Enjoy Halloween In September!

At Meadville KOA, we do Halloween in September.  Generally, the weather is little better than in October, and we’re not competing with other campgrounds who do their Halloween Events on or near Halloween.

Halloween is a big deal.  Kids love trick or treating, parents love the creativity, and it’s just good, family fun!  If you’re looking for some family fun this fall, then come to Meadville KOA!  We have some great Halloween (and other autumn) event weekends in store for your family!  But you better reserve now, because the weekends are upon us!

The weekend, Sept. 16, we have Pumpkinfest Weekend! – This is a great weekend for tweens & teens!  We’ll have free crafts with the younger kids, and free pumpkin carving for teens, and then enjoy free pumpkin treats like pumpkin cake and ice cream!  Turn your campsite into a Haunted Campsite!  Big prizes (Free Camping) for 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd Scariest with Best Pumpkin Theme!  Tweens & Teens, join us on our pumpkin scavenger hunt!  Find a magic pumpkin and bring it to the store before you leave for your prize!  (* 2 night min. at holiday rate.  Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend!)

The Next weekend, September 23 is Our Halloween Weekend!  We have costume contest (prizes for all ages), trick or treating, apple cider, donuts, after dark glowing wagon ride, and a Sunday morning free all you can eat pancake breakfast with the purchase of your campsite (for 2 adults and 2 children)! We have a campsite decorating contest!  Prizes for 1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd Day & Night time!  Breakfast is just $3.00/person for visitor’s & extra camper’s!  (* 2 night min. at holiday rate.  Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend!)

September 30th is our Applefest Weekend!  (Save $5.00 per night this weekend!  Discount Code CD)  Or, Bring a friend who never camped at Meadville KOA before and you each get a night free, when you each buy one! Ask for Discount Code C1! Come join us and enjoy the flavors of the season!  We’ll have free crafts for kids, an apple dessert dish to pass social, and an afternoon wagon ride to enjoy the foliage!  This is Franklin Applefest(tm) Weekend!  (+ Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend!)

October 7 is our Customer Appreciation Weekend & Columbus Day Weekend!  (Save $10.00 per night on your campsite if you camped with us earlier this summer!  Discount Code CA)  Or, Bring a friend who never camped at Meadville KOA before and you each get a night free, when you each buy one!  Ask for Discount Code C1.  Adults & Children play Farkle (a dice game!)  Winners go home with a pocket Farkle game as the prize!  Then, we’re having a free pizza party after the Tournament!  The Fall Saegertown Steam and Gas Engine Show is this weekend!  (+ Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend!

October 14 is our Closing Weekend!  (Save $5.00 per night on your camp-site!)  Or, Bring a friend who never camped at Meadville KOA  before and you each get a night free, when you buy one!  Ask for discount code C1!  This is our last camping weekend for this season!  Please note that all amenities may not be functional this weekend!

If you don’t own an RV, don’t panic!  We have a camping cabin, kitchenette cottage cabin, and deluxe lake-front lodges to rent so your family doesn’t have to miss any of the fun!  And all of our autumn campsites and cabins (unless otherwise noted) are at our lower autumn rates!  Come enjoy some autumn camping with your family!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson CPO, Own and Operate Meadville KOA Campground. You can contact her at 814-789-3251.

169 Million Unused Vacation Days

Recent reports suggest that unused vacation days are at a 40 year high.  The study, commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association, found that American workers earned just under 21 paid-time-off days in 2013 (excluding sick days,) but used only 16.  While some employees can bank or roll over their vacation days into the next year, an average of 1.6 days were completely forfeited, according to their survey.  In total, that is somewhere around 169 million days forfeited, and amounts to a whopping $52.4 billion in lost benefits.

And yet, further studies showed that people who used their vacation days seemed to be more productive when at work, and another independent study showed that they also received better performance reviews!

Well, if you’re a Stephen Covey fan or a graduate of his self-help “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” you already know that people who “sharpen the saw” are better workers than those who don’t!  And you may already know, spending time with the family makes deposits in those emotional bank accounts and fosters family unity.  Both of which are the hallmark of family unity, marital success, and having healthy, happy, and successful children.

So why am I telling you this?  Because visiting your local campground can help you accomplish all those goals.  It can provide your family with time together, give you the time away from work stresses you need, and do it without breaking the bank or stressing for hours on the road! 

Here’s how:

You don’t have to be a camper to go camping!  Today’s campgrounds offer cabins with restrooms, kitchens, air conditioning, heat, and more.  You can go camping without sleeping on the ground, or in a dirty run-down, smelly fishing camp.  They call it Glamping (glamor camping), but what it is all about is introducing non-campers to camping and the outdoors!  And it costs about the same as a hotel, and doesn’t require you owning an RV (recreational vehicle)!

Stay in a more rustic cabin!  You don't have to stay in the most expensive or fancy cabin!  Stay in one with less frills, and you get the same experience for less.  You still get to enjoy all the activities and events.    

You can stay closer to home!  Simply book a cabin for a long weekend, stay Thursday night through Sunday night, and go home Monday.  Use 2 days of vacation and get a 4 day break!  Now that’s a sweet deal!  And you used a whole lot less time to get there (more fun and less time locked in the car with the kids), and less money in gas and less wear and tear on the driver!  It’s much more restful and relaxing!    

Camp during the week or in the off-season.  Many campgrounds offer discounted camping Sunday – Thursday and in the off-season (before Memorial Day Weekend and after Labor Day) because they are less busy, have smaller staffs, and fewer events.  So why not capitalize on that and camp during the off season or during the weekdays when you’ll spend less and have a less crowded pool to enjoy?  That way, you’re spreading your vacation out across several months, and you’re not competing with those other vacationing campers for facilities nor co-workers for peak season time off.   

Choose a campground with amenities and activities for the kids!  The kids are less likely to beg to go to the mall or a movie if there is a ball game, fishing tournament, or other activity at the campground they don’t want to miss.  So, make sure that you involve the kids in the campground selection and that within that selection is wide assortment of activities and amenities for everyone in the family.  The busier the campground keeps the kids, the happier everyone will be!  Generally speaking, campgrounds with a good activity program generally advertise the specifics of the program.  A little research in that department pays big dividends when it comes to both the bottom line and the quality of the get-away for your family!     

Make more trips and stay shorter periods.  Instead of making 1, 7 day vacation trip why not make 2, three – 4 day trips?  You’ll get more “mini vacations” or “stay-cations” as we call them!  That gives you more breaks from work, and you’ll use more vacation days, but aren’t missing a whole week at a time.  It’ll keep you better connected with what’s happening at work, but still allows for that time off we all need.

Enjoy A Campfire Together!  Skip the dinner out and the movies or mall trip. Stay at the cabin or campsite and enjoy a campfire.  Dinner?  Chips, dips, veggies, hotdogs, buns, and the fixin’s.  Kids love roasting a hotdog over an open fire.  And don’t forget desert!  You have to let ‘em roast marshmallows and make a s’more!  Don’t forget the campfire popping corn or peanuts to shell and eat!  You can tell scary stories, strum the guitar and sing campfire songs, study the constellations, or collect fireflies!  There are a host of ideas and fun to be had at a campground this summer.  You save the cost of the dinner & movies, the gas to get you there and back, and the kids are thrilled with a new outdoor experience!  

Why not start planning your mini vacations today?  Don’t let another 25-27% of your vacation go unused this year.  You need to sharpen the saw, the family needs time away, and you need to spend time together!  Start right now while there’s still enough summer left to do it!  But don’t stop at Labor Day Weekend!  Keep right on going and take your kids to fun-filled autumn events too!     

Don’t forget, you can do most of these things at any one of the many Kampgrounds of America Campgrounds!  You don’t have to go a long way to get away and enjoy a low cost but high adventure camping experience!  Use those vacations days and enjoy time with your family, and moreover, make memories that will last a lifetime!    

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson are CPOs, who own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251.  

May is National Lyme Disease Prevention Month

Lyme Disease Awareness Month is a campaign which promotes preventative measures which can be taken against Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is an acute inflammatory disease caused by the bite of a tick infected with the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi; Lyme disease is spread through the bite of ticks which carry Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium.

In the United States there are two main species of tick which carry and spread Lyme disease. The deer tick or black legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) spreads the disease in the north central and eastern parts of the United States.

The western black legged tick (Ixodes pacifus) spreads Lyme disease on the west (Pacific) coast. Both species of ticks are found in wooded areas. The life cycle of the Ixodes tick is complex.

Symptoms:

There are two types of symptoms of Lyme Disease: first and late symptoms. First symptoms are usually flu-like and include fatigue, tiredness, joint and muscle pain, and also a characteristic rash. Late symptoms can take much longer to develop: weeks, months or even years. Late symptoms may include fatigue, mental health issues, the condition arthritis and chronic encephalomyeltits.

Chronic encephalomyeltits is a progressive condition (symptoms become worse or more widespread), and include back pain, bladder problems, vertigo and weakness in the legs. Late Lyme disease can also cause brain, joint, and heart infection.

The Need For This Awareness Month:

In the United States over the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the number of reported cases of Lyme disease. Lyme Disease Awareness Month educates both the young and old about Lyme Disease and how they can take steps to prevent it.

As both types of ticks which carry the Lyme disease virus live in wooded areas, people who visit these areas are encouraged to wear protective clothing around the ankles.

White or light clothing is recommended as it is easier to spot any ticks. Shirts and T-shirts should be tucked into your pants (trousers), and socks pulled up over the bottom of the pants. Using an insect repellent can also help prevent the ticks from getting on to you. Pets should also be checked. Before returning inside it is recommended to do a tick check first.

Tick Removal Lowers The Risk Of Lyme Disease:

Carrying a tick removal kit is advised as they can be used to effectively remove ticks from body reducing the risk of disease transmission. Often the disease is transmitted when a tick is not removed properly.  We carry these in the camp store.

The body breaks away with the head still buried in the skin; this causes the tick to regurgitate its contents into the person’s body.

'Do It Yourself' tick kits should include an insect repellant, a tick removal, an antiseptic and small vial. 

Using the removal tool, remove the tick with the tool, hooking the tick as close to the skin as possible. A gentle twisting action is recommended by the Lyme Disease Foundation to remove the tick, and all the tick’s mouth pieces as thoroughly as possible. By placing the tick in a vial with a blade of grass, the tick can be kept alive for testing.  Take it and seek immediate medical attention.  In tick prone areas, emergency room or urgent care centers may prescribe a 10 day dose of antibiotics as a preventive medicine without testing the tick. 

Remember, ticks can happen anywhere in the US.  You can get a tick from any outdoor activity like hunting, hiking, gardening, mowing, etc.  What you may not know is that you can also get Lyme disease from your pet, Christmas tree, picking strawberries. 

Make sure you know how to protect yourself and your family.  Buy and routinely wear tick repellent.  Practice good hygiene practices and bath or shower thoroughly after being outside, and checking yourself and family members for ticks.        

This article was reprinted from Lyme Disease Foundation Page.  You can get more information at: http://www.whathealth.com/awareness/event/lymediseaseawarenessmonth.html 

Febuary RV Shows, Contests, A Sweetheart of A Deal on Cabins, and More!

RV show season isn’t over just yet!  We still have a couple to go!  So, make sure that if you haven’t visited one of the local RV Shows, that you get out to visit one!  It’s a great low cost day out!  Call some friends, and get out of the house for a bit!  Look at RV’s, have dinner together, and get in on some great deals that include free camping offers, contests, and much more!  We hope to see you!

Listen to NASH FM 98 For Your Chance To Win A FREE RV Rental from Ray Wakley RV and a FREE Weekend of Camping at Meadville KOA Campground!  That’s right, Ray Wakley RV and Meadville KOA have teamed up with NASH FM 97.9 to provide you an opportunity to win a FREE RV Rental and a FREE Weekend of Camping at Meadville KOA!  So make sure you listen to NASH FM 97.9 from Feb 1 through the Erie RV Show for your chance to win!  Get more info at: https://meadvillekoa.com/recreation/contests/

Erie RV Show Feb 11-14 At the Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, PA!  Show Hours: Thursday 2 pm to 8 pm, Friday Noon to 8 pm, Saturday 10 am to 7pm, and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm.  General Admission: Adults $6.00, Children 10 & Under Free, and FREE PARKING!More info & coupons to save $ online at: http://www.eriepromotions.com/RV/eri/default.aspx

Win Free Camping at the Erie RV Show!  Come to the Erie RV Show for Your Chance to Win Free Camping from attending campgrounds! Erie Promotions will be raffling off a free night of camping from over 12 attending campgrounds at the Erie RV Show! All you have to do is attend the show and register to win! There are no additional fees! So come on out to the show, and get Registered to Win FREE CAMPING! And of course, Meadville KOA is one of those Campgrounds! We wish you luck! But you can't win if you don't come to the RV Show and get entered!  https://www.facebook.com/ErieRVShow/?fref=ts

Butler RV Mall RV Show at the Clearview Mall, in Butler PA! February 19 – 21, 2016 Time: During mall hours!  More infor and mall hours are available at the Clearview Mall Site: http://www.shopclearviewmall.com/

We invite you to attend any and all of these RV Shows!  Stop by the KOA booth and say hello!  We hope to see you there!

Don’t forget that we have fun online in the winter with our campers too! Follow Meadville KOA on Facebook for updates on fun contests too! 

Surprise your sweetheart with a cabin vacation getaway this summer!  It’d make a GREAT Valentines Day gift for your special someone!  Book a Cabin in April – June for 4 nights for the price of 3!  Book our Lake-Front Deluxe Cabins, Kitchenette Cottage Cabin, or Camping Cabin for any three nights between April 22 and June 30, and get 4 nights for the price of 3! Get more info on at https://meadvillekoa.com/discounts-and-free-camping/! 

Seasonal Camping RV Show Discount!  Become a Seasonal Camper for the 2016 season from the RV Show!  When you pay for seasonal campsite in full by May 1, you receive a $75.00 rebate!  See our Seasonal Camping page for campsite availability, prices, and more details!  Check out our seasonal camping, and all the premium services you get at a less than premium price at: https://meadvillekoa.com/seasonal-camping/

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson are CPO’s who own and operate Meadville KOA Campground. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251. Kampgrounds of America, is now the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public family campgrounds.  

Why Are Visitor Fees Charged At Campgrounds & RV Parks?

No matter which campground that campers choose to stay at, if they have friends or family living in or near that area, chances are, they’ll want to visit them.  When guests arrive at the campground, they are often charged a visitation fee, and many are surprised by that.  Below, we’ve listed some reasons why visitor fees are necessary.   

The campground’s facilities can only handle so many people at a time.  It isn’t that campground owners don’t want visitors.  On the contrary, we love you to invite people to come visit.  We love to have people see and enjoy our parks.  We take great pride in them.  However, additional people place an extra burden on the facilities.  There are the obvious additional expenses of toilet tissue, paper towels, cleaning supplies, attendant’s labor, garbage bags, and more.  The prices of these supplies have sky rocketed with increased petroleum prices.  We have to recoup those costs. 

Popular, private campgrounds receive hundreds of visitors a month, which can translate into thousands of visitors a season, which translates into huge extra expenses for the campground.  The less obvious long-term expense is that expanding facilities is a huge investment these days and in order to maintain the facilities a campground has, they have to stay within the capacity boundaries for which their water and sewage systems were designed and for which they are permitted.  Water system quality, pool samples, and sewage testing are required by the state to the tune of thousands of dollars a season.  All for good reason, as they are designed to keep the public’s drinking water, swimming facilities, and ground water safe.  However, when extra burdens are cast upon those facilities, the costs to maintain and operate them increase as well.  If the testing of those systems is that expensive, imagine the increased operating expenses for them as well.

State and local laws, set occupancy, and facilities are only permitted for so many people accordingly.  Design load and licensing of campgrounds or the facilities is similar to the ‘seating capacity’ license you see in food services, however recognize that because a campground does not have tables and chairs that limit occupancy, it must be done in another fashion.  The state issues sewer treatment permits based on the total number of campsites and number of people per campsite, times the average water usage per campsite.  That is why the number of people per campsite and the total number of campsites is limited.  When the campground is full, an extra 8 people is another campsite.  Multiple that by several campsites, and the idea of overflowing sewer systems should come to mind.

In addition, the visitor rates aren’t normally set on the person who uses the facilities the least, but on the average cost of the visitors to the campground or RV park.  The campground owner assumes that your family will participate in activities and events, enjoy the entertainment provided, and or utilize the swimming pool, and other facilities and amenities.  These business owners know that their visitor rates go up dramatically on holiday and special event weekends.  The numbers of visitors increase because we have special activities and events; have better entertainers or entertainment and more things to do.

In some states, laws require that every visitor to a private outdoor hospitality property register, regardless of intent to visit residents or use the facilities. State health department require that business owners can identify all in residence and visiting in case health issues arise.  User pay fees are the fairest way to cover the costs of those inherent costs, and should a health risk arise, to identify the users at risk.

Security is always a concern.  Campgrounds, like anywhere else, can be a target for thieves, child predators, etc. So tracking who is in the park helps to reduce the chances of theft, child abductions, among others.  It provides more security for both your family and possessions.

Emergency Preparedness is essential!  What if the campground had to be evacuated in the event of a fire, flood, hurricane, or tornado?  How would the campground account for who was on the premises and who might be missing?

Parking extra vehicles is another issue.  In most campgrounds, real estate is a premium.  So, too many cars per campsite quickly become a congestion and safety issue.  Most campgrounds limit the number of vehicles per campsite to one or two for safety reasons and rescue vehicle access.  Therefore, the campground needs to provide extra visitor parking areas to relieve that congestion and ensure access for emergency vehicles.  That means that there is a clerk that has to assign the visitors tags, provide access to the park, a campsite map to help the visitor to find the folks they desire to visit, and finally directions on where they are to park.  All of these materials and the employee’s time is an additional increase to the cost of operations to the business. 

Be a courteous camper!  No one wants to be camped next to a mob.  If you’re planning a family reunion, birthday party or another celebration of some sort, ask about using a pavilion or facility so as not to intrude on your camping neighbor!  

Increased visitors increase a campground’s liability insurance costs.  The rates for a campground’s liability insurance are based on the risk assessment and the number of people who occupy a campground during a season.  The higher the number of occupants in the RV Park or campground, the risk increases accordingly.  In addition, some insurance carriers argue that visitors are more likely to be injured because they are unfamiliar with their surroundings, may not be aware of all the rules or safety policies at campgrounds, and are less likely to be dressed appropriately for the camping or outdoor experience.  All of these things place the visitor at an increased risk for an injury.    

Remember that privately owned and operated campgrounds aren’t subsidized by tax dollars like federal, state, and county parks.  Even at most of those campgrounds, there is an entrance fee, and then camping fees on top of it.  They charge for visitors too.  It’s called day use fees.     

Read the back of your visitor's tag!  Many campgrounds, offer a full refund if you're only there a short time (less than an hour).  You just take the time-stamped tag back to the office and they'll refund your visitation fee if you were there in less than that amount of time.  

State Laws define unlawful trespass and theft of services.  Visitors or users of any private property that have not identified their purpose are considered trespassers, and are subject to trespass laws, and or theft of service charges. In some states, this is also called defrauding an inn keeper.  These laws help protect campgrounds from thieves, vagrants, etc.  Trying to cheat or defraud a campground owner as to how many people you have camping with you or visiting you can land you in hot water with the law.  Please don’t do that! It’s not only more honest and the right thing to do, it’s the law.  Please don’t place a campground owner in the position of having to have you arrested for unlawful trespass, defiant trespass, and/or theft of services.

Visitor’s fees, as you can see, are necessary.  There are additional costs associated with visitors.  It isn’t fair to pass those costs on to all the campers.  That is why most campgrounds charge the people receiving those services (i.e. the visitor) for the services rendered.

So the next time you hear someone complaining about a visitor’s fee, or worse yet encouraging another person to cheat or to avoid paying a visitors fee, remember that it is you, the RVer or camper, who will ultimately pay for that visit.  At the end of the business year, when the numbers come in, and that owner looks at the bottom line from that camping season, the campground owner will have to set their rates for the next season to offset their losses.  In other words, they’ll have to raise the campsite prices accordingly to pay for those extra supplies, extra tests, extra labor and extra maintenance.  So when visitors cheat, they aren’t cheating just the campground owner and breaking the law.  In the end, they are cheating the American consumer, and in this case, that is you, the camper. 

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson, own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA.  You can contact Robyn at 814-789-3251