Snowbirds Leaving Early?

Neil and Darlene Lewis have enjoyed their stay in Orange Beach, but the recession has forced the Michigan couple to watch their budget closely.

"It's the worst I've seen in my lifetime," says Darlene. "Since the Roosevelt years, really."

"I've heard many of them saving money because they don't go to nice restaurants, they're going to McDonald's and Burger King," says Neil. "The economy is bad and I'm looking at it from a standpoint of how few campers there are in here, there's a lot of empty spots."

The campground at Gulf State Park is usually packed with "Snowbirds" but many camp sites are empty this year, a sign that the economy is keeping some Snowbirds at home or forcing them to cut their vacations short.

Local businesses are just hoping they'll stick around until Mardi Gras, an important holiday for the local economy.

"We have lots of snowbirds that came back this year, but not as many as last year," says business owner Lynn Thomas. Thomas owns Tallulah's Treasure's in Orange Beach. "We're being cautiously optimistic."