Busy holiday weekend expected at Lake Powell, Page

PAGE, Ariz. — A busy Memorial Day weekend is expected at Lake Powell and nearby Page.

Travelers to the lake and the tourist town will be a welcome sight after starting off slowly.

Page Tourism Bureau tourism coordinator Dwayne Cassidy said retail sales were down 13 percent for the first three months of 2010.

Cassidy said it appears hotel bookings are up compared to last year, more people plan rafting trips down the Colorado River and houseboat bookings on Lake Powell have also increased.

Last year, about 1.9 million people visited the lake's Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, with much of the traffic coming through the downlake Wahweap area near Page.