Jerry and Annie Troeger are the owners of Bonita Nudist Resort, in central New York state. Jerry is a prolific writer and graciously lends us his words today, recounting their experiences around the time they acquired the resort…

Written by Jerry Troeger

“So you want to buy a campground?” These words resonated in my head in varying degrees of cynicism as my wife and I laboriously swung our picks into the hard, rocky soil in search of the lever elusive subterranean water leak we had been trying to locate for the better part of three days. ” Find my watch yet?”, chided one light-hearted passer by. Another nude guest inquired if the pool would be open soon. We still had to address the electrical problem in lot 21, not to mention cutting the grass, manning the snack bar, greeting new guests and of course, answering the phone. It was about 8:30 in the morning. Just three days after we bought our campground. The day was still young but already we were feeling older than our years. Yet as we stood there facing each other, covered in mud, sweat running down our naked bodies, we paused and gazed into each other’s eyes. Our spirits undaunted, our thoughts were one: ” We did it. We bought the campground!” Less than one month later I would fall from a tree and break my ankle in four places leaving the bulk of the running of the camp to my already over-burdened spouse. Our eyes again met in the hospital emergency room, our thoughts again one: “We did it. We bought the campground. Lord, HELP US!”

My wife Annie and I had been members of our campground under its old ownership for several years before becoming the new proprietors. The previous owners, with all due respect, were not much on maintenance or “people skills” for that matter. They had also made it clear that the camp was perilously near to closing forever. There was an attempt at forming a co-op by some of the seasonal members, (red flag here), but that was not to be. So, with no prior campground ownership experience, a lot of enthusiasm and a “dollar and a dream”, we took the leap of faith. At the closing, when the former owners took their check and left the table without so much as a “good luck” or even a glance in our direction, we didn’t even flinch.

Now, trial by fire isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It can be far worse. As a life-long nudist, I have always cherished our way of thinking and living. Even my wife, a beautiful Latin, newly converted to nudism, fully appreciated this as well. So it seemed only natural to make our passion our livelihood. But nothing could have prepared us for what was to come. Not even Forrest Gump and his box of chocolate.

It’s 5:00 am. The phone rings. “There’s no water. Fix it”. Click. “I just filled the tank yesterday”, I thought to myself. Get up, turn on the tank. “Must be another leak somewhere. Got to find it.”

A week or two later we were “invited” to a camp meeting by some of our seasonal members. They have “concerns” they say. (Remember the red flag?) “What’s up?” we ask upon our arrival. Their spokesman solemnly asks us to sit down, pulls out a hand written list and begins to speak. “Well, for one thing, you don’t seem to answer the phone fast enough”. Nods all around the campfire. “And, we feel your teenage children do not belong in the office”…More nods. “Also, your wife spends too much time in the garden.”, another added. We sit there dumbfounded. “Is this really happening?” “But guys”, I say defensively, “we’re new at this. There are only the two of us and we are trying our best to…”.”Not to mention that there are too many flowers on the deck and some of us have allergies”, the spokesman interrupts. “Listen”, I say ,”this camp was on the verge of closing if WE didn’t put ourselves on the line to save it. Yes, we’re new at this but we are learning as we go and are doing our best. We could use a little slack here. The meeting abruptly ends when one member gets in my wife’s face with a racial slur. Our “education” was in high gear and it wasn’t pretty.

Well, the summer progressed, the ankle eventually broke and we continued to learn. We endured phony complaints to the board of health, a vicious rumor mill, innumerable infra-structural breakdowns and our fair share of the “normal” things that plague every campground owner. In all fairness, there were several members who took pity on us and did much to help and we thank them But in some cases, there was a price tag on this too. Another lesson not to be forgotten.

Our second season, not as unpleasant as the first but not without problems, opened up with a new water system, ongoing electrical upgrades, new rental cabins and rooms, a game room, an expanded dining area in the clubhouse, better kept grounds, a re-written rental contract and two wiser nudists at the helm. We also began to track down the trouble makers to the source and eventually did some “in-house cleaning”. You see, we learned something really important here. We learned that people will be people with as much good as bad on any given day. There will be agendas, jealousy, support and happiness all active in the mix at the same time. Our true challenge is to manage this aspect of the business. No easy task. How far removed from the ideal of true nudism, socially or otherwise, we have often thought. Looks great on paper but is far more difficult in practice.

As our third season draws to a close, we look back upon it and smile. Many new faces, peace and tranquility prevailed throughout the season, and the water and electrical systems behaved admirably. We’re on the right track. We are a little older, a little wiser. We have managed to preserve the integrity and enjoyment in social nudism we have always cherished for ourselves and our guests, give or take a few interruptions. Our picks and shovels are now retired to their respective places in the barn, but not too far from the front door. After all, you never do know what you’re gonna get!

Related Sites:

• Bonita Nudist Resort’s web site