Hello Travel Resorts of America Campers! Welcome to the AUGUST 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 summer! 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!
August brings to mind two things; school starting and fall beginning. This summer sure is flying by. All of us here at Wally World hope that everyone has had a memorable summer so far. Of course, there is lots more fun to come.
I wanted to make everyone aware of a Health Department regulation that has been on their radar all summer and we have taken a couple hits on. All tents and canopy’s must be at least 10ft from each other as well as the camper. If asked to move such items, please understand we are enforcing regulations. With that said, there are sites that are not large enough for a camper and a tent.
I wanted to mention the electric on the Super Sites. When the sites were put in the electric was to be 30amp even though the boxes are designed for 30/50. Once the electric project takes place then there would be 50amp service. Because of the issues we have had with electric in that area we have fixed the boxes so that only 30amp is available. Sorry for the inconvenience but things should run smoother.
The WiFi project is moving along. You can go to TRO temp with password summer19. Service is limited at this time. Some places you will get it, some not. We will keep you updated as it progresses.
Camper App – if you have not downloaded the app, you should. You can see all the activities and if you are logged in you will get a notification 15 minutes before each activity.
Member build will take place this month. We are watching the weather and also hoping to finish up the WiFi before the build. As soon as we know the date it will be posted to Facebook at the front desk.
Thank you for camping at Wally World!
Barb McClintock, Resort Manager
Activities Update:
So far it’s been a wet summer here at Wally World. The river has been closed most of July but we’re hoping for better weather in the month of August! However, a flooded river means more activities! We hosted our first dive-in movie night in July and it turned out to be a hit so expect several more pool movies in August! Our weekly Sunday morning tie dye has also been a hit recently so if you’re visiting in August make sure to bring clothes to dye! As far as weekend themes are concerned this month we will have Watermelon weekend, Chocolate Lovers weekend, Mardi Gras weekend, Tailgater’s weekend and of course Labor Day weekend to close out the month! We hope to see you before the summer comes to an end!
Kaylin Weaver, Activities Director
Gettysburg Battlefield Resort
Manager Update:
Wow! July is over and what a month it was! The resort was bustling with the Fourth of July activities, Bike Week, Hawaiian Luau and finally a visit from dear ole Santa for our Christmas in July. We even had two weekends with Civil War Re-enactors providing entertainment with cannons, artifacts, stories and more.
Other news about the resort, we would like to introduce our new store manager, Joel Cymerman. Please give him a warm welcome when you come to the general store. He comes with a bright smile and expertise in customer service.
Lastly, we want to remind everyone to have a great summer and bring those happy families making happy memories back to GBR as soon as you can. We can’t wait to see you again!
Richard Kellerman, Resort Manager
Activities Update:
Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s nearly August!! What an amazing summer this has been so far! Despite severe thunderstorms, our July 4th Celebration with a 50’s Flair was so much fun! On Friday, we just converted our golf cart drive-in movie to a diner in the Pavilion, where members had their orders taken by some strangely familiar waitresses! Our Fountain Crew made the best vanilla shakes ever and everyone enjoyed watching Grease! Saturday night was the highlight of the holiday, with a packed Pavilion singing and dancing to the sounds of the Fabulous Hubcaps!!!
Then it was on to Bike Week in Gettysburg! While we recognized our motorcycling members with some bike-oriented crafts and a bikers’ breakfast, we didn’t leave out our younger riders. We held the very first GBR Bike Safety Rodeo! With the help of the Healthy Adams Bike and Pedestrian Initiative, Recycle Bicycle in Harrisburg, the PA State Police and the Center for Traffic Safety, 16 children and 2 adults are now safer bicyclists at GBR. we gave away 15 new bike helmets, and readjusted others so they fit our bicycle riders safely. 18 sets of brakes were checked, with almost all needing adjustment, and several replaced entirely; several handlebars were raised and a few lowered, and tires were inflated to meet safety standards. 10 headlamps were given away, boxes of reflector tape were applied to bikes and glow in the dark stickers were placed on helmets, making even the littlest bike riders more visible to vehicles at home and here on the resort. We love it when we can make kids #safeANDfunontheirvacation!
We jumped right off our bikes and went to Hawaii! Well, a Hawaiian Luau that is! The week was full of Hawaiian themed crafts, including hula skirts, solar tiki sculptures, minion hulas and tiki torches made from wine bottles. As part of the TRA Helping Hands Week, we sold leis to raise money for a local medical clinic that serves the uninsured and underinsured folks here in Adams County. On Saturday we had a luau poolside with traditional Hawaiian food, and a coastal band. The food was delicious, the music was great and the best part was so many members supported the clinic by buying leis!
Finally, we ended July by celebrating Christmas! A week of Christmas crafts culminated in the jolly old Elf himself joining both the children and the young at heart on Sl-hay rides in our hay wagon! Carols were sung to every campsite, and Santa’s helper made sure everyone got candy canes! Later, Santa even joined everyone for a community campfire!
July may be a hard act to follow but August is up for the challenge! We have Water War Weekend coming up, featuring two swim-in movies, a campground water gun fight and a very different way to play Battleship! Then it’s Imagination Destination, which is a celebration of childrens’ literature! Look for mermaids, princesses, knights, superheros, wizards, pirates, and mythical beasts! STEM and Slots Week is sure to be a hit, with science experiments for the kids and Casino night for the adults! Then it’s Touch A Truck Weekend for car and truck enthusiasts, and finally a Labor day Weekend with cool bluegrass and hot chili! We can’t wait to share the fun here at GBR!
Rachel Lockwood, Activities Director
Rocky Fork Ranch
Manager Update:
Can you believe we are in August already? They say time flies… and yes, we are having so much fun, it’s our hope that you are too! We are looking forward to August and all it brings here at the ranch. Lo has your recreation covered and you’ll read from her shortly. I want to express my gratefulness to all who participated in our remembrance wall for Hershey so far. Don’t worry if you haven’t signed it yet we will leave it up, so everyone has an opportunity. I also want you all to know that the staff here at Rocky Fork stepped up on that sad day in July and allowed me to see who they are in times like these. I witnessed love, strength, courage, compassion, teamwork and integrity on that day. Your thoughtfulness has been a large part of our healing and so I say thank you to all who shared your words with us. As we enjoy the last phase of summer, we want to tell you all we have a lot of celebration left in us! There are rodeos left to enjoy, lots of awesome themed weekends, swimming pools, and campfires. Above all those things meeting new friends and seeing old ones as you make some last memories with us. So, make plans to come join us here at the ranch soon! I also want to thank so many gracious members who have volunteered to help us this season. Your time is precious and by you giving that to us it is truly a blessing. I have felt so at home since my arrival and getting to know you all even better just tickles my innards! I will leave you with some news from Lo in recreation and some awesome pictures so you can see just a glimpse of summer fun at the ranch. Come see us when you can!
Sharrie Yarber, Resort Manager
Activities Update:
Let me tell you what, I never have liked “Christmas in July” until this year! We had an amazing weekend and our first annual lock-in! A total of 15 youth ages 7-13 participated and let me say they were a blast! The night was filled with late night swimming, games, present wrapping, movies, music, food and fun! A few of them even made it to sunrise, falling asleep just before breakfast! I can’t tell you how much I laughed, especially when an unexpected visitor arrived to steal our presents! The kiddos jumped up ready to defend the clubhouse and their presents from The Grinch!
Looking back on July, we had so much fun celebrating the 4th with a parade, potluck, Paintball, & live band! Ice cream is one of summers staples and this summer we dedicated a whole week to it! We had a chocolate slip-n-slide, games, crafts and ice cream social for a truly sweet experience! Helping hands weekend was a success with our Wing Cook-Off Challenge and adorable crafts geared to giving back! With August on the horizon I can’t tell you how excited we are here to bring even more fun! We have Adult and Kids games for a full day Hillbilly Olympic games followed by a much-anticipated Redneck Pageant!! I can’t wait to see your best Mullets and of course Redneck Talent! Zombies, Bigfoot, & Space Adventure are the bullet points of what you can expect here at the Ranch! You’ll have to head on over for all the juicy details!
Moving forward we here at the Ranch we are trying to GO GREEN! I am a big advocate of plastic free life, while that isn’t always conducive to camping life, I’m positive we can make an impact to better our Earth and Ranch! We ask that anytime we have a function where food is involved that you bring your own (hopefully reusable) tableware and beverage container. Because of our size reducing our consumption of single use plastics and Styrofoam causes a significant ripple effect. We hope that by bringing awareness to this issue we can make great change!
Lo Edmonds, Activities Director
Luna Sands Resort
Manager Update:
With summer at its zenith we here at Luna Sands our holding on to the thought that Fall is just around the corner.
We had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration inside at the clubhouse due to are usual rain and afternoon thunder showers that mark this time of the year. Thanks to all that helped make it such a wonderful experience. National French Fries day was so much fun we had some great traditional toppings (Ketchup) along with homemade chili, mustard, cheese and my favorite buffalo chicken, yummy!!
We lost two air considers in the month of July but everything is up and running again.
The month of August is bringing some fun family activities to Luna Sands August 10 we will be enjoying the national past time Waffle Ball come enjoy with us in the morning before the heat gets scorching, and after we can cool down at the ice cream social. The latter part of August we will be doing some great pool activities to keep cool so please come and spend the afternoon with us.
Lewis Emert, Assistant Manager
Bass Lake Resort
Manager Update:
Can you believe it? Another month has vanished into summer at Bass Lake Resort. We are having wonderful weather at the resort, although at times it’s been hot. During July 4th, we experienced several days of 90 degree and very humid weather. Both pools have been a busy locations the entire month, and almost every evening we have cooled off enough to enjoy the campfires.
We had a member build project and completed the addition of a 24’ x 24’ pavilion behind the upper pool. The addition enhanced the picnic area that is open for all members and a lot of our day use visitors through-out the summer. Thank you to everyone that helped cut, saw, hammer, drill and rake. We couldn’t have finished the project without your help.
Upcoming in August, we will be replacing 2 pressure tanks at our well house. The pressure tanks keep the campground water lines pressurized so that we have consistent water flow. If you were here in July, you probably experienced low water pressure, or at times no water pressure. The tanks began leaking and will not hold the correct amount of pressure any longer, and as a result having them replaced on Tuesday August 1st. This will be a long term solution to our pressure problems that we have experienced this year.
We want to remind everyone that reads this newsletter to download CAMPERS APP to your phones and tablets. It’s a better way to keep informed about the resort activities and hours of operations. We began using this APP in May and everyone that uses it loves it. See the picture for additional instructions.
July was a very busy month, the weather was hot and sunny so we were able to do lots of fun outdoor things. We celebrated Independence Day weekend with water games, Bass Lake horse derby, craft show music and more. It was a fun filled weekend. Bigfoot was on the resort on Saturday the 13th. We did some Bigfoot hunting training games, a wagon ride that was soaked with a water hose by Bigfoot as the wagon went by and we also had a Bigfoot hunt. Our annual member build project happened on the same weekend. We built a pavilion area at the end of the upper pool and also added a group area fire pit. BLR’s got talent weekend happened on July 20th. We have some talented members as they came to the talent show to show what they can do. We also had our annual fundraiser. We raised money for the APW school backpack program and giving tree program. We did very well and want to thank our members for their generosity. We ended July with our Christmas in July. Santa was checking his list to see who has been naughty and who has been nice. We had breakfast with Santa and wagon ride with Santa. We also had snowman building, Christmas tree decorating and site decorating contest.
Coming up in August we will have science fest weekend. We will be using our brains and doing some fun science experiments. We will also have gem mining, crafts and more. The Pirates of Bass lake will be here to lead us in some pirate training. Come and walk the plank with us.. We will also have games, crafts, music and more. We will be following the yellow brick road to the land of OZ. We will have a scarecrow building relay race, scavenger hunt, crafts and more. Up Up and away we go, we are dedicating a weekend to things that fly. We will be building a catapult and launching balls. We will have a paper airplane flying contest, making bird feeders and more. We will end August with our big Labor Day celebration. We will have our back to school bingo, horse derby, tie dying, games and so much more. Come out for one last weekend before summer ends and kids go back to school.
Lizette Bradley, Resort Manager
Sycamore Lodge
Manager Update:
Hello everyone! My name is Lisa and I am Rods new assistant manager. Some of you have probably met me either at Gettysburg or North Shore, but for those of you who haven’t feel free to stop and Say hi. I have been with Travel Resorts of America going on my 4th Year and this has been an exciting adventure. I look forward to learning more about Sycamore and meeting all the new (to me) faces. I am originally from Vermont where I spent 13 years work as a park ranger for the state park campgrounds. I am married (with my husband Michael in tow) and. Have a grown daughter holding down the home front in Vermont. I have been a waitress, a clerk, a paraeducator, a coach and a shooting sports instructor. I love life and what I do. I look forward to all the things I will learn from Rod and each of you. Enjoy the season and I will see you soon.
Lisa Fisher, Assistant Manager
Activities Update:
Boy it was an exciting month at Sycamore Lodge during the month of July. we had a lot going on each weekend for everyone. The first weekend ended a fantastic Vacation Bible School week with lots of participation from all ages of kids. We also had our annual Flag Retirement Ceremony on the 4th of July. What a fantastic ceremony to honor our Nations flag and all it’s hard work over the years. Wee celebrated our Independence by doing crafts, a horseshoe tournament, a rv do’s and Don’ts class, a pot luck and ended with fantastic music from Southern Voice.
The next weekend Santa and Mrs Claus visited us during their summer vacation. They took pictures with the kids, decorated cookies, went on a parade around the park and made Christmas crafts with all the kids. Everyone enjoyed having Santa and Mrs Claus visit them and of course we all stayed on the nice list. We then had Cruize Control play some live band music after Santa left.
The third weekend was the company wide charity fundraiser events for all the TRA parks. We were able to raise over $500. dollars here at Sycamore Lodge for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Research Society. We had a corn hole tournament, a wine bottle craft, a bake sale, a putt putt challenge and a store raffle to raise the money for charity. Way to go members! We ended the night with the Blind , Crippled & Crazy Band.
The fourth weekend was our Disney /Carnival weekend. We had a bounce house for the kids, a pitch burst with balloons and a dunk tank to take care of some of the staff. For a dollar you had 3 chances to dunk a staff member. We did get wet alot. There were very good baseball players here. The money we raised from the dunk tank also goes to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Then we had a hotdog eating contest for both the adults and kids. There was a lot of hungry contestants eating hotdogs. We ended Saturday night with the Sand Band.
The next month looks like it’s gonna be even more fun here at Sycamore Lodge with Chocolate Lovers weekend, a Beach Luau, a Birthday party weekend and Pirates visiting with us. so come out and get in all the fun. You do not want to miss any of this! We look forward to seeing Ya here at Sycamore Lodge! Thank You from the Activities Department!
Bob Johnson, Activities Director
