Gas prices may be a boon to Sisters

As gas continues to rise in price throughout the country, some people in Sisters think pain at the pump may actually boost the local economy.

Emily Pelletier, owner of Cork Cellars Wine Bar and Bottle Shop at 161A N. Elm St. in Sisters, believes that there will be more visitors in town this summer.

"We are a great one-day stop, and the Sisters (Area) Chamber of Commerce has done such a good job promoting us in Portland and other places as a nice getaway without being too far away," Pelletier said.

Pelletier also predicts that locals will find that there are excellent stores in Sisters to be rediscovered. She said that residents sticking around town to do their shopping will find items they need at competitive prices while avoiding the extra cost of driving out of town.

At FivePine Lodge & Conference Center in Sisters, owner Bill Willitts is emphasizing the value of Sisters as a unique destination.

He has joined up with local lodging businesses Black Butte Ranch, The Lodge at Suttle Lake, Best Western Ponderosa Lodge, and Lake Creek Lodge as members of the Central Oregon Visitors Association (COVA).

Willitts cited statistics that show 60 to 70 percent of Sisters visitors come from areas that are one-day drives from Sisters. He likes the advertising COVA directs to that audience, explaining that a family can drive here and stay for the weekend for the same price as LasVegas air fare and car rental.

"It makes sense economically and even environmentally to come to Sisters," Willitts said.

He believes this is a major reason why occupancy in May this year was exceptional in Sisters, and will continue to stay high through the summer.

Customers are telling Stephanie Grant, Floor Supervisor at Sisters Drug located at 211 E. Cascade Ave., that they are staying in town more often to do their shopping because of gas prices. Grant said that people express gratitude for the friendly customer service and social interaction they find at stores in Sisters and are glad to avoid a trip into Bend.

Inside the shop at The Fly Fisher's Place at 151 W. Main Ave. in Sisters, owner Jeff Perin and his staff are busy explaining the local fishing history to out-of-town customers. Perin thinks people from the I-5 corridor will stay closer to home and visit Sisters rather than heading further to Idaho and beyond for their fishing trips.

"People might buy less high-ticket items, or maybe try to make their waders last another year, but they are going to continue to take their fishing trips every year, and hire guides, and definitely buy their flies," said Perin.