By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Beautiful weather and flooding at other lakes in the region made for more campers over the Memorial Day weekend at Marion County Park and Lake.

Lake supervisor Steve Hudson said campgrounds were 75 percent full over the weekend. That compares to a typical Memorial Day weekend, with campgrounds 50 percent full. Tent campsites were about 50 percent full.

“The weather is good, and other lakes are flooded,” Hudson said.

The annual Bluegrass at the Lake festival is the only time camping areas are 100 percent full, Hudson said. This weekend, campers started coming in Thursday and were still coming in Monday, Hudson said.

A Galva family came in Thursday for a weekend together. Marion County Park and Lake is their usual and favorite gathering place.

“We like it here,” Roma Koehn said. “We just always come here.”

“It’s quiet,” her daughter, Terri Moddelmog, added.

The children went swimming, the men and teens went fishing, and the women chatted at the campsite.

For Tom Smith, Donna Hajek, and a host of camping-loving friends, the lake is the only place to go when they get together four times a year.

All live in or near Marion. The lake is conveniently close and quiet, Hajek said.

The group of 30 bring seven campers and set up close together.

Smith brought his camper nine days before the weekend to make sure the group got a great spot.

“There are only so many group spots out here,” Smith said.

“We’ve got the two best lakes in the state, so why not use them?” Hajek said.