Indianapolis KOA: Closed for the Season?

What does a campground owner do when they close for the season? Sleep? Relax? Nothing? At the Indy KOA, the off season is actually a very busy time. It takes about a week to close the camp down. This includes (but is not limited to) blowing out the water system, winterizing the pavilion, bathhouse, cabins, lodges, laundry, and changing signage. We have to move & relocate picnic tables, rake leaves, and trim the trees we weren't able to reach with campers around.

In the camp store, we take all perishable items and either use them at home or give them away. The items in the coolers are removed and all appliances are winterized. An inventory is taken of items that we need to reorder for next year. The phone system is placed in "winter mode" and all messaging is changed.

This is also the time when we begin to market for next year. This includes changing or revamping the website and updating all social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and this blog. We begin to plan our themed weekends for the following season - it's really more of a brainstorm at this time. As we get closer to March, we pick the best ideas & figure out which weekend works.

We've already been to the annual convention which was in Houston, TX. A lot of great ideas were presented which we are trying to implement into our operation. This includes new activities, infrastructure, and possibly another lodge.

Maintenance keeps us busy all year long. We try to tune up all equipment before it gets too cold. This year, that has already been accomplished with the exception of the tractor. Every building needs also something. The cabins seem to always have a loose or missing shingle and they need to be re-stained. The men's bathhouse will get a minor renovation this year, the pavilion is getting a new ceiling, the maintenance shed has loose siding, etc. And yes, we have a home with its own issues.

Improvements are something we've been doing constantly since we purchased the Indy KOA - almost 5 years ago. This off season, we're taking 13 sites & making them larger with nice patios. With everything else going on, we'll be fortunate to finish that project by March 1. We're also considering another lodge. Although they aren't tangible, we're also looking at offering more activities for kids and families.

So, there is a snapshot of our 3 months to "do nothing." Please stop by in 2010 and see what we've accomplished.

Indy KOA is now blogging!

Consider this our start to blogging. We'll add updates throughout the year with our planned improvements during the offseason and themed weekends for the 2010 season.