OH parks Sunday checkout time -- WAS Re: Caesar Creek, OH
Kevin
"David Smith" <idle...@tusco.net> wrote in message
news:U964f.1$iv....@news.uswest.net...
>
>
>> >> PATHETIC 1:00 PM Sunday checkout rule, we've been hitting Indiana and
>> >> Kentucky parks more. It's sick when VIPs have to run around in their
>> > little
>
> I don't understand this complaint. If you get there on Saturday, do you
> want
> to wait until 5:00 to use your campsite? Why should someone who gets there
> on Sunday have to wait for you to get out of a campsite they have
> reserved?
> Maybe they should set the checkout time for 3:00 or 5:00.
> This is one thing that is wrong with having a reservation system and
> not
> being first-come first-serve which I think is better.
>
Here is the complaint. Generally you don't get to a park until after 5:00 PM
on Friday, you get the full day Saturday to enjoy and then cannot really do
any activities on Sunday due to having to begin breaking down shortly after
breakfast on Sunday to be gone right after lunch! That is nuts. We are not
the type that are gone from a campground by 10:00 AM on Sunday morning! We
enjoy hiking, kayaking, biking, etc. when camping INCLUDING Sunday . . .
MOST of Sunday. Indiana has a 5:00 PM Sunday checkout time. THAT is the
smart thing to do. When you have to deal with the dumping station, as we do
w/ our fifth-wheel, forcing everyone out by an early time also creates a
long line there. Want to see people's patience tested? Just watch at a
dumping station. Some of us don't just pull up, pull the plug, let 'er drain
and close it up! That's for another thread though.
The way OH used to do it, first come first serve with the option to hold a
specific site on a credit card for the day of arrival, was MUCH better! Not
only did the reservation system mess up the camper, it basically robbed the
state of revenue. How? People used to pay for sites for an entire week on
special weekends such as Halloween even though only actually camping for
Friday and Saturday! There went another five nights of revenue! Good for the
consumer, but terrible for the state! Hopefully, once the OH reservation
contract expires, they will rework the system and correct the problem areas.
Gerry Pierce
"Kevin" <nu...@somewhere.com> wrote in message
news:r%74f.51903$tD4....@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com...
> Here is the complaint. Generally you don't get to a park until after 5:00
> PM on Friday, you get the full day Saturday to enjoy and then cannot
> really do any activities on Sunday due to having to begin breaking down
> shortly after breakfast on Sunday to be gone right after lunch! That is
> nuts. We are not the type that are gone from a campground by 10:00 AM on
> Sunday morning! We enjoy hiking, kayaking, biking, etc. when camping
> INCLUDING Sunday . . . MOST of Sunday. Indiana has a 5:00 PM Sunday
> checkout time. THAT is the smart thing to do. When you have to deal with
> the dumping station, as we do w/ our fifth-wheel, forcing everyone out by
> an early time also creates a long line there. Want to see people's
> patience tested? Just watch at a dumping station. Some of us don't just
> pull up, pull the plug, let 'er drain and close it up! That's for another
> thread though.
>
> The way OH used to do it, first come first serve with the option to hold a
> specific site on a credit card for the day of arrival, was MUCH better!
> Not only did the reservation system mess up the camper, it basically
> robbed the state of revenue. How? People used to pay for sites for an
> entire week on special weekends such as Halloween even though only
> actually camping for Friday and Saturday! There went another five nights
> of revenue! Good for the consumer, but terrible for the state! Hopefully,
> once the OH reservation contract expires, they will rework the system and
> correct the problem areas.
>
Make the reservation thru monday..... then leave late Sunday.
By having early checkout time, the space is clear for someone to come in,
set up, and enjoy the evening.
It's a give and take..... If you were coming in on Sunday night, you
wouldn't wait untill 5pm to check in.
Kevin
"Gerry Pierce" <gpier...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:8w84f.76$vS1.28@dukeread03...
Like I said, Indiana has the right idea, 5:00 PM Sunday checkout time. Look
around any campground on a Sunday afternoon. How many people do you see
coming in to camp. Uhhhh, just about NONE!!! They are pretty much
vacant...... Pay for an extra night when you aren't there? I don't think so.
One excuse we heard used was the early checkout time is so the VIPs can make
sure the sites are ready for the next person. Uhhh, let's see. All they need
to do is make sure there isn't trash in the fire ring or around the grounds.
They do not scoop the poop other's animals leave behind, they do not have to
clean bathrooms, beds, floors, etc. for each site such as hotels do. Yep,
pretty much a one or two minute task! Oh yeah, and OH check in time is not
until 3:00 PM. Wonder if they keep people in the visitor parking until 3:00
PM? Never tested that one..... Oh wait a minute, let me guess, you would
just reserve it for Thursday night so you can pull in at Noon on Friday and
enjoy the afternoon!!! SMH and LMAO
Tom J
In your post above this one you talked about reserving a site 5 days
before you used it. How does paying an extra day at 1/5 the cost to go
beyond checkout time differ? I have done that many times over the
years.
--
Tom J
http://www.fleetwoodclub.org/
Kevin
"Tom J" <tom...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:Psd4f.15248$q1.1...@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
Did I say "I" paid for a site for an extra five days??? Nope! Re-read the
post. No way would we need to go camping on a weekend that bad that we would
give the state, on average, an extra $115!!! We have better things to do
with that money than toss it into the wind. I watched OTHERS throw their
hard earned cash into the state coffers that way.
Gerry Pierce
>
> Like I said, Indiana has the right idea, 5:00 PM Sunday checkout time.
> Look around any campground on a Sunday afternoon. How many people do you
> see coming in to camp. Uhhhh, just about NONE!!! They are pretty much
> vacant...... Pay for an extra night when you aren't there? I don't think
> so.
>
> One excuse we heard used was the early checkout time is so the VIPs can
> make sure the sites are ready for the next person. Uhhh, let's see. All
> they need to do is make sure there isn't trash in the fire ring or around
> the grounds. They do not scoop the poop other's animals leave behind, they
> do not have to clean bathrooms, beds, floors, etc. for each site such as
> hotels do. Yep, pretty much a one or two minute task! Oh yeah, and OH
> check in time is not until 3:00 PM. Wonder if they keep people in the
> visitor parking until 3:00 PM? Never tested that one..... Oh wait a
> minute, let me guess, you would just reserve it for Thursday night so you
> can pull in at Noon on Friday and enjoy the afternoon!!! SMH and LMAO
>
Not saying they cant do it better, just saying rather than sit around and
bitch about it, just make the reservation through Monday.
I have been known to reserve wed-mon to ensure we could get the spot we
wanted.
Your call, write here and bitch, nothing changes. Right the governor, maybe
it'll change.
KM
have seen it all.
When I was a young buck, dad would get off work on Friday afternoon,
cash his check, run home+hook up, get gas, go the the grocery for a
quick shopping trip..and then go to the park +set up (with a pretty
good variety of available spaces).
Those days are gone...camping has become a sport! I think that the
current reservation system is far better than the past 5 years or so.
Yep it does require you to think a little ahead. Maybe they need to
have a section for first come first serve..and leave the rest to
reservations.
The 1pm checkout rule does not bother our family as we usually get
'er rolling early to get home to get the mowing and other chores done
and to be able to relax a tad before going back to work on Monday. We
have packed up and moved the camper to the main parking lot a couple
of times on Sundays where we wanted to hang around longer. And yes we
have even paid for Monday to give us extra time.
I have also stood around in the parking lot for 4+ hours on a Friday
morning to be able to get my name in the lottery for a possible site.
I have watched adults swear and threaten the State park employees. I
have seen fist fights over squatters rights (the hubby drops off the
wife and or a kid with a lawn chair to reserve a spot...while the
another family is actually paid for the spot minutes earlier tries to
pull in and claim their land)..all of which has been eliminated with
the reservation system (as far as I can tell) I have a lot of money
invested in this sport...If I want to play...I have to obey.
Ohio still has some of the finest state parks in the U.S. I have seen
many others..and we are lucky to have what we have.
Happy camping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kyle "The Ohio Hiker"
Dean Norris
Arizona parks do not allow reservations (at least in my experience)
and when I was working, I was shot down by the retired folks that
would arrive on Thursday and camp through Sunday. We could NEVER get
a space.
Now, I R RETIRED! Heheheh
Dean
Jon Porter
>
>
> Here is the complaint. Generally you don't get to a park until after 5:00
> PM on Friday, you get the full day Saturday to enjoy and then cannot
> really do any activities on Sunday due to having to begin breaking down
> shortly after breakfast on Sunday to be gone right after lunch! That is
> nuts. We are not the type that are gone from a campground by 10:00 AM on
> Sunday morning! We enjoy hiking, kayaking, biking, etc. when camping
> INCLUDING Sunday . . . MOST of Sunday. Indiana has a 5:00 PM Sunday
> checkout time. THAT is the smart thing to do. When you have to deal with
> the dumping station, as we do w/ our fifth-wheel, forcing everyone out by
> an early time also creates a long line there. Want to see people's
> patience tested? Just watch at a dumping station. Some of us don't just
> pull up, pull the plug, let 'er drain and close it up! That's for another
> thread though.
>
> The way OH used to do it, first come first serve with the option to hold a
> specific site on a credit card for the day of arrival, was MUCH better!
> Not only did the reservation system mess up the camper, it basically
> robbed the state of revenue. How? People used to pay for sites for an
> entire week on special weekends such as Halloween even though only
> actually camping for Friday and Saturday! There went another five nights
> of revenue! Good for the consumer, but terrible for the state! Hopefully,
> once the OH reservation contract expires, they will rework the system and
> correct the problem areas.
My experience in Ohio State Parks is that most campers are packing up in the
morning so that they can make the drive back. That was even before any sort
of reservation system was put in place. Otherwise, I have never seen any
hard and fast enforcement of the rule to leave by one Sunday afternoon, the
campgrounds are almost never full Sunday nights.
The way it used to be with people reserving (and paying for) a campsite days
in advance of when they were going to actually use didn't sit well with
people. Many were being turned away and the paid for sites left empty.
People complained, and that business stopped. Now you have to occupy the
site (not just park your stuff on it) every day that you are paying for it.
The current reservation is probably what works best, and what will continue
to be used. Imagine driving for two or three hours to a desitnation on the
chance of being turned away. Better to know ahead of time if you have a
spot. Even if I'm going to an Ohio State Park somewhere on a last minute
decision, I reserve a spot.
--
Jon
JPinOH
Jon Porter
>
>
> Your call, write here and bitch, nothing changes. Right the governor,
> maybe it'll change.
I'm not so sure anybody can "right" the current govenor of Ohio.
--
Jon
JPinOH
nineb...@aol.com
In addition to JPinOH, check in/out times have never been a problem for
me. Altho I hardly ever check-out late, I almost always check-in a
couple hours early on Fridays. I doubt that someone would complain
about checking out later unless it was already reserved. My suggestion
would be to check at the office Sunday morning to see if the site is
available for Sunday, if it has not been reserved, stay there a few
more hours. It is my belief that the check in/out times are there in
case of a conflict. Personally, I wouldnt pay the $6 reservation fee
for a Sunday unless I planned on staying till Monday. Most sites are
empty by sunday morning.
Also, there are still sites that can't be reserved in advanced and are
on a "first come, first served" basis.
My experiences has been only positive. The people working at the parks
are more than willing to cooperate and bend over backwards to please
the campers. They'll bend the rules as far as possible to make you
happy, but there are limits.
Hank <~~~can't bitch about Ohio parks after seeing the confusion in
private parks
Eregon
It's easy, Jon: you just start out with a couple of Left Jabs then ... <G>
Jon Porter
"Eregon" <Ere...@Saphira.org> wrote in message
news:Xns96F2AFE2...@69.28.186.121...
No thanks. I actually wound up hiking with him and his party about a year
and a half ago during an annual winter hike, and he keeps a pretty good
pace. For about half of those six miles I was listening to members of his
party discuss some of the goings on in their offices. Boring. I was finally
able to get around the whole lot at a wide spot in the trail and put them
behind me.
--
Jon
JPinOH
Dan Listermann
seems like a reasonable approach.
Dan
"Jon Porter" <jpo...@netwalk.com> wrote in message
news:4355a...@x-privat.org...