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They almost didn’t make it here — but that had nothing to do with gas prices, which topped out at $3.69 a gallon outside Indianapolis.
And apparently they aren’t alone in heading for a camp site, as nearly every campground in the region reported being booked solid for the Memorial Day weekend.
Pettibone reservations director Jeremiah Conca said the campground’s 60 sites for this weekend have been booked for a month, with many folks driving in from Florida, California, Arizona and Alaska.
“(Gas prices) aren’t affecting them, otherwise they wouldn’t be coming here,” he said. “Everyone still wants to meet up with family and friends, even if it means spending hundreds of dollars filling up (with gas) each time.”
The Du Charmes came for the Memorial Day weekend to get in some camping and fishing in La Crosse, Rick’s hometown, and also to attend his niece’s wedding on Sunday.
“We had to come for the wedding,” Rick said. “High gas prices weren’t going to stop us.”
But a blown tire nearly did. The trailer started vibrating noticeably halfway into their trip, then pop!, the tire
blew just short of Louisville, Ky. Getting back on the road required borrowing a jack from a police officer and spending a night in Crawfordsville, Ind., delaying their arrival a day.
The 248 sites at Neshonoc Lakeside Camping Resort in West Salem, Wis., all are booked for the entire weekend as well, said Cheryl Price, general manager. While the higher gas prices have driven up costs due to increased delivery charges for goods, their business keeps growing, she said.
The campground, now owned by a national corporate parent called Diversified Investments, added six new sites and three new cabins this year after adding 13 sites last year, she said.
Those campers who are feeling pinched by gas prices have at least one other way to cut costs: stay at Wal-Mart. The retail behemoth allows campers to park in their lots nationwide.
Toby Wood, assistant manager of the Wal-Mart in south La Crosse, said he expects a decent crowd of RVs in the lot this weekend, although not as many as at the Black River Falls store, which he used to manage. In addition to being free, staying at Wal-Mart offers another advantage, he said.
“If they have to use the bathroom or they need an aspirin, they can come in and get anything they want,” he said. “We’re open 24 hours.”
Dan Simmons can be reached at (608) 791-8217 or dsimmons@lacrossetribune.com.
