Mar. 26--High gas prices, an uncertain economy and a dodgy forecast have done little to dampen spring break revelers' appetite for a little coastal R&R, tourism industry representatives said Tuesday.

"Oftentimes, when we're facing times like we are, we're fortunate that we're so accessible," said Lorna Davis, executive director of the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce. "We get backyard visitors coming from the valley. Gas is a little more but it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to drive to the coast -- not like hopping on a plane."

The hotel operators Davis has spoken to reported a "somewhat sluggish" start to the week, perhaps because of the Easter holiday, but the rest of the week looks positive, with a lot of would-be guests calling for last-minute reservations, she said. A steady of stream of visitors have stopped at the chamber office looking for recommendations on where to eat and visit, she said.

Looking out her window at Highway 101, Davis said she saw some "pretty good spring break traffic."

Down the coast at the Sea Lion Caves, "We've been keeping very steady, maybe a little up from the year before," said Mary Jacobson, managing director of the venerable coastal tourist attraction.

"It's spring break and people like to get on the road if they can," she said. Historically, spring break is "a very busy week for us," she said.

In Florence, Kady Sneddon, executive director of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, said the visitor center has been "hopping" so far this week. The Port of Siuslaw parking lot in Old Town has been full, which is a good gauge of how busy Old Town is, she said.

"I think we're doing pretty well," she said.

Darla Hague, owner of Sandland Adventures in Florence, said this year's spring break seems busier than last year, aided by an influx of Canadians who had their spring break last week.

The weather has a huge effect on her business, though, and rain in the forecast Monday and Tuesday didn't help, especially since it didn't rain either day, she said.

"We'd be busier if they hadn't forecast the rain," she said.

The forecast for the rest of the week on the central coast calls for showers and highs in the high 40s.

Even with rain in the forecast, state parks along the coast have plenty of campers, especially for this time of year, said Chris Havel, spokesman for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

"Oregonians are a pretty hearty bunch for spring break," he said. "It would have to be driving rain to drive people away from the campgrounds during spring break."

A spot check found coastal campgrounds to be 60 to 70 percent full, he said. Most have some loops still closed, but they can open on short notice if the demand is there, he said.

To check on availability for the weekend, prospective campers can visit www.oregonstateparks.org.

Up in the mountains, meanwhile, spring break business has been decent or great, depending on the resort.

Spring break has been "pretty good so far" at Willamette Pass ski area, mountain manager Ray Gardner said.

Fresh snow this week has made for terrific conditions on the mountain in what already has been a great snow year, he said.

Chuck Shepard, owner of Hoodoo at Santiam Pass, said, "We are having a good spring break, but it's slower than expected."

Considering that the snow and conditions are the best Shepard has seen in 10 years for this time of year, "I would have expected probably the best spring break we've had in 10 years. It's not."

Shepard said that after a banner season, "it might be that people got all their skiing in and moved on to something else."

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