Silver Lake Resort and Campground
No Mirror Image of its Former Self

July 3, 2008
By John Cavanagh
Oceana’s Herald-Journal Writer

SILVER LAKE – An image is one of the most difficult things to overcome, but it’s a challenge Sarah and Don Tucker of Silver Lake Resort & Campground are taking head on not only for their business but the entire area.

The couple bought the former Silver City Campground on Scenic Drive (34th Avenue) in 2005 along with Sarah’s parents Nancy and Brian Klepper, and the partnership began the transformation.

“It had a bad reputation, “ Don said. “We’re overcoming 25 years of bad rep. It was a rough clientele.

Tucker said the campground was previously known as an overflow campground where young adults had young adult fun. He’s working to change that image, and is making strides.

Over the last three years, Silver Lake Resort and Campground has added more electric sites, expanded its wastewater collection and water systems so that many sites now have full hook-ups. The campground also remodeled restrooms and built a swimming pool and playground area. This year, Tucker planted new grass in the sites on the north side of the park.

Tucker said the changes allowed them to start marketing the campground to more seasonal users, and in 2006 guests started to come.

The Tuckers also cater to return visitors. Don said repeat customers are offered package deals such as Michigan’s Adventure tickets along with their campsites, and they also provide repeat visitors with a special campground entry tag for their vehicles to alert staff of the valued customers. The ideas are working.

“It’s very rare for us to get Silver City calls anymore,” Tucker said. “Now, it’s a completely different place. It’s refreshing.”

Not only is the change taking place at Silver Lake Resort & Campground, Tucker thinks it’s a shift taking place throughout the entire Silver Lake area as it becomes more and more family-oriented. He said there will always be die-hard dune riders because for those people, riding the dunes is not a hobby – it’s a passion. The shift, Tucker said, is he noticed last summer that many of his guests had boats, and not ATVs and dune buggies.

While his wife grew up at Silver Lake, Tucker is a Detroit area native. He said they met through a mutual friend while in college. Don attended Northwood University in Midland where he earned a degree in marketing management and advertising. Sarah has a secondary education degree with a focus in English and history from Michigan State University.

Although they started their professional careers in other vocations, it wasn’t long before they became business owners. Don said the partnership with Sarah’s parents works well, because Nancy and Brian bring a lot of business experience to the table, having owned Parkside Store at Silver Lake for a number of years. Don and Sarah also use their formal training and experience in the business with Don using his marketing skills to promote the campground, and Sarah using her English background to develop promotional literature.

“I found something I love to do.” Don said. “I feel we’re her to be productive.” Down the road, Tucker said his biggest challenge will be to manage the campground’s growth. He wants to expand the wastewater collection system so the seasonal camper base can grow, but still wants to leave sites for tent campers.

“Family vacations were camping when I grew up,” he said.

Don also wants to add other amenities such as laundry facilities, and improve the campground’s curb appeal. “We’ve got a lot of plans,” Tucker said. “We’re in it for the long haul. Our No. 1 goal is to become a destination park.”