a $1.5 million renovation, the park is accepting visitors at the 259-space bay-front property, now renamed Mission Bay RV Park.

A grand opening celebration will be held tomorrow.

The city estimates that the park will bring in $2 million a year in revenue. Before the reopening, the RV operation was run by a private company, De Anza Harbor Resort & Golf, which gave the property back to the city in late 2003.

Rental prices start at $45 per night during the summer and $30 from October through April. Spaces with bay and beach views or deluxe accommodations cost up to $119 nightly.

The city did a major overhaul of the property, installing new power, sewer and gas lines, remodeling the bathrooms and providing satellite television and Internet access.

“It’s like a completely new park,” said Will Griffith, the city’s real estate assets director.

The site had become so dilapidated that the conditions were unsafe, Griffith said. The money for the renovations came from revenue generated by a nearby mobile home park on city land, he said.

A private company, Hawkeye Asset Management, operates the RV facility for the city.

For reservations, call (877) 219-6900 or visit the park’s Web site, www.missionbayrvpark.com.

>The Woodall’s/ARVC RV Park and Campground Survey estimates occupancy at privately operated campgrounds nationwide this Fourth of July holiday will be 75 percent on July 1, 83 percent on July 2 and 80 percent on July 3. Reservations are already ahead of last year’s by 2 percent.

This means that about 848,000 sites will be rented on Friday, 938,000 on Saturday and 904,000 on Sunday in privately owned campgrounds. The commercial campground owners will entertain and lodge more than a million families and/or parties — in excess of three million people over the Fourth of July weekend. Full Story…