Yesterday jamie and I went to lower Michigan to pick up the grandkids for the summer so I checked around thinking of places and things to do with them, I was dismayed at the new motorhome rates to cross the Mackinaw Bridge, and the park rates we found. To cross the Big Mac now will cost you 4.50/axle in a motorhome, that mean that for us to cross with the bus towing the jeep willll be now be $24.50 a trip with the same on the return trip, up from 2 bucks an axle a year ago. To cross yesterday in just the jeep cost 3.50 but to tow it across will cost 9 bucks, somehow I miss the logic. Below the bridge I checked the park rates at a couple of parks, one was a kind of small neighborhood park that they have doubled the amount of sites by decreasing the size of the sites and we can no longer fit into any of them, the rates there started at 32 a night for "double occuapncy" I was told that is 2 people in a camper, each additional person is an extra 5 bucks with 6 dollars daily entry fee for the bus and another 6 for the towed vehicle then the dump fee's and the electric fee, then the city tax, camping tax, local tax, sales tax etc the 32 bucks jumped to what would be 81 bucks a night for us with the grandkids. The next park I checked added up to 109 a night but was nicer, these were camp grounds, not "resorts" or the hilton, am I missing something here? Has life changed that much since last year or am I just out of touch with reality?
No, but THEY are!
Glad this came up in time to change my itinerary. The Cherry Festival isn't THAT important to me.
One would assume these places are filling up pretty good at those rates or the rates would be lower.
These people are running a business to make money, but in some cases it appears that what they charge has no relation to what it costs to run the business. They just raise the rates until they start losing customers.
I was at an airshow yesterday and didn't end up eating hardly anything because the food prices were sky high. My brain won't let me pay $8 for a Gyro no matter if I can afford it. The lines were still 50 to 100 deep at every food stand. I finally found a food booth operated by a Lions Club and paid $3 for chicken on a stick which was half a chicken breast on a skewer. I've been to other events where the food costs are more reasonable. Unless the airshow organizer takes a large cut it doesn't cost the vendor any more to operate there than at another event where they charge less.
The upper penninsula is still relatively untouched by the latest round of greed from what I can tell so far and the rates were from only 2 campgrounds in Mackinaw City so I can't say how far the insanity extends but I have stayed at both of these campgrounds as recent as last summer, I was very disappointed at what they have done to their rate structure. This is what I'm trying to determine, have all the campgrounds lost their minds? lol I was very disappointed by the increase for motorhomes on the bridge cause the other rates appear to be unchanged, according to the sign it looks like you can still cross the bridge with a travel trailer behind for a total of 7 bucks but they now require 4.50 per axle for a motorhome and I asked if the towed vehicle behind counts and the guy at the toll booth said yep, all axles count. I talked to one guy that was at one of the campgrounds that was part of a camping club that traveled up from detroit, there were 36 units all total in that group, many of them were motorhomes and they had stopped at the campground and decided that rather than pay the extra 50 bucks or so each to cross the bridge and return with their rigs they would stay below the bridge and use their cars for day trips north.
I wonder what would happen if you got to the toll booth and then said "I've changed my mind, I don't want to cross at these prices, so if you'll direct traffic, I'll turn this rig around. Shouldn't take more than a half hour or so".
Len, comming from the north it wouldn't matter much cause thats where the booths are and there is plenty of room and traffic is never heavy but coming from the south you've already crossed the bridge before you hit the toll booths lol and the way back south is thru the north side booths lol so it's a double hit anyway unless you got a great sence of adventure and want to do 5 miles of wrong way driving lol.
Toll rates have been going up all over as the roads now need replacement amd expansion and tolls can't keep up with rising costs. Most roads were built with bonds (loans) so the tolls for the first 30 years or so paid for the original road that needs replacing after 30 years.
I suspect the Mackinac folks figure that mostly tourists cross in motorhomes and that they are unlikely to cancel a trip because of a toll. In Illinois they raised the cash toll to double the previous price to fund improvement, but electronic tolls stayed the same. Most locals have the transponders while out of towners usually don't have them. Locals complain when prices go up, but out of towners may not realize the price even went up.
I find the concept of tolls ridiculous. It would be better to use a gas or general tax to pay for roads and bridges as is done with most things. Tolls slow and stop traffic causing delays, cause accidents and are a huge waste of fuel. They are not free to operate either. I once read of a toll on Long Island in New York that had reached the point that all of its revenue went to current operating costs and the pensions of former toll employees.
I came out of Maryland into Virginia the other day in a pickup towing a Saturn and it cost me $12 dollars to cross the Potomic River Toll Bridge on Hwy 301. I was charged on the 4 axle rate. Just one week earlier I came across the same bridge in just the pickup and it was only $3.00. I was charged the 2 axle weight. Somehow the math just don't add up. I could have unhitched the Saturn and drove both across for $3.00 each witch adds up to $6.00, but having them hooked together cost $12.00...
You guys need to take a trip to OK you can not leave Tulsa but on 1 highway with out paying a toll now you are not able to drive around in Tulsa without a toll.
Cody park fee have gone up in Idaho the Federal parks are ran by 1000 trails or some other now and it is a joke the people thinking a park is a resort they are there to make bucks for the co. probably pay the states and feds very little.
good luck
Apparently the insanity is localized to a small area just below the bridge in hopes of entrapping a few poor people, phone calls show that north of the bridge the rates haven't changed running 16 to 22 night without the addons except for the state park just north of the bridge that has a 6 dollar vehicle fee. I booked a nice park for the 4th of july weekend here in the copper country that has entertainment, fireworks, and is a waterfront site for us with a beach and playground just a few feet from our site for 22 a night and that includes wifi and cable.
As far as fee's are concerned the rates your quoting are a little off from my standpoint for that kind of park....Example the average Full hookup 50amp site runs 35-45 a night for 2-4 people with additional children 5.00 and adults 7.00, I can't say I've ever seen a charge for your towed! My exp. is limited to the KOA system whom we work for....The exception to this would be "Destination" or "Resort" locations witch can run as high as 75 a night for a "Patio" site with a bbq and patio furniture... If the park is just a little podunk location i'd tell em to go pound salt!
IMHO
Eric
Additionally TOLLS SUCK @$$ LOL ;D
The Mackinaw City area has apparently made an attempt to become the tourist trap of the north, they do have some great things going on in that area with Mackinaw Island close by and a couple of forts that date back before 1700 and other things of interest like a water park and fudge shops, normal tourist interest things and now with the recent hike in bridge tolls it's creating a bottle neck where campers seem to be gathering, I think the gloss will wear off quickly and the greed probably will subside as people become tired of paying those fees for very little in amenities, the UP is still a great bargain for everyone with low cost parks and good stuff, it's just sticker shock I guess at a 50 dollar round trip fee to cross a bridge with our bus.
" I came out of Maryland into Virginia the other day in a pickup towing a Saturn and it cost me $12 dollars to cross the Potomic River Toll Bridge on Hwy 301. I was charged on the 4 axle rate. Just one week earlier I came across the same bridge in just the pickup and it was only $3.00. I was charged the 2 axle weight. Somehow the math just don't add up. I could have unhitched the Saturn and drove both across for $3.00 each witch adds up to $6.00, but having them hooked together cost $12.00..."
jlink ,
I came across that same friggin bridge when I lived in Va., with my Harley and a sidecar. They tried to charge me not the bike rate or car rate but truck rate for 3 axles.I ended up causing a big backup at the booth( was riding with about 20 other bikes I was lead.) State police got envolved, I didn't pay a dime nor did any one else with me that day!! They wanted the lane back open. Damn Harley riders !!! gota luv it( My daughters were in the side car)
;D ;D ;D
The California State Parks have doubled their rates from last summer. They were $13 a night, now they are $26 a night. For that you get a dirt slot, small, no grass, no hook ups, usually not level, lots of smoke from you neighbors, no generator before 10am or after 7 pm. The facilities are usually pit toilets, maybe, in the best places, a bath house and a dump station.
These people need to have Oregon run their parks.
Don and Cary
GMC4107
Neoplan AN340