Western PA Camping And RVing

Campfire Cooking! It’s What’s for Dinner!

2011-07-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

Maybe people love campfires because it reconnects them to nature. Or maybe it’s because it reminds them of the hardships the settlers must have faced when forging a new country. Whatever the reason, campers still love their campfires and cooking over them!

As campers ourselves for over 30 years, we’ve had many a meal over the campfire. Our boy’s favorites were always pizza mountain pies. We often followed those with mountain desert pies (blueberry, cherry, or apple) complete with powdered sugar topping!

But today’s pie irons and cookware offer so much more! If you haven’t tried a dutch oven pot roast cooked over the fire, or home-made chili, or pineapple upside down cakes, campfire pizza pie, or kabobs you need to try them! These are affordable meals for your family and are also simple, easy, and delicious!

At Meadville KOA, we know that campfires aren’t just one of the things people love about camping; it’s one of the biggest things people love about camping! We carry a full line of cookware to accommodate our campfire cooks! We have cast iron Panini Sandwich Makers, Waffle Irons, Brat Cookers, Bread Makers, Sore Thumb Makers, Campfire Pizza Racks, Pie Iron storage bags, and more!

More importantly, we carry books filled with great recipes and campfire cooking tips! You’ll learn things you didn’t know, and before you know it; your whole family will be enjoying cooking their own, customized meals!

It’s never been so easy to cook breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening snacks over the campfire! It’s affordable, nutritious, and the kids will love it! It’s quality family time together! And, by the way, they’ll tell you that it tastes awesome!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@MeadvilleKOA.com

Why Did We Join KOA?

2011-06-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

We were offered lots of congratulations when we announced in late April that Brookdale Family Campground was the newest campground in Pennsylvania to be invited to join the 475-park Kampgrounds of America system. People congratulated us, because they know KOA’s reputation as high quality franchise system. Many also know that it will bring even more visitors to other local businesses.

Our campground has a 33 year history of serving campers in the area. We have a well established reputation and great ratings. RVing directories like Woodalls & Trailer Life rate us a 9 park, and our customers rate us as A- to B+ park with Guest Reviews!

Since that’s the case, we’ve had several campers ask us why we joined KOA and what it will doing for them. So, I thought it might be a great idea to do a blog about it.

The answer is that their national brand is second to none. KOA is the largest and most recognized camping franchise in the world, with campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada. We’re proud to be new members of this 475 park organization. They distribute directories across the USA that literally places us in the hands of hundreds of thousands of potential new customers. Wow that’s big. No, that’s really, really big!

Even though our campground has that 33 year history, not everyone has heard of us. Each year we bring hundreds of new, first time campers to our park through their friends, Google, camping directories, and RV Shows, to name but a few. We’re hoping that becoming a KOA will open us up to camping families who only camp at KOA. And yes, we are getting reservations from some of those families already.

So the question is, why would people only camp at KOA’s? Well first, because of the brand. A Big Mac is a Big Mac, anywhere you go. A KOA is a KOA. It’s the same thing. There’s a certain level of expectation there, and KOA meets it.

KOA’s online service provides real-time reservations. Kampers can make a reservation at any time of the day or night! The other really significant thing about that is that when you include your email address on your reservation, you also get an immediate email confirmation. You’ll know what your total costs were, what your deposit was, and what is due upon arrival.

KOA Kampers who purchase a $24.00 Value Kard get a 10% discount and accumulate points every time they stay at a KOA. So, not only do they save dollars while kamping, the can redeem their points for discounts and free stays! That makes KOA a good value too! KOA Value Kards can be purchased at any KOA or online at: http://koa.com/.

The second most asked question has been, “Does this mean that your rates are going up?” The answer is simply no, we have not raised our rates since becoming a KOA. Our rates were set in January with the publication of our brochure and they have not changed. Did they go up from last year? Yes, we had a modest increase. Our rates go up when our operating costs increase. That said, even if they do go up a little, buy a value kard and get your 10% discount. The savings makes it a great value for a 9 rated campground!

KOA also offers the kampers the KOA Kompass (http://koakompass.com/). An electronic (email) newsletter, that runs contests, recipes, comics, and much, much more! It’s a fun way to hear about KOA programs, and more!

And of course, KOA is on Facebook and Twitter! Which, by the way, we are too! Come join the conversations with us at Meadville KOA! We hope you’ll come kamp with us at Meadville KOA and see why Meadville KOA is NWPA’s Family Fun Camping Zone!

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

Up Coming Events in June honor Chocolate, Dad’s, and the Civil War!

2011-06-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

June is a great time of year to get outdoors and go camping! The meadows are alive with buttercups, wild phlox, fawns, and the smell of honeysuckle fills the air! Not only are all of those things true at Meadville KOA, but we also have a schedule that honors chocolate, Dads, and the sesquicentennial of the Civil War!

Let’s first look at Chocolate. You might say that honoring chocolate is silly. And true, we work hard at Meadville KOA to make it silly. But don’t underestimate the importance of this Latin American bean. The Maya people used it as currency. Only the very rich drank it. What would they think of us today? By 1907, Milton Hershey's factory was spitting out 33 million kisses per day. And so it is, that we celebrate this rich Pennsylvania history with our own wacky version of an event to honor chocolate named, “Death By Chocolate Weekend”.

On June 10 & 11, we start our day with a free craft for the kids. And yes, it’s an edible craft involving nothing other than chocolate! We later play candy bar BINGO. You buy a card with a full size candy bar, and we play BINGO. If you win, you win candy bars! We of course have specials and give away… yep, you guessed it – BIG Hershey bars! The kids love it, and so do the “bigger kids” (aka parents), who play too! Then in the afternoon we have a free ice cream sundae social! You get to make your own sundae! YUM! And last, but certainly not least, we end our day with an after dark flashlight hunt that looks from the highway like huge lightening bugs flittering all around the field where the candy was hidden! If all of that isn’t enough, we have the pool (weather permitting), fishing, the kiddie train ride, wagon ride, and more.

Our Father’s Day Weekend (June 17 & 18) is the perfect opportunity to take dad camping and let him spend the day relaxing and fishing! That’s right, dad’s can do catch and release fishing and he doesn’t even have to have a license at the Meadville KOA. We pay a fee so you don’t need a license. But that’s not all. We have dad & child bean bag toss tournament, dad’s day picnic dinner (we provide hotdogs, and you provide the side dishes), and we have the dad’s day Brookdale 500 Car Race. An honored event at Meadville KOA. No RV? No problem! We have deluxe lake front lodges, kitchenette cottages, and camping cabins at the Meadville KOA. So bring dad camping and give him some quality time with the family, and relaxing by a campfire. It makes a great gift. Don’t forget that we also sell gift certificates!

On June 24 & 25, we’re celebrating the Civil War sesquicentennial! You can camp and experience living history. You can see how they lived during the period, what they ate, what they wore, and more! Our 70 reenacters are sure to delight you with their candlelight tour of their encampment. This is the biggest reenactment we’ve ever had, and you won’t want to miss it! If you haven’t experienced camping and the Civil War Reenactment at Meadville KOA, we invite you to do so! Your whole family will be talking about it all summer long. It may even spark your interest in traveling to Gettysburg for their celebrations and reenactments this summer!

We hope to see you this month and we hope you’ll join us to honor chocolate, your dad, or the Civil War Reenactment! Whatever you do, get outdoors and enjoy the wonderful state of Pennsylvania and especially all that Western PA and the Meadville KOA has to offer your family!

And if you want to save money on gas, ask about leaving your RV here during the week!

We wish you happy Kamping to you and your family, no matter where your travels take you!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251. Become a fan at http://Facebook.com/MeadvilleKOA

KOA Directory gets Microsoft Tags!

2011-06-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

KOA’s Campground Directory for 2011 includes Microsoft Tags! If you’re not up on “techie stuff”, you might ask, “What’s a Microsoft Tag?”

A Microsoft tag is a pseudo-bar code, which when scanned by a smart phone, will take you to the website of the product or business the tag appears on. In the case of the KOA Directory, it takes you right to the Campground’s Website.

To use a Microsoft Tag, you need a smart phone and the software that you can download to your phone, which will allow your phone to read the tag and take you to the website, coupons, and more! In the case of KOA, the tags turn your “smart phone” into an online camping directory! You can now locate and book that campsite right from your smart phone while traveling!

You can learn more about it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2BtyGJe_dA&feature=player_embedded

By Robyn Chilson
Robyn & her husband Tim, Own and operate Meadville KOA (Formally Brookdale Family Campground) in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at 814-789-3251.

Brookdale Family Campground To Celebrate Grand Opening as Meadville KOA!

2011-05-17T10:20:00.001-07:00

MEADVILLE, PA (May 17, 2011) – The Meadville KOA, formally Brookdale Family Campground, will be celebrating It’s Grand Opening as a member of Kampgrounds of America!

Meadville KOA is the newest park in Pennsylvania to be invited to join the 475-park Kampgrounds of America system. KOA is the largest and most recognized camping franchise in the world, with campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada.

This well-known and highly rated campground has been renamed the Meadville KOA. The campground has a 33-year history of serving camping families. Current owners Tim and Robyn Chilson, have owned and operated the campground since purchasing it in October of 1999.

“Our Grand Opening will celebrate becoming a KOA member campground on May 21st! It is complete with a parade and ribbon cutting,” Tim Chilson said. “Campers who stay as paying guests on May 20 will receive May 21st free for camping with us on our Grand Opening Weekend! Kids can participate in our free crafts and ride their bikes in the parade through the campground! We’ll have a float for the younger tikes to ride on, we’ll have the Meadville High School marching band performing, and of course the East Mead Fire Company will be participating in our campground parade! And we’re having scrap booking and Family Game Night where families play to win a version of the games! It will be a fun packed weekend and the weather is supposed to be good! It’s a great weekend to get your RV out and come camping and help us welcome KOA to Meadville!”
For more information about the Meadville KOA Campground or to make your reservations, go to www.Meadville KOA.com or call 814-789-3251.

Brookdale Family Campground Joins Kampgrounds of America

2011-04-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

MEADVILLE, PA (April 20, 2011) – The Brookdale Family Campground is the latest campground in Pennsylvania to be invited to join the 475-park Kampgrounds of America system. KOA is the largest and most recognized camping franchise in the world, with campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada.

This well-known and highly rated campground has been renamed the Meadville KOA. The campground has a 33-year history of serving camping families, and also has a rich area heritage.

The McClemens family, who originally purchased the land from the Holland Land Company in 1893, built a homestead and barn at the site in 1914, in an area known at that time as McClemen’s Flats.

In 1945, the Roae family purchased the property and turned the farm into an auction barn and built ponds for a fish hatchery, where they raised and sold flathead minnows for fishing in Pymatuning Lake. In 1978, they turned the auction barn and farm into Brookdale 1914 Campground, taking the name directly from the date on the old red barn and the brook that runs through the center of the property.

According to current owners Tim and Robyn Chilson, people still ask if there used to be a big barn with roller skating in the top of it at the campground. The barn served as the main building complex for the campground until it burned in 1984. The campers helped rebuild the main building, which now serves the campers and local community with a seasonal mini-mart store. The building also houses a recreation hall, game room, restrooms and showers, and a laundry facility for campers.

The Chilsons purchased the campground in October 1999. The Chilsons have continued to expand the campground, adding ten additional 50-amp pull-through campsites, a camping cabin, two lake-front deluxe rental cabins, a mini golf course, a new playground, a jumping pillow, pedal karts, and WiFi to the park. “As the technology changes and RVing changes, we have to expand our infrastructure to not only meet our customer’s expectations, but to exceed them,” said owner Tim Chilson. “We’re honored to have been invited by KOA to join their organization, which is known for being on the cutting edge of bringing the very best to campers and RVers on an international level.”

According to Chilson, the campground is highly rated nationally. “We’ve worked hard to achieve high ratings from both industry directories and our customers through their reviews of our park over the past 11 years,” he said. “Partnering with KOA will open our campground to new campers and allows us the honor of serving them with the same great service and family fun that we provided as Brookdale Family Campground and they expect from KOA.”

In addition, Chilson added that the interest in seasonal camping has increased for 2011. “Seasonal campers,” Chilson explained, “are people who park their RV at the campground for the entire summer. When camping seasonally, they can drive more economical vehicles to the campground instead of towing, and save money on fuel. That way, they get the maximum use of their RV for minimal costs.”

The Chilson family hopes the business will continue to grow by introducing more people to the fun and family-oriented events and activities they provide at the campground. “We do a host of fun events and activities every summer,” Chilson said. “This year, we are joining KOA’s Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend! Campers who stay as paying guests on Friday, May 13 will receive a free night of camping on Saturday, May 14. We will do fundraisers that weekend and be asking our campers for donations to support the 44 KOA Care Camps for kids with cancer that are located around North America.

“We’ll be hosting a grand opening in honor of becoming a KOA on May 21st, complete with a parade and ribbon cutting,” Chilson said. “And, we’ll offer campers who stay as paying guests on May 20 will receive May 21st free for our Grand Opening Weekend! Kids can participate in our free crafts and ride their bikes in the parade through the campground! We’ll also be running specials and discounts this summer. We’re not just celebrating joining KOA on one weekend. We’ll be celebrating it all summer long!”
For more information about the Meadville KOA Campground or to make your reservations, go to www.Meadville KOA.com or call 814-789-3251.

Kampgrounds of America, founded on the banks of the Yellowstone River in 1962, is now the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public family campgrounds. KOA has 475 locations in the United States and Canada.

Affordable Vacations Despite High Gas Prices!

2011-03-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

In May 2007, the gas prices were at about $3.25 per gallon. This year, prices are at about $1.00 more per gallon. But even at a $1.00 more per gallon, what does that mean to your travel budget for camping? If your tow vehicle or motor home gets 10 miles to a gallon of gas or diesel, and you take a 50 mile trip, your total trip cost increase will be only $10.00 more! If your tow vehicle gets better mileage, your cost increases will be even less! (Find current gas prices!)

High gasoline prices historically cause Americans to make modifications to their travel plans but generally won’t cause them to cancel. So, here are some tips on how to still have a great summer and not let the price of gas ruin your vacation.

Cook & eat at the campsite or RV! Cooking over the fire is a favorite of campers and RV’ers, but even if cooking on the fire isn’t your thing, cooking and eating in your RV will help you save enough money on your vacation to pay for the gas price increase and allow you to afford the same vacation you took last year.

Stay in a Cabin! Not owning an RV isn’t the end of your camping experiences especially if tent camping is out of the question for you. Most campgrounds have cabins that provide non-RV owners a fun camping experience at a very affordable rate. The cabins are about the price of a hotel stay, but they have a wide range of amenities. Camping cabins can be very basic (just beds and a table); kitchenette cabins provide the ability to cook indoors; and deluxe full service cabins have multiple rooms, kitchens, and bathroom facilities. You can drive the vehicle that gets the best mileage, cook at the campground over the campfire to save money on meals, and enjoy a fun and affordable vacation with your family.

Take only one vehicle to the campground or on vacation! You may not believe it, but many families don’t travel in one vehicle any more. Coordinate schedules and carpool! It saves you gas and reduces consumption! Reducing consumption makes the price go down. If everyone would lower consumption, our high fuel prices would come down.

Stay Closer to Home. Rethinking your vacation location may pay back big dividends! Save the cost of travel fuel by RVing and camping closer to home. Not only do you save money on gas and wear and tear on your RV but you also spend less time traveling and more time having fun with your family!

Stay Longer once you get there. Instead of making four, 2-day camping trips with the RV this summer, make three (3), 3-day stays. You get an extra day of camping in, and the travel expense for only 3 trips! It saves you money on the gas and again uses less gas, but that’s not all many campgrounds offer lower prices during the week. So not only do you save with less travel but you also save on the stay costs too!

Become a Seasonal for the summer at your favorite campground! To really save money and get the maximum use of your RV this summer, why not park the RV for the whole summer? It’s a great way to think locally and act globally, and it’s a great way for your family to enjoy camping every weekend at the most affordable rate. It maximizes your family’s enjoyment and minimizes the cost. Most families can camp for the whole summer for less then a one-week vacation at Disney or at the seashore!

You don’t have to spend all that money on fuel to still enjoy a great vacation! You can plan a great vacation by utilizing any one or more of these tips! And, there are so many fun things to do and see right here in NW PA, you don’t have to go a long way to get away!

By Robyn S. Chilson
Robyn & Tim Chilson Own and Operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. You can contact her at camp@brookdalecampground.com

RV Shows and Sales Post Increases Again in 2011!

2011-03-01T05:55:00.001-08:00

RV Shows & RV Dealers Report Continued Growth For Second Year!

According to the Ohio RV Super Show Terry Messersmith, the January show attendance was up over 32% from 2010! This is the second year in a row that the show has posted big increases in attendance. Additionally, the overall mood of the show seemed more positive! Becky Wineman of Kalyumet Camping and Cabins near Cook Forrest noted that the customers at the Ohio RV Super Show had a very upbeat attitude! She stated that, “The way people interacted with us this year was significantly different. They seemed much more positive and upbeat.”

According to the owner of Anderson’s Brochure Distributions Joe Tice, “In general, the RV Shows up and down the East Coast have experienced an increase in attendance and piece distributions over 2010. The exceptions were only marginally different than last year. The significant difference in 2011 is the number of pieces we’re putting out. We’re also getting requests for other states we don’t normally market, which would indicate to me that people are planning to travel to these destinations across the country.”

Randy Giancola of Clem’s RV & Trailer Sales in Ellwood City, RV reported an increase of 30% from 2010. In 2010, Giancola reported his sales had increased 45% from 2009. This year, according to Giancola, appromimately half of his sales were without a unit being traded in, indicating to him that again this year, many may be first time RV buyers!

We also asked Dick Bidwell of Fame RV Sales in Saegertown, PA if they had any similar experiences. Bidwell reported, “Our sales are about even with 2010 at this point, but given the weather we’ve had this year, the fact that we haven’t had the Erie RV Show yet, even that’s a great indication that it’s going to be a good year. He also reported an increase in younger families buying RV’s without a trade-in unit, saying that, “Our demographics in the last couple of years shows an increase of younger families purchasing RVs. It appears to be a growing trend.”

Both Bidwell and Gianola reported that they were seeing good results from the free camping offer that resulted from the Western PCOA Campgrounds partnering with RV Dealerships to provide new RV buyers up to $500.00 of free camping when they purchase a new RV from one of the participating dealerships in 2011! Bidwell went on to add that when they review the details of the free camping offer to the buyers, that they are thrilled with the added benefit of the program. (Details of the free camping giveaway offer can be found at: http://www.brookdalecampground.com/Discounts.html).

According to Tom Shearer of Erie Promotions, the Erie RV Show at the Bayfront convention Center posted an increase in attendance as well. According to reports from the dealers at the show, sales for some dealers were up 10% from 2010. Shearer said, “We believe that this show continues to grow because the setting is perfect for families. Parking is free, and the low entrance fee makes it affordable for people to attend and bring their children with them.”

Tim Chilson, PCOA Region 1 Director and Owner of Brookdale Family Campground, in Meadville stated, “The increase in brochures we handed out at Cleveland Ohio RV Super Show this year was very noticeable increase over last season and was at about the same percentage increase as the show attendance was up! In addition, there were more RV Dealers and RV’s there. The Cleveland RV Super Show continues to grow and expand.”

When asked about why the attendance at RV Shows and sales of RV’s appearing to be up over the last couple of years, Chilson added, “People are getting the message that family camping experiences are both fun and affordable. The second factor is that many families are increasingly trying cabin camping. As the number of people renting camping cabins increases, they quickly realize that they can afford camping, and that it doesn’t require “roughing it”. Many campgrounds are now offering full service cabins which provide luxury living at an affordable price, and going camping includes all the fun at the campground! It sells people on owning an RV. It may also be that people are realizing that camping provides a higher quality family experience then lodging at a motel or hotel because it includes all the fun events at the campground. Finally, it is possible that these people have done tent camping or pop-up camping previously, and have decided to move up to an RV.”

Whatever the reason may be, RV sales were up in 2010 and it appears that they are the same or even better in 2011! That’s a good sign for the economy, RV dealers, Campgrounds, and the families we serve.

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Erie RV Show!

2011-02-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

Erie RV Show Feb 10-13 At the Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, PA! Show Hours: Thursday Noon to 9PM, Friday Noon to 9PM, Saturday 10AM to 8PM, and Sunday 10AM to 5PM. General Admission: Adults $3.00, Children 10 & Under Free, and FREE PARKING! More info & ticket discounts online at: http://www.erierv.com/

Hope you’ll stop by and see us! We'll have discount offers to camp with us this summer, brochures with our events schedule and activities listings, & candy for kids of all ages!

We hope to see you at the Erie RV Show this week!

RV DEALERS & CAMPGROUND OWNERS PRESENT $500 OF FREE CAMPING TO CONTEST WINNER!

2011-01-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

Pittsburgh, PA: The $500.00 winner of the 2010 Very Special Camper Contest drawing was Michael Wolbert of Leeper, PA! Michael and his wife, Janet were presented $500.00 in free camping gift certificates on Saturday, at the Original Pittsburgh RV Show by Randy Giancola from Clem’s Trailer Sales in Ellwood City, Dennis Quigley of Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, Tim Chilson of Brookdale Campground in Meadville, Tracy Czambel from Yogi Bear Mill Run, Randy Work from Yogi Bear Mill Run, Ed Tanski of Buttercup Woodlands Campground in Renfrew, Rick Yeager from Rose Point Park in New Castle, Glenn Kleinfelter from Peaceful Valley Campground in West Sunbury, Mark Wineman from Kalyumet Camping & Cabins in Cook Forest, and Jack May from Farma Family Campground in Greenville.

Campgrounds and RV dealers from Western PA partnered together to provide potential new RV owners over $500.00 of free camping when they bought a new RV from one of the participating dealers in 2010!

In 2011, each purchase of a new RV from one of the participating RV dealers entitles the new RV owner to one free night of camping for their family of four, from all of the 19 participating Western Pennsylvania Campgrounds and RV Parks.

In addition, any camper who stays at 8 or more of the 19 participating Campgrounds and RV parks and submits their entry, will be entered in a drawing to receive an additional $500.00 in Pennsylvania Campground Owner’s Association (PCOA) Gift Certificates, which can be used at any PCOA campground across the state!

This year’s winner, Mike Wolbert said, “Just receiving one free night of camping from all of these campgrounds with the purchase of our RV was a great deal! We basically camped half price, all summer long last summer just because we bought a new RV from Clem’s! We went to some new places we’d never been before, and of course, we visited some of our favorite campgrounds, like Brookdale too. But we’re just thrilled that we won another $500.00 of camping for this next year! That’s just great!”

The program, according to the program organizer Dennis Quigley of Kozy Rest Kampground, will be returning in 2011! If you are planning to purchase an RV in 2011, you can get more information from any of the participating campgrounds or RV Dealers, or at the upcoming RV Shows, where the participating dealerships will be proudly displaying the Contest Flyers for 2011.

The participating Western PA RV dealers for 2011 are B & R Campers Sales in Butler, Boyer RV Center in Erie, Brooks Camper Sales in Connellsville, Clem’s Trailer Sales in Ellwood City, Hufnagel & Majors in Harmony, Fame RV Center in Saegertown, and
Starr’s Trailer Sales in Brockway!

The participating Western PA campgrounds were Bear Run Campground in Portersville,
Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, Buttercup Woodlands Campground in Renfrew, Campers Paradise Campground in Sigel, Farma Family Campground in Greenville, Friendship Village Campground in Bedford, Harecreek Campground in Corry, Hart’s Content Campground in Beaver Falls, Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, Kalyumet Camping & Cabins in Cook Forest, Nautical Mile Campground & Marina in Templeton, Peaceful Valley Campground in West Sunbury, Pineview Campground in Linesville, River’s Edge Camping & Cabins in Connellsville, Rose Point Park Cabins & Camping in New Castle, Shenango Valley RV Park in Transfer, Sparrow Pond Family Campground in Waterford, Vacationland Campground in Sandy Lake, and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Mill Run.

(Shown in Photo Above front is Randy Giancola presenting to Michael and Janet Wolbert, Dennis Quigley, Tim Chilson, Tracy Czambel, and in back from left to right Randy Work, Ed Tanski, Rick Yeager, Glenn Kleinfelter, Mark Wineman, and Jack May.)

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

See You At The RV Shows!

2011-01-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

RV Shows are a great place to begin your search for local reputable RV dealers. Most local RV Shows are scheduled during winter and early spring months when dealerships are slow.

RV Shows provide you the opportunity to see newest models and talk to dealerships that you may not have heard of, and reduces your expenses, and time by not having to drive to different dealerships. As a customer you can see and compare prices, brands, layouts, and more with one stop shopping. However, there is always a huge range of quality & prices. So when comparing units, make sure you’re comparing the prices of like models of differing brands. One RV may look like another one, but you need to compare the options, construction, equipment, and features they both have to offer. See who offers the best deal but remember if the dealer doesn’t provide RV Service or is located too far away to conveniently return the RV for service, your purchase may not turn out to be the best deal on the end.

Don’t be afraid to talk with other RVers at the show. Many of these people have years of RV experience and knowledge of different products and dealerships. Most will be honest and tell you when and where they’ve gotten the best deals & service. Buying an RV from a local, reputable dealer insures you the best possible service, convenience, and shortest distance to travel for maintenance, repairs, & warranty work.

It is always a good idea to visit the dealership’s physical location before you buy, check out their service department, service hours, etc. In addition, many RV dealers offer show discounts and sometimes manufacturer rebates are available. So not only do you save money with the one stop shopping, but there are huge savings in the purchase prices!

Show specials also sometimes include discounts or coupons from campgrounds. So, your new RV sometimes comes with savings to use it, too!

RV shows aren’t just for RV dealers to showcase new and used RVs. RV shows offer a wealth of information on the whole RVing industry. Most campgrounds & RV resorts are slow or closed for the winter. The RV show allows campgrounds to showcase new activities, special events, new amenities & long-term availability to potential campers.

It’s a great time to seek out new places to visit, whether it’s with your RV or tent! Many campgrounds provide discounts at RV Shows, so it’s a great way to get some special offers on a weekend or week-long vacation! So make sure you stop by their booths and find new places to explore and exciting things to do with your family this summer!

If you’re thinking about buying an RV, but aren’t sure how well your family would receive camping and owning one, or if your family isn’t in love with the tent camping, sleeping on the ground kind of camping, why not visit the RV show and check out cabins at local campgrounds? Cabin camping allows non-RVers to try camping, and see if they enjoy the outdoor experience without all the costs! And cabins come from very inexpensive called “primitive cabins” that have minimal amenities, to full service cabins that have kitchens, multiple rooms, and full amenities.

You can also find information for aftermarket RV products, RV accessories, clubs, RVing insurance, and more! Even if you don’t intend to by an RV, you can learn about Cabin & tent camping, cookware, the RVing industry, and retirement communities for RVers. RVing is changing the way people are retiring by allowing them the ability to live in the south for half of the year and in the north for the other half.

Why not pack up the family for a fun winter-day activity and attend one of the local RV shows in your area. Invite a friend to come along, and enjoy a day of looking forward to a summer camping season filled with friends & fun at these RV Shows:

Ohio RV Super Show at the Cleveland I-X Center, Cleveland, Ohio! Show Hours: Wed. – Friday 1:00 – 10:00 pm, Sat. 10:00-10:00pm, Sunday 10:00-6:00 pm. Tickets: Adults $11.50, Children under 12, free! $2.00 discount tickets are available online at: http://ohiorvshow.com/!

Pittsburgh RV Show January 8 -16 At David Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA! Show Hours: Saturdays: 10 am - 9 pm, Sundays: 10 am - 5 pm, Monday through Friday: 5 pm - 9 pm. Ticket Pricing: $10.00 for Adults, $9.00 Senior (55+), $5.00 Children under 16 (Children under 6 are free), One dollar off Discount Coupons are available online at: http://www.pittrvshow.com/pages/show.asp

Erie RV Show Feb 10-13 At the Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, PA! Show Hours: Thursday Noon to 9PM, Friday Noon to 9PM, Saturday 10AM to 8PM, and Sunday 10AM to 5PM. General Admission: Adults $3.00, Children 10 & Under Free, and FREE PARKING! More info online at: http://www.erierv.com/
The Butler Show is Feb 18th through the 20th At the Clearview Mall! It is a mall show, so it’s free & parking is free. Hope you’ll stop by and see us!

We invite you to attend any and all of these RV Shows! Stop by the booth and tell us hello, and that you received your invitation from my blog! We'll have candy for the kids, be raffling off some free nights of camping, and providing some great discount incentive offers for overnight and seasonal camping for the 2011 camping season! We hope to see you there!
By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or email her at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Find us online at: http://www.brookdalecampground.com/
Become a fan at: http://www.facebook.com/brookdalecampground
Follow us at: http://twitter.com/BrookdaleCamp
Follow our blog at: http://pacamp.blogspot.com/
See our videos on YOUTUBE at: http://www.youtube.com/user/BrookdaleCampground

Brookdale Campground Wins Best Centennial Celebration in PA!

2010-12-30T11:12:00.000-08:00

Gettysburg, PA: Brookdale Family Campground Owners Tim and Robyn Chilson of Meadville PA won Best Centennial Celebration in the state of Pennsylvania at the December Pennsylvania Campground Owners Convention (PCOA). Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA celebrated 100 years of RVing with the Tin Can Tourists and Boyers RV on June 5th, 2010.

The Tin Can Tourists are a group of Vintage RV’s and (some) vintage tow vehicles which are touring across Pennsylvania on Route 6, in June. They hosted an open house with their vintage RV’s on display along with new RV’s from Boyer’s RV Sales in Erie. This provided campers and visitors a look back in history at the RV’s of yesteryear and provided them a direct comparison and contrast to the ultra modern RV’s of today!

According to owner Tim Chilson, the event was well attended by both campers and the general public. “We’ve received multiple Facebook comments, emails, and verbal comments on how much fun it was seeing these very rare, and in some cases, one of a kind RV’s.” Chilson added, “Many of the RV’s in the Tin Can Tourists Club have been featured on TV programs about vintage RV’s. Some pre-dated the first Airstreams, as the first riveted RV, and another was a 1938 International and 1936 Curtiss Aerocar. It’s the only one in existence with one of the first 5th wheel setups. The RV’s were all unique and listening to their owner’s stories about restoring them was as equally interesting and informative!” Chilson stated. “I personally learned a great deal about the evolution of RVing. I hope that as they travelled across Rt. 6 that people took the time and make the effort to go see them. They are something you just don’t want to miss!”

Chilson went on to add, “We want to thank our sponsor’s, Boyer’s RV and The Crawford County Visitor’s Bureau for partnering with us to put together a unique event in honor of RVing’s 100th Anniversary! This event sure pleased our campers and it was an honor having the Tin Can Tourists visit our campground and to have Boyer’s display their new RV’s here as well.”

“Thanks to our sponsors, The Tin Can Tourists were treated to a private dinner at an Amish farm while staying at Brookdale.” Chilson added. The campground often arranges dinners for large groups and clubs camping with them. Chilson stated that, “Dining at an Amish home is a unique experience that is available at only selected places. We’re fortunate to have such an opportunity available to us and it’s our pleasure to be able to share that with cubs staying with us. It makes visiting Brookdale a very unique experience for a club campout.”

Brookdale Family Campground is located on Hwy 27 East of Meadville, PA and is rated in the top 5% of campgrounds nationally. This local family campground features campsites from primitive tent camping to full service campsites for RV’s of all sizes and types along with lake-front deluxe cabins to camping cabin rentals. Amenities at Brookdale Family Campground include a swimming pool, free WIFI (wireless internet) hotspot, catch and release fishing (no license required), playgrounds, mini golf, paddle boats, peddle karts, jumping pillow, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, themed weekends, and award-winning planned activities.

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

What do Christmas Shopping & Camping Have in Common?

2010-11-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

If you’re working on your Christmas shopping lists, be they for you or for someone else, don’t forget that you can help yourself, friends, and loved ones look forward to summer with gift certificates for camping!

That’s right you can ask for or give the gift that gives all summer long! Gift certificates for camping can be used anytime! And, they provide the recipient a great gift for the holiday that will help them look forward to summer during these cold winter months, and it’ll make them think of you again when they use it next summer!
Camping/RVing gift certificates are available at both the state level and local level. That’s right you can contact the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association and purchase camping gift certificates that may be used at any member campground in Pennsylvania. You can find them at www.PACamping.com, email them @ info@pacamping.com, or by toll-free call at 888-660-7262.

However, many member campgrounds also offer gift certificates. You can support your favorite local campground in the off season by purchasing gift certificates directly from them! Just contact them for the details. If they don’t offer them, contact the state organization and purchase them there!

Don’t forget to add camping gift certificates to your Christmas Wish Lists or to your shopping list for the favorite campers on your Christmas Shopping List! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to support other local small businesses who support your local favorite campground with their advertising dollars! Whether they advertise in a campground map or supply door prizes for car shows and other activities, their support means a lot to your local favorite campground, and ultimately you, the customer. Supporting local businesses means local jobs! So, shop locally at small businesses! You’ll often find goods and services that you can’t get at those big box stores, and the service and people are some of the best around!

And, until we see you again next summer, we thank you for camping with us at Brookdale, and we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and much happy camping in the New Year!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or email her at robyn@brookdalecampground.com
Find us online at: http://www.brookdalecampground.com/
Become a fan at: http://www.facebook.com/brookdalecampground
Follow us at: http://twitter.com/BrookdaleCamp
See our videos on YOUTUBE at: http://www.youtube.com/user/BrookdaleCampground

Don't Put That RV Away For The Winter Just Yet!

2010-09-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sure the kids have headed back to school but that’s no reason to stop RVing! Don’t put that RV away just yet! There are still lots of fun weekends in October that are perfect for camping and RVing! Sure the leaves are starting to change and the evening air is a little crisper than it was just a few weeks ago, but camping in the fall season can be some the best camping all season long!

A campfire is even more enjoyable when that evening air has some chill in it! It’s a great time of year to sit around the campfire, drink warmed, mulled apple cider, and tell ghost stories! Our family used to pick apples and then make home-made apple desserts to enjoy while camping! Or, make an apple mountain pie! Yum. There’s nothing quite like a hotdog and hot apple pie off the campfire! It is the flavor of the season!

But that’s not all, the leaves are changing, and it’s a beautiful time of year to go fall foliage watching! The leaves usually peak somewhere around the first week of October. Don’t forget your camera! Many counties have driving tours (you can find one for Crawford County at: http://www.visitcrawford.org/tours.php), and you can enjoy the fall foliage from your car or motorcycle!

There are lots of local fall festivals you can attend like the Applefest in Franklin Oct 1-3 @ http://www.franklinapplefest.com/), the Pioneer Steam Engine Show Oct 9 -10 @ http://www.little-mountain.com/pioneer/, or the Pumpkin Fest at Conneaut Lake Oct 8-10 @ http://pumpkinfest.conneautlake.com/ Why stay home and miss all the fall fun? You can go camping or RVing and enjoy the festivals of the fall season!
And just because there’s a chill in the air and you don’t own an RV is no reason to stay home! Why don’t you go on a fall get-away! Many private campgrounds have rental cabins equipped with heat, bathrooms and more! No roughing it required! You can enjoy all of the convenience and fun of the campground activities, fall foliage, local festivals at the lower, Autumn prices! It’s a great time of year to get away for a weekend!

There is still a lot of fun RVing and camping weekends ahead for the month of October! Don’t miss all the fun of the fall foliage, fall festivals, and special events! Go camping or RVing and explore the world around you! You’ll make memories that last a lifetime!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Autumn Camping is Awesome Camping!

2010-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

As summer winds down, and the autumn season begins, and that means it’s time to go autumn camping! Why not enjoy the fall foliage, fun fall festivals, and more! Here are few examples of awesome autumn camping and RVing adventures that await you!

Tailgate at Football Games & other sporting events! Whether you’re a Steelers fan, a Penn State fan (or other college team fan), or a local high school soccer team fan, or race fan, don’t forget to take your RV. It’s a great place to grill dogs and sit relax before or after the big game. And if you’re drinking, why risk driving? Tail gate at the game and spend the night. It’s safer and a lot more fun!

Attend Fall Festivals! There are Autumn Leaf Festivals, Applefests, Pumpkin Fests, and more! So if you haven’t been camping or RVing and attended one of these great local autumn events, the only question remaining is, why not? The festivals are fun, and it lengthens your camping season!

How about bird or game watching! That's right autumn is a great time to visit the PA Wilds and see the PA Elk Herd, or go bird watching at any of the PA state and county parks or nation refuges! You've not experienced life if you haven't seen a bull elk bugle! Make sure it makes your bucket list!

The Price is Right! Off season camping generally means off season (lower) rates! You save money when you camp in the off season! And because demand for those sites are lower, the campgrounds are less busy (except for special event weekends), which means you get a quiet, more relaxing, camping atmosphere!

The Weather Is Good! Ahhh, the cool evenings make a campfire all that more enjoyable. Enjoy a cup of spiced apple cider, a hotdog, s'mores and a camper pie by the campfire on a cool autumn evening. There’s nothing like it! And is it just me, or does everything taste better over that autumn campfire?

Attend Special Event Weekends! Many private campgrounds provide special event weekends during the autumn months to draw in more campers and RVers! Why not take the kids to a Halloween Weekend filled with trick or treat, costume and campsite decorating contests complete with a Sunday breakfast? Or, attend a Pumpkin Fest Weekend with roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin carving and other pumpkin themed activities? Or, take them on a hike through a campground haunt? It's a lot of fun and will make memories that last a lifetime!

The Fall Foliage Peak Is In Early October! The fall foliage is usually at its peak the first and second weeks in October. Why not choose a campground that is centrally located to the area where you’d like to foliage sight-see, and do some foliage gazing in the area around your base camp! Don’t forget your camera!
Autumn Star Gazing Is Awesome! If you’re a star gazer, you already know that late summer and early fall give rise to some awesome planetary and star gazing opportunities. If you aren’t a star gazer, now is as good of time to start as any! So look up and learn! And don’t forget that star gazing at a campout equals a trip to the local planetarium! So the kids can learn about the stars right there at your campsite!

There are lots of fun special event weekends, fall festivals, football games, stars, and fall foliage to see! All of these great camping & RVing adventures await you! Go camping or RVing and explore the world around you!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Autumn Camping Schedule!

2010-08-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

As summer comes to an end, the autumn season begins, and that means it’s time to go autumn camping! Why not enjoy the fall foliage, fun fall festivals, and more! Here are few examples of awesome autumn camping adventures that await you at Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA!

September Events

* Sep 4-5- Labor Day Weekend! Brookdale 500 Jr. – A Mini Auto Race for Kids & Teens! Kids, bring your stock MatchboxÔ type car (max. weight 2 oz. to race in the Brookdale 500). We'll have family BINGO, and more! Saturday we’ll have “Illusionist Cliff Hopkins” is here! Sunday night is the Annual Lip Synch Contest! Compete for a trophy! You supply the CD and costume! (* 3 night minimum)

+ September 11 – Discount & BINGO Weekend! Save 10% on your camping this weekend! We’ll have Family BINGO & Adult BINGO! Don’t miss all the BINGO fun!

+ September 18 – Haunted Pumpkin Fest! – We’ll carve pumpkins, and then enjoy roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin cake, and pumpkin ice cream and apple cider! We'll have a daytime pumpkin themed campsite decorating contest! Then later, tour our “Dungeon of Death” Haunted Event! It’ll scare the spooks out of you! (This event is scary and may not be suitable for young children.) Check out our Fun Photo Page for more fun Videos and Photos!

+ * September 25 – Halloween Weekend! Trick or Treating, day and night campsite decorating contests, costume contest (prizes for outstanding costumes of all ages), apple cider, donuts, and a Sunday morning free all you can eat pancake breakfast! ($3.00/person charge for visitor’s breakfast). (* 2 night min. & Premium rate.)

October Events

+ Oct 2 – Just Desserts Weekend! Save 10% off our already low fall camping rates! Clubs of 10 or more units save 15%! Bring your favorite dessert to share to our Brookdale version of a potluck, only it's just desserts! We’ll supply the coffee and table service at a great, end of the season social gathering where you get your just desserts! All aboard! The Brookdale Express will be running for all children
under 48” tall! This is Franklin Applefestâ Weekend!

+ October 9 – Special Discount & Club Weekend. Save 10%! Clubs of 10 or more units save 15%! Note: Fall Foliage is usually at its peak! The Fall Saegertown Steam and Gas Engine Show is this weekend!

+ October 16 - Special Discount & Club Weekend. Save 10% on our last camping weekend!

There are lots of fun special event weekends at our park this autumn, but there are also lots of fall foliage festivals, football games, stars, and more to see! All of these great camping & RVing adventures await you! Go camping or RVing this autumn and see the things you’ve been missing, right here in your own back yard!
By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

We Want Facebook Fans Contest Winners!!

2010-08-26T07:15:00.001-07:00

And YOU get a discount at Brookdale Family Campground!

Our First Place Winner was: Dixie Waterson!

Dixie will receive a free night of camping (up to $34 value) when she stays two nights,

or $20 off any campsite! Or, a free night in any cabin (Up to $110.00 value) or $30.00 off any cabin two night stay!

The Same Discounts for Sept. 6, 2010 - April 26, 2011 going out to:

Dixie Waterson

Heidi Spero

Marlene Knoebloch

Restrictions: Discounts are not valid for holiday or special event weekends, and are non transferrable! They may not be used with any other special offer or discounts, and must be presented at check-in!

We Want Facebook Fans!

2010-08-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

And we want YOU to get a discount at Brookdale Family Campground!

Promotion: Encourage your camping friends to become fans of Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA and you can win a discount!

Procedure:
1. Contact your camping friends and encourage them to become fans of Brookdale Family Campground.
2. Copy the message below, if helpful, to send to your friends or to post on their wall.

Brookdale Family Campground is trying to get a ton of fans who are also campers! And, they are giving away a bunch of discounts to people who refer their friends! Go to our page here www.facebook.com/BrookdaleCampground and click the Like button!

Once you do, be sure to give me credit by posting the following message:
____________(Please Insert My Name) suggested I become a friend.

Every Participant Will Receive a DISCOUNT!

Everyone who brings us a BFC Facebook Fan, gets a coupon for
• $20.00 off any campsite two night stay, or get a free night when you stay three or more nights!
• OR, get $30.00 off any two night cabin rental, or a free night when you stay three nights or longer in any of our cabins!
• Coupons expire May 26, 2011.

The five people who bring us the most fans will receive the same coupons, but those coupons will be good through the entire 2011 camping season (Excluding holidays and special event weekends).

We would like everyone who has visited Brookdale Family Campground to be a Facebook fan as well as their friends. Every new Facebook fan between August 23 and August 25 will receive a discount! It’s for a limited time ONLY, so don’t wait! Invite YOUR friends to be a Brookdale Fan Today!

Length: Contest begins Aug. 23 at 7:00 am, and ends at 8:00 pm on Wed. Aug. 25.

Limitations and Restrictions: Winners must be 18 or older. A winner may not use their prize for an existing reservation, but may apply it to any new reservation now through May 26, 2011! Prizes may not be used in combination with other offers or specials or on Holidays or Special Event Weekends!

Camping Vacations Versus Other Vacations – Experience The Difference!

2010-07-31T15:10:00.001-07:00

As families plan and begin their vacations this summer, the real question isn’t just about it being a great value; it’s also about making it a great family experience.

Being parents ourselves, we took our children on many family vacations and a wide array of trips of all kinds. We went to visit relatives, amusement parks, history museums, zoos, aquariums, company picnics, beaches, Disney on Ice shows, Disney, and more.

Since our “boys” are now grown young men, we decided to take a survey and ask them what their favorite family vacations and outings were. Much to our amazement, they didn’t pick the trips to the beach, or to Disney, and amusement parks didn’t even make the list. Their top picks were all camping trips! Some of those trips were with other families in our camping club, and the fun stuff we did with the camping club. Others, like our family vacation trip cross county which included Carlsbad Caverns, whitewater rafting the Colorado River, seeing the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons, and the animals in Yellowstone, and stopping on the way home to see Devils Tower and Custer State Park and Mt. Rushmore. These were the memories our sons cherished and our bet is that they are the same ones that your children will cherish too!

Family vacations can be as costly as our cross country trip, or as inexpensive as the trip to PA Grand Canyon and some tubing on Pine Creek! It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to be a fun and include quality time together as a family.

Family vacations within a one to two hour drive of where you live are the perfect distance to vacation! It’s less than one tank of gas there and back, it‘s fewer hours on the road, and it’s more time having fun! If you are camping at a local family campground, the kids can be doing activities sooner, and you can be relaxing sooner. So think locally if you’re thinking about a camping vacation this summer.

Local campgrounds are often a great dollar value too. Many offer discounts to local amusement parks, historical sites, etc. If you want to know what they offer, check out their websites and ask when you call for reservations. You’ll be surprised by what you find in dollar savings! Many offer mid-week site rate discounts or money savers to promote week-long family vacations!

With all the stressors and strains of life right now, going camping and reconnecting with each other and nature helps people to unwind and enjoy life. Family life is full of running to ball games, ballet classes, and other events around hectic work schedules. Camping vacations provide an opportunity for families to reconnect and spend quality time together while enjoying the atmosphere, events, and activities offered at the campgrounds. Families don’t get the chance to spend that kind of quality time together because of all the distractions there are in our lives when we’re at home.

Make sure you pick a park that fits your family. If your teens want swimming pools, paddle boating, pedal karts, and mini golf, picking a campground that is on a lake and offers only fishing is probably going to be a recipe for disaster! Make sure the campground you choose has lots to do to keep the kids engaged! Otherwise, you’ll spend the whole vacation listening to them whine about being bored.

Reconnect with your kids at the campground events and activities. Crafts is a whole lot more fun if it means time alone with mom or dad, or if you’re playing games together, or are in the tournament together! Those are the memories that the kids are yearning to make! And whether you win or lose, it’s the time and fun you have together that will count the loudest later! Don’t forget the campfire, scary stories, and s’mores! Those are where the funny stories are born that they’ll be telling their friends and their own children talking about! Spend the campfire time recapping the day’s events and the big fish caught, the mini golf game, or the event you attended!

Reconnect with nature! While families are reconnecting with each other, they are reconnecting with nature too. Campers whose children are collecting lightening bugs, fishing, or on a snipe hunt for the first time are not just be entertained, they are also learning. Camping provides kids the opportunity to experience the wonder of nature in new and exciting ways!

When you add up the lower costs, the reduced travel time, the reconnection with the family and nature, it adds up to a winning vacation for everyone. The kids can participate in activities and events, or play and burn off excess energy, and the parents are happy recharging their batteries in their lawn chair drinking iced tea under the awning. Camping offers families’ time together building memories that last a lifetime.

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Special Rates Extended to Honor Our Finest & Bravest!

2010-07-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA is announcing it has extended its special camping rate for the area's finest and bravest!

Brookdale announced today that it is offering police officers and fire fighters any campsite on any Sunday through Thursday through the end of the camping season (Oct. 17th) for just $10.00 per night! That's a $16.00 - $24.00 savings per night!

According to owner Tim Chilson, "The program has been a great success! Because of that, we've decided to extend our offer through the end of the season! As we said before, it truly takes a special person to run into a burning building while others are running out or to be one of the finest who put their lives on the line every day to bring safety to our streets. That's why we're making this special offer to police officers and fire fighters! It's our way of giving back to those who give the most to keep our families safe."

Brookdale Family Campground is located on RT 27 in Meadville, PA and is rated in the top 5% of campgrounds nationally. This local family campground features campsites from primitive tent camping to full service campsites for RVs of all sizes and types along with cabin rentals that range from primitive to full service lake front camping cabin rentals. Amenities at Brookdale Family Campground include a swimming pool, free WIFI (wireless internet) hotspot, catch and release fishing (no license required), playgrounds, mini golf, paddle boats, pedal karts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, themed weekends, and award-winning planned activities.

By Robyn Chilson

Robyn & her husband Tim, Own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Celebrating 100 years of RVing!

2010-05-21T12:57:00.001-07:00

Brookdale Family Campground Owners Tim and Robyn Chilson of Meadville PA announced that they will be celebrating 100 years of RVing with the Tin Can Tour and Boyers RV on June 5th, 2010!

The Tin Can Tour is a group of Vintage RV’s and tow vehicles which are touring across Pennsylvania in June, which has been deemed National RVing Month! They will have their vintage RV’s on display from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Campers and visitors can look back in history at the way RVing was in years gone by!

In addition, Boyers RV from Erie will be have new RV’s on display as well. It’ll make a great comparison contrast to see the old RV’s versus the new RV’s of today.

The event is open to the public. The event is $4.00/adult and $2.00 per child (5-18), children under 5 are free. The event is FREE to anyone camping at Brookdale FamilY Campground that weekend.

Brookdale Family Campground is located on RT 27 in Meadville, PA and is rated in the top 5% of campgrounds nationally. This local family campground features campsites from primitive tent camping to full service campsites for RV’s of all sizes and types along with lake front camping cabin rentals. Amenities at Brookdale Family Campground include a swimming pool, free WIFI (wireless internet), catch and release fishing (no license required), playgrounds, mini golf, paddle boats, peddle karts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, themed weekends, and award-winning planned activities.

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Special Rates to Honor our Finest and Bravest!

2010-05-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA is announcing a special camping rate to honor our area’s finest and bravest! Brookdale Family Campground is offering police officers and fire fighters any campsite on any Sunday through Thursday the whole month of June, for just $10.00 per night. That’s a $16.00 - $24.00 savings per night!

According to owner Tim Chilson, “We’re offering to serve those who serve us. It takes a special person to run into a burning building while others are running out or to be one of the finest who put their lives on the line every day to bring safety to our streets. That’s why we’re making this special offer to police officers and fire fighters! It’s our way of giving back to those who give the most. They can come here for a very affordable price, relax, and enjoy camping.”

Brookdale Family Campground is located on RT 27 in Meadville, PA and is rated in the top 5% of campgrounds nationally. This local family campground features campsites from primitive tent camping to full service campsites for RV’s of all sizes and types along with cabin rentals that range from primitive to full service lake front camping cabin rentals. Amenities at Brookdale Family Campground include a swimming pool, free WIFI (wireless internet) hotspot, catch and release fishing (no license required), playgrounds, mini golf, paddle boats, pedal karts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, themed weekends, and award-winning planned activities.

By Robyn Chilson

Robyn & her husband Tim, Own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at robyn@brookdalecampground.com"

Brookdale Family Campground Adds New Amenities!

2010-03-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

Brookdale Family Campground Owners Tim and Robyn Chilson of Meadville PA announced that they will be adding some significant new amenities to their campground for the 2010 camping season.

The Meadville Campground, according to owner Tim Chilson, will be adding a jumping pillow, a new playground area near the pool, and 2 new full service lake front cabins to their already impressive list of amenities and services.

“This is significant to our camping customers,” Chilson said, “because we’ll be the first campground in the NW PA area to add a jumping pillow to our list of amenities.” Chilson went on to say, “It is our goal to set Brookdale apart from other local campgrounds with a wider range of amenities and entertainment to better serve the camping families in our area. We’re excited about these changes and we hope that our camping families come out in full force and bring their friends to come enjoy our new amenities!”

Brookdale Family Campground has been serving camping families in Northwestern PA for 32 years. The Chilson’s have owned and operated the award-winning campground since their purchase in October of 1999.

Brookdale Family Campground is located on RT 27 in Meadville, PA and is rated in the top 5% of campgrounds nationally. This local family campground features campsites from primitive tent camping to full service campsites for RV’s of all sizes and types along with cabin rentals that range from primitive to full service lake front camping cabin rentals. Amenities at Brookdale Family Campground include a swimming pool, free WIFI (wireless internet) hotspot, catch and release fishing (no license required), playgrounds, mini golf, paddle boats, peddle karts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, themed weekends, and award-winning planned activities.

We invite you to tell us what you think about the addition of our jumping pillow, new playground, and new lake front, full service cabins! Please tell us what you think. Post a comment here, or email us!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Local Dealers Report That RV Sales Are Up For First-Time RV Buyers!

2010-03-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

According to Randy Giancola of Clem’s RV & Trailer Sales in Ellwood City, RV Sales were up 45% from 2009. And while that’s good news for the RVing and Camping Industry, that wasn’t the biggest news. The biggest news from Giancola was that approximately 40% of those sales were without a unit being traded in, indicating to him that the majority were first time RV buyers! That is really big news in the industry!

Believing that one RV dealer’s experience doesn’t necessarily indicate a growing trend, we asked Brenda Bailey of Fame RV Sales in Saegertown, PA if she had any similar experiences. Bailey reported that their sales were up by 30%. She also reported an increase in younger families buying RV’s without a trade-in unit, saying that, “Our demographics in recent years has more of the empty nesters and retirees age brackets, versus the younger families we are seeing purchase units this year.” She went on to add, “Generally speaking, families buying a unit with out a trade does mean that they are first time RV purchasers. Of course, a few of those could be people who used to own an RV and got out of it for some reason and are now getting back into it, or that they sold their older or smaller unit outright, and are purchasing a newer unit or are upgrading.”

Both Bailey and Gianola reported that they were seeing good results from the free camping offer that resulted from the Western PCOA Campgrounds partnering with RV Dealerships to provide new RV buyers up to $500.00 of free camping when they purchase a new RV from one of the participating dealerships in 2010! Bailey went on to add that when they review the details of the free camping offer to the buyers, that they are thrilled with the added benefit of the program. (Details of the free camping giveaway offer can be found at: http://www.brookdalecampground.com/Discounts.html).

Tim Chilson, PCOA Region 1 Director and Owner of Brookdale Family Campground, in Meadville stated that the increase in first time RV buyers may be due to multiple factors. “The first factor,” according to Chilson, “might be economic necessity. People are beginning to get the message that getting their families outdoors for quality camping experiences is both fun and affordable. The second factor is that many families are increasingly trying cabin camping. As the number of people renting camping cabins increases, they quickly realize that they not only can afford camping, but that it doesn’t have to be the roughing it of yore. Many campgrounds are now offering full service cabins which provide luxury living at an affordable price, and going camping includes all the fun at the campground! Finally, it is possible that these people have done tent camping or pop-up camping previously, and have been ready to move up to an RV but couldn’t previously for some other reason and that situation has now changed.”

Whatever the reason, RV sales are up in 2010 and it appears that more first time RV buyers are purchasing RV’s this spring. That’s a good sign for the economy, RV dealers, Campgrounds, and Pennsylvania families.

Are you a first-time RV buyer in 2010? If you are, we'd love to hear from you! Please tell us us about what inspired you to join the RVing community! Please post a comment here or email us! Thank you!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Are Local RV Shows an Indication of an Improved Local Economy?

2010-01-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

In a September 2009 Marketplace radio show, transcribed in a The Daily RV Industry article, "Experts Look to RVing as Economic Indicator”, Mac Bryan, Vice President of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, stated, “When you look at traditional leading economic indicators such as housing starts, money supply, that’s about where you find the recreation vehicle sales begin to turn. And that’s both going into and out of recession.”

According to show promoters, local RV Shows attendance numbers have increased significantly from 2009. Is it possible that the improved attendance at local RV Shows is an indication of an improving local economy?

According to Paula & Terry Messersmith, The Cleveland Ohio RV Super Show promoters, the 2010 Cleveland RV Show attendance was up 32% over 2009. The Cleveland RV Super Show is held the first week in January every year at the Cleveland, OH, I-X Center.

Rob Young of Three Rivers Promotions, Inc. reported that the attendance at The Original Pittsburgh RV Show, boasted a 70% increase over 2009. That places 2009 attendance just under 2008 attendance numbers. The Original Pittsburgh nine day RV Show is held the second full week of January every year at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

Judy Deegans of Anderson’s Brochure Distribution shared with us that according to the show promoters the Tampa Florida RV Show had a 13% increase in attendance, the Virginia Beach RV Show reported an increase of 30% and Edison NJ was up significantly as well. Anderson’s Brochure Distributions attends RV Shows throughout the East Coast and distributes County Visitor Guides, State Campground Owner Guides, individual campground brochures, and more. They have seen consistently better attendance at multiple RV shows in various states from Florida to the Northeastern states.

Did RV sales follow the RV Show attendance trends? According to Randy Giancola of Clem’s RV & Trailer Sales in Ellwood City, they did. Giancola reported sales were up about 45%! His response was, “Yes, sales are following the attendance trends and I’d say that this is truly a great sign for our local economy!” Gianola also reported that they were seeing good results from the free camping offer that resulted from the Western PCOA Campgrounds teaming up with RV Dealerships. In addition, the PRVCA said that member RV dealers were in general reporting an increase in sales, but they did not have any specific percentages available at this time.

Local RV shows being up is great news for Western PA and Eastern Ohio, but does that mean that RVing is an indication of the overall economy improving? Mark Wineman, President of the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association (PCOA) and owner of Kalyumet Camping and Cabins in Cook Forest, PA stated that, “It is exciting to see the interest in family camping and RVing continuing to grow as evidenced by the improved show attendance and an increase in RV sales. We are hopeful this trend will continue into the camping season resulting in more visits to campgrounds and RV parks throughout Pennsylvania.”

Tim Chilson, PCOA Region 1 Director and Owner of Brookdale Family Campground, in Meadville agreed with President Wineman and added that, “Camping is still the most affordable way to vacation with your family and is popular even in bad economic times. The fact that both attendance and sales are up is a great indication that people are looking at camping and RVing to fill their vacation needs for the upcoming summer. I would tend to think that is positive for the industry and the local economy. Travelers and RVers bring tourism dollars into our communities. So if these trends continue they could transcend our industry and flow into other businesses within our communities as well. That would be good for both our local economies and Pennsylvania in general.”

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

RV Dealers & Campgrounds Team Up For A Special Offer in 2010!

2010-01-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

Local RV dealers and local campgrounds have teamed up to bring new RV consumers a very special offer.

Boyers RV (Erie), Brooks RV Sales (Connellsville), Clem’s Trailer Sales (Ellwood City), Fame RV (Saegertown), and Hufnagle & Majors (Harmony), and Starr’s Trailer Sales (Brockway), have partnered with campgrounds from Western PA to provide you, potential new RV owners, a very special offer! Get up to $500.00 of free camping when you buy a new RV from one of these dealers in 2010!

Free Camping Coupon Entitles You To:
• One night of free camping for a family of four on your first visit to the participating campgrounds when you buy one night.
• Not valid on Holiday or Special Event Weekends or in conjunction with any other discounts or special offers.
• Call in advance for reservations and other restrictions. Mention “2010 Free Camping Coupon”.

Participating Campgrounds:

Bear Run Campground, Portersville
Brookdale Family Campground, Meadville
Buttercup Woodlands Campground, Renfrew
Campers Paradise Campground, Sigel
Farma Family Campground, Greenville
Harts Content Campground, Beaver Falls
Kozy Rest Kampground, Harrisville
Kalyumet Camping & Cabins, Cook Forest
Nautical Mile Campground & Marina, Templeton
Peaceful Valley Campground, West Sunbury
Pineview Campground, Linesville
River's Edge Camping & Cabins, Connellsville
Rose Point Park Cabins & Camping, New Castle
Shenango Valley RV Park, Transfer
Sparrow Pond Family Campground, Waterford
Vacationland Campground, Sandy Lake
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, Mill Run

* * *VSC Camping BONUS * * * Become a VSC (Very Special Camper) and stay at 10 of the 17 participating Campgrounds/RV parks and return completed card to be entered into a drawing for $500.00 “Ask dealer for details, some restrictions may apply.”

“This offer,” according to campground owner Dennis Quigley of Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, PA, “is a result of a joint cooperation between Western PA campgrounds and RV dealers.” “For years,” Quigley stated, “campgrounds have offered free camping coupons for what are commonly referred to as ‘shake-down cruses’ with local RV dealers located closest to them. This offer is simply a more organized extension of those same offers with an additional twist. If the camper visits at least 10 of the campgrounds participating, they are entered into a drawing to win $500.00!”

Visit these dealers either at their place of business or at the RV shows! And, get an extra bonus for buying from them by camping for free with these fine campgrounds in Western PA, and if you camp at least ten, and your name is drawn, you may end the 2010 camping season with an additional $500.00 bonus just like Michael Baier of Cranberry Twp. did in 2009!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

RV DEALERS & CAMPGROUND OWNERS PRESENT $500 TO CONTEST WINNER!

2009-12-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

(Shown in Photo Above front is Dennis Quigley presenting award to Michael Baier, and in back from left to right, Tim Chilson, Ed Tanski, Buck Majors, and Frank Morgan)

The $500.00 winner of the 2009 Very Special Camper Contest drawing was Michael Baier of Cranberry Twp. He was presented $500.00 at Hufnagel and Major’s RV Dealership on Tuesday by Dennis Quigley of Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, Tim Chilson of Brookdale Campground in Meadville, Ed Tanski of Buttercup Woodlands Campground in Renfrew, and Buck Majors and Frank Morgan of Hufnagel & Major’s RV Dealership in Harmony.

Campgrounds and RV dealers from Western PA partnered together to provide potential new RV owners over $500.00 of free camping when they bought a new RV from one of the participating dealers in 2009!

Each purchase of a new RV from one of the participating RV dealers entitled the new RV owner to one free night of camping for their family of four, from all of the 15 participating Western Pennsylvania Campgrounds and RV Parks.

In addition, any camper who stayed at 10 or more of the 15 participating Campgrounds and RV parks and submitted their entry, were entered in a drawing to receive an additional $500.00!

The participating Western PA RV dealers for 2009 were Butler RV Center in Butler, Fame RV in Saegertown, and Hufnagel & Majors in Harmony, where Michael Baier purchased his RV.

The participating Western PA campgrounds were Bear Run Campground in Portersville, Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, Buttercup Woodlands Campground in Renfrew, Campers Paradise Campground in Sigel, Farma Family Campground in Greenville, Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, Kalyumet Camping & Cabins in Cook Forest, Nautical Mile Campground & Marina in Templeton, Peaceful Valley Campground in West Sunbury, Pineview Campground in Linesville, Rose Point Park Cabins & Camping in New Castle, Shenango Valley RV Park in Transfer, Sparrow Pond Family Campground in Waterford, Vacationland Campground in Sandy Lake, and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Mill Run.

The program, according to the program organizer Dennis Quigley of Kozy Rest Kampground, will be returning in 2010 and the number of RV Dealerships may be extended to provide purchasers throughout Western PA a dealership closer to where they live.

If you are planning to purchase an RV in 2010, you can get more information from any of the participating campgrounds or RV Dealers, or at the upcoming RV Shows, where the participating dealerships will be proudly displaying the Contest Flyers for
2010.

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Free Children’s Crafts and the Woman Who Made Them Fun!

2009-11-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

We suffered a terrible loss last week. We lost our dear friend and craft volunteer extraordinaire, Carol Homich. Carol loved doing crafts with the kids at Brookdale Campground and she graciously volunteered her time and energy into providing the children a wonderful craft experience!

Now you may think that doing kid’s crafts is relatively easy. If you think that, then consider the fact that you’re trying to entertain children, with a creative experience on an almost non-existent budget, that range in age from pre-school to high school! Not so easy, huh? Many a night Carol and her friends, sat around a campfire “doing craft therapy” as they prepared the craft for the next morning, to make it as easy as possible for the younger kids to complete their project in a timely fashion.

She thought and thought about how to do it in a way that every child, no matter what the age, could participate with a minimum amount of assistance from mom or dad, without boring the teens and tweens! But Carol could do it and do it she did! In fact, we say that Carol was an expert at it!

She’s volunteered over the last several years and she will be missed more than she would ever have guessed. As we give thanks this week, Carol and her family will be in our thoughts, and we’ll give thanks for her love and friendship, the time we had with her, and the smiles she brought to all of those little faces!

How else do you pay tribute to a wonderful woman who so graciously donated her time to making children smile then by trying to continue the program and make more smiles? And with that we say, we’ll miss you dear friend, and we’ll try to take what you taught us and use it to continue to make children smile and you proud!

If you’d like to see photos & videos of Carol making smiles and crafts, you can see them on our website photos page at: http://www.brookdalecampground.com/gallery.html
By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or email her at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Brookdale is the perfect Seasonal Campground for your family!

2009-10-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

As autumn gives way to winter, most camper’s thoughts turn to chores winterizing their RV’s to place them in storage for the long, cold non-camping season ahead. Instead, turn your thoughts to next summer, and begin planning your family’s vacation and recreation time at Brookdale Family Campground! Here are some tips on why seasonal camping makes sense and why Brookdale is the right park for your family!

We’ll save you money! Recent studies have documented that camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family. Take that thinking one step further and you will see why seasonal camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family all summer long! A seasonal campsite costs less then one week long vacation at a resort. So why not enjoy your RV every weekend, all summer long, for about the same price as one vacation? Now that’s being a thrifty shopper!

Our Price is right! When you compare our unlimited camping rate to other local destination campgrounds that provide similar services and activities, our price is not only competitive, but we actually cost less. Our Seasonal Camping rate is all inclusive, so you don’t pay additional fees for meals, activities, or mowing. Our award-winning activities and event weekends, and our higher level of service (i.e. the mowing of your campsite) are all included in our already competitive price. That means that we provide your family a higher level of service at a more affordable price! And, because our campers enjoy unlimited seasonal camping, you can be here as little or as much as you desire to be, all season long! And don’t forget, you get all those holiday weekends with the extra events, activities, and entertainment that are all included in that same low seasonal rate! When you do the math, we think you’ll find that the price is right!

Brookdale Campground is an easy commute! Towing creates wear and tear on your RV, your tow vehicle, and on you, the driver! There are also fuel and maintenance costs associated with weekend travel. So unless your family is determined to try a new place each weekend, why not camp right here for the whole summer! The money you save in not towing will more than offset your extra expenditures on gas to get you back and forth each weekend! And, because we’re an hour south of Erie, and a little over an hour from Pittsburgh, and less from points north, we’re a convenient commute right up I79, and just 5 miles outside of Meadville on Hwy 27! We’re worth the drive!

We’re centrally located! Because we’re centrally located in the Great Lakes are of PA, there are lots of things to do! We’re an easy commute to Erie which hosts Waldameer Park, Presque Isle State Park (the most visited state park in PA), and more! We’re close to Pymatuning & Conneaut Lake, and we sit in the heart of some of the best fishing small lakes in PA! And, if that’s not enough, we’re a short commute to Oil Creek State park, Rails to Trails Bike Trails, and more!

Seasonal Camping is convenient! You spend a lot less time working to pack, hook-up, tow, unhook, set up, tear down, hook-up, tow, unhook, and unpack. If you’re a seasonal camper, you get to spend a lot more time camping and enjoying your family and a whole lot less time working! And because we provide a higher level of service, not only don’t you have to mow, but you can enjoy the peace and tranquility of our park, without having to listen to your camping neighbors mowing their campsites on the weekends when you’re here to enjoy the park. We provide all the conveniences of a vacation home, at a fraction of the work and price!

We’re a family park. That means that you can count on the fact that we provide fun, family oriented activities for the entire family! It’s a park full of fun things to do. The kids or grandkids will love our playgrounds, hiking trails, playing in the creek, swimming in our pool, catching frogs or fishing (catch and release only, please), and more in addition to all the themed weekend events and planned activities! We have basket ball, volleyball, soccer, horseshoes, and more! We keep the kids busy with wiffle ball games, kick ball games, parachute games, Lycra band games, and more! We have free crafts for kids, ceramics($), our game room($), rental bikes($), peddle boats($), mini golf($), and more!

Our Seasonal Campers enjoy lots of extra perks and even more discounts! We offer free onsite winter storage (so you save even more money by not paying for a storage facility) with your deposit for next season, an interest-free winter payment plan, a $50.00 rebate for full payment by Jan. 1st, discounted visitor rates for the entire season, special events for seasonal campers with door prize drawings, discount coupons and free tickets to RV Shows, and more!

You’ll make new friends here! Our seasonal campers are like a small community. They become friends, hang out, play cards or yard games, have group campfires, their children become friends, and much more! Many volunteer to help with activities and events and bring lots of fun to their camping environment in a family-friendly way!

Right now is the prefect time to select a site! We have a few openings for next season, so there is no waiting list! If you’re already enjoying Brookdale enough to spend multiple weekends here, aren’t we the perfect choice to help save you even more money by parking your RV here for the whole summer? When you think about it, wouldn’t that save you time, work, and money while maximizing the use of your RV?

We’re the right choice! The closer you camp to where you live the better it is! That is how you’ll get the most use out of your RV! But remember, the experience isn’t just something, it’s everything! It’s much better to drive a little further for that higher rating, those award-winning activities, or those special friends you love to camp with! Don’t sacrifice quality for cheaper or closer. Our ratings, our award-winning activities and our themed event weekends, and our higher level of service are what made Brookdale Family Campground the right choice for many families in NW PA for over 31 years!

Seasonal camping maximizes your summer vacation time and use of your RV while minimizing your expenses! It can provide your family a summer full of fun, family oriented camping experiences for about the same price as one vacation! Make sure you take a little time to consider that idea, and how it can help your family get the biggest bang for your buck next summer! Then, we hope you’ll call us and make an appointment to come look at the campsites we have available. It’s not too late to move onto a site this fall! We’re looking forward to talking with you and showing you all the fun events and activities we’re already planning for next summer!

Have a wonderful autumn, and we hope to see you soon!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Autumn Is The Perfect Time to Look For Seasonal Camp Sites For Next Summer!

2009-09-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Summer is winding to a close, and camper’s thoughts turn to chores like raking leaves and winterizing their RV’s to place them in storage for the long cold non-camping season ahead. Instead, turn your thoughts to next summer, and begin planning your family’s vacation and recreation time by looking at campgrounds and seasonal campsites! Here are some tips on why seasonal camping makes sense and how to look for the right park for your family!

Seasonal camping saves you time! You spend a lot less time working to pack, hook-up, tow, unhook, set up, tear down, hook-up, tow, unhook, and unpack. That means that you get to spend a lot more time camping and enjoying your family and a whole lot less time working!

Seasonal camping saves you money! Studies have documented that camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family. Take that thinking one step further and say that seasonal camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family all summer long! A seasonal campsite costs less then one weeklong vacation. So why not enjoy your RV every weekend, all summer long, for about the same price as one vacation? Now that’s being a thrifty shopper.

Seasonal camping saves on travel costs! Towing creates wear and tear on the RV, not to mention wear and tear on the tow vehicle and driver. There are also fuel and maintenance costs associated with weekend travel. So unless your family is determined to try a new place each weekend, why not pick your favorite campground, and park it there for the summer! The money you save in not towing will more than offset your extra expenditures on gas to get you back and forth each weekend! If the park of your first choice is full, contact your second pick!

Seasonal campers enjoy extra perks! Some campgrounds offer onsite winter storage (so you save even more money by not paying for a storage facility), interest-free payment plans, special events or activities for seasonal campers, and more! Seasonal campers have their own special community. They become friends, hang out, play card or yard games, have group campfires, their children become friends, and much more!

Autumn is the perfect time to campground shop! Many campgrounds’ seasonal camping agreements end with the camping season, which makes autumn a perfect time to shop. If you’ve already visited one campground multiple times in the camping season, chances are good that you should be a prime candidate to look at camping there for the whole summer next season. If you’re enjoying a campground enough to spend multiple weekends there, why wouldn’t you want to consider saving even more money by parking there for the summer?

Choosing the right campground is important! The closer you camp to where you live the better. That too, reduces your costs. But remember, the experience isn’t just something, it’s everything! It’s much better to drive a little further for that higher rating, those award-winning activities, or those special friends you love to camp with if you have to! Don’t sacrifice quality for cheaper or closer. You won’t be happy you did.

Know what you’re getting for your money! Every campground operates differently and offers different thing. Some campgrounds (like those located on or near lakes or rivers) know that their parks are basically a base camp for people who will spend the day on the water. That’s great, and it’s well worth your while to camp there if you own a boat and will spend most of your days on the water. Or if you want a destination campground that offers events and activities to keep the kids busy, then you need to make sure you select one that does just that. The point is, every campground has a niche market. Make sure that the niche your campground serves, is the one you want it to serve.

Seasonal camping rates vary based on amenities, events, activities, and the level of service the campground provides. So make sure you shop around and get the deal that best meets your family’s needs. Some campgrounds include events and activities in their prices, and some don’t. Some campgrounds do the mowing for you, and some don’t. Some campgrounds provide all the utilities in their price, and some meter them and charge you for what you use. Don’t assume that cheaper upfront is better. They may have a lower seasonal rate and then charge you additionally for mowing, events, activities for the kids each week, meals, or other services that add up to much more than the all inclusive campground or RV park that you thought was over-priced. Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting for the seasonal rate you’re paying.

Make sure the tone of the campground fits your family! If it’s a party campground, and you’re looking for a family atmosphere then it’s probably not the right fit. Or if you’re a partier, and the campground has the name “family” in the middle of it, then you probably won’t enjoy it. So it’s important that you choose the right campground for your camping style.

Seasonal camping provides discounted rates for summer-long stay. It can provide your family a full summer of camping for the price of one vacation, and many wonderful camping memories and experiences. Make sure you take a little to consider the idea, and shop around at the many different campgrounds that provide seasonal camping. You’ll learn a lot about campgrounds, how they differ, how they’re similar, and what it is you’re looking for in a campground, if you do.

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Autumn Camping Is Awesome Camping!

2009-08-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

As summer comes to an end, the autumn season begins, and that means it’s time to go autumn camping! Why not enjoy the fall foliage, fun fall festivals, and more! Here are few examples of awesome autumn camping adventures that await you!

Tailgate at Football Games! Whether you’re a Steelers fan, a Penn State fan (or other college team fan), or a local high school team fan, don’t forget to take your RV. It’s a great place to grill dogs and sit relax before or after the big game. And if you’re drinking, why risk driving? Tail gate at the game and spend the night. It’s safer and a lot more fun!

Attend Fall Festivals! There are Autumn Leaf Festivals, Applefests, Pumkin Fests, and more! So if you haven’t been camping and attended one of these great local autumn events, the only question remaining is, why not? The festivals are fun, and it lengthens your camping season!

The Price is Right! Off season camping generally means off season (lower) rates! You save money when you camp in the off season! And because demand for those sites are lower, the campgrounds are less busy (except for special event weekends), which means you get a quiet, more relaxing, camping atmosphere!

The Weather Is Good! Ahhh, the cool evenings make a campfire all that more enjoyable. Enjoy a cup of spiced apple cider, s’mores, and a camper pie by the campfire on a cool autumn evening. There’s nothing like it! And is it just me, or does everything taste better over that autumn campfire?

Attend Special Event Weekends! Many private campgrounds provide special event weekends during the autumn months to draw in more campers and RVers! Why not take the kids to a Halloween Weekend filled with trick or treat, costume and campsite decorating contests complete with a Sunday breakfast? Or, attend a Pumpkin Fest Weekend with roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin carving and other pumpkin themed activities? Or, take them on a hike through a campground haunt?

The Fall Foliage Peak Is In Early October! The fall foliage is usually at its peak the first and second weeks in October. Why not choose a campground that is centrally located to the area where you’d like to foliage sight-see, and do some foliage gazing in the area around your base camp! Don’t forget your camera!

Autumn Star Gazing Is Awesome! If you’re a star gazer, you already know that late summer and early fall give rise to some awesome planetary and star gazing opportunities. If you aren’t a star gazer, now is as good of time to start as any! So look up and learn! And don’t forget that star gazing at a campout equals a trip to the local planetarium! So the kids can learn about the stars right there at your campsite!

There are lots of fun special event weekends, fall festivals, football games, stars, and fall foliage to see! All of these great camping & RVing adventures await you! Go camping or RVing and explore the world around you!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Why Camping Is Making A Comeback!

2009-08-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Camping is making a comeback in a big way, according to occupancy surveys nationally. Which raises the question, why? Basically, people are being more conservative with their resources and are enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of a camping vacation versus the long-distance travel vacation.

People are being more conservative with their financial resources. Many families are in financial crunches between lay-offs and reduced hours. So that stay at the 4-star resort hotel probably isn’t in the planning. But they know they can stay at a 4 or 5 star camp-ground and have a lot fun for a lot less money. Camping and locally means lower costs for fuel, less wear and tear on the RV or vehicle, and less wear and tear on the parents.

People are being more conservative with their time resources. People are vacationing closer to home which means they spend less gas money, less travel time (fewer hassles with the kids), and they get to spend more time for fun! Why not spend the 5-6 hours (or more) you normally would in travel, having fun by cutting the travel time to 1-2 hours radius from your home. By traveling an hour or two away instead of two or three times that length of time, you get more time at the RV park or campground relaxing and having fun, and less time sitting in construction, fighting traffic, or refereeing the kids!

People want quality vacation time with their families! With all the stressors and strains of life right now, going camping and reconnecting with nature helps people to unwind and enjoy life a little. Family life is full of running to ball games, ballet classes, and school events around hectic work schedules. Camping provides an opportunity for families to reconnect and spend quality time together while enjoying the atmosphere, events, and activities offered at campgrounds. Families don’t get the chance to spend that time together because of all the distractions there are in lives when we are at home.

People are reconnecting with nature! While families are reconnecting with each other, they are reconnecting with nature too. According to Tim Chilson, owner of Brookdale Family Campground, “We had campers here this summer whose children were collecting lightening bugs for the first time ever. They were thrilled with all the bugs and to have the opportunity to do something they’ve never done before!” Camping provides kids the opportunity to experience the wonder of nature in new and exciting ways!

When you add up the lower costs, the reduced travel time, the reconnection with the family and nature, it adds up to a winning vacation for everyone. The kids can participate in activities and events, or play and burn off excess energy, and the parents are happy recharging their batteries in their lawn chair drinking iced tea under the awning. Camp-grounds are not only surviving, but are thriving by offering a family camping atmosphere in these tough times economically.

Camping remains a lower-cost alternative and more relaxing vacation than almost any other type of vacation you can take. That makes it the best vacation value for middle class Americans, and that is exactly why it’s made a comeback during the economic downturn.

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

RVing With Doggies

2009-08-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

When you travel with your dog, you are an ambassador for every other pet owner in America.. So, please, please, please, read and follow the pet rules at the campground or RV Park!

Due to increased liability and the number of pets camping and RVing, campground and RV park owners are forced to continue to modify and expand pet restrictions. Many campgrounds are limiting breeds of dogs (due to their aggressive nature and breeding). Some limit pets in number or by size, and some are now charging extra fees for pets because of the increased risk, materials, and manpower to clean up behind pets. Here are some standard Pet Policies that should always be followed:

Carry your pet's shot records: This is important, not only for your pet, but for others as well. Some campgrounds require it. Even if they don't, it's a good practice. Bring along pet supplies, meds, & first aid supplies! You never know when your pet may get injured or need treated for ticks or fleas. To keep your family & pets safe, you should check them for ticks & fleas each and every time they are outdoors. And, you should treat them regularly to protect them and your family from Lyme Disease.
Pets should be leashed 100% of the time. We’ve had pet owners ask us why they can’t use invisible fences when camping. The answer is simply this, it doesn’t keep other pets out and it doesn’t necessarily keep your pet in. Other pets can cross that fence with no deterrence, and once your pet crosses that fence, you have lost control of your pet. Pets are territorial by nature. They will defend their territory and owners whether they need defended or not. Without a physical leash or tether, if your pet is involved in a dog fight, you then have no means by which to remove your pet from that fight, protect them from harm, or from harming another family’s pet without placing yourself at risk.

Barking Needs Minimized! Other campers don’t go camping to hear dogs bark. They go to hear crickets chirping, the birds’ singing, and the babbling brook at the campground. Campers should never leave their pet tethered at your campsite unattended for your neighbors to listen to the barking while your family enjoys the pool or worse yet the local amusement park or county fair for 10 hours! It isn’t fair to your camping neighbors and it certainly isn’t fair to your pet. Many campers crate their pet inside the unit, and no one suffers. So, be kind to your pet and your neighbors, and if you’re going to be absent for long periods of time, kennel your pet for the day.

As a side note, there are also barking collars and other techniques for training pets not to bark. It’s not being mean to them, it’s teaching them good doggie manners. And as a pet owner, you have a responsibility to your pet, other campers, and the campground owners, to teach them good doggie manners while camping!

Doggie Doo-Doo Needs Picked up 100% of the Time! Always pick up your dog's waste. Dog owners will tell you that they have been in hundreds of campgrounds and seen so many people claim, in public, that they always pick up their dog's waste; only to see them, in private, leave it on the ground and hope no-one noticed. Look, it is not a pleasant job, but neither is changing your child's diapers and you still do that faithfully.

Now, on to what to use to pick up the nasty stuff. Here are some suggestions from other campers & pet owners:

At Brookdale Family Campground, we hand out a snack for pets with a reminder of our pet rules and they can use the bag we supply the snack in. We use cheap (no name) sandwich baggies. The hold the snack and provide a good pick-up baggie at a reasonable price. They usually come 75 to a box and they also have twist ties with them. A box is about $2.40. So, they are much cheaper than specialty doggie bags, but they are thicker than produce bags.
Cheap bags at the Dollar Store. The white ones are too thin and they come 100 to a box. The blue ones come 50 to a box. They are the ones to use. They are cheap enough that you can have a box in the RV, jeep, back pack and the fanny pack. And if I see someone who is walking a dog and in need of a bag I am happy to hand one over!
Doggie bags at BFC! We sell doggie pick-up bags at cost at the camp store, and the carry case that attaches to the leash! You will never be without a baggie again if you simply buy the carrier & a package of refill bags! You won’t find a better deal!
I've found an even better bag--and it's free! Our home delivered newspapers come in a tough double layer plastic bag. It's just the right size to put over your hand, pick up the waste, turn the bag inside out and tie it in a knot. I save all the newspaper bags and find all kinds of uses for them.

Happy camping and don’t forget to take your doggie bags with you!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. You can contact Robyn at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Why Are Visitor Fees Charged At Private Campgrounds & RV Parks?

2009-06-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

Visitors are unhappy when they are charged a fee to visit. Campers are unhappy when their guests are charged a fee to visit or they have to pay it in advance for them. So, why do visitors have to pay fee at a privately owned and operated campground?

The answer is because visitors increase the operating costs of the campground. The campground’s facilities can only handle so many people at a time. 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.

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 view 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. 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 increases as well. If the testing of those systems is that expensive, imagine the increased operating expenses for them.

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.

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 is 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.

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 state and county parks. Visitor’s fees, as you can see, are clearly one of those necessary evils. Therefore, the campground owner, camper, or visitor has to pick up the tab for those additional visitors and the additional costs associated with those visits. It isn’t fair to pass those costs on to all the campers, is it? Why should the camper who doesn’t have visitors have to pay for those who do? That is why most campground owners believe that the people receiving those services (i.e. the visitor) should pay 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. In the end, they are cheating the American consumer, and in this case, that is you, the RVer or camper.

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. You can contact Robyn at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Emergency Planning & Preparation!

2009-06-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Most RVers wouldn’t think of leaving home without their jack, spare tire, and road triangles or safety flares. Even if you have AAA, you need these basics to keep you and your family safe until help arrives or just in case it doesn’t.

The same holds true for medical emergencies too. Do you have your medical history with you? Do you know what medications and what dosages you take? Do you know where the nearest hospital is and how to get help?

These are all important things to know in case of an emergency. When the emergency happens, it’s too late to prepare. So be prepared in advance with these emergency safety tips. They’ll help keep you and your family from having a nightmare instead of that wonderful RV vacation you’ve been dreaming about!

If you have a serious medical condition, buy and wear emergency medical alert ID’s. If you have preexisting medical condition that requires a medical alert bracelet or necklace, get one and wear it all the time. These simple items help to alert rescue or medical personnel of your health issues and help to ensure you prompt and proper medical treatment in the event of an emergency.

Keep a copy of your medical history and medications within easy reach! Have you ever heard of vials of life? They are used in senior living housing to keep a list of meds and medial history on the patient in the refrigerator. The EMT’s know to look there for the info they need. You can do the same thing in your RV. Attach a copy of your meds and medical history to the door of your RV refrigerator (seal it in an envelope if you wish to maintain privacy), and write “EMERGENCY INFO” on the front of the envelope so that emergency personnel will see it and have it if they ever need it. It’s also a good idea to keep a copy in your purse or wallet. Simply update it annually at the beginning of your RVing season (or prior to your first trip).

Don’t forget to pack your first aid kit & fire extinguisher in your vehicle and/or RV! Make sure that if you use your first aid kit that you replenish the supplies as soon as they are used. Check for expired or out of date drugs or ointments and replace them. Check your fire extinguisher to make sure it’s properly charged and in good working order. Check your propane detector, smoke detector, and CO2 detectors, and make sure they are in good working condition with new batteries at the start of each camping season.

Know where the closest hospital or medical center is when traveling. When you check into a campground, ask for directions to the nearest medical facility if you don’t already know where it is located. Or, keep hospitals checked on your GPS device, so you know in advance where it is and how to get there.

Know who to call in case of an emergency at the campground or RV Park. When you check in, if the number isn’t published on the campground map, ask for the office number and the after hours emergency contact number and keep it somewhere within easy access. Again, the front of that RV refrigerator is a great spot. You simply use magnets to hold it there, and then remove it when you depart that RV Park or campground, and place the new one up there when you arrive at your next destination.

In the event of an emergency, ALWAYS dial 911 first! Then, dial the campground number and tell them you need help. Give them your name and campsite number. What can they do? Often campgrounds have trained personnel to help provide emergency care until EMS arrives on the scene. Many campgrounds have AEDs (Automatic External Deliberators) and trained personnel that can provide life saving measures in the event of a heart attack. Did you know that each minute that defibrillation is delayed reduces the chance of survival by 10%! In addition, they will have someone meet the emergency vehicles and escort them to your campsite, which gets you or your loved one emergency care faster! Quick response and treatment is often the difference between life and death.

In the event of a poisoning, dial 911 and then call the poison control center hotline at 800-222-1222! Poisoning can be from gases (like CO2), chemicals ingested, contact (like poison ivy) or chemical contact with the skin, injections (like bee stings, snake bites, tick bites, or spider bites). The poison control center will tell you what to do, and how to treat someone until EMS personnel arrive on the scene.

Get CPR & First Aid Training! If you haven’t had a CPR or a first aid course, take one. You can get one through your local American Red Cross Chapter. While we’re on the subject of the American Red Cross, you should also consider donating your money, time, and blood to this worthwhile community service organization. The blood you donate today may be the blood that you, a loved one, or neighbor needs to save their life after an emergency tomorrow. So take the time to get educated and involved.

Robyn Chilson & her husband Tim, Own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

How To Improve Your Local Economy

2009-05-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

You’re probably already wondering just by the title what RVing and improving the local economy have to do with one another. Remember the old saying for recycling “Think globally but act locally”? Well, there you have it.

We live in a global economy. There’s no doubt about it. America has lost jobs, industries, manufacturing processes, even agriculture! But Americans are resilient and as always we’ll apply our resources, creativity, and infrastructure in the right direction to turn things around. How do I know that? We always have. So, I have faith we will again and so do a lot of other Americans, because I get their emails, tweets, and hear their discussions about it.

Here are some suggestions for what each of us can do to help stimulate our local economies and how what we do, impacts our local economy. If you think about it, you can probably come up with even more of them.

Keep a positive attitude. The news is full of doom and gloom. If we spend all of our time listening to it, we’ll get too depressed to get out of bed and go to work – what’s the use, right? Come on people! Turn that attitude around and say, “Today is a new day, let’s get the American spirit back and get rolling!” We can’t control the whole world. But we can control what we do, where we go, where we spend our dollars, to what charities we donate to, and more! So, let’s focus on what we can do!

Spend your vacation dollars locally. When you vacation, camp, or RV closer to home, you not only save fuel costs and travel time, but you support a local business. Why does that matter? Because that local campground or hotel hires your neighbors, friends, or family members, purchases goods and services from local companies (like the ones you or your friends might own or work for), they pay into local tourism and tax programs, support community activities and festivals, and support local community charity programs, and more. When you shop, camp, or vacation near your home, your community benefits. It’s that simple.

Shop at the Campground where you camp at instead of driving to a chain store. Before you tell me about how high campground store prices are, remember that the campground is there to provide you a convenience. Their prices might be slightly higher because they can’t purchase the same truck-load quantities as large chains do and they have to pay fuel surcharges on their deliveries, but they save you the time, wear and tear on your auto, and the fuel costs of driving to town. Often, their prices are more competitive than you think, because their goods are higher quality than chain stores. This is especially true when buying propane, firewood, and other goods. People go to town to buy propane and come back to the campground and find out that the campground’s price was the same or less. Not only did they spend the same or more for the product, they wasted the time, wear and tear on their vehicle, and fuel to go to town to get it. Remember, again that when you’re shopping at that campground you’re supporting the jobs and the people who work there, the local trucking companies, fuel stations, and local companies that supply those goods and services. Your whole community benefits.

Support the businesses that advertise in the campsite map and support campground events. These local businesses understand the impact RV’ers and campers have on their business and their local economy. So make sure you tell them that the campground recommended them to you. You’re likely to get better service and discounts if they offer them. In addition, it’ll help them realize the impact that advertising or supporting campground events has on their business. They’ll pay attention, because it effects their bottom line!

Buy your RV locally. Again, when you support your local RV Dealer, you’re likely to get better service when you need it. You don’t just get an RV; you create a relationship. They’re more likely to value your business because they know if they do, you’re likely to come back RV after RV. Again, it’s people in your community that work there. It’s your community that benefits from the employment, taxes collected, and local charities.

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables locally where you live and where you vacation. When you buy locally, you get fresher products (which are of course healthier for you and your family) but you also support the local farmer who grew them and the suppliers he supports. Those businesses: the local feed store, equipment dealer, milk processing plant, etc. all benefit. You can easily see how it grows! (Pun intended!)

Spend your entertainment dollars locally. When you go to the local concert, eat at a local restaurant, buy clothes or jewelry at the local small-town store, go to the movies, or bowling, etc. you’re supporting your local economy. Those are local jobs, local taxes paid, local charities supported, and on and on. Again, the neighbors, friends, and relatives working in those fields benefit!

Go green. The more we make our homes lower energy users, the lower our local energy bills will be! Turn lights off. Replace bulbs with compact fluorescents, in the RV use new LED replacement bulbs, and don’t burn your awning lights all night. Take only one vehicle when you go RVing or camping. The more we reduce fuel consumption, the lower the fuel prices will be! Recycle! The more we recycle the more room in our landfills that we save, the better our environment. If we all did these things, just think of the impact we’d have!

Support local charities & community projects. When we keep our charity dollars closer to home, our local community will look better, work together better, and be ever more successful. Local charities provide scholarships to local teens, supports our local volunteer fire departments, our local blood banks, local disaster funds, and much, much more. There are many ways to lift our local communities. We can donate money, or get involved and volunteer! Charity organizations always need both!

As consumers, we have a huge impact on our local economy with how we shop, where we shop, and what purchases and choices we make. We can choose to support our local economy, or we can choose to do what is easiest or cheapest. In making the wrong choices, we really hurt ourselves in the long run by damaging our own local economy. When you think about the impact that you can make, and what that means to people you know, then the answer is clear and possibilities are endless, if we just think globally and act locally.

By Robyn Chilson
Robyn & her husband Tim Chilson own & operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA You can contact her at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

May is Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle & Camping Month!

2009-05-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania, has designated May as Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Month. The month is designed to introduce non-campers to camping in the great outdoors of Pennsylvania. For the past nineteen years the Governor of Pennsylvania has proclaimed May as Recreation Vehicle and Camping Month.

Pennsylvania has so much to offer tourists with its unique sites, history, and culture. It is also the third leading manufacturer of RVs in the nation and hosts the industries largest trade and retail show in the country at the Hershey Park Entertainment & Resorts Complex ®. Governor Rendell encourages all citizens to pursue their passions and escape with their families on the road across the farthest reaches of our state.

Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association (PCOA) produces a free printed and online PA Camping directory. You can request a printed one by calling 888-660-7262 or visit the PCOA online directory at www.pacamping.com.

Many first-time Pennsylvania campers will find discounts at PA campgrounds during the Month. If you don’t own an RV, you can still enjoy camping at many PCOA campgrounds that offer camping cabins or rental units, which are also listed in the free directory and in a separate directory at http://pacabinsandcottages.com/. Camping cabins can range from primitive cabins with just beds to full service lodging with kitchens and bathrooms.

Brookdale Family Campground is offering one night of free camping when they buy one night of camping to first-time campers or to families who bring another new family to the campground on May 16th & 17th. You can read more about it at http://www.brookdalecampground.com. Or call us at 814-789-4393 to make your reservations today!

If you are interested in owning your own RV, you can visit any one of the PA Recreation Vehicle & Camping Association RV Dealerships. You can request a free Explore PA Membership Directory by calling 1-888-303-2887 or, you can find them online at: http://www.prvca.org. What will you discover in your new RV? You can find more RV dealers at http://gorving.com/.
Camping & RVing are a great way to get your family outside to appreciate nature and to provide your family an affordable vacation. Pennsylvania RV dealers offer a wide range of RV’s to meet Campgrounds offer a wide range of activities, events, and entertainment. Your family can enjoy a wagon ride, a campfire, go fishing, and have the ability to explore the surrounding area, attend local events, fairs, festivals, and much more!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

Go Green and Go RVing!

2009-04-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

RVing vacations are a greener way to vacation! A recent study released by PKF Consulting shows that the carbon footprint from an RV vacation is roughly 50% of the footprint from an air/car/hotel vacation. Not only is RVing fun but it is better for our environment than other forms of vacationing.

Just as important as green vacations, is being more earth & energy friendly in general, and that is the responsibility of everyone. Here is a list of the things campers and RVers can do to “go green” while camping, but they also apply for everyone, everywhere.

Celebrate Green Week With Your Children or Grandchildren! Schools, local parks and campgrounds will be celebrating green week. Get involved! Celebrate Earth Day April 22 or Arbor Day April 24 this year with your children! Volunteer to help do clean-up or litter pick up at your favorite local park or playground, campground, or even along your own street! Organize a community clean up or volunteer to help with the green week celebrations at their school. Donate and plant a tree in your local park, campground, or plant one in your own yard! Visit a state park or go camping at a campground that is celebrating green week! Most importantly, talk to your children about being good stewards of the earth. If you don’t recycle at home, start a program and involve the kids! If you already recycle, expand your efforts and do even more! It’ll make them feel good to help the earth, and you can remind them of that good feeling while they are helping you do the recycling. Doing the right thing doesn’t always mean doing the easiest thing. Taking care of the earth provides great life lessons too.

Teach children not to litter & set a good example yourself. Animals suffer when we litter. Ducks, turtles and other wildlife get caught in plastic 6 pack plastic connectors, discarded fishing line, and plastic bags. Other animals try to eat foam products (which don’t easily break down) and empty food containers, and the list goes on and on. Litter draws wildlife to yards and campgrounds that are looking for an easy meal. It’s not just bad for animals; it’s unsightly & unhealthy for people too. Parks and campgrounds spend a lot of time and resources picking up litter to protect wildlife, and those resources would be saved too!

Go smaller! The smaller the RV, the less fuel you consume, the greener you’re being. So, when you’re buying that next RV, take your fuel mileage and consumption into consideration!

Go closer to home and stay longer. Instead of camping 3 weekends in June, you camped for a week, you saved the travel time and fuel for two of those trips. The longer you park the RV in one place, the less your carbon footprint. So, park it at a local campground or RV Park for the summer, or take fewer, but longer trips. It not only makes sense for the environment, but for your wallet too. Most campgrounds provide significant discounts for longer stays!

Leave one vehicle at home. It’s amazing how many people still drive two or three vehicles to campgrounds and other family activities. Even though family schedules are hectic, just this one item would reduce emissions and fuel usage. If everyone in the country would car pool more and drive less, the overall usage would fall enough that prices would fall as well. The money saved would definitely buy enough fuel to take you camping and depending on how much you conserve, may well pay for another whole outing for your family!

Keep your RV or Tow Vehicle in good running condition. Keeping your tow vehicle or motor home in good running condition, not only makes your travel safer, it reduces emissions and fuel consumption, which reduces the carbon foot print. So, get a tune-up and keep those tires inflated to the correct pressures to increase your mileage, and reduce your emissions!

Hike and bike more. Ride a bike or walk to the camp store instead of driving your car or tow vehicle. Again it’s a fuel saver, but more importantly it’s just plain fun to walk or bike. Say hello to your camping neighbors, meet new people and socialize a little, or just enjoy the outdoors! Take a hike with the kids and enjoy the trees, birds, and wild flowers. Take a bike ride with the family but don’t forget to pack your helmets! Biking is a fun, family activity, but teaching safe biking is important. Wearing helmets saves lives and teach the rules of the road by demonstrating them yourself. Not only do you get quality time with your spouse and children, you’re teaching them an appreciation for the outdoors, good hiking or biking safety practices, and everyone is getting exercise!

Reduce energy usage. Even while camping and RVing, we’re prone to light up our environment which wastes energy. When you extinguish your campfire for the night, turn off your outdoor lights for the night too. It’ll save energy and you won’t disturb your RVing & camping neighbors with the lights. Fewer lights at campgrounds create a better environment for stargazing, which is another fun and educational night time activity! Turn out lights when you leave a room (including the campground bath house!) and please teach your kids to do it too! Use energy efficient light bulbs in your home and RV! Avoid using air conditioners by parking on shady sites, opening windows and using the breeze, or go outdoors and enjoy a shade tree and a cold beverage instead. Using a lantern, campfire light, & flashlights not only reduces energy consumption, but also makes your camping experience more enjoyable. So go retro and burn less electricity!

Conserve water! Shut off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Shorten your showers. Supervise and shorten your children’s showers. Take the kids to the pool instead of allowing them to play with the water hose. Many campgrounds are on wells, which have to serve many camping families. One family wasting water can run a well dry so the others have no water at all. That is not a fun camping or RVing experience. This is why washing your personal vehicle or your RV (unless you’re a seasonal camper) is against the rules at most campgrounds. Do wash your vehicles at a carwash that recycles and reuses the water. Make sure your approved drinking water hose is properly attached, has a good working rubber gasket and no leaks. A leaking water hose can lose hundreds of gallons of water a day, and can easily run a well dry. If you see a problem at a campground; a toilet sticking or a possible water line break, please report it immediately!

Use environmentally friendly chemicals in your sewer tank. Most campgrounds sell environmentally friendly chemicals. Make sure as the consumer, that you buy the best ones for the environment too. Using non-formaldehyde treatments for waste tanks is a huge positive impact on the environment. Formaldehyde, once in water, never leaves the water. And the water on our planet is recycled over and over again. So the water that you don’t contaminate today is the same water that you’ll be drinking in the future! In addition, many of the newer chemicals help to break down waste and keep sewage systems & tank electronics functioning well by using live bacteria. Make sure you’re using one of these products. Not only will it help the campground owner, but also it’ll help your RV to stay working well. In addition to this, sewer systems can’t handle large quantities of bleach. Chlorine kills off the bacteria that digest waste. Never dump large quantities of bleach or any chemical into a campground waste system. Only a quarter of a cup of bleach or so is recommended for each 15 gals of water needed to disinfect your RV water system. You can find directions at: http://www.rvuniversity.com/article.php/20070402101517867

Reduce Waste! Our landfills are filling up faster than we can find places to build new ones. So, reducing waste by buying silverware, plastic plates, and cups and washing the dishes reduces the amount of waste going to landfills, it reduces the amount of trees we need to cut to make more, and plastic and foam plates not only take longer to break down, but are oil-based products, as are the trash bags needed to dispose of the refuse. So the more we conserve by washing dishes, the smaller carbon footprint we leave behind.

Recycle, recycle, and recycle! Please participate in campground and RV park recycling programs. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage in our landfills & dumpsters. And while we’re on the subject of dumpsters, don’t ever place items in the campground dumpster that is prohibited (no batteries, paint cans, etc.). They are usually listed on the waste container! Not only are they prohibited in the landfills because they contaminate the earth and ground water; they can cause the campground owner to be fined for illegal items being dumped. And it is ultimately you, the consumer, who winds up paying those fines as they become part of the business operating expenses. In addition, recycling reduces disposal fees, helping to keep costs under control. So it’s not only good for the earth, it’s good for our bottom lines, too.

Clean up after your pets. Believe it or not, campgrounds and RV parks have hundreds of four-legged visitors each year. The bacteria in animal feces can contaminate campground wells. It’s really that simple. The water we don’t contaminate today is the same water we’ll be drinking tomorrow! And if that isn’t reason enough, having a child (or adult for that matter) step in doggie doo-doo and track it into a vehicle, camper or RV is a very nasty experience. So, make sure that you (and the kids if they walk the pet) carry their baggie with them and use it 100% of the time! If you walk your pet at night, carry a flashlight powered by rechargeable batteries. They save on the environment too.

Implementing even just a few of these items will help keep our campgrounds and parks greener. If everyone would do all of them, just think of the impact that we’d have on the environment. Our whole world would be greener. Isn’t it great that the very people who love and enjoy the outdoors are the same ones leading the charge to protect and sustain it?

Go camping! It’s fun, affordable, and green!

By Robyn Chilson
Robyn & her husband Tim, Own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at robyn@brookdalecampground.com or at 814-789-3251

Campgrounds Across America Are Going Green!

2009-03-29T04:49:00.000-07:00

ARVC, The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, is asking its’member campgrounds to take a pledge to operate a greener business. Many of the member campgrounds will take this pledge and become “greener” campgrounds. The campgrounds meeting these requirements will get a “Plan-it Green” logo on their listing at www.gocampingamerica.com

In the pledge, ARVC requests that campgrounds meet certain criteria to get that logo attached to their listing. According to Tim Chilson, owner of Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, he believes that many campgrounds will be working to get that logo because it represents being good stewards to the earth. “At Brookdale, we’re proud to say that being green isn’t a new thing for us. We’ve had an aluminum recycling system in place for the entire 9 years we’ve operated the park. We do not buy, sell nor do we stock any chemical treatments for RV waste systems that contain Formaldehyde, and we’re taking steps to conserve energy and implement more eco-friendly systems as we upgrade existing facilities and plan for new ones,” Chilson said. He added, “The dedication to the environment doesn’t stop there. My wife and I made a major investment in a project last year to upgrade our sewage disposal system.”

Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville PA produces a “Ducky News” publication that is handed out to all the RVer’s on each weekend throughout the camping season. That publication, along with the campground’s campsite map and rules, reminds campers and RVers to respect nature, to use non-toxic biological tank treatments, to recycle their aluminum cans, to properly dispose of liter, to keep tires inflated to the proper levels to conserve fuel usage, and to conserve water, energy and other natural resources during their stay. In April 2008, they published a blog on going green for RVers. In the next blog, we’ll discuss ways for RVers to be greener again!

“We pride ourselves on not only trying to be good stewards to the earth ourselves, but on trying to educate and encourage our guests to help us in that effort,” Chilson said. “Our campers are great people, who care about the earth enough to recycle, to remove bird feeders when bears visit our park, and to help us maintain a clean park by properly disposing of liter which protects animals that refuse might attract or injure, and by conserving water and energy. It’s been our experience that campers and RVers care about the earth and the animals, because they are outside enjoying nature when they camp and RV.”

RVing vacations are a greener way to vacation, too. A recent study released by PKF Consulting shows that the carbon footprint from an RV vacation is roughly 50% of the footprint from an air/car/hotel vacation. Not only is RVing fun but is better for our environment than other forms of vacationing. So when you take your next camping or RVing vacation, you’ll know that not only are you a good steward to the earth, the place your camping or RVing, is too! The full PKF study may be viewed at www.gorving.com.

By Robyn Chilson

Robyn & her husband Tim, Own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at robyn@brookdalecampground.com or at 814-789-3251

Do Today’s Children Have Nature Deficit Disorder?

2009-03-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

When Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, testified before the United States House of Representatives Interior and Environmental Subcommittee, he described what is being called an emerging child and nature movement that has taken shape since his book brought attention to what Louv dubbed ”nature deficit disorder.”

Louv urged federal and state parks systems to replicate Connecticut’s No Child Left Inside program which has successfully repopulated that state’s parks with families, and there similar programs that are taking place in 24 urban areas across the country. He advocated for collaborations between the Departments of Interior, Education, Agriculture and Health and Human Services to help “plant the seeds of nature and rural cultures in the next generation" and to address the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. Studies show that the increase in childhood obesity and related illnesses may make this generation the first since WWII to die at an earlier age than their parents did.

Studies by the National Sporting Goods Association show a dramatic decline in outdoor activities such as fishing, swimming, and even bike riding is down 31% since 1995. In a typical week, only six percent of children ages 9-12 played outside. Visits by Americans to U.S. National parks have dropped by 25% since 1987. Camping is on the decline, and visitors by automobile don’t stray far from their vehicles.

Parents cite a number of reasons why children today are outdoors less then they were as children, including disappearing easy access to natural areas, competition with TVs, computers, video games, and other electronic devices, more homework, among other pressures. Parents most often cite the fear of abduction, even though roughly only 100 stranger abductions take place a year, which has remained a fairly constant number for the last two decades.

While there are dangers outside, there are physical, emotional, and mental heath risks of staying inside all the time as well. The rate of childhood obesity has a direct correlation to children being indoors more and less active. Studies across the country show that schools that utilize outdoor classrooms produce significant student gains in science, social studies, language arts, and math. Studies also show a direct increase in the student’s self-esteem, problem solving abilities, and motivation to learn. Studies show that an increase in natural settings significantly reduced symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children as young as five. In addition, children recovering from stressful events enjoyed a noticeable reduction in stress when spending at least one hour per day in nature.

What can parents do to get their children outside more? Here is a list of ways to change your family’s connection to nature. The goal should be to spend at least one hour outdoors a day. Then, as your family slowly converts to being more active outdoors, the time spent will increase naturally. Yes, the kids may even ask you for more!

Get Outside. Plan outings at a park with friends, or playmate families of your children. Go to a park for a picnic and play catch, Frisbee, flag football, soccer, volleyball, etc. Set ground rules up front – everyone plays the selected game (children may select the game) as long as no electronics are involved. Use the ones from your childhood – remember flashlight tag, hide and go seek, etc? They need to leave the ipod, hand-held video games, etc. in the car or house, but they are allowed to play on the way to and home from the event.

Plant a family garden. The kids will learn how to plant, care for a garden, and harvest the fruits of their labors. Plant something that the kids can watch grow and take an interest in – like pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns. You don’t need a lot of room or expensive equipment for a small garden.

Enroll your children in a community activity or sports program. Many city parks or communities have great activity and sport programs. Community soccer or other sport programs teach the game skills, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and the kids have fun while minimizing the competition factor.

Take a hike or take a bike ride. There is no need to be a mountain climber. You can however, take a hike, bike, or roller blade on any of the Rails-To-Trails paths constructed in your area. Don’t forget the helmets, knee and elbow pads, and water bottles!

Visit a County, State, National Park, or campground at least once a year! If there is a park nearby that has educational programs, take your child and attend! Many have events like maple syrup collection and boiling, apple cider making, guided hikes, etc. There are things to experience, and learn! Who says learning can’t be fun?

Plan a weekend outing or outdoor vacation. Instead of spending the weekend or your vacation at an amusement park, why not spend it at a local, county, state, national park, or camp-ground? Explore whatever parks are close to where you live for the weekend! Or plan a longer vacation at a Park within a day’s drive or so. You don’t have to rough it. You can still stay at a local campground, cabin, cottage, hotel or motel and visit the park by day. Take some hikes, bike, teach your kids to fish, swim, or tube down a creek. That way the kids can still enjoy the TV, video games, and ipods during the drive and in the evening hours, but enjoy the outdoors during the day.

Go camping. Again, you don’t have to rough it unless you’re into tent camping. Take your RV, if you don’t own one, many public campgrounds offer cabins that range from primitive to full-service facilities. You can attend their outdoor events and activities, and then cook s’mores on a campfire in the evening, at very family affordable prices.

Many regular campers and RVers, cite getting their kids away from video games and spending family time together as principle reasons why they camp. We’d like you to tell us about how camping affects your family. How do you believe camping enables children and their families to get involved in nature and the out of doors? Do you believe that our children suffer from electronics overload, and that playing outdoors improves their behavior? If you have had a particular experience in any of these areas, and you are using camping as a means to get your kids outside, we’d love to hear from you! Please share your story with us! We may even feature your family in a story!
By Robyn Chilson
Robyn & her husband Tim, Own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at robyn@brookdalecampground.com or at 814-789-3251

RV Vacations Remain the Least Expensive, Study Says

2009-02-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

RV Vacations Remain Least Expensive, Study Shows
Recreational Vehicle trips remain the least expensive type of vacation, according to a study comparing vacation costs. PKF Consulting, an international consulting firm with expertise in travel and tourism, found that "typical RV family vacations are on average 27 to 61 percent less expensive than other types of vacations studied."

According to the chart below, the direct comparison is undeniable. Even factoring in RV ownership and fuel costs, the study reveals that RV family vacations tend to be significantly less expensive than other types of vacations.

Vacation Type Trip Duration
------------- -------------
Transport Mode / Accommodation 3 Days 7 Days 10 Days 14 Days
Car Folding Camping Trailer/Campgrounds $508 $1,125 $1,605 $2,317
Light Truck or SUV/Travel Trailer/Campgrounds $623 $1,376 $1,963 $2,837
Motorhome / Campgrounds $647 $1,491 $2,127 $2,996
Personal Car / Hotels or Motels $903 $2,182 $3,125 $4,222
Personal Car or Airplane / Rental Property $1,514 $2,725 $3,570 $4,281
Airplane or Rental Car / Hotels or Motels $1,678 $3,044 $4,406 $5,742
Cruise Ship Vacation NA $9,399 $7,425 $9,053
All-Inclusive Package Vacation NA $5,156 $7,125 $9,285

Source: Leading tourism research firm PKF Consulting. When vacationing by RV, a family of four can spend up to 74 percent less compared to other vacation types. RV vacations were found to offer big savings over travel by car or plane with hotel accommodations or rental properties. Even the most expensive RV trip is one-third the cost of a cruise excursion and one-fifth the cost of an all-inclusive package getaway. For more information, contact RVIA's Kevin Broom at 703/620-6003, extension 304.

According to campground and RV owner Tim Chilson, purchasing an RV is one of the best things he ever did. “When we ask our own, now adult sons, to list their favorite vacations, they never name the trips to amusement parks or fancy vacation trips with hotel stays. They name camping vacations in our RV whether it was a weekend trip to the PA Grand Canyon to go tubing on Pine Creek, or our month-long, cross-country trip through the Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone National Park. Our RVing trips were always our most memorable and most affordable family vacations.”

“RV’s can range in size from pop-ups to park models,” Chilson continued. The chart above shows clearly that pop-ups campers and smaller units used for traveling faired better than larger ones for traveling from place to place from a cost perspective. But if you own or buy a larger RV and park it for the summer at a campground, you can camp on your vacation, and every weekend for the entire summer for about the same price as a one week vacation trip to a rental property! You not only get better value for your money by camping or RVing, but you get a more memorable vacationing experience.”

He went on to add, “Right now, RV dealers are attending the local RV Shows and are having “Open Houses” which provide great deals on last year’s models and new models of RVs. It’s a great opportunity to directly compare models and dealerships and see what they have to offer you. Used units are always an option, and even if you don’t own an RV or can’t afford one right now, you can still camp in a tent, your SUV, or use camping cabins to enjoy a wonderful family vacation on a tight budget.”

Cabins at RV Parks and Campgrounds can range from primitive cabins with just sleeping facilities to full service cabins with kitchen and bathroom facilities. Pennsylvania features cabins and cottages at:
http://www.pacabinsandcottages.com/ “Vacationing at campgrounds and staying in cabins can still provide your family a vacation that is less expensive than inclusive packages from hotels,” Chilson added. “In most cabins,” Chilson continued, “you can cook either in the cabin or over the campfire, and save money on meals for your family. In addition, because many campgrounds offer activities and events, there is entertainment built into your vacation just by the virtue of staying at a campground. That value is recognized and enjoyed by thousands of people each year. That is why RVing continues to thrive and grow.’

Campground owner Dennis Quigley of Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, stated, "Even when you compare camping and RVing with other forms of entertainment, it’s still the most affordable way to not only vacation with your family, but to also entertain and spend time with them.”

According to the National Organization of Theater Owners, the average ticket price in 2007 was $6.88. That means that for the average family of 4, the cost of a two-hour movie experience is $27.52 (without food, snacks, or drinks). Amusement parks admission prices for 2009 range in cost locally from $22.00 to $44.00 per person! When compared to local campgrounds which cost $27.00-44.00 per night for a family of four, you can camp and enjoy a full day of entertainment and fun for about the same price as a trip to the local theater or camp all weekend for much less than one day for your family at an amusement park!

While RVing and camping do not offer the same forms of entertainment as movie theaters or amusement parks, they still stand not only as the most affordable way to vacation with your family, but as an affordable way to entertain and spend time with them. When RVing, you get both a vacation and entertainment for your whole family for one very affordable price.

Have you taken RV vacations and made a direct comparison to another type of vacation? Tell us about vacations you've experienced and how much money you saved! Your story may even be chosen to used in a BLOG or national publication!

Robyn Chilson & her husband Tim, own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. She can be contacted at robyn@brookdalecampground.com

The 2nd Annual Erie RV, Camping, & Powershow a Success

2009-02-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

The 2nd Annual Erie RV Show was hosted by the Bayfront Convention Center on Feb 5-8th! Among the attendees was mascot Daniel Bruin from Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville! Daniel Bruin entertained children of all ages and provided an extra boost to the excitement of the RV Show specifically dedicated to the RVing Industry in the Erie Area.

It appears that free parking, low admission costs, and dry and warmer weather brought attendees out to the Erie RV, Camping & Powersport Show at the Bayfront Convention Center in record numbers again this year.

Deb Yeager of Rose Point Cabins & Camping said that, “The show was a success again this year, as it was well attended when compared to other locally held shows in surrounding cities. We were very pleased with the overall attendance and success of this show.”

Ed Tanski, owner of Buttercup Campground commented that, “The people at this show are friendly and everyone was having fun. People engaged with us, and this show has a small town feel for such a large city.”

Brenda Bailey, from Fame RV stated that, “Response to the show was very good. People are able to obtain financing; sales at the show were up this year compared to last year, and we’re looking forward to a great 2009 season! We think people recognize the value in RVing and camping and that it is still the most affordable way to vacation with your family!”

The plan from last year to organize the layout differently to allow for more RV’s, Campgrounds, and related vendor displays worked very well. The RV Dealers, Campground and other booth vendors, and attendees all seemed to be very happy with the overall layout of the RV, Camping, and Powersport Show.

The RV show featured 2009 models of RV’s from six local participating dealers: Boyer’s RV Center, Clems Trailer Sales, Cooper’s RV, Fame RV Center, Hufnagel & Majors, and Ray Wakley RV Center. The RV dealerships featured RV models from pop-ups to motorhomes and the 5th wheel and travel trailers of all sizes in between. They also feature free camping from participating campgrounds with the purchase of a new camping unit! So, when you buy a new RV, you get some extra perks from buying from a local RV dealer and using it locally! Not only that, but when you buy and camp locally, you’re supporting local businesses, local employment, and know that you’ll have good local service with that purchase!

The event also featured camping and campground information from 17 different campgrounds throughout Western Pennsylvania. They were Bear Run Campground, Brookdale Family Campground, Buttercup Woodland Campground, Camper’s Paradise, Cook Forest Vacation Bureau, Farma Family Campground, Gaslight Campground, Goddard Park Vacation Land Campground, Kalyumet Camping & Cabins, Kozy Rest Kampground, Mallards Landing Family Camp, Niagra Lazy Lakes, Roaring Run Resort, Rose Point Cabins & Camping, Shenango Valley RV Park, Sparrow Pond Campground, and Wolf’s Camping Resort.

Privately owned campgrounds in Western PA offer a wide range of camping experiences. You can find RV sites, for every kind of RV from pop-up campers to huge motor homes. They also offer tenting sites for those who prefer to tent camp. Owning an RV isn’t required to enjoy the beautiful surroundings at these private parks, however. RV Rentals, Cabin Rentals, Yurts, and more are available to allow campers the camping experience and to enjoy the activities and events offered at campgrounds without the expense and upkeep of owning an RV.

RVing is as affordable today as ever. It’s important to note that with today’s SUV’s, crossovers, and lightweight trucks, that families can tow pop-ups, or light-weight, and small travel trailers and do so without spending a fortune of gas. This makes RVing the most affordable form of vacation travel.

You can find a link to a RV Dealer at: http://www.prvca.org/, and to find more information about the campgrounds listed above, go to http://pacamping.com/ or Google the specific business name listed above.

By Robyn Chilson. Robyn and her husband Tim, Own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville PA. You can contact her at robyn@brookdalecampground.com or by calling at 814-789-3251.