Hello Travel Resorts of America Campers! Welcome to the May 2019 Newsletter. Here you can find updates on your favorite resorts and more!
THIS IS YOUR TRAVEL RESORTS OF AMERICA ONLINE NEWSLETTER
We hope everyone is having an amazing spring! We love seeing happy campers all over the map at our Travel Resorts of America resorts!
Read on to find out all about what is to come this year. So many exciting events and activities for you and all of our Travel Resorts of America Family!
Be sure to follow our Facebook pages for more information, updated all the time. Enjoy!
For any suggestions or comments on the E-Traveler, email us at: newsletter@travelresorts.com
GENERAL REMINDERS
- Want to be in the eTraveler? Send us an email with a photo of you and your family enjoying the resort and you could be in the next Newsletter!
- Don’t forget to join in on the Meet the Manager meeting at your Resort! Ask your Resort staff for the location and times of this meeting!
TRA Firewood Policy
In keeping with continuing to provide a great outdoor experience for our members and guests, as well as protecting the natural resources on our beautiful resorts, TRA will no longer be allowing members to bring firewood with them when they visit a TRA resort. By now, most Members are familiar with the numerous “Don’t Move Firewood – It Bugs Me!” campaigns that are in place in states where we have resorts. Our alliance with these state campaigns is intended to protect our trees and continue to provide our Members with the lush destinations our resorts offer. We have recently discovered damage at one of our resorts from the Emerald Ash Borer, and we wish to be more proactive in protecting our tree resources. Our Members who wish to have campfires, you will be able to purchase firewood at the resort store. Firewood that is sold at the resorts will either come from trees harvested on resort property, or from vendors who deliver certified insect-free packages of bundled wood. For more information on this spreading problem we invite you to visit websites such as www.dontmovefirewood.org or any of the state DNR websites. We appreciate your help and cooperation with helping to prevent the further spread of this problem.
Important Membership Update:
Travel Resorts is excited to announce the addition of campersApp to all Resorts! campersApp is a free download (available in the Apple Store and on Google Play). Once the APP is installed, use the access code of the resort you are visiting to enjoy the many features.
Connect
campersAPP is a hub for organized FUN! Discover nearby attractions and outdoor adventures. Take part in campground games and activities OR create your own.
CAMP SOCIAL
Use campersAPP to initiate impromptu games and activities (like softball) with other campers.
CAMPGROUND NEWS
Get the latest campground news directly from campground staff, hear about upcoming promotions and more…
ALERTS
Find out about pool closings, weather alerts, wildlife warnings, lost pets, and more with campersAPP real-time alerts.
Check with the Front Desk for more information when you arrive, or go ahead and login in at home using the access codes below;
Resort – Access Code
Sycamore Lodge – sycamorelodge
Gettysburg Battlefield Resort – gettysburg
Wally World – wallyworld
Rocky Fork Ranch – rockyfork
Pymatuning Adventure – andoverkoa
Bass Lake – basslakeresort
North Shore Landing – northshore
Luna Sands – lunasands
All these app will be up and operational by May 15th!
Wally World Riverside Resort
Manager Update:
Hello Wally World campers!
The camping season has defiantly arrived! I love that everyone is so excited to camp that they are braving the rain and cold. Several campfires burning and a group gathered in the pavilion telling stories of days passed.
We have a few new employees this spring and I am sure they would appreciate a warm welcome from the campers. We have Chris in maintenance, Hank in grounds, Lori in housekeeping and Jenna at the front desk.
Last year we installed a tv behind the front desk. It showed pictures and activities. This year we are calling it “the news monitor”. Again, all sorts of information and pictures on it and we would like to post Birthday Wishes and Anniversary announcements. Give the front desk the information and we will be happy to post it.
Reminders: Dogs must be leashed and picked up after. All bicycles must have lights to be out at dark.
I am truly excited for this camping season and look forward to seeing you at the member build on Mother’s Day weekend.
See you soon,
Barb McClintock, Resort Manager
Activities Update:
I wish all of you a very Happy Spring here at Wally World! I am excited to start the activity season off this Mother’s Day weekend with our member build, and our formal tea party at the Garden House for all the moms. I cannot wait to see all the familiar faces around the resort. But most excited to taste everyone’s best cake recipe at the bake off! Let’s have some fun and start the season off right!
Other fun weekend’s this month include Armed Forces weekend and Memorial Day weekend.
Let’s make memories,
Shauna Wilson, Activities Director
Gettysburg Battlefield Resort
Manager Update:
RV having fun yet???
Easter has hopped away and along comes ‘May’ with the flower’s, celebration of Mother’s and the honorable Memorial Weekend.
We have been making tremendous strides recently, from installing the new Wi-Fi system, kicking off our Camper’s App, to giving the lower bathhouse a ‘facelift’, and jumping into the pool to get ready sooner. Shade Sails are up, and pool furniture is being set out; some are asking did we order more pool furniture, and I can proudly say, ‘yes we did’.
May is normally when we receive rain, of which I call this place “Gettysbog” if we receive too much, so not sure the “April Showers bring May Flowers” really applies to this area, yet, I am sure the rain from May, will greatly feed the flowers that are being planted. Very fortunate that Karen Miller, last year’s helper on the grounds and flowers, decided to come again; especially as Steve Matthews moved to North Carolina along the coast. Many workkampers have come back again and yes, we have a few new faces, of which we will focus next month on introducing who is who, nevertheless, this TEAM really believes in this resort and I am certainly honored and proud.
Until next time, Happy Camping!
Richard Kellermann, Resort Manager
Activities Update:
Everywhere I look on the resort, signs of Spring and the beginning of Season abound. Trees and flowers are blooming, and the faces of newly planted pansies follow the sun from dawn to dusk. New tables are set up in the Pavilion, and sails await sunbathers on the deck of the Pool. The sound of children on the playground during the day and the crackling of campfires by night is the living pulse of this place, and it is joyous indeed! I thought about that as we celebrated Spring’s arrival with our first annual Spring Garden Fair, and planted flowers that are bee and butterfly friendly – making it easier for future generations to enjoy all that Spring brings. I was reminded of that again after our beautiful and inspiring Sunrise Easer Service by the Pond – how lucky we are to witness a reawakening of such a beloved place as this one – year after year, and yet again as many of us gathered to eat Easter Dinner together under the Pavilion. This is a community of the most amazing, gracious, generous people – how lucky we are to be a part of it! Easter Weekend was not only a time of reflection but a time of joy too! Tie dying was a great success, even if we had to raid every office, including the those of the Sales Team, for more rubberbands! We had three Easter Egg hunts, including a glow in the dark one for kids down at the Re-enactment Grounds, and the Easter Bunny himself made time for photo ops galore! He even rode the coffee cart!
We are now looking forward to celebrating Greyhounds in Gettysburg, and then getting ready for the GBR Derby and Cinco De Mayo! Then it’s Prom Week! Our theme is “Under the Stars’” with our big dance to be held in the Pavilion May 11th! Look for the Sunroom to be turned into a beauty salon for the ladies on Saturday afternoon, with a hairdresser, manicures and even a glitter make-up bar to get you ready for your big night! You will even be able to pre-order boutonnieres and corsages at the front desk by Friday to have them delivered! Dress in current glam or even better, dress how you would have at your own high school prom! We will have a DJ who will play everything from the 40s to current hits, and he will be providing a light show to boot!! After a night of dancing “Under the Stars,” what could be better than brunch? Come to the Pavilion for a brunch celebrating Mothers’ Day! It’s going to be a great season here at GBR!
Rachel Lockwood, Activities Director
Rocky Fork Ranch
Manager Update:
We are excited here at the ranch about our upcoming season for so many reasons! First, we are looking forward to warmer temperatures, more daylight hours and mostly more of our members coming out and enjoying the ranch with us! We have some great activities planned for May and I will let our new recreation director Lo tell you all about it. What was that we have a new recreation director? If you missed last months newsletter you are in for a treat when you come and see her in person. She is doing an awesome job and we are so happy she joined our team. We also are getting ready for our Member Build weekend coming in June. There is some important work that must be done so we can complete this task in one day. Kevin and Dan are working hard getting the area ready for us. We are going to be planting trees, flowers and putting up some split rail fence. This will all take place at our wall we did last year. We have revamped the flower bed to give our reservation turn around more room for our campers coming in.
We also are creating golf cart parking area for members coming to Captain’s Club and outdoor pool. Save the date June 15th and let’s come together complete this project and eat a delicious lunch! Everyone who participates will received not only lunch, opportunity to help make the ranch better and a cool t-shirt to remind you of all the fun you had! We also continue to improve the ranch and I’ll tell you about some of our efforts you’ll see on your next visit. The Mallard cabin has been renovated and will be a great place to spend the weekend! We are completing this and it will be ready soon. The animal farm is now “the coop” pavilion. We have moved the selfie station and this area will be used for activities this summer. The clubhouse got some much-needed attention and we have new chairs for all the dining tables. We have waxed and buffed the floor to a shine too!
The adult lounge has a shelf for games and cards, so they are available if you want to get a group game going. Housekeeping has been quite busy deep cleaning and it shows! New staff is being trained and we are all excited to do our best to make your stay fun and memorable. Y’all come see us when you can!
Sharrie Yarber, Resort Manager
Activities Update:
I’m so excited to be a part of The Ranch and we’re bringing some awesome things your way! I’ve met some awesome down to earth members and we explored trails and cut loose with some karaoke. My first holiday was a blast and I enjoyed the energy and fun everyone brought to the ranch! When you come to the ranch bring your sense of fun and adventure and don’t leave me hangin😉! We are giving the paintball course a makeover this season and the adult lounge has some love coming its way too!
We have had great turnout for our meditation on Saturday mornings. Bring a weighted blanket and yoga mat and come relax and rejuvenate while you’re here. We also will be working on our hiking trails this season. We’re working on a new trail map as well as trail markers and removing debris left by old man winter. I’m excited to say we will be supporting our Veterans this Memorial Day weekend as well as all summer long! Giving back is a great way to show our appreciation for their sacrifice.
We are bursting at the seams in the Recreation Dept to bring you an amazing summer filled with fun, relaxation, and community! Let’s all do our part to make this Earth and the ranch a beautiful place; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle on the ranch! My four favorite R’s!
Lo Edmonds, Activities Director
Luna Sands Resort
Manager Update:
Happy Spring at Luna Sands! We’ve said goodbye to our snowbirds and welcomed the summer weather back to Florida. The month of April was warm and windy, with a small blip (last bit of cold) of winter immediately following Easter. During the month of May, you can be assured that the temperatures will climb back into the 90’s and get humid again. We’re happy to have the normal warm weather back.
In March we completed a playground update, fencing, and clubhouse renovations. In April we continued trimming trees, thinning palmettoes, and widening the exit road. The landscaping and fencing at the exit side of the clubhouse were completed and new shrubs and grass were planted. During the month of May, mowing grass, and weedeating the fence lines will become the majority of grounds work for the rest of the summer. We will also work to improve existing campsites to make them easier for you to use on future visits.
We have implemented a new way to communicate with our Luna Sands members with a program called Campers App. We’re excited for everyone to get on board and start using Campers App to get current information, nearby locations, local events, and weather information. In addition, alerts about weather and last minute activity changes and additions can be sent to you. You can see the front desk for more information, or download the app on your mobile phone and use the passcode lunasands to log in. If you’re interested in the alerts, you will need to enroll your phone number at the front desk.
For the rest of the summer at Luna Sands, the activity schedule will include one or two Saturday activities. The highlights are listed on the events section of our Luna Sands website. We’ll have a Cinco De Mayo celebration at 2pm on Saturday May 4th, then we will celebrate Mother’s Day on Saturday May 11th. A special Memorial Day cookout will start at 1pm on Saturday at the Tiki Hut.
Don’t let the warm weather scare you away. Come join us in May at Luna Sands for a peaceful and enjoyable camping visit. See you there. Travel Safe, and we’ll see you when you get here.
Lizette Bradley, Resort Manager and Lewis Emert, Assistant Manager
Bass Lake Resort
Manager Update:
Hello everyone, Happy Spring! I think it is finally here. We have had a few nice days this week and were able get outside and get some work done. We are all getting anxious for the camping season! The grass is greening up and the flowers are starting to bloom. We have already had some die hard campers out enjoying the resort.
The lower clubhouse roof is now done and looks great! In addition, Dan and Carl built a new shelf in the greeting station for better organization and completed a new office in the store, which we are very excited about.
The store is stocked and ready to go and it is scheduled to open on Wednesday, May 1st. We have a lot of new items in the store this year as well, you will have to come and check it out. New T-shirts, new blankets, and new coffee club mugs. We’ll still be offering the reduced coffee rate when you bring your coffee club cup for refulls.
The spring weather has certainly been hard on the resort this year. We have a lot of tree damage and will be working hard to remove all debris from the campsite areas during this next week. Some trees were damaged from the large snow fall this winter, but most of the damage is from high winds. In addition to tree damage, the shoulder of the roads are very muddy and will require some attention as quick as we can get them to dry out.
It is that time of year when all the staff is returning for the summer and everyone is working hard to get the resort up and running as quickly as possible. We are hoping to turn the water on to the campsites on May 1st, right now we are watching the weather to make sure there is no chance of freezing. The ground is still a little wet and soft so if you need to get your camper out of storage please contact the greeting station before you arrive so someone will be here to assist you. The greeting station hours will extend starting on May 1st, someone will be here every day until 10 pm. The phone # to the greeting station is (315) 728-9437.
Our first weekend full of fun and activities will be May 3rd-May 5th. We are kicking it off with our first Easter Weekend! The café is scheduled to open Thursday, May 9th from 4pm-8pm just before Mother’s Day weekend. Our member build is scheduled for Saturday, June 15th this year. Everyone is welcome to help. If you would like to make a reservation please call the reservations office at (855) 432-8457. We look forward to seeing you all soon!
Lizette Bradley, Resort Manager
Activities Update:
I have been busy over the winter planning activities for the summer, and I sincerely hope that you all had a great winter. We will start out our spring season with a late Easter weekend on May May 4th, including an Easter egg hunt, Easter potluck dinner and more. We will also have a special visitor….Peter cottontail will be here that weekend. The following weekend, May 11th, we will celebrate Mother’s Day on Saturday morning with a Mother’s day brunch, a poker walk, family time and more. We will also be delivering a special gift to moms on Sunday morning. In addition, Mother’s Day weekend is the first weekend that the Café will be open for the season. On May 18th, after Mother’s day we jump right into Spring Fling weekend with a special craft time, memorial flower planting. It will also be our first weekend with music on the patio by Metro Music. We will round out our May with a fun filled Memorial Day weekend. On the activity schedule is water balloon volleyball, candy bar bingo, ice cream social. We will also have a horseshoe tournament, family horse derby, yard sale/craft show and so much more. Looking forward to weekends in June we will have Bikes and Trikes, 50’s weekend, Father’s day, friends and family and pets and pals weekend.
Sycamore Lodge
Manager Update:
Greetings from Sycamore Lodge!
I think winter has thrown in the towel and spring is finally here. It’s been a little stormy at times but mostly our sunshine is back along with warmer temperatures. More importantly, you all are back! The resort is alive with the sounds of camping! We have spruced things up in the last few weeks with some fresh paint and gravel and we’re getting ready to put out our summer flowers. It is so nice to see the flowers in bloom and so much green!
As I said last month, activities are in full swing. We have some great stuff coming up in May and an exciting member build in June! The General Store is looking great and has a lot of new merchandise for you to check out. It is definitely your one-stop-shop for supplies or information, and we’d love for you to just stop in and say hi!
The winter went by fast and, though we are just getting started, there’s no doubt that we’re going to blink it’s going to be November with another summer full of memories behind us. We are thankful to you for being here to make memories with us! Don’t blink!
God Bless & Safe Travels!
Jeanna Plants, Assistant Manager
Activities Update:
Well, we finished off the month of March with an International twist here at Sycamore Lodge. America was discovered and built by people from all over the world, including the Native Americans. That is why we celebrated the melting pot of America on International Weekend with an international costume contest, cricket ball, international flag craft and an international pot luck. It was exciting to see different cultures here at Sycamore.
The first weekend in April was March Mania. The final four collage basketball championship was played on the big screen here at Sycamore with Virginia taking the championship. We had 3-on-3 basketball games, a basketball craft, some line dancing and ended with the Night Groove Band playing on Pavilion.
The second weekend we cleaned up Sycamore for Easter break. Next, we started working on the pool area chairs and equipment so we can open it soon, so excited for that. We had hot dogs and hamburgers for the hard workers who made Sycamore looking good again. We ended the night with some goo R&B music from the Dynamics.
Well the flood gates opened the next 2 weeks with spring break for the kids. One spring break before Easter Weekend and one after. We in the activities department were really busy having a lot of fun with all the kids and adults, too. We had corn hole, pin pong, tie dying t-shirts, candy bingo, flag football, cricket ball, bonfire with s’mores and lots more fun activities for those 2 weeks. In the middle of that, The Easter bunny visited us for our Easter Weekend. We had egg hunts for all ages with over 2000 eggs to find between four age groups, including the adults and at night, too. We also had an Easter parade on Sunday with the Easter Bunny.
Everyone had so much fun here at Sycamore Lodge. The last weekend of April, the horses show up with many more activities to boot. Come to Sycamore to get in all the exciting fun we are having here. Don’t miss out. We are waiting for ya! Ye Haw! Thank You!
Bob Johnson, Activity Director
