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AAA – Idaho least expensive vacations
Chuck Oxley of the Associated Press - June 17, 2003
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Need a cheap vacation this year? If you live in Idaho, you're already there. The annual American Automobile Association's vacation survey shows that Idaho is the least expensive of all the surrounding states for travel and recreation.
According to the survey, a family of four can expect to pay an average of about $201 per day in Idaho. That's compared to a national average of $244 per day. Most expensive state is Hawaii at $533 a day, while the least is North Dakota, about $175 a day. The AAA bases the cost survey on the average price of fuel, food and lodging but does not include costs of recreation.
Brian and Deborah Dowd of Alpine, Utah, are typical examples of the newest breed of Idaho vacationer.
Thursday, the Dowds and another young couple parked their SUVs at the Banks river launch. Each vehicle was equipped with a quiver of kayaks strapped to the roof.
Several times a year, the two couples drive the 800-mile round trip journey to play in the Payette River's raging whitewater. Since they usually camp, both couples spend about $200 each on a long weekend trip.
"Given the opportunity, we'd move to McCall tomorrow," said Brian Dowd, who works as an Internet consultant. About 21 million people vacationed in Idaho last year, Idaho Department of Commerce spokesman Ron Gardner said. About a third of those were in-state residents.
When recreational activities and retail spending are included in spending estimates, vacationers in Idaho spend an average of $126 a day, contributing $2 billion a year to the state's economy. That's as much as the entire state government's operating budget.
Tourism declined everywhere in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But the industry is rebounding in Idaho more quickly, partly because people tend to drive to Idaho rather than fly. About 84 percent of Idaho vacationers come by automobile or RV, Gardner said.
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"After September 11th, the phone stopped ringing for a while and our Internet traffic was down. But it's been coming back and it's pretty strong today," Gardner said. "We think people are ready to get on the road and get their mind off of things."
But the number of vacation days continues to shrink, said Dave Carlson of Idaho/Oregon AAA. The "mini-vacation" so popular in the 1990s -- a getaway for three or four days -- is giving way to the "micro-vacation," usually an overnight jaunt with a focus on a single activity. An afternoon hiking, an evening by the campfire or an early morning of fishing may be the only centerpiece of the trip.
On the Payette north of Boise, several rafting and kayaking outfitters offer two- or three-hour guided river tours, complete with Class IV rapids. The price for the outing is less than $50 per adult.
Bear Valley River Company guide Tom Cwiklinski estimated that only about a third of his customers are out-of-state visitors -- the rest are from the Treasure Valley.
Of all the tourism-related business, retail sales has enjoyed the biggest jump in the past five to 10 years, Gardner said. From high-end flyfishing boutiques to roadside tee-shirt shops, people simply want to buy more stuff.
Just north of Horseshoe Bend, Ponderosa Sports and Mercantile Inc. is finding a retail niche with an eclectic blend of merchandise.
The store is owned by Carey and Cliff Harrison. On her side, customers can choose from an assortment of Amish quilts, figurines and other home decorations. On the other side, her husband displays hundreds of firearms, an assortment of military surplus and outdoor survival gear.
Carey Harrison acknowledges that it's an odd mix -- but they're on pace to sell more this year than ever before.
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"People don't just want a $1 souvenir or a tee-shirt or a thimble. They want something bigger -- something more," she said, her enthusiasm bubbling up. "And if they can't take it with them, we'll ship anywhere."
- Chuck Oxley
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