Gas helps drive patrons to local parks

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BY KEITH BENMAN
kbenman@nwitimes.com
219.933.3326 | Thursday, July 03, 2008 | (No comments posted.)

Local parks and outdoor attractions are attracting patrons, despite record gasoline prices that are causing many families to curtail vacation plans.

Lake County's Lemon Lake has drawn 47,000 visitors so far this year, as compared to 37,000 by this time last year, according to Sandy Basala, superintendent of visitors services for the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department.

She thinks a trend toward shorter trips because of high gasoline prices might be working in favor of county parks. The slumping economy also has families looking for less-expensive activities.

"If you were thinking of going to Chicago or somewhere else with the kids, you might stay closer to home and do something here with them," Basala said.

Attendance at Wihala Beach in Whiting also has increased, with 1,340 people going there Memorial Day weekend as compared to 900 in the same weekend last year.

Deep Water Riverpark attendance is almost on a par with last year, when a record 260,000 came to the U.S. 30 attraction to cool off, according to general manager Chris Landgrave.

He expected more of a drop in attendance this year because the weather so far has been significantly cooler on average.

"On the good days we get a lot of people," he said. "The good days are real good days."

At West Beach at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, May attendance was off sharply, a fact the park attributes to the relatively cool weather.

In May, 9,719 people came to West Beach, as compared to 15,895 in the same month last year, according to park figures.

Public Information Officer Bruce Rowe said as the summer continues the park will have a better idea of what the trend is for this year.

Dunewood Campground at the National Lakeshore also saw a drop in attendance, with 2,123 people making camp in May of this year as compared to 2,399 last year.

The American Automobile Club does not provide a full summer travel forecast, but so far both its Memorial Day and July 4 weekend forecasts have shown Americans are traveling slightly less.

"While gas prices continue to take a toll on the traveler's budget, the travel industry is responding with discounts, promotions and other incentives to get people traveling," AAA spokeswoman Gail Weinholzer said.

Some 34.2 million people are expected to hit the highways this July 4 weekend, as compared to the 34.6 million that did so last year, which is a 1.2 percent decrease.

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