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Continued Page 2 SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, November 10, Kampgrounds of America annual Convention continues today at the Westin Savannah Harbor Hotel and Convention Center. The convention, with a sea of yellow attendees has been full of action from the start. Yesterday CEO Jim Rogers held his "Fire side" chat to a packed audience where he outlined and expanded on the original KOA vision set by founder Dave Drum, who founded the famous camping company on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana in 1962. The company now has more than 470 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Rogers, in his usual high action speech outlined where and how important the KOA brand has become as one of the most recognizable brands in the country. Backed by facts and stats the audience heard of his thoughts pertaining to growing the industry, customer satisfaction with a key to "keep it simple".

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SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, November 10, Kampgrounds of America annual Convention continues today at the Westin Savannah Harbor Hotel and Convention Center.

The convention, with a sea of yellow attendees has been full of action from the start.

Yesterday CEO Jim Rogers held his "Fire side" chat to a packed audience where he outlined and expanded on

the original KOA vision set by founder Dave Drum, who founded the famous camping company on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana in 1962.

The company now has more than 470 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Rogers, in his usual high action speech outlined where and how important the KOA brand has become as one of the most recognizable brands in the country. Backed by facts and stats the audience heard of his thoughts pertaining to growing the industry, customer satisfaction with a key to "keep it simple".

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Continued from Page 1

He outlined his thoughts on how important Lodging will become to the industry and how the demographics are changing where people are expecting more.

Outdoor Hospitality has become the buzz word and KOA's simple Mission Statement of "Happy Campers that recommend KOA to others" was a theme high on the marketing priority list.

The convention location in Savannah Georgia was well received by the participants where ease of access to speakers, events and the expo combined with a beautiful river location ensured a good time was had by all.

The river ferry was kept busy conveying guests staying at the Westin across the water to the

bars, restaurants and shops set out along the river boardwalk.

FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR AWARDED

Michael and Kristi Kuper, the owners of the Thunder Bay, Ontario KOA Kampground, were

named as the KOA Franchisee of the Year for 2011.

The Kupers, who first met as teenagers and worked together on the campground for Kristi’s parents, won the award during the first day of the Conventionin.

Michael and Kristi Kuper purchased the Thunder Bay KOA in 1998 from Kristi’s parents, and have worked tirelessly for the past 12 years to added new features and improvements for their camping guests. Their efforts have led to KOA President’s Awards every year, as well as three KOA Founder’s Awards.

The award was presented by KOA President Pat Hittmeier and CEO Jim Rogers, as well as last year’s winners, Sam and Renee Scialdo Shevat from the Herkimer Diamond, New York KOA.

Along with a large bronze statue by Billings, Montana artist Mike Capser entitled

Continued

The Franchisee of the year award was presented by KOA President Pat Hittmeier and CEO Jim Rogers to Michael and Kristi Kuper from Ontario.

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“Always Welcome,” the Kupers will be the one-year guardians of the “Dave’s Hammer” traveling trophy. The trophy includes a well-used hammer once owned by Kampgrounds of America founder Dave Drum.

RISING STAR AWARD

Also on Monday, David and Helena Johnson were honored as the KOA Rising Stars for 2011. The Johnsons are the owners of the Willits, California KOA. The award goes to a KOA franchisee who has been part of the KOA system for five years or less who demonstrates extraordinary dedication to guest service and support for the KOA system.

Continued

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

For author and customer service visionary Fred Reichheld, good business is as easy as following the Golden Rule.

“It’s as simple as treating customers so well that they come back for more, and bring their friends,” Reichheld told more than 500 Kampgrounds of America franchise owners and managers during the keynote session of KOA’s annual International Convention in Savannah, Georgia Monday, November 8.

Reichheld, the author of the groundbreaking business book “The Ultimate Question – Driving Good Profits and True Growth,” studied several companies that had experienced exceptional growth, including Chick-Fil-A, Southwest Airlines and Enterprise Rent-a-Car. He told KOA franchisees what he found at these companies was a singular dedication to treating customers well, quickly measuring their success and “making good things happen with what they learned.”

Reichheld’s measurement tool, the Net Promoter Score, simple asks customers to rate their stay immediately after receiving their service, as well as ask them how likely they are to recommend the business to a friend. The low scores, or “detractors” are subtracted from the top scores, or “promoters” to arrive at a net promoter score. Reichheld’s new scoring system was adopted by the KOA system this summer as a means to held

campground owners improve service to campers.

Reichheld said too many companies focus on “bad profits.”

“They make money by

charging extra fees for what should be common service,” he said. “It’s basically businesses screwing people without going to jail. It destroys the humanity of their work force. It’s what has happened in the cable

Continued

David Johnson with award

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industry, the cell phone industry and in other businesses.”

Reichheld’s system provides KOA owners with immediate customer feedback on a daily basis, allowing them to quickly check progress and correct service problems as they occur.

“Converting a passive customer to a true promoter increases their value to your business by a factor of three,” Reichheld said. “A good name definitely can drive profitable growth.”

He said sharing immediate customer feedback with employees is a great way to insure everyone – the owner, customer and employee – can win. “It becomes not about the score, it becomes about the service consistently provided.

“If I leave you with just one thing today,” Reichheld said, “it’s that it can be as simple as following the Golden Rule. Just do unto others as you would have them do unto you – and then measure it.”

Longevity awards

Several KOA campgrounds were recognized for their longevity with the KOA system.

10th anniversary:

Bob Bogart and John Tolbert, with Mackinaw

City/Mackinac Island, Mich., KOA Ralph and Kim Newell, with Branson, Mo., KOA Paul and Carlisa London, from Polson/Flathead Lake, Mont., KOA Richard and Sylvia Nagamine, with Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain, N.Y., KOA Terry and Sandy Hays, with Sallisaw/Fort Smith West, Okla., KOA Kevin and Dawn Benson, from Cascade Locks/Portland East, Ore., KOA John and Shelia Trigg, with Charlotte/Fort Mills, S.C., KOA Thomas and Pat Gardell, with Buffalo, Tenn., KOA Dennis and Gisela McBride, from Van Horn, Texas, KOA Jerry Bergman, with Luxury Lodges of Texas in Texarkana, Texas The Hollands and Hawkes, with Cannonville/Bryce Valley, Utah, KOA Robert and Gail Brown, from Vernal/Dinosaurland, Utah, KOA Hans Wagner, with 1000 Islands KOA in Kingston, Ontario.

Campground owners recognized for 20 years with KOA include:

Howard and Shirley Stein, with Port Huron, Mich., KOA Roger and Barbara Philip, from Rochester/Marion, Minn., KOA Terence and Diane Devine, with

Livingston/Paradise Valley, Mont. Those celebrating their 30th anniversary include:

Matt and Kathi Driskill, with Devils Tower, Wy., KOA Shelly and Dennis Hanes, with Lake Erie/Westfield, N.Y., KOA

Continued 40 Year recipients:

J.C. and Doris Walters, with the St. Louis West Historic Route 66, Mo., KOA Rob and Darlene Goodbout, from the Woodstock, N.H., KOA Gene and Micki Tapper, from the Allentown, Penn., KOA

The Wienermobile attracted a lot of attention

Lucas Hartford and Guy Gagnon from Evergreen USA

The KOA Expo kicked off Tuesday night and finishes at 4pm today. The crowds milling through the many vendors were treated to some well known faces along with a considerable number of new products coming onto the scene. See Page 16 of this issue.

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http://issuu.com/industryenews/docs/getawayusamediakit1

I was lucky enough to be invited by John and Sheila Trigg of Charlotte/Fort Mill KOA to travel to the convention along the intercoastal waterway from Myrtle Beach to Savannah onboard their 62' "Trigger Treat" motor yacht.

The 2 day trip was a

delight and a very neat way to go to a convention.

Also onboard were Randy and Jocelyn Jenkins and Tim and Jocelyn Michelle Hoag along with baby Jocelyn Nicole, all from Statesville East / I-40 / Winston-Salem KOA. Editor

John Trigg with Dusty at the Westin marina

Sheila Trigg and Randy Jenkins

Jocelyn Jenkins, Jocelyn Michelle and Jocelyn Nicole Hoag

Tim Hoag and Dennis Macready

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Bella Terra RV Resort

Some RV parks and resorts along the Gulf Coast are reporting the beginnings of a slow economic recovery after seeing their business evaporate in the wake of theBP oil spill.

“We’re starting to see daylight,” said Tripp Keber, COO of Bella Terra Realty Holdings, which owns the 176-site Bella Terra in Gulf Shores, Ala. “We’re starting to see snowbird activity come back. I don’t think we’ll be back to normal this winter, but I think we’ll be in much better shape than we were (after the spill).”

Keber is hoping to achieve

50 percent occupancy at Bella Terra this winter. And while he still has a long way to go to achieve that figure, based on preseason bookings, the pace of reservations is picking up.

“It looks like we’re rebounding back to normal for the winter,” said Patrick O’Neill, general manager of Camping on the Gulf in Destin, Fla., adding that snowbirds are again returning to the Gulf.

But while the winter season is important economically to Camping on the Gulf, O’Neill said it pales in comparison to the summer season, when the beachfront resort typically generates 75 percent of its annual revenue.

O’Neill added that inaccurate and exaggerated news reporting involving the effects of the spill gutted his business throughout the summer months, even though tar balls only showed up briefly on three different days between April 20th, when BP’s oil rig exploded, until Labor Day, when the company finally capped the leaking well.

“Between BP and the

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ARTWORK | LOGO DESIGN | WEBSITES | PRINTING SERVICES

Contact Dennis Macready 865 387 5667 | 865 429 8344E: [email protected] W: www.voircreative.com

county, they had 1,300 workers combing 26 miles of our beaches, just looking for tar balls,” O’Neill said, adding, “They’d pick everything up by hand and in a couple of hours it looked like it never happened. It was more of a perception thing than actual damage.”Even now, he said, the county and BP workers continue to patrol the beaches on ATVs making sure the beaches are clean.

But while some RV resorts are seeing their businesses gradually rebound, others say it will take a long time to recover.

“I think we’re going to be OK (this winter), but we don’t have the advance

reservations we usually have,” said Michele Richard, owner of the 43-site Bay Hide Away RV Park and Campground in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

Richard added that the negative publicity involving the oil spill took place during the summer months, when retirees typically make their reservations for the following winter. “There are some snowbirds that go from place to place that are not on a big schedule, but the ones that commit to stay three to six months plan in advance,” she said.

Still, Richard is seeing signs of resurgence in her business. “We have a lot of returning visitors and new ones coming in,” she said.

Edee Wolfenberger, a 75-year-old Recreational Vehicle (RV) resident at the Rusk KOA camp, is trying to make a dream come true. She has applied for a $250,000 Pepsi Refresh grant to construct an RV park for permanent senior citizen residents.

“My dream is to ‘build a Real Life village for seniors. There will be no big-box warehouse for us,’” she said. She refers to assisted living facilities as big box warehouses. Already she has found an

attorney who will help with the legal work and make application for a 501. c3 tax-exempt status.

“Our plans are to purchase enough property for RV residents to move in. Many of the lots will include a place to permanently park an RV in an attached facility with another room to the side. We will have a place for a community garden, an activity room and cabins for folks who do not have RVs. Also, persons owning mobile homes are invited to move those homes into the park.

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New Berlin, PA – “The Software was much improved from a technical standpoint from the earlier version we had seen. But it sacrificed user-friendliness to reach that goal”

So says Expo Producer Art Lieberman when asked what he thought of the first virtual trade show in the outdoor hospitality industry.

“The sponsors, exhibitors and the visitors all seemed to love the concept and almost all of them have indicated that they would participate in the show if it were to be run again”, says Lieberman.“We have several options going forward. We can run the show in 2011 utilizing Expos2, the provider of the software, under the condition that they revise the program to make both exhibitors and visitors more comfortable at the Expo – or seek another software company. We have, of course been reviewing our alternatives.

It does appear, though, that we will try the concept again next year. There have been several entities who have expressed interest in co-producing the event with us.”

The Expo’s numbers were good as far as attendance was concerned and, since the Expo is STILL open in the “On Demand” status, the final attendance figures are not in. At this writing

3,370 outdoor hospitality businesses were pre-registered for the event and over 420 people attended, 85% of who were campgrounds. An additional 20 or so people are logging in every day at http://live.outdoorhospitalityexpo.com, since the Expo is STILL running.

Hundreds of exhibitor brochures and videos were inserted into attendee’s briefcases to be reviewed later.

“The webinars and Open Forums probably broke records”, bragged Lieberman. “Derrick Crandall, who delivered the keynote address, had well over 100 individuals watching him live and several dozen more have watched the recorded version of his webinar. Derrick’s topic was unique, in that it covered the attempt by the First Lady to draw attention to childhood obesity and to get youngsters outdoors and recreating (especially at campgrounds). He pointed out that statistics indicate that children spend 7 hours a day in front of TV screens or computer or game monitors, which accounts for the high number of obese and overweight children in our society. Even with advances in medical procedures in our present society, children will live 5 years less than their parents”.

All of the other webinars received equal praise from attendees and booth staff as well. Evanne Schmarder’s live broadcast of her cooking show from her RV drew raves from many people.

Discussions about Wi-Fi and registration software were also well received.

Lieberman and co-producer Deanne Bower have promised to produce a “White Paper” about the Expo, including full statistics and even an evaluation of the software improvements necessary to repeat the event next year.

In the meantime they expressed their gratitude to Deb Kohls, Peter Pelland, David Gorin, Jim Ganley, Chris Hipple, Tracie Fisher, Evanne Schmarder, Derrick Crandall, Robin Chilson, Mary Arlington, Tyler Duffy, Eric Stumberg, Gary Pace, Peter Kearns, Jerome Steverosky, Steve Ashkin, Larry Losconsy, Mike Prom and Dennis Macready and many others too numerous to

mention, all of whom had a hand in making this vision a reality.

The Producers also wished to thank Artem, Barry, Derek, Jenelle and Missy of their staff for marketing the Expo.Comments about the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo can be directed to the producers by e-mail at [email protected]. More information about the expo can be found at www.outdoorhospitalityexpo.com or by calling them at 877-901-EXPO (3976). (Website designed and maintained by Pelland Advertising)

Expo Producer Art Leiberman

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Tourism, Parks and Recreation received its award in the provincial Service Delivery for Citizens and Businesses category for www.Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca, an online service that provides real-time information on campsite availability in the province.

The website uses leading-edge geospatial technology that allows panoramic 360-degree views of each campsite and campground. Before making a reservation online, visitors can select an individual campsite on a map, research campsite size and features such as nearby trails, fire pit location and proximity to washrooms.

“We are thrilled to receive this national award for Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca,”said Cindy Ady, Minister of Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.

“Our online reservation service is making 50 provincial campgrounds easier to access, and we are excited to hear from campers who are discovering new places to explore.”

Since the province launched the new service in May 2009, nearly 142,000 account holders have made more than 178,000 campsite reservations.

Cindy Ady

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AUBURN, Calif., Nov. 8, 2010 – Several California RV parks and resorts that cater to snowbirds are reporting stronger advance bookings for the upcoming winter season than last year at this time, according to an informal survey of private park operators.

“Business is looking up,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. “Several of our affiliated parks in Southern California are reporting very strong bookings for the upcoming winter season.”

Of course, not every park is seeing an upswing in business. Campland on the Bay in San Diego and Rancho Los Coches RV Park in Lakeside both anticipate slight declines in their winter business compared to last year. But their experiences appear to be more the exception than the rule. Here’s what other park operators are seeing:

Happy Traveler R.V. Park in Palm Springs: “We’ve been booked (for the upcoming winter season) since June,” said park owner Diane Marantz. She said the park has 125 to 130 sites and that the same people come back year after year.

Fountain of Youth Spa in Niland: “Our rental units are booking up nicely,” said Jolene Wade, the park’s managing director,

Shadow Hills RV Resort

Debbie Sipe

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adding that the park’s winter RV site rental business is “on par or a little stronger than last year.”

Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina in Newport Beach: Andrew Theodorou, the park’s general manager, says he anticipates his winter bookings to be “flat to a slight increase over last year.”

Rancho Los Coches RV Park in Lakeside: This park’s winter business is expected to be down slightly from last year’s figures, according to park operator Bill Milligan.

Shadow Hills RV Resort in Indio: “Its unbelievable how we’re doing right now,” park owner Paula Turner said of the 120-site park. “We’re already at 93 (advance reservations) for January 15th and 108 for February 15th.” Turner added that she has seen the pace of reservations accelerate at her park even though she has raised her rates. She attributes the increase to new snowbirds who have never come to her park before as well as her park’s dog friendly atmosphere. “We are very dog friendly,” she said. “I would say about 50 percent of our guests have dogs.”

Sunland RV Resorts, which owns and operates RV resorts in Palm Desert, Hemet, San Diego, El Cajon and La Mesa. “We’re going to have as good of growth as we had last year and double digit growth at some of our facilities,” said Greg Sidoroff, operations manager for the La Jolla-based RV resort chain.

The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course in Borrego Springs: Spaces at this 90-site RV resort are sold out for the January to March period with a waiting list of roughly 100 people, said Daniel Wright, the park’s general manager.

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PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov. 8, 2010 – Desert’s Edge RV Village has already filled up for the winter season.

But snowbirds aren’t the only ones who are making the 213-site their temporary home away from home. Joining them are more than 30 insurance adjusters and dent repair specialists who plan to make the park their temporary home while they help local auto body shops repair an estimated 500,000 or more vehicles that were damaged three weeks ago in the worst hailstorms to hit the Phoenix area in more than 50 years.

And just as building contractors, carpenters and roofers flock to places that have suffered significant storm damage to homes and businesses, there is a contingent of traveling auto body repair specialists who specialize in hail damage.

“They call us ‘The Hail Team,’” said Andrea

Dearborn, a traveling dentrepair specialist from West Virginia. “We travel all over the country and all over the world, wherever there is significant hail damage.”

This year alone, Dearborn has repaired hail-damaged vehicles in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, each time using her RV as her home away from home while she pounds out the dents in people’s vehicles. She has also traveled with other “Hail Team” members in recent years to Germany, Mexico and Greece, acting on leads from their network of insurance adjusters and weather reports.

“Hail Team” members typically partner with local auto body repair shops to help them keep up with the workload, though they will also rent out additional garages if they need more work space.

“We have our own tools, and we can literally set up shop in an afternoon,” said Neal Dimmit, a dent repair specialist from Palm Harbor, Fla., who travels from job-to-job with his wife and 120-pound Alaskan Husky.And with the downturn in the economy, some dent repair specialists have also found they can supplement their local business income by taking their dent repair services on the road. That’s the approach currently favored by Kurt Weilbacher of Baton Rouge, La., who works with a partner to manage dent repair assignments in Baton Rouge and in Phoenix, while using their RV as their temporary home and office.

And while America’s “hail season” typically runs from March to October, the early October storms created so

much damage in the Phoenix Valley that the “Hail Team” expects to spend the next four to six months before their work is completed.

All of this is good news, of course, for Desert’s Edge RV Village Managing Partner Saundra Bryn, who noted that advance reservations for the upcoming winter season were already running ahead of last year’s figures.

“Hail Team” members, for their part, like staying in the comfort of their own RV while they do their work, and they like the friendly outdoor hospitality that campground owners provide.

“The people at Desert’s Edge are so nice and the park is so well taken care of,” Dimmit said.

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PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov. 8, 2010 – Several Arizona RV parks and resorts that cater to snowbirds are reporting stronger advance bookings for the upcoming winter season than last year at this time, according to an informal survey of private park operators.

“Several of our Arizona affiliates are pleasantly surprised by the strength of the upcoming winter season,” said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

Here’s a sampling of advance winter bookings reported by Arizona RV parks and resorts thus far:

Desert’s Edge RV Village in Phoenix: “It looks like we’re going to be full,” said Saundra Bryn, adding that her park has gotten an early boost from insurance adjusters, hail repair specialists and others involved in the construction trade as the Phoenix area recovers from one of the worst hailstorms to hit the area in half a century.

Mesa Spirit RV Resort in Mesa: “We’re about two or three percent ahead of last year on advance reservations,” said Jim Beach, general manager of National Mobile Development, which owns the perfect. “It’s not great, but we’re ahead. Last year, we had a really good year.”

Palm Creek Golf & RV Resort in Casa Grande: “We’re looking strong,” said Wendell Johnson, general manager of the resort, adding that advance bookings are running 10 percent ahead of last winter’s figures.

Shangri-La R.V. Resort in Yuma: “It’s looking good this winter,” said Debbie Saunders, the park’s assistant manager. “We have very few spots left that are available for the whole winter.”

Rincon Country RV Resort in Tucson: Advance reservations are running well ahead of last winter’s figures for both of the resort’s parks, with advance reservations running 22 percent ahead of last year’s figures at the 460-site East Park and 26 percent ahead of last year’s figures at the 1,083-site West Park, according to Annette Sounnakhone, who works as an office manager for the resort.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Nov. 8, 2010 – Several Florida RV parks and resorts that cater to snowbirds are reporting stronger advance bookings for the upcoming winter season than last year at this time, according to an informal survey of private park operators.

“The overall opinion is that reservations are up. Everybody seems to be pretty happy,” said Bobby Cornwell, who serves as executive director of the Florida and Alabama Associations of RV Parks & Campgrounds in Tallahassee.

Meanwhile, RV parks and resorts in areas of Florida not affected by the oil spill anticipate a strong winter season, in many cases surpassing last year’s figures. Here are some examples:

Central Park of Haines City: “Our winter business is outstanding,” said Chris Long, general manager of the resort, adding that his advance reservations are up 10 to 15 percent over last year’s figures.

Dunedin RV Resort in Tampa: “Business is looking wonderful this upcoming winter,” said Darlene Proctor, a desk clerk at the resort. “The months of January, February and March you couldn’t put a toothpick in

here were are so full. And November, December and April are filling up quickly.”

Flamingo Lake Resort in Jacksonville: “I’m noticing a lot more walk-ins starting early and our daily business has gone up two or three percent,” said park owner Bob Little.

Holiday Travel Resort in Orlando: “Our business is looking good,” said Patty Parsons, assistant manager of the resort, adding that she expects business levels to be consistent with last winter’s figures.

Sun N Fun RV Resort in Sarasota: “We’re starting off really well. October was fantastic and November is really strong,” said Tim Deputy, general manager of the park. He added while Sun N Fun was booked to capacity last January, February and March overall business will be even stronger for the winter of 2010-2011 because of the stronger bookings this fall.

The Great Outdoors RV Resort in Titusville: “We’re about even keel with last winter,” said Judy Willeke, an owner and director of TGO Realty, which sells and rents sites the resort. She added that the colder the weather is up north, the longer the snowbirds are likely to stay in Florida.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 10, 2010 – Carefree RV Resorts today announced that it will offer permanent 50 percent nightly discounts to active and veteran military servicemen and women and their families at 35 parks in Florida, Texas, New Jersey, North Carolina and California.

“At Carefree RV Resorts we value all of our customers, but it is with great pride that we get to offer discounts to the active and veteran servicemen and women who protect our country’s democracy and keep us safe,” said Mike Rosenhagen, a retired U.S. Army Major who now serves as Carefree RV Resort’s Vice President of Operations.

“With this in mind, we are not only offering veterans a 50 percent nightly discount over Veterans Day weekend, but we are making the discount permanent.”

“All veterans need to do to take advantage of this promotion is show their military ID or other form of identification that shows their service,” Rosenhagen said, adding

that the discounts also apply to immediate family members who are traveling with active or veteran military.

The discounts are being offered on a space available basis and cannot becombined with any other discount programs. The discount also cannot be used on holiday weekends.

Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Carefree RV Resorts offers a wide variety of RV campgrounds throughout Florida, Texas, New Jersey, California and Massachusetts for every type of RV vacation. All properties have a wide variety of amenities including, clubhouse, swimming pool, planned activities programs as well as rental units, which can accommodate people who don’t have their own RV.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.carefreervresorts.com.

it was a pleasure to meet Peggy Vazzano at the KOA Convention in Savannah. Peggy has designed a great way to pack all the ingredients in one compact container. A sure hit with campers and owners alike.

Wholesale enquiries:480 250 [email protected]

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Environmental scientists are talking about tipping points: certain aspects of the earth’s environment that, if damaged or changed beyond a certain point, could become nearly irreversible. This would doom the inhabitants of earth to a terribly difficult existence. These tipping points are the stratosphere, land use, fresh water use, climate change, species extinction, phosphate/nitrogen balance and health of the oceans.

Currently matters are getting worse in all seven of these areas. Now the question is at what point is there no return? When, for example, would it be too late to reverse the loss of land suitable for agriculture? When would the oceans become so overwhelmed with waste that they could no longer support food chains?

We hear news often enough about stratosphere and climate change concerns. We hear less news about freshwater use and health of the oceans and almost nothing about the other three. It is now thought that hundreds, if not thousands, of species

end on earth each year. The balance of phosphate/nitrogen is deemed critical for growth of vegetation. And indiscriminate land use each year shrinks the amount of land available for crops.

Two things threaten the environment: population growth and industrialization. There are six billion people on earth, soon to be nine billion. Mostly we are crowded into large cities and certain areas of the world. The road out of the poverty this creates is industrialization. Industrialization provides necessities and amenities: food, medicine, clothing, building materials, communication systems, energy, and fuel and innumerable other items that several centuries ago were not even imagined.

Industrialization and large populations are here to stay. What may or may not be here to stay is the environmental downside these have created. About that we still have a choice.

By Larry

December 1-3: InSites Convention andOutdoor Hospitality Expo, Rio All SuitesHotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. Formore information visit www.arvc.org

December 6-8: PCOA Conference,

Wyndam, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Formore information contact Beverly Gruber at610-767-5026 or [email protected]

To post your upcoming events please email the editor at [email protected]