Kampvilla: Bear Lake's dinosaur park

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BEAR LAKE — Ken Wethers knows that many people call his business "the dinosaur park."

"When you write your article, put the name 'Kampvilla RV Park and Family Campground' all over it," he requests ruefully.

But it is no wonder that Kampvilla, located on U.S. 31 north of Bear Lake, has come to be known as the dinosaur park. At the entrance to the campground, in the grass just beyond the highway right-of-way, is a large yellow concrete dinosaur.

Ken and Becky Wethers, who have owned and operated the campground for the past 18 years, explain that when they bought the campground, it included a putt-putt golf course. The dinosaur — along with the other, smaller statues dotting the campground — were a part of the course.

"We didn't like the kids running around with clubs," comments Ken Wethers. "Or knocking golf balls across the highway."

The Wethers phased out the putt-putt golf course, but kept the concrete animal statues.

Today, the yellow, red-eyed dinosaur is a local landmark. Kids get their picture taken beside it. Drivers navigating a snowy night on U.S. 31 use the dinosaur's eyes, which light up, to guide them.

"Sometimes, I'll get a call from a neighbor, who will tell me, 'The left eye is out and needs to be replaced,'" says Ken Wethers.

Other statues in the park, including a pink elephant and a frog wearing a black top hat, are used to give directions.

"Turn left at the frog," the Wethers will tell visitors.

According to Ken Wethers, the concrete animals were created years ago by a Northern Michigan resident, a man living and working in Tawas. When the previous owners of Kampvilla transported the dinosaur to Bear Lake, the animal's concrete neck shattered and had to be repaired by a local cement company.

Now the kid-friendly creatures have found a home at Kampvilla.

Possibly, the Wethers have a number of "Clute Animals" — concrete and wire frame sculptures created by the artist Gordon Clute, who lived and worked in Tawas until his death in 2006, according to the Iosco County News-Herald.

Clute Animals are scattered around Tawas, at the city library, in parks and other public spaces. Some of them have been destroyed for safety reasons, but they once included a giant shoe, a pink castle and the Disney cartoon dog Pluto. Children could sit inside a sculpture of a whale or slide down a large concrete seagull.

Clute's son, Larry Clute, donated many of his father's statues to the City of Tawas, which dedicated a park in memory of the sculptor.

Tawas' concrete animals appear in guides like "Roadside America" and figure in the childhood memories of many Northern Michigan residents, who recall the joy of sitting in the whale, the delight of clambering over the fairytale castle.

Kampvilla's dinosaur and other concrete animals are a hit with the park's younger residents, too.

When the Wethers bought Kampvilla and moved to Bear Lake from Traverse City to operate the park, their two daughters were 8 and 9. The girls grew up at the campground and adored their dinosaur.

Campground residents wanted to represent Kampvilla in local parades, so they constructed a yellow dinosaur out of plastic flowers. For the past 10 years, the Wethers have entered the creature in parades.

Sometimes, the dinosaur takes people by surprise: Inside the animal's belly is a water tank and pump.

"Yes, he squirts water," laughs Becky Wethers.

"A little cold water on a hot day never hurt anyone," adds her husband.

According to the couple, little kids attending the parade especially enjoy getting squirted by a big dinosaur.

Ken and Becky Wethers always wanted their campground to be family-friendly. Over the years, many children have learned to swim or ride a bike at Kampvilla, says Ken Wethers.

Kampvilla RV Park's 125 sites are split among three uses — rustic camping, RV camping and mobile homes.

Some visitors camp for a weekend. Some come and spend the entire season.

For many people who live in Southern Michigan, Kampvilla is the site of their summer cottage. Some City of Manistee residents also have a cottage there.

People come to Kampvilla to get away from it all.

And to spend time with a big yellow dinosaur.