Snowbirds flocking back to East Valley

Despite a slow economy, winter visitors are reportedly taking to highways and roads leading them back to the East Valley and warmer climates across the state at a surprising rate this year, according to industry trackers.

Slideshow: Snowbirds return to Valley

Few cancelations reported at winter RV parks

The Arizona Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds reported an upturn in winter visitor reservations and occupancies at many if not all of its 80 member sites across the state. However, industry officials said many sites are not members, and the number could be even higher.

Merlin Jones, president of the association, said that while there is no state organization in place to track the comings and goings of snowbirds, RV parks and similar facilities have reported a concerted uptick in the number of reservations made earlier in the season, and the association has projected an industrywide 8 percent increase in winter visitor traffic over last year.

Jones, who is also the general manager of Eagle View RV Resort on the Fort McDowell Indian Community, said his RV park is showing early signs of growth over last year's snowbird season.

"Things are looking up," he said, noting that the season stretches from October to March, with the main thrust of winter visitors arriving in January. "We've also experienced an increase with regards to reservations and people coming in now."

At his park, Jones said this time last year he experienced more cancellations. To date, his 150-site park sits right on the higher end, with an 8 percent growth rate over 2008.

MEASURING IMPACT

While other industries are cutting back because of the economy, many sites that are second homes to arriving snowbirds are doing just the opposite to attract them and their much-needed dollars.

Jones said typical improvements he's heard about include landscaping and resurfacing of park roads, construction of new exercise rooms, dog runs, and swimming pool upgrades, which all translate to the early booster shots for the local economy, since local companies and workers make the improvements even before snowbirds arrive.

The Arizona Office of Tourism reported that last year the travel industry in the state saw $18.5 billion in tourist spending. Even that lofty number represented more than a 3 percent decrease from 2007, as travel activity began to weaken in the latter part of 2007, along with the collapse of the local and national housing markets and the economic recession that followed, according to the tourism office.

Tourism officials said there was no system in place to track winter visitors specifically, but that the group was included in the larger number of tourists who come and spend their money for one night, a weekend, or for months on end, as in the case of many snowbirds.

Jim Beach, general manager of Mesa Spirit RV Resort, said his park was up in terms of the number of reservations, while occupancy still needed to be determined by folks showing up.

"We've seen an increase of less than 5 percent this season," Beach said.

While any increase is good news, Beach admitted that even last year's souring economy still yielded a greater than 5 percent increase for his park.

He thought this year's number would be better, but Beach acknowledged that the winter visitor season is far from full swing.

"We're in the shoulder of the season right now," he said, adding that December and January are the months that most guests begin to arrive at his park.

More than a third of the visitors in the 900-site park come from Canada.

A HOME ON WHEELS

Residents Charles Mahnke and his wife, Dianne, said they are spending their seventh year in the East Valley at Mesa Spirit RV Resort, and that little is going to deter them from escaping the cold and bitter winds of their native Minnesota.

Mahnke busied himself with work outside the couple's modish motor home in the park this week.

He said the couple made the more than 1,200-mile trip, though less circuitously this year because of the economy. There was never a doubt in the semi-retired construction company owner's mind as to whether they would be making the trip, he said.

"We used to say we were going to take our time, but now we travel straight to the Valley," he said.

Mahnke said he and his wife enjoy visiting the racetracks in the Valley, and the classic car shows, as well.

He said he would enjoy his little piece of the East Valley with his wife until the first week in April. After that, he had more than a thousand miles to travel on his drive back to Minnesota.

ONE BIG FAMILY

At Happy Days RV Park in Apache Junction, manager Mary Schaefer, who is a snowbird herself, said she returns to the park each year for a mixture of work and relaxation.

Her park is already at maximum capacity.

"We're full this year, and we were full last year, too," she said, attributing her park's success on a simple business model: "We're friendly; everybody knows everybody."

For the past five years, Schaefer said she makes the trip from Illinois to manage the 180-site park and soak up some sun.

"If you're in a big, 1,800-site park, you might just know the people that live on your block," said Schaefer, who often holds court in her office with people she describes as friends just as much as tenants. "People like small parks because they get to know everyone."

The park, which Schaefer said has been around for at least three decades, has even taken tenants away from larger competitors.

"I know people who have moved out here from bigger parks because they like the little atmosphere better," she said.

Willa Cloke, a 58-year-old retiree from southern Iowa, said she travels the 1,450 miles with her husband, Dan, for the very intimacy Schaefer was describing.

"We stayed in some big parks, and the people just weren't friendly at all," Cloke said. "We found Happy Days (RV Park) and the people were like one big happy family."

Why Cloke and her husband made the trip to the East Valley, and the decision was as simple as their choice to live at a smaller park, she said. "It was cold at home, and rainy" she recalled.

Cloke said making a beeline to the East Valley was also a simple choice: "We just drove through the night."