From the Texas Association of Campground Owners
CROWLEY, Texas – Hotels have been offering great deals this summer as they struggle through another year of recession.
But if you ask Tom Ervin and David Ussery how they plan to spend Labor Day weekend, they’ll tell you it won’t be in a hotel.
They’ll be spending the weekend with friends and family at Surfside
RV Resort in Port Aransas. Both men have left their rigs parked at the
Surfside since May, and used them as weekend getaway cottages.
“It’s a very economical vacation,” said Ervin, 61, a retiree from
Gonzales who has left his 26-foot RV at Surfside since April. He
typically visits the park with friends, while enjoying the slightly
cooler weather along the coast.
“We just go there and relax and have a good time,” he said. “The
park is secure. You feel safe there. And it has a family atmosphere.”
Ussery, of Liberty Hill, said he has been going to Surfside for
many years, and typically leaves his rig there from Memorial Day to
Labor Day. But this year, he brought it there at the beginning of May
and plans to leave it there through September.
“I use it like a beach getaway,” he said, adding that he frequently
goes there with his wife and three kids as well as friends of the
family. “This year, my wife’s softball team is going to join us over
Labor Day weekend,” he said.
The practice of leaving rigs at campgrounds and RV parks for use as
weekend getaways isn’t limited to beachfront parks. “It happens all
over Texas, wherever people like to spend their vacation time or time
away from home,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director of the Texas
Association of Campground Owners.
Based in Crowley, the Texas Association of Campground Owners
represents more than 400 private campgrounds and RV resorts. For help
locating industry sources, statistics and other information about
camping trends in Texas, visit TexasCampgrounds.com.
