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Something I have noticed is the appearance of signs at motels, stating American owned and operated. I am sure it doesn't mean what it says, what does it really mean? Why don't they just put out a welcome mat that says KKK always welcome? I refuse to stop at anyplace displaying this sign... One has to wonder as one travels about, just how much difference is there between the $25 room and the $200 dollar one? Quite a bit actually, but I refuse to pay more than $40 for a room and $16 for a campsite, if it has electricity and a shower. Otherwise $10 maximum. I did find a place one night that offered sites for only $5, $7 with electricity. But I just couldn't do it, no showers and the campsite looked like an abandoned strip mine. I really don't understand these campsites where the owners look you straight in the face and ask $25 , $30 or more for a tent site? What we are talking about is a ten foot square piece of dirt for the night. And who the hell decided that campsites don't need trees? The basic problem has a lot to do with supply and demand and the economy. There are too many campgrounds, compared to the amount of daily campers. Even that considered many campgrounds offer electricity, cable or dish, pools, even telephones. Most Campsites have yearly rentals, that is to say travel trailers, old buses, vans, as well as regular mobile homes are taking up the spaces. Of course these people can't pay those daily rates and get monthly or yearly rates. As matter of fact I discovered a lot of people are living in so called campgrounds because they can't afford regular housing. I even saw a couple gardens planted in so called campsites.
As for hotels I think many of these places attempt to size you up and make up the prices as they go along. There was the women at the hotel that advertised lowest guaranteed rate She looked at the clock and replied $129 per night for a single. That's the lowest guaranteed price I queried? She said that's what everybody charges this time of night. I informed her that three other places had quoted me much less, she said they didn't count only the ones in this neighborhood were used for comparisons, those past the highway were in a different area. Then there was the huge shiny new Billboard that stated rooms starting at $25. When I arrived at the desk this woman told me singles were $41. I asked about the billboard price of $25, she replied that was the old price and pointed to a faded sign on the wall "price increases in effect" Then today I was being checked in to a family motel by an eager boy of maybe 13 or 14. When his mother arrived I heard him tell her "I told him $32" His mother smiled as she reached for my credit card. Be careful it's a jungle out there and apparently you don't even need trees.
