Hello Travel Resorts of America Campers! Welcome to the February 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 had an amazing fall! We loved 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.
Cabin Rate Increase
Travel Resorts prides itself in being able to keep our operating cost at or below industry standards so we can offer the best value possible to our members. Unfortunately, sometimes it is necessary to increase rates based on labor and material cost. For the first time since 2017 we are increasing cabin rates.
Effective on April 1, 2019 the rate for cabin program members will increase $5 to $10 per night depending on your membership benefits. Should you have any questions contact member services at 855-332-9541.
Gettysburg Battlefield Resort
Manager Update:
Hello, January has gone, and February arrives, and since February is a short month, I shall keep the newsletter short as well.
As we get ready for spring, regardless of weather conditions, continuation with some more tree removal, we realized the need to remove, or shall I say ‘grind’ stumps. Bill and the resort maintenance team has really been ‘grinding’ away. In addition to removal of stumps, we also renovated a few decks on some cabins and in process of doing some renovation work to lower bathhouse as well. Weather has cooperated nicely so far, yes, we had a few days of snow with some accumulation, yet none ‘un too bearing’.
The store is amid a deep clean and paint touch up so as we roll into February. Kathie and her team have been staying busy and gearing up for new arrival of store merchandises.
Lesa, who replaced Lisa, is learning the resort along with meeting some of the great members of this resort. Be sure to say hi.
Stay warm and dry and spring is just around the corner. See you soon!
Richard Kellermann, Resort Manager
North Shore Landing
Manager Update:
Hello Valentines and February! Spring is only 4 Mondays away and we are busy prepping for the upcoming season. Work continues here on the resort although on the coldest days much of it takes place inside. We are trimming trees, fixing water pipes and painting cabin interiors. The store is getting a new color scheme as well. The weather has been warm (well at least for me) but I am told that it has been a bit chilly.
It has rained quite a bit so that moves us to the inside work as well, but I think you will enjoy the efforts that the team has made. You will find some new faces in all departments and we are constantly striving to improve your experience with us. So make sure you stop to say hello and let us know how we are doing.
Valentines is mid-month and it is a time of good thoughts and love. The ladies and gentlemen that stay on resort have made a tremendous effort to keep not only themselves entertained this winter but also all our visitors and staff. They have done a great job with pot lucks, keeping the clubhouse decorated, and various offerings from bingo to a new year’s dance. We will officially begin activities on St Paddy’s day weekend in case you were wondering.
Well that is all the news from North Shore, see you soon!
Lisa Fisher, Resort Manager
Rocky Fork Ranch
Manager Update:
Howdy,
Hope this newsletter finds you all doing well and getting excited for spring like we are here at the ranch. January proved to be a month of variety of all kinds of weather. The end of the month was the icing, or should I say ice on the cake! Good news we all survived and only a few pipes suffered collateral damage. All is well here now, and the sixty-degree temperature yesterday was like a present. Having said that we have been hard at work here doing what we can outdoors and staying busy indoors when old man winter puts his foot down. We are very excited about our event this month on February 9th to be exact. Our Murder Mystery Dinner Theater is sold out! This event is going to be one to remember and you’ll want to visit our Facebook after this event to see all the pictures and memories that were made. We have enjoyed seeing our members who enjoy the quiet winter season here on the ranch and hope you’ll be making plans to come visit us. Our horses are doing great and I’ve left you with some pictures of a few showing their love for each other as we gear up for Valentine’s Day. Lastly, I thought I’d leave you with a poem that has brought a chuckle around these parts during our vortex winter blast.
It’s winter in Ohio,
And the gentle breezes blow,
Seventy miles an hour,
At thirty-five below.
Oh, how we love Ohio,
When the snow’s up to your butt,
You take a breath of winter air,
And your nose gets frozen shut!
Yes, the weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I’ll hang around,
I could never leave Ohio
“Because I’m frozen to the ground!”
Y’all come see us when you can,
Sharrie Yarber, Resort Manager
Luna Sands Resort
Manager Update:
Luna Sands is swinging into the new year full blast. The Florida weather has been cool, but nothing like our sister resorts above our state line. We have a lot going on at your little Florida resort, that it’s hard to begin.
The construction crew (Marlon Ayers and James Bush) built an office in the Welcome Center, then moved on to the clubhouse. They removed a wall and also ripped up all the old flooring. The new floor and all construction will be completed by Valentines Day. When the clubhouse is completed, they will move onto fencing around the perimeter of the resort. The fencelines have already been cleared and they are ready for the new fencing.
While the Construction crew was working on projects, Vincent and Carlos have been clearing overgrown palmetto patches and picking up debris and limbs falling out of the trees. We’ve continued to mow and clean up all road areas.
Lewis and Clarence have reworked several campsites. In the month of January, we fixed campsite 25 for larger rigs to use, and also brought in some additional clay based sand and millings to re-work several other campsites. Since December, 6 sites have been reworked and made easier to use. 2 sites have been added into our inventory. We are working on a 3rd site to be available for Mid-February.
Your Activity Director, Phyllis Bates has also been busy getting special activities planned and schedules printed. If you would like to know more about activities, please give us a call. Valentines Day (on the 14th) we will host a special Dinner and we ask that everyone planning to attend, please sign up so that we can be prepared with enough food. We will also have the blindfold golf cart races, horse derby races, and a special soap box derby.
Come on down to the South where the weather is warm, and the people are friendly. We look forward to your visit.
Lewis Emert, Resort Manager
Bass Lake Resort
Manager Update:
Hello everyone! I hope you are all staying warm. January has been a very cold and snowy month. The last week has been in the single digits. We just survived a storm which brought us about 18 inches of snow, high winds and below zero temperatures. The staff has been working extra hard this past weekend just keeping the roads plowed and decks and walkways shoveled. The sun is shining today but don’t let that fool you it is only 4 degrees outside. As soon as it warms up a little we will start removing the snow off the roofs and hopefully be able to start some new projects. I can’t believe it is almost February already! This winter is flying by fast, spring is just around the corner.
Nikki has the bands all booked for this year. She has some great new ideas for the weekend activity schedules. This year we will be kicking off our 2019 season on May 3rd-5th with our very first Easter weekend! We will have a special visit from the Easter Bunny, will be coloring eggs, having an Easter egg hunt and getting together for an Easter potluck dinner. Mark your calendars to come out and celebrate with us.
We have been working on some deep cleaning and fresh paint in the lower clubhouse. Park Model # 208 is almost finished. We are hoping to start the new roof on the lower clubhouse soon. We have some plans to do some remodeling in the store and lower bathrooms. We are working on getting the store organized and ready for some new inventory to arrive soon.
There are some exciting new features coming this year to our reservation system! We are now able to add pictures of the sites. When you go online to make your reservation you will be able to see a picture of the site you picked. This is not up and ready yet but will be coming as soon as the weather breaks and we are able to get some good pictures and get them uploaded.
If you are looking for some peace and quiet and would like to come out and visit us, we do have cabins available. Please call us at (315)728-9437 to make a reservation. Someone is at the greeting station every day between 8-4. See you all soon!
Heather Powis, Assistant Resort Manager
Sycamore Lodge
Manager Update:
Happy, happy 2019! It’s great to be starting a new year here at Sycamore Lodge!
We ended 2018 well with a big crowd for our New Year’s bash and we are geared up and excited for 2019 to get rolling. It is always our hope to get some projects kicked out during the slower months but I’ve decided that Sycamore has slower weeks, not slower months. Which is a great thing – it means you all are with us more!
And, we are still getting stuff done! We have completed a large part of the infrastructure for the new WiFi system. Weather has been restrictive here and there. Ok, let’s be honest, the weather here is crazy! It was 18* one day and 65* the next. There have not been any major snow events, however, for which this gal is immensely grateful. And WiFi is closer than ever!
The General Store has undergone somewhat of a facelift on the inside and soon a little on the outside as well. We have a new associate, Alexis, joining Corinda and our new store manager, Jen. They have created such a warm and inviting store area for you here at Sycamore. If you haven’t met them, be sure to stop in and say hi! And on the outside, we will be redoing the back porch of the store in the next few weeks. I am very excited for this to happen and for you all to visit!
Activities will be back in full swing before you know it. Be sure to keep an eye out on our Facebook page for everything coming up – including an exciting member build this season! We are looking forward to a great 2019 at Sycamore Lodge!
Jeanna Plants, Assistant Manager
Activities Update:
Well 2018 went out with a bang and a drop. We had an Awesome New Years Eve Party here at Sycamore Lodge. There was a lot of food, games and fun with all our members. Over 50 members came out to celebrate the coming of the New Year 2019. We are so thankful that all of you showed up for the party.
We at the Activities Department are planning a blowout fun time of Activities here at Sycamore Lodge for the 2019 season. We have been hard at work getting the bands scheduled, as well as all the fun weekends planned that we are going to have. We Look forward to all our members coming out and enjoying yourself here at Sycamore Lodge.
We look forward to the month of February to start a few activities Like the Big Football Game party and Valentine’s Day Weekend. So if you are around this winter, come out to Sycamore Lodge and enjoy the festivities.
Finally, all of us at the Activities Department and Staff of Sycamore Lodge want to thank all our members that made 2018 here at Sycamore Lodge a tremendous success and look forward to making 2019 even better. Thank You Very Much!
Bob Johnson, Activity Director
