The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-14
Trauel- Starred Tourists
March On Winter Resorts

| coastal CUES into smaller, inland
towns but usually regarded as re.
sorts.
California, bearing the brunt of
Pacific rehabilitation and still
overpoplated with war workers.
is cold shouldering fasteners this
wear its chambers of Commerce
are shooting away out-of-state fun
seekers from the coasts already
jampacked hotels.
Despite the general gloom, few
sections boast sufficient accommo-
dations - and are making good.
Among them are New England,
upstate New York, the New Jersey
shore, Texas gulf coast, southern
Arizona and the Alta, Utah. snow
slopes.
Reservations booked weeks and
months ahead of time are neces-
sary however.
Held in check by OPA. Nation
wide resort prices generally are
about the same as during the last
few wartime years. Most are high
er than those of 1910 and 1941, and
few hotels, particularly hard hit
of soaring operating expenses,
have been allowed this year b"
OPA to boost rates even higher.
Even more ticklish than the
problem of Accommodations is the
tourist worry of how to reach their
destinations. The rigors OF war
time transportation have, if any
thing, increased since the V-days.
Railroad officials are glum.
Within the next two months they
must move in groups million and
a half mustered out servicemen.
besides hundreds Of thousands OF
individuals on furloughs.
That will leave for the record
civilian throng only half of the rail-
roads total number of day coaches
and only two-fifths Of their pull
mans.
Generalization hit its peak in
late December but it will be at
least April - and the end of the
winter vacation season - rail men
say, before transport requirements
lessen noticably.
Pullman has fewer berths for
civilians than in any war year, and
the railroads simply insist: 1--WE
just can't take everyone who wants
to travel somewhere this winter"
Typical is New York, where
tickets to Florida are available for
only one out Of each IL persons
seeking them.
Coast to coast travel will be
particularly strained, for most Of
the GIs still to land will come from
the Pacific, disembark on the west
coast and be sent from there to
their homes in the populous north
east. @
Airlines, too, are harassed. War
time priorities and pumping
off, are past; crowded planes and
disappointed ticket seekers are
not. Whether promised new planes
will arrive in time to tighten the
winter travel burden, the lines
cannot say.
The fortunate few tourists who
find both travel and hotel space
will find that much of the dazzle
of peacetime winter vacationing is
back.
New Orleans is holding its first
Mardi Gras since 1941, and Dart
mouth college is resuming its fam
ed winter carnival. Prizes in the
Miami Metropolitan fishing tourna-
ment have been upped to $4,000.
But national parks are on war
time appropriations, and that
means no snow removal. Except
for Yosemite, the U. s. owned
snow sport parks are closed this
winter.
This, gathered by APP reporters,
is the pattern:
The South
New Orleans. Where the Mardi
Gras will reach it's climax March
5. cannot promise to handle a glut
of tourists. Hot Springs, Ark. and
Biloxi, Miss, hotels which are be-
ing abandoned by the army, are
inviting civilians. Camden and
Aiken in South carolina are reviving
polo, Greensboro, N. c., its for hui
nts.
Clearwater, Fla, builders are
completing 1000 new tourist
houses. Some hotel reservations
still are available in Florida for
late winter. The luxurious Boca
Ration club, which once collected
S., 000-a-year membership fee
from millionaires, is opening too
the public - at Sal a day. "A
Galveston. Texas, is one of the
few resorts with empty space.
The West
Boats are sailing daily between
California and Catalina island, but
overnight accommodations will not
be ready before spring. Lake Ar
rowhead is the lone major spot
still seeking out-of-state roomers.
Colorado and the Pacific northwest
ski country offer few accommoda-
tons.
The East
Welcome mats are out again at
Atlantic City and Asbury Park,
whore the LARGEST hotels used DIR
ing the war as air force hospitals,
are open for vacationers. A new
ski trail has opened at Lake Pla-
cid, the heart OF Americas 5000,