Donna Garrison's White Cliff
lake front condos sat silent last year. Most of her one- three
bedroom rentals spent days, nights, holidays and much of the summer
watching little happen on Lake Travis.
"All we had was
cancellation calls because no one could get their boats in unless they
had a four-wheel drive vehicle and a small boat," says Austin Lakeside
Properties agent Donna Garrison. "So rentals were very, very few
and far between.
Many remember the dismal disappointing scene on
Lake Travis last year. Very little water left sand bars popping up all
over the lake. Boaters and visitors were advised to just leave their
boats parked at home.
"This is why so many businesses fail on the
lake," says Donna. "Because if you have a flood one year and a drought
the next, it's very easy if youve not well established to have a hard
time hanging in there."
Donna Wilson and her family drive in,
pulling their boat from Houston on most Memorial Day weekends. Last year
was disappointing.
"We didn't come last year because we
couldn't launch our boat, says vacationer Donna Wilson. "I had talked to
Donna several times and she said the launch was closed and that we
couldn't launch."
This year, things have made a complete turn
about on the lake.
"This year, we're 100% booked, the phones are
ringing, and it couldn't be better," says Donna Garrison. "Things are
better looking in the stock market; that always helps the phones to ring
and we're also looking forward to getting some Gulf Coast business later
this summer."
Donna Garrison has been in the vacation rental
property business for the last 23 years. Drought has dried up her
business off and on throughout the years. This year she and her business
owner friends along Lake Travis finally have a summer season they can
look forward to. 4th of July and Aqua
Palooza are just around the corner. Two events that Donna is
expecting to see lots of lake goers.
"All the businesses on the
lake are very excited about having all the business," says Donna. "We
deserve it after several years of droughts and floods."
