Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Small tourist towns feel pinch from gas prices, economy
CHAMA, N.M. — The summer tourist season in this tiny mountain town is well underway, and the quiet RV park nestled under towering cottonwoods ought to be full.
But with diesel fuel nearly $5 a gallon at the local gas station, Russell and Marji Patterson are seeing a dropoff in business at the riverside campground they've operated for almost three decades.
There are fewer campers — on a recent Friday afternoon the park is only about three-fourths occupied — and family groups are noticeably absent.
Russell Patterson says he's learned to live with the ups and downs of a tourist-oriented business in a remote area of the southern Rockies where a scenic railroad and outdoor recreation are about the only draws.
"But this gas thing — this is sucking all the extra money out of the American household," said Patterson.
Full Story...
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Eastern Tools & Equipment 800-Watt 4-Cycle OHV Gas-Powered Portable Digital Inverter Generator
But with diesel fuel nearly $5 a gallon at the local gas station, Russell and Marji Patterson are seeing a dropoff in business at the riverside campground they've operated for almost three decades.
There are fewer campers — on a recent Friday afternoon the park is only about three-fourths occupied — and family groups are noticeably absent.
Russell Patterson says he's learned to live with the ups and downs of a tourist-oriented business in a remote area of the southern Rockies where a scenic railroad and outdoor recreation are about the only draws.
"But this gas thing — this is sucking all the extra money out of the American household," said Patterson.
Full Story...
---
Eastern Tools & Equipment 800-Watt 4-Cycle OHV Gas-Powered Portable Digital Inverter Generator
# posted by Steven Fletcher : 1:10 PM 
