b'Native Americans lived in the area forbutaremostlycompetitive,ranging thousands of years, fishing and huntingfrom nightly rates of $56 for a back-in off the fertile area until European ex- timber-view site, off-season to $164 for plorers and fur traders began arriving ina waterfront motorcoach pull-in site on the 16th century. The first European set- the Fourth of July. tlement occurred in 1851 when a groupFoos and his team see a bright future of shipwreck survivors set up Campfor Baypoint Landing, both on the RV Cast-Away while they waited to be res- side and also in the cabin area. cued. They told others about the richWe custom designed the last two naturalresourcesandfriendlylocalcabins we brought in here and were in tribes,andpermanentsettlerssoonthe process of custom designing two moved in. The local Native Americansnew cabins which will arrive next year. were forcibly removed and relocated toBut its not how many cabins we can put the Coast Reservation in the 1860s.inhere,buthowwecanbevery Timber investors, primarily from thethoughtful about bringing people back Great Lakes area, soon discovered theto try new experiences, he explained. natural bounty of southwestern Ore- We want to create additional commu-gons forests, and for the next 100 years,nity experiences, such as building pavil-coal,timberandfishingindustriesions where families can come together flourished in the area, providing jobs forand rent space for the day. They would local residents and profits for investors.have kitchenettes, televisions, and ded-However, diminished resources of bothicated space for groups to recreate and timber and salmon have caused manyrelax. Were also exploring the idea of of these industries to shut down, result- adding portable rental saunas which ing in vacant land such as that discov- would be delivered to RV sites or cabins. eredbytheownersofBaypointAnd were developing a spa program, Landing.where we would provide spa services Asthedevelopmentoftheresortand massages by our pool area. started in 2018, and the decision wasFoos began working in the camp-made to include an RV park, the in- ground industry at an early age when he vestors, who had backgrounds in otherwas in high school and was hired by a areas of the hospitality industry, decidedcampground in Colorado Springs to do to retain a consulting group with expert- Managers of the park have done extensive research to better understand the parks clientele. everythingfromgroundsmainte-ise in RVs and outdoor recreation, andnance to eventually working in the front selected Horizon Hospitality Outdoors,Baypointsfirstphasewascom- surrounded by Oregons wildest coast.office. asmallmanagementandconsultingpleted, and the resort opened in earlyWe realized early on that Coos BayIthoroughlyenjoyedinteracting firm in Colorado specializing in outdoor2019, right before the start of Covid,itself is not a destination town, saidwith guests, he says. recreation properties. Scott Foos is thewhich put a damper on their plans toFoos.So,wevehadtomarkettheHe was promoted to campground owner and CEO of the company. host group events at the resort. FoossouthernOregoncoastandallthemanager while he was attending the We were engaged as constructionand his team used the time to conductthings you can do within an hour ofUniversity of Colorado and continued was starting, consulting on-site layouta comprehensive guest survey.CoosBay.WedevelopedaGetawayto manage the park while in school. The and overall guest experience design, heAs the property was being devel- Guide which lives on the parks websitepark was ultimately sold to an investor, says. As the property moved throughoped, we conducted an in-depth studyand curated travel experiences in thewho brought in Horizon Outdoor Hos-construction our involvement increasedto determine who we were speaking to,area. It also helps guests find great spotspitality as a consulting firm.and we became their third-party man- the guest journey, how they feel, theto stay or visit along the way.I saw a career path opportunity for agement consultants. At that point, wetouch points, ad searches, social mediaFrom family-friendly beaches to daymyself with this group, said Scott, who had a say and some influence in the op- planningandothermarketingele- hikes,localgolfcourses,fishingandupon graduation in 2011 went to work eration and the back-of-house manage- ments, he states.kayakingexperiences,surfingspots,for them. In 2015, he was promoted to ment. WevebecometheoperationalToday, the resort is primarily target- mountain bike trails and local restau- president, and in 2015, he and his wife, backbone,supportingthecontinueding customers in the West Coast statesrants, the parks Getaway Guide pro- Lindsey Foos, purchased the company growth and providing marketing serv- and along the I-5 corridor, identifying it- vides guests with inside knowledge onfrom its owner, Randy Hendrickson. ices and management to the operation.self as a modern camping destinationlocal attractions so that they can planToday, Horizon has about three dozen theiractivitiesbeforearrivalorjustcampground clients, including Baypoint make last minute arrangements onceLanding Resort. We see ourselves as a they arrive at the resort.boutique outdoor hospitality firm, and Due to its rather remote location, thewere pretty selective, said Foos.park is also focused on onsite eventsWeve been very careful with our and activities, hosting several weddings,growth, as our reputation means a lot. family reunions and corporate eventsAs for me, I cant wait to return to the each year. Their Cove lounge is ideal forwild and wonderful Baypoint Landing. family gatherings, and they offer holi-day meals there on a limited basis.This column was written by Sue Weve partnered with local compa- Bray who is well known in the RV nies that match the aspirations of ourcommunity,primarilyduetoher brand so we can recommend serviceformer work as executive director of providers,caterersandentertainersthe Good Sam Club. In 2009, she was who complement our environment,inductedintotheRV/MHHallof said Foos.Fame. When she retired in 2012, she The RV parks site rates vary accord- started her own consulting business; ing to the season and location of the sitevisit www.suebray.com WCMBay Point Landing offers competitive rates and anticipates strong business well into the future. 18 February 2023Woodalls Campground Magazine'