June 2016 Newsletter - Retrailia RV Resorts

Retrailia RV Resorts
June 2016 Newsletter
Est. 09/17/2015
President’s Message
As we all know Memorial Weekend is the true beginning of the camping season here in Utah. It was
very encouraging to see all of our parks as full as they were over the holiday. I would have to say that the
Memorial Day weekend was a great success and I hope everyone had an awesome time.
As you will see in the pictures below the Carnival and Chili Cook-off held at Echo Island Ranch were
well attended despite the threats of rain over the weekend. We were lucky that the weather held during all
the events.
Additional details will be provided regarding the many fun activities planned for the next two months
further into this newsletter. We encourage everyone to come whenever and wherever they can to help
support this great organization and keep us moving forward.
Diane Williams,
President
Volunteers and Camp Hosts Needed
We are still looking for Volunteers and Camp Hosts at several of our parks. If you know of anyone that
would be interested in in helping out this summer please have them contact the corporate office.
We still have openings at Apple Garden, Lakeside and Echo Island.
More Summer Events & Activities
The activities committee has planned some wonderful activities at the parks this season. We appreciate
all the effort made by the committee and members to make this season memorable. The flyers for the
upcoming events and activities are included with this newsletter.
Campground Etiquette
There are certain unspoken rules when
you camp—laws of the land, if you will.
Knowing these rules can keep you and your
family from being labeled as rude, obnoxious
or a newbie. These rules have been passed
down from generation to generation. Don’t
forget to pass these rules down to your
camping kids.
1. Quiet time is for being quiet.
2. Campers are some of the friendliest people you will meet. Be friendly. Have fun. But always respect
your camping neighbor’s space.
3. Leave no trace behind. Clean up your mess and don’t destroy nature while at the campground.
Everyone should leave it like you found it and even strive to leave it better than you found it.
4. Don’t feed animals at the campsites. The animal visitors are wild. If you feed them they will never
leave. They may become aggressive as they demand more food. This is not safe for your family or
for future campers.
5. Don’t leave food out at night. Contain it or hang it. Secure food in airtight containers or hang from
a tree limb or hook.
6. Don’t bring firewood with you. Support your park store and buy firewood at the campground
where you are camping. Moving firewood long distances transports insects and disease and may
destroy trees and forests. Please visit www.dontmovefirewood.org for more information and state
guidelines.
7. Playing music at your campsite is fine. Blaring music is not.
8. Honesty is the best policy, even while camping. I am surprised by the number of campers who
arrive late at night and try to sneak out early the next morning. Few campers get away with this
nonsense. The campground hosts are diligent when working the campground. Besides, renting a
campsite is inexpensive. Just pay the money.
9. When fishing at the campground, if someone catches a fish, don’t try to force your way into their
fishing spot. That is just rude.
10.Place grey water in grey water drains located in the campground or other approved dumping stations.
Grey water is waste water from washing dishes, laundry and bathing. Dumping grey water into the
environment has been found to be a significant risk to public health due to the large amount of
bacteria in the water.
11.Never leave your campfire unattended and always completely extinguish your campfire when you
are done with it. As Smokey says, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”
We have all encountered ignorant or obnoxious campers from time to time. By following these simple
rules, you can have a fun-filled trip without getting sideways glances from the other campers. These are
just a few of the camping rules we follow. Do you have any camping rules you would add?
Make Reservations Now
To make reservations you can visit the Members’ Area of the website and click on Individual or Group
Reservations to get started. If you have never logged in and booked reservations online, watch the help
videos to learn how to reset your password. And don’t forget that you can always stop by the corporate
office or give us a call and we would be happy to help you.
Note: Reservations may now be booked up to 12 months in advance, as long as the departure date
of the reservation does not go beyond the 12-month date. If you have questions about this or other
reservations-related policies, please review the 2016 Member Policy Guide or contact the corporate office
at 801.255.8166.
New Memberships Available
Retrailia RV Resorts is excited to announce four new product offerings to help us satisfy the needs of
our customers and members. The camping and outdoor industries are expected to see another double-digit
growth during 2016. A large number of these campers are first-time RV owners and, due to job schedules,
may not have as much time to get out and enjoy their new RVs. For this reason, we have put together
several day-package options. These three new options will give prospective members the opportunity to
choose either a 10-night, 20-night or 30-night package depending on how much they camp or how much
time they envision themselves camping in the near future. The purchase price for these memberships can
be applied to future upgrades should the member need more camping nights or access to the additional
amenities offered in the more complete membership types. The unlimited camping memberships, namely
the Multi-Park or Single Park programs are still available if they find that these full-service programs better
fit their camping needs. Here is a brief outline of the camping packages we are now featuring.
10-Night Package
This package has a first year cost of $499; after the first year the annual dues drop to $299. If a member
uses their allotted nights, they will then receive a 35% discount on their extra stays in our parks. This
package also entitles these members to a 15% discount on all guest sites, as well as cabin rentals. These
discounts make it easier for members to share their camping experience with friends and family.
20-Night Package
This package has a first year cost of $999; after the first year the annual dues drop to $399. If a member
uses their allotted nights, they will then receive a 35% discount on their extra stays in our parks. This
package also entitles these members to a 15% discount on all guest sites, as well as cabin rentals. These
discounts make it easier for members to share their camping experience with friends and family.
30-Night Package
This package has a first year cost of $1,499; after the first year the annual dues drop to $499. If a
member uses their allotted nights, they will then receive a 35% discount on their extra stays in our parks.
This package also entitles these members to a 15% discount on all guest sites, as well as cabin rentals.
These discounts make it easier for members to share their camping experience with friends and family.
Along with all these wonderful perks you will have access to the Adventure Outdoor Resorts network of
campgrounds throughout North America at no additional charge during the first year of membership.
Our final new package is directed to those members that are mostly, if not solely, interested in our
affiliate programs: Coast to Coast, Resort Parks International and Adventure Outdoor Resorts. The large
majority of these individuals may live outside of Utah and don’t necessarily need use of the Retrailia
campground system but may see the value in having access to campgrounds, condos, cabins and resorts
across throughout North America and internationally.
Trailblazer Package
This package has a first year cost of $500; after the first year the annual dues drop to $99. The members
in this program do not receive any additional perks or discounts at Retrailia’s parks; however, if they ever
do decide to venture into our beautiful state, as a member they have the benefit of purchasing guest pass
booklets which provide discount camping for themselves, as well as their friends and family.
We have had a great response to these new memberships so far! We feel that these new options allow
us to make the most of the outdoor and travel industries and provide a product offering that better fits the
ever evolving needs of our customers.
Affiliate Updates
Retrailia’s Affiliate Program
Whether or not you ever purchased into one of the affiliate programs available through Retrailia, all
Multi-Park members have access to Adventure Outdoor Resorts (AOR), Coast to Coast (C2C) and Resort
Parks International (RPI). And here’s one thing that’s great about these affiliates: If you decide to take a
break from them for a year you can do so by not paying their dues for that year.
Some of you may already have a membership in these programs. That’s great. For those who are not
sure if they have a membership, feel free to contact our corporate office so that we may assist you.
So how does it work if I want access to these programs?
If you have been paying annual dues to these affiliates, there is no additional step you need to take,
simply continue paying the dues to the affiliate. However, if you have missed paying the affiliates dues for
more than a few years and you have been dropped from their system you are considered a new member by
the affiliate and you will need to fill out a new application to re-sign up for an account.
All new members (either first timers or reinstatements) will need to request an application by contacting
the Retrailia corporate office at 801.255.8166. Please note: there is a $300 activation fee required to set up
a new account. This fee covers your first year’s annual affiliate dues, your application fee and your starter
kit containing your travel directories. Please be aware that a separate activation fee is required for each
affiliate.
Coast to Coast
Effective this week, Coast Deluxe and Coast Premier members will include the following new benefits
designed to enhance the appeal of both products to non-RVers/Lifestyle members:
1. Greatly expanded inventory of cabin and other outdoor resort rentals across the U.S., to supplement
the inventory of rentals available in our current network of Coast-affiliated resorts and Good
Neighbor Parks.
2. Bed & Breakfast, Inn and Guesthouse rental accommodations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and
the Caribbean.
3. Houseboat vacations at select lakes throughout the U.S. and Canada.
4. “Glamping” or glamorous camping vacations in the U.S. including lodging options such as safaristyle tents, tree houses, and teepees.
All these fabulous new getaway options, targeted to non-RVers/Lifestyle prospects but also appealing
to RVers, are being provided by Hopaway Holiday. These new benefits are highlighted in a new Hopaway
Holiday directory which began shipping in all Deluxe and Premier member kits in mid-May. We are in
the process of finalizing new Adventure Guides and other materials to promote these new benefits in
our Deluxe and Premier member kits, and these new materials will begin shipping shortly. Whether or
not Deluxe or Premier members receive the new member kits or the new Hopaway Holiday directory,
they all will have access to these new benefits via CoastResorts.com or by calling Hopaway Holiday at
800.380.8939.
Park Highlight—Knotty Pine Resort
Knotty Pine Resort is a quick six miles
from the quaint mountain town of Kamas, the
gateway to Utah’s remarkable Uinta Mountain
Range. While on your way to the park you
might want to consider stopping at the Samak
Smoke House (Note: Samak is Kamas spelled
backward) where they feature real house-smoked
jerky and trout in a USDA inspected facility.
Linger in Kamas for some great burgers, live
music, movies, etc. at one of their many local
diners where you will find some of the friendly
locals in the community. As you continue on
your journey to Knotty Pine be sure and drop in at the Woodland Biscuit Company for big fluffy biscuits,
located in Woodland on St. Highway 35 just a hop, skip and a jump before the park.
Knotty Pine is situated on the banks of the upper Provo River. The Provo River offers premier blue
ribbon trout fishing close to Utah’s major cities. Brown and rainbow trout reach record lengths in the
Provo, with a typical fish running 18 inches or larger. The Provo offers 3,000 trout per mile. As a result,
the pristine waters of the Provo River provide exceptional exhilaration and outdoor adventure! The park
is surrounded by groves of maples and hundred-year-old junipers.
With more than 450,000 acres of pristine wilderness buttressed by two national forests, deer and elk
abound in the mountains near the park. The mountainous terrain and abundant lakes invite you to fish,
ride mountain bikes, ride horseback, hike and ride off-highway vehicles in the summer. In the winter, the
mountain trails are ideal for cross-country skiing, dog sledding and snowmobiling.
Another thing to love about Knotty Pine is the managers: Jimbo and Bobbie Heiney. Their personal
philosophy is to be kind and treat people how you would like to be treated. Prior to starting at Knotty
Pine they had to say good-bye to a group of foreign exchange students they had been hosting. It was a hard
farewell at the airport as all left to go home with Jimbo and Bobbie having to return and close down the
house where they had been living. Serving others is very evident in what they have done in the past and
what they are currently doing. Whether it is enjoying the Labor Day Luau in the park or just popping into
the office to ask a question or buy an ice cream you will always find someone that is willing to help you and
provide you with the answers you seek.
Remember, Knotty Pine Resort is a quick drive from Provo and about an hour outside of Salt Lake
City, so we encourage you to take the time to visit the park and meet Jimbo, Bobbie, and all the staff.
Everyone is committed to ensure you have an enjoyable stay.
Business Partner Program
Retrailia RV Resorts recently launched its Business Partner Network. This program is an excellent
opportunity for companies in the Recreational Vehicle, ATV, Boating and outdoor-related industries to
give their customers the added bonus of doing business with them by offering two free nights of camping
at any of our beautiful parks.
The Business Partner Network program is fairly simple and easy for a prospective company to
implement. The program works as follows: For every new Retrailia RV Resorts membership we sell that
is generated from a referral that originates from said company, they will receive a check for either $100.00
or $200.00. Pretty simple right? We really want to make this simple for companies to implement; not only
will they not have to give us any of their customer information but they can give their customers an added
bonus for doing business with them.
The way Retrailia gathers potential leads for new memberships is by giving our partners’ employees
and sales people the power to give away a free 2-night stay at any of our RV resorts with no hidden costs.
When your customer or referral redeems their 2 nights of camping, we then collect their information for
reservation purposes. This allows us to narrow the referrals down to the potential customers that are
truly interested in our product. So, as you can see, we aren’t asking for our partners to give us any of their
customer information; we are only asking our partners to give their clients a little something extra. For
doing this we will give the referring company either a check for $200.00 for every referral that purchases
either a new Retrailia Multi-Park membership or $100.00 for every Retrailia Single Park membership that
originated from the referring organization.
If the company you, your friends or family work for might be interested in participating in this program
please click the button below to submit their information and we will contact them shortly with all the
details. Thanks in advance for helping Retrailia RV Resorts grow and find success.
Cash Donations & Fundraisers
Here is the monthly donation update. The donations Retrailia has received since the last newsletter are:
Other Donations (non-cash)
•5 Sheets of Plywood to Echo Island for signage (approx. $75.00)—Johnny Rauzi
•Park supplies / weed & feed (approx. $135.00)—Anonymous
Monetary Donations
•$50.00—Electricity use at Echo Island Ranch—John Hunter
•$100.00—Signage at Pleasant Creek Ranch—Helen Beazer
•$118.00—Cash donations—multiple donors
•$2.00—bank fee
•$146.00—Current balance of Zions Bank donation account
Retrailia has set up a separate bank account at Zions Bank that will be holding all the money earned
from the different fund raising events as well as any unsolicited donations received. An accounting of
those funds will be sent out in each monthly newsletter. Everyone will get to see what money came in and
where it was spent.
If you would like to make a donation please contact the corporate office at 801.255.8166.
Member Referrals
No one is better qualified to spread the word about the benefits of membership in Retrailia RV Resorts
than you, a dedicated member. As a valued member of our organization, you can play an active role in
helping Retrailia RV Resorts grow its membership base by forwarding your referrals to our customer
service department. Refer a friend, family member or co-worker to join Retrailia RV Resorts and we’ll
show our appreciation by awarding you with a $50 USD credit on your account to use towards your next
year’s dues if they sign up for either a Single Park or Multi-Park membership. It’s our way of thanking you,
your friends, family members and co-workers you refer will thank you too.
It’s Easy to Participate.
A referral from a personal acquaintance is the most trusted form of recommendation. We appreciate
you telling your friends and family members and co-workers about Retrailia RV Resorts. Please contact the
corporate office to get started.
Guest Passes & Family Benefit Memberships Are Still Available
Guest Passes
Guest Pass booklets are a great deal at $100 for 4 passes. These passes will give you the opportunity to
share the parks with your friends, family and loved ones. If you’re interested in receiving more information,
or buying a Guest Pass Booklet, please click the button below and we will contact you immediately.
There are only a limited number of booklets that were printed for the 2016 season so call now at
801.255.8166 to purchase one (or more) before they’re gone.
* Each guest pass is good for one site for one night. Expiration date is 60 months from the date of issue.
Family Benefit Memberships
If you or your immediate family (parents or children) are interested in this membership please contact
the corporate office to get started.
For more information on how the Family Benefit membership works, click here.
Dutch Oven Mac & Cheese
“Mac and cheese is tasty and fun to make. Make
your mac and cheese from scratch, and you have total
control over your ingredients, which you can’t say
about any boxed mac and cheese. I like to use organic
local ingredients whenever possible, and making this
from scratch lets me add any variation of different
ingredients. The roux base of this recipe makes this
cheese sauce creamy and flavorful.
“What makes this fun is that you can really
experiment with lots of different ingredients. All you
need is a good base mac and cheese recipe and you can
go from there. For years I used to just add hamburger
meat to my mac and cheese to make cheeseburger mac.
Then one day, “Mmm… bacon!” It was absolutely
delicious with the flavor of cheesy bacon throughout in the entire dish.
“I love going vegetarian with this dish too. Try it sometime with mushrooms, olives and broccoli.
Another favorite vegetable I like in mac and cheese is cauliflower. Just roast some up and add it to the mac
and cheese just before you pop it in the oven.
“This is really easy to make in a Dutch oven. Just make the roux in the Dutch oven and add all your
ingredients to it. Then cover the oven and add enough coals to keep the oven at 350 degrees. That’s about
17 coals on top and 8 on the bottom. Cook for 30 minutes. I also make this in my cast iron skillet and toss
it into RV oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Its delicious either way.”
•Prep Time: 30 minutes
•Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
• 4 c. dried elbow pasta
• 2 qt. water
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. flour
• 3 c. milk or cream
• 1 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 c. bread crumbs
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 c. ground pork sausage
• 1/2 c. pre cooked ham chunks
• 3 strips of bacon
Directions
1. Over high heat, bring 2 qt. water to boil in a large pan.
2. Add elbow macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, to just barely al dente; set aside in the colander
to drain.
3. Brown ground pork sausage and set aside.
4. Lightly cook bacon until just barely done and set aside.
5. Cut ham in to 1/2 inch chunks and set aside.
6. Place a sauce pan over medium-low heat and melt the butter.
7. When butter is completely melted, slowly whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes, add salt and
pepper.
8. Add milk and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth.
9. As the milk heats, add the cheddar cheese bit by bit, stirring continually so that the cheese melts
into the sauce without sticking or clumping. (You can reserve a bit of the cheddar cheese to sprinkle
on top if you like a cheesy crust.)
10. Once all the cheese is melted, add the cooked noodles and stir until macaroni is thoroughly mixed
in.
11. Add pre-cooked meat previously set aside.
12. Remove from heat, place in a Dutch oven and top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and any
reserved cheese.
13. Cover, and bake at 350° using 25 coals with 17 on top and 8 on bottom.
14. Cook for about 30 minutes.
15. Remove lid and let stand for a few minutes to cool before serving.
Submitted by The Culinary Camper
Just For Fun
Campers of the Month