In response to the article on the increase in tourism for Mariposa County, we would also like to thank Ken Burns and PBS for the production of America’s Best Idea that aired last fall. We have a guesthouse and have been greeting guests worldwide for over 10 years. After the airing of the PBS special, the phone rang off the hook, and we booked much of 2010 before January even got here.

We would also like to once again thank Mark Butler with the National Park Service (NPS) for taking the time to help put the Highway 140 route on the NPS Web site, also in the fall of 2009. Before that, the Park Service was directing people to use the Highway 120 route and the Highway 41 route, if coming from the San Francisco International Airport, and was ignoring the Highway 140 route into the Park.

And last but not least, we want to thank Yosemite.com (headquartered in Merced) that has consistently been the highest producing host site for our guesthouse. Yosemite.com is in the top 20 on Google (the mother of all search engines) when someone searches by typing in the words – Yosemite lodging. They know how to maintain that high position and it does indeed work to bring in business. Ninety percent of our business comes from the internet, and the majority comes from referring sites, particularly Yosemite.com. Ten percent comes from word-of-mouth.

The smaller lodging facilities in the county do rely on the internet for business and most would likely agree that without the internet, our businesses would die. The larger facilities that cater to tour groups are more likely to benefit from other forms of advertising. The trickle-down effect usually does not help the bed and breakfasts (B&B) and the vacation rentals in the area since those visitors that would book through a tour company would be unlikely to stay in a small B&B or a vacation home. We are on our own, but thanks to PBS, the NPS’s change of heart, and Yosemite.com, we are surviving during these hard economic times.

Duane and Barbara Robinson

Indian Peak Ranch MountainTop Hideaway