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\u201cI\u2019ve always known there was potential here,\u201d says Heather Rankin, co-owner of the Lake Powell Gateway RV Resort in Big Water, \u201cwhere we have so much of Lake Powell on the Utah side of the border, but all of the tourism ends up in Page. So I\u2019ve been advocating for this Gateway idea for years, helping Big Water benefit from all the traffic that\u2019s coming through to Lake Powell.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rankin and her family, along with the Kanab Area Chamber of Commerce who provided the traditional ribbon, celebrated the resort\u2019s opening with a ribbon cutting on Saturday, March 29, inviting park guests, locals and city and county officials to enjoy music and food.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Ray Rankin, co-owner, manager and lead designer of the park, spoke to the assembled crowd after the ribbon had been cut, stating, \u201cI just want to say thank you to everyone who came out today. I appreciate the music, and the caterer and I appreciate all of you guys taking your time out of your busy schedules. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who made this project happen, it\u2019s too many names to mention.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The RV Resort is meant to be equal parts hospitality for visitors and accommodation for locals. \u201cWe\u2019ve already had some folks doing some grocery shopping at the store,\u201d says Heather, \u201cwhich is kind of the whole point. We\u2019ve got the basics \u2013 milk, cereal, bread \u2013 on the one side, and RV stuff on the other.\u201d Heather is especially proud of her \u201cHeather\u2019s Haven\u201d brand, which includes personal wellness products and eggs from the family\u2019s coop.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The park currently hosts 32 RV spaces, with some limitations imposed by health department regulations on flow through septic systems – per Heather, the park is looking to expand the property enough to allow a laundromat facility and dry camping spots for tents. The resort is also looking to expand the property\u2019s playground with an 18-hole mini golf course.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Rankins emphasize the nature of the RV park not only as a community project but a family one: Heather recounts a story in the early planning of the part, \u201cMy mom, Diane, gave us a little seed money to get us started \u2026 she said she had a dream of being 90 years old, sitting in front of our park at a table, under a big tree. Well, 90 is five years away \u2026 so we installed her table, we planted her tree, and we\u2019ll see how it all looks five years from now.\u201d Heather also praised her daughter Ashley, who did the majority of graphic design for advertising the park, \u201cThat sort of thing would have cost us thousands to hire someone to do, it would have been impossible without Ashley just doing it. We\u2019re extremely lucky to have someone like her on board.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Kane County and Big Water officials have commented on Big Water\u2019s economic potential, as the town is currently undergoing an economic feasibility study to determine the best options for a Main Street business hub, and Kane County officials commented on the RV park store\u2019s potential as a small experimental marketplace. \u201cIt\u2019s a big step for Big Water,\u201d said Kane Commissioner Celeste Meyeres, \u201cWe\u2019re excited to see the results.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n