This past Summer, I was reading,
Off Ramp, a book of stories by Hank Stuever and came across one that became quite visual in my mind. In the book, Stuever writes about the lives of people who lived in a Kampgrounds of America (KOA) park. They're from all over and come from various backgrounds but come together through their lifestyle of, "Kamping". As I read through it, I knew it would make for great photographs.
Sometime after I read the story I sought to find the local KOA in Naples and found exactly what I was looking for. As photographers, how often does that happen? Usually it's not as good as we picture it. I learned that the Naples / Marco Island KOA becomes packed with seasonal residents from around December to April and many of the residents have been coming back for many years. Some have been coming for about five years and some over 20. When I first started going to the KOA, I asked the usual questions. "Where are you from? How long have you been coming here?" Those answers varied, but one question usually brought the same answer.
"What keeps you coming back?" I would ask and the answer would almost always be, "The people."
They called it the best KOA they've ever been to. They also attributed the fine weather to why so many kept coming back. Keep in mind, they don't live here because there's nowhere else in Naples for them to afford. A lot of them could be in the high rises in Naples, but they want to be at the KOA. They called it a family. It's not too hard to believe either. They all live so close together and most spend everyday together either playing shuffle board and other games, eating meals together, sharing a cocktail, or attending one of the many activities that the KOA has to offer throughout the season.
One resident I spoke to also called it, "A Summer camp for retirees." That term also fits true to the folks I spent time with. They're outside, enjoying the outdoors, bantering back and forth, and laughing like kids.
I learned quite a bit about their lifestyle over the few months I spent going to the KOA. It was refreshing to see so many people spending their golden years mingling and having fun everyday in a campground.
One of the resident's grandchildren was visiting one of the times I was at the KOA and I asked what she thought of her grandparent's life at the KOA and she said, "I hope I'm like this when I'm their age."
I can't say I disagree with that statement.
_______________________________________________
If you would like to read the story that went along with these photographs, you can see A.C. Shilton's story here on our website-
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/apr/06/residents-of-the-naplesmarco-island-koa-have-a/
Thanks for looking.
