Jaunted

In this deconstructed, pay-for-what-you-get world, it makes sense that people would forgo the luxuries of air travel, rental cars, and full-service hotels for an inexpensive spot in a nearby campground, but maybe it's about more than the money. In an environment where storied institutions are crumbling and the trappings of wealth seem gauche, getting back to the land - or at least drinking beers in the woods for a couple of nights - might be the perfect panacea for the ills of our time. After all, campgrounds have a history of flourishing during economic turmoil, with the 1973 and 1978 oil embargoes bolstering the bottom line of Kampgrounds of America (KOA), a chain of 450 campgrounds throughout North America.

In any case, the numbers don't lie. A spot in a nice campground - with access to electricity, hot showers, and toilet facilities - can be had for as little as $15, while a hotel in a popular destination starts at about $100 a night for a borderline flophouse. Camping is hardly roughing it these days, anyway. Sure, you could trek up Mount Rainier for four days and pitch a tent in the snow, but you could also stay in a funky Airstream trailer in Sugarloaf Key, Florida, where you can swim in the ocean, lounge on the beach, and sip frozen margaritas in the campground pub. Now that's a recession special I can deal with.

[Photo: nps.gov]

Related Stories:
· Campgrounds See Surge as Vacationers Cut Costs [npr.org]
· Recession-Proof: Private Campgrounds [BusinessWeek]
· Camping Coverage [Jaunted]