Despite a late start to summer weather and rising prices of fuel and food, vacationing along Highway 20 appears to be a viable option for some tourists this summer.

The variety of recreational activities along the highway is a major draw for tourists, and most upriver communities rely on the summer business.

More tourists from Island, Snohomish, Whatcom and Skagit counties are stopping by the Concrete Visitor Center compared to the past, said Valerie Stafford, Concrete Chamber of Commerce president, in an e-mail.

Several visitors from Australia and Germany have also stopped by the center, she said.

“... My guess is many people are staying closer to home and taking advantage of the beautiful scenery in our area instead of traveling thousands of miles,” she said.

Local business owners along Highway 20 said traffic has decreased compared to previous summers, but they are still receiving business.

Not as many RVs or bicyclists are seen along the highway this year, said Annie Bussiere, owner of Annie’s Pizza Station in Concrete.

“It’s a bit slower along the highway,” Bussiere said.

Although her restaurant is receiving business, overall it has been different this season, she said.

Business was much slower before the Fourth of July, but has picked up with the sunny weather, she said. The idea of a “staycation” may catch on with tourists, Bussiere said.

“We’ve had a lot more people camping locally and we’ve picked up a few more (customers) that way,” she said.

Cajun Bar & Grill is another restaurant in Concrete depending on summer tourism. Tim Cooley, who owns the restaurant, said business at his restaurant has picked up a bit this summer, but not as much as in years past.

Cooley also serves as Concrete Chamber of Commerce vice president.

He said he has noticed a decrease in the amount of tourists this summer compared to others — especially since camping is no longer available at Rockport State Park. Quite a few camping spots were available there, Cooley said.

Some upriver businesses are noticing changes in tourism compared to other summers.

In Rockport, Glacier Peak Winery owner Stephen Olsen said business is looking up despite reduced traffic on the highway.

“Our business is doing better than last year in terms of dollars and cents,” he said.

The winery is only open during the summer and 80 percent of the business relies on tourism, Olsen said.

Eleanor Ovenell of Ovenell’s Heritage Inn in Concrete, and Buffalo Run Inn and Restaurant co-owner Marshall Cooper of Marblemount, said their businesses have been busy.

Cooper and Ovenell said chilly weather and a second closure of the pass due to avalanche danger made for a slow start in early summer.

Cooper said when the pass closed down for a week in May, it cost his business about $15,000 to $20,000 in potential revenue. It probably cost the six Marblemount businesses more than $100,000 collectively, he said.

Cooper also serves as the chairman for the North Cascades Business Association of Marblemount.

Despite the odds, Cooper said he thinks his business is doing better than last year. Every weekend the inn has been booked solid and during the week the majority of the rooms are reserved, he said.

Ovenell said her business is receiving less long-term reservations. Instead, the reservations are more “sporadic and spur of the moment,” and the rooms are filling up each week, she said.

Cooper and Ovenell said some of their patrons are traveling from as far away as Europe and Canada. Cooper said he attributes this to the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the value of the Canadian dollar and the Euro.

Stafford said she thinks the idea of vacationing close to home, or a “staycation,” is starting to catch on in Skagit County.

“The area in Skagit County is a paradise for local vacationers,” she said. “Everything from fishing to river rafting to winery tours, just one tank of gas away. We’re all feeling the pinch of rising food and fuel costs, so these ‘backyard vacations’ are more important than ever.”