Sisters is gearing up for a busy summer

Flags are flying and Sisters is ready for summer. photo by Jim Cornelius The signs are pointing to a solid summer tourist season for Sisters.

The Memorial Day Weekend traditionally marks the kick-off of the summer season.

Local motels reported full bookings, as did camp resorts at Camp Sherman -- at least for their cabin space. RV bookings usually lag over Memorial Day because of questionable weather.

Local business people are curious to see what effect high gas prices -- over $2 per gallon -- will have on summer travel patters. Gas prices could inhibit travelers -- or they could make Sisters a more attractive destination.

"There may well be a positive effect on Sisters from Oregonians choosing to travel closer to home," said Bill Reed, owner of Sisters' Best Western Ponderosa Lodge.

Reed also cited terrorism concerns as a possible reason tourists might chose to stick to the quiet, safe Oregon back country.

Sisters may be more of a draw than usual for people from all over the United States.

A prominent New York Times feature story on Sisters has generated significant interest since it ran last winter.

Jeri Buckmann, events coordinator at the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce says many inquiries cite the article. Those inquiries are coming at a fast clip.

"We get lots of phone calls, people wanting to visit, and we're sending out lots of information for tourists," Buckmann said.

Buckmann said that, while she does not have statistics at her fingertips, she knows the rate of inquiries is much heavier than last year. And an unusually large number of those inquiries are coming from places like New York, Florida, Texas and mid-west states.

The tourist economy of Sisters could use a robust year after enduring the double-whammy of a slow economy and the B&B Complex Fire which cut Highway 20 for 10 days and severely hampered commerce.

Some businesses were hurt badly enough by the virtual halting of trade to need emergency federal assistance loans.

But most Sisters businesses are looking forward to a brisk season -- high gas prices or not.

The next question is whether high dairy prices will impinge on "cone lickers" as they peruse the streets of Sisters.