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The "no know brand name facilities" in Chama is part of the town's charm. I can eat at McD's & stay at a Holiday Inn anywhere.
Bingo!
Sorry, but this is one of my pet peeves when it comes to the "what can we do to get more people on the C&TS" type of discussions. Chama is not Durango... and thank the deities for that! Yes, the fact that Chama doesn't have the national chains turns some people off. Fact is, it turns some folks on too - and there are more of us out there all the time who don't want the same ol' homogenized cr*p everywhere we go, and actively look for places that aren't like everywhere else.
Looking at this from a marketing perspective, you don't attack your competitor's strengths (D&S with a full service town with all the ammenities), you look for places where their weaknesses (D&S with a crowded, developed town) match your strengths (C&TS with a town largely undeveloped), and you exploit those strengths to target markets who appreciate them.
Chama and Antonito will never be Durango and Silverton. Quit worrying about that, and think instead about the advantages inherent in these small, un-touched communities. There are ever-increasing numbers of folks looking for just this sort of place, and they're
not just railfans. The job of attracting folks to the C&TS is a bit tougher, as you're looking for a different sort of customer, but that customer IS out there, and getting the word out to these folks, while tough, is still a whole lot easier than wishing for Chama to (UGH!) develop (yech!).
As for local attitude, in over 30 years of yearly trips, I've mostly been treated well by Chama & Antonito businesses, occasionally poorly, and a few times downright awful. 'Bout the same ratio as anyplace else I travel to frequently. But like most people who relish being off the beaten path, I go in with a different set of expectations.
Scott
