LOST BRIDGE -- Campers at Lost Bridge North Park in Garfield recently shared their stories.
Ken and Vikki Becker of Wilmington, N.C., were acting as volunteer camp attendants. They clean, take care of the campsites and bathrooms and pick up trash. They are retired and they do this to travel and keep busy in the summer.
"I probably walk a couple miles a day, which is healthy," Ken said.
Linda and Joe Luney of Pea Ridge were camping in their RV. Linda has a home daycare and Joe works for Walmart.
"We usually go pretty far away, but this time we wanted to stay pretty close to home," Linda said of their vacation. She said they were fishing, swimming and cooking hamburgers.
Rocky and Michelle Underwood of Keota, Okla., arrived at the park on Memorial Day. They had just returned from walking and were about to go paddle boarding.
"Last year was our first time and we just fell in love with the area," Rocky said. "Pea Ridge was one of the things that drew us, the battle of Pea Ridge."
The couple is retired from the Navy and they travel and camp full-time.
Rocky said, "There's two different types of people who camp. There's your full-time campers and there's your weekend campers or vacation campers. I think people who get to actually leave their job and go camping enjoy it more because people like us take it for granted. We still have a home and a farm, but we're only there about a month out of each year."
Michelle said, "Mail is the hardest thing. You have to have some kind of a P.O. box that will forward it to you.
Another challenge, Rocky said, is, "If you want to get a good spot for long-term, you have to do a six-month reservation. Camping has really surged."
Michelle added, "Yellowstone and places like that, you have to book a year out. You really have to start preparing to have good family trips."
Rocky continued, "Camping has drastically changed in the last 10 years. A lot of people are selling everything they own because they believe it's cheaper to live in a camper."
In some ways it is cheaper to live in a camper, but maintenance on a camper is expensive, he said.
"The camper industry has boomed so much the dealers can't keep up with the maintenance. During the winter they can, but during the summer they're swamped," Rocky said.
The Underwoods were planning to spend 14 days, the maximum amount, at Lost Bridge North Park, then go to Lost Bridge South Park for 14 days. This is their second year camping full time, and they have been camping for 12 years.
"This place is so beautiful. The people are so friendly. The food is not expensive. We really like it. It's an absolute blast," Rocky said.
General News on 06/07/2017