When Danny Albright needs a break from being a middle school principal in Galena, Kan., he heads to Roaring River State Park at Cassville.

Albright keeps a travel trailer at a nearby campground. He estimates that since March 1, he’s logged maybe 50 days at Roaring River, with another trip planned for the Labor Day weekend.

Despite the recession, Albright keeps going.

“It didn’t slow down for me,” he said. “Me and my family spend a lot of time there.”

At times this summer, the crowd at Roaring River was a bit thin. Albright said that probably had more to do with the hot weather than the cool economy.

Pump prices

Albright will have plenty of company this weekend when he hits the road for the river. AAA is projecting that the number of Americans traveling this weekend will increase 9.9 percent when compared with the figure for the Labor Day weekend in 2009. About 34.4 million travelers will be taking a trip at least 50 miles away from home, AAA says.

The projected increase in travel is being helped by a slight uptick in consumer confidence and cheaper-than-expected prices at the pump, said Mike Right, with AAA in St. Louis.

“People are a bit more comfortable with their situation this year than they were last year. Consumer confidence is up,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt that gasoline prices are down noticeably.”

Before the Memorial Day holiday, the U.S. Department of Energy projected that the average price for fuel this summer would be $2.92 per gallon.

“The national average right now is $2.68 a gallon, and it’s been that amount pretty much all year long,” Right said. “Missouri is at $2.46 a gallon, which is 9 cents above what it was at this time last year.”

That contrasts with 2008, when gasoline was selling for $4 per gallon.

Right said the demand for fuel this year has been flat. He said the producers of crude oil were expecting a more rapid recovery in terms of the world economy.

“They had a much more optimistic outlook about economies around the world,” he said. “That has just not happened. Because of that, the inventories of crude oil and gasoline are in great shape.”

As for this weekend, Right suggests: “Fill up now.” Typically, fuel prices go up a few cents per gallon before a major holiday.

‘Weekender’

Travelers are being cautious, however, about how much they spend and how long they stay some place.

“Even though things are a little tight, people still need those little getaways,” said Kammy Bramlett, manager of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s visitors center on Interstate 44 southwest of Joplin.

“They are taking a two-day trip instead of a week somewhere,” she said. “And, they are trying to be cost-effective by picking up coupons for motels and attractions here at the center.”

Bramlett said the visitors center is preparing for increased traffic this weekend, which continues a trend that started in April.

“We have had between 1,200 to 2,000 more people visit the center each month from April through August when compared to the same month last year,” she said. “We had 16,390 visitors in June, 18,524 in July and 11,615 in August. It always drops down when school starts.”

Sarah Luebbert, spokeswoman for the Missouri Division of Tourism, said Missouri is a driving destination, which helps when the economy is not robust.

“People are looking for an affordable vacation,” she said. “It’s certainly cheaper to drive than fly. That’s why Missouri is an affordable vacation destination. Our research has shown that people who are traveling are looking for deals.

“Our research also shows that people are taking more trips that are shorter, what we call weekender trips. The Labor Day weekend is a good weekender trip because it’s one more chance for the family to get away before summer ends.”

Missouri’s parks have seen a light decrease in traffic this year because of wet weather early in the travel season, said Judd Slivka, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

“Through July 31, park attendance was down 2 percent,” he said. “When we had good weather, we’ve been going like gangbusters.”

Grand Lake

Resorts have been full or nearly full this season at Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees in Northeast Oklahoma, according to Anita Osborn, membership development specialist at the Grand Lake Association’s visitors center.

“It’s about the same as the last couple of years, maybe increased a little bit,” Osborn said of the lake’s tourism.

“We didn’t have any flooding like we have had in past years that affected us. This year has been better in that way.”

Two large events are planned this weekend in the Grand Lake area.

The Janet Jae Fiddle Camp and Music Festival is set for Friday through Sunday at the Grove Civic Center and Snyder’s Camp. The D-Day Adventure Park at Wyandotte is having its Neosho Power Sports ATV Trail Jamboree that Osborn said attracts many people.

The area’s signature event, the Pelican Festival, is on tap for Sept. 24-26, Osborn said.

Stockton Lake

Ron Plymate, owner of Orleans Trail Resort and Marina near Stockton and a director of the Stockton Lake Association, said businesses there are bracing for a big weekend.

Overall, he said, it was a good season for those who cater to the lake crowds.

“Last year was down big time with the price of fuel and the economy,” Plymate said. “This year, it’s been very positive. Our sales were up. Our boat rentals were up. It’s better than previous years.”

Other than the Lions Club Chicken Stampede on the square, where club members cook and sell chicken, no festivals are planned this weekend. “Really everybody that has any association with the lake is just trying to brace for the people (who are) going to show up,” Plymate said. “It’s the last hurrah, if you will” of the summer.

McDonald County

At the Shady Beach Campground, north of Noel, owner Carson Adamson said, “Our reservations are doing pretty well for this weekend, but we are not sold out yet.”

Adamson said his business this summer was good until the heat became oppressive and the water level in Elk River lowered.

“One thing I have noticed about this summer is that people have not been buying the gadgets in our store,” he said. “They are coming to float, but they are not buying a T-shirt in the store.

“Our camping slowed down a little. It’s hard to sleep in a tent when it’s 80 degrees at night. Now, if we can just get some rain before this weekend, that would be great.”

Staff writer Debby Woodin and Metro Editor Andy Ostmeyer contributed to this report.





Weekend weather

Another round of rain is forecast for today as a Canadian air mass moves into the region. The front could trigger some severe weather, said John Gagan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service forecast office in Springfield.

“But after the front moves through, we can expect really great weather,” he said. “The highs this weekend should be in the low 80s, and the lows should be in the middle 50s. The moist air that has produced all of this rain will be replaced with cool, dry air.”