September 5, 2010

It's the informal end of summer. The water Is a little choppy, but that's not stopping thousands of people from coming out and enjoying the Labor Day weekend.

"The wind Is coming up just a little bit, but we're going to go out and give it a try anyway," said Shane Faurot as he loaded up his family to go tubing at Cheney.

Faurot and his family have been camping at Cheney on Labor Day for years. The weather is much better this year compared to last year, he says.

"Last year, we got out here and it was really windy," he said. "We have big tents, but they're not good for the storms and we got so soak and wet."

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer for many people. Cheney Lake Manager Jody Schwartz expects attendance numbers to be about 45,000 this weekend. The last big holiday, 4th of July, was a complete washout.

"For Labor Day, we're having a pretty good crowd," Schwartz said. "It's not as busy as a typical Memorial Day or 4th of July, with school starting and everything, but still good."

Despite Sunday's wind, boats were lining up to get in the water Sunday. A little wind won't keep these weekend warriors from taking a break from their busy scheduled.

"It's affordable, too," said Richard Gordon. "You come out here and have a good time with family and friends. Cook, drink, whatever. Just have a good time."

With most campgrounds at Cheney filled close to capacity this weekend, many have found that taking a break closer to home is a better option than planning an expensive vacation out of state.