Travel

Although I have lived within 15 minutes of the Lehigh Gorge Park my whole life, I really appreciated its serenity and beauty for the first time today while biking from Rockport to Glen Onoko.                                                                                                                                                                                    

I have been planning this ride since May.  OK, not really “planning” per se.  But it’s been on my list. A busy summer kept getting in the way.  “Free” weekend?  I don’t even know what that is anymore.  Finally, this past weekend, I put my foot down.  We are biking the Gorge, period.                                                                                                                                                                        My husband “innocently” tried to tell me that a storm front was moving in faster than expected and we would probably get wet, but if I was Ok with that, then so was he.  My kids moaned about their various aches and pains.  The only other family member who was excited about our adventure was my 3 ½ year old because she loves to ride in the bike seat (no peddling).                                                                  

We dropped a car at Glen Onoko in Jim Thorpe.  From the Poconos take Route 903 South to Jim Thorpe.  As you come down the hill and into Jim Thorpe, you’ll pass a Sunoco station on your right and Annie’s Ice Cream on the left, go .8 miles further and turn right.  (It’s the right turn after 3^rd Street. Watch for the brown signs for Lehigh Gorge State Park.)  Travel .3 miles and turn left into the Park.  There are parking lots carved out on the right, but go all the way to the turn around first (1.7 miles).  You can get a glimpse of the Lehigh River as you cross the bridge and see a huge cave that used to be a railway tunnel.                                                                                                                                 

It takes 20-30 minutes by car to drive to Rockport.  Exit the park the way you came in, but after .3 miles, go straight at the stopsign (not right).  Cross the bridge and turn right. Turn right on Route 93 at Izio’s restaurant.  Travel 5.6 miles to a right turn on Route 4010.  Travel 2.2 miles and make a right turn across the railroad tracks in Weatherly.  The road snakes through the community.  So, make a right on Wilbur, pass the old train station, then left toward White Haven.  Continue on First St.  Again follow toward White Haven.  Make a right on East Main Street.  This road turns into S Lehigh Gorge Drive.  Turn right on Rockport Drive. Again there are well-marked brown signs for the Lehigh Gorge State Park.  (The total distance from when you crossed the railroad tracks to when you turn is 3.6 miles.)  Park at the bottom.  There is a restroom at the trailhead.  Bike downstream (right) to return to Glen Onoko.  The biking portion took us about 2 hours.  The trail is smooth, packed gray gravel.  My 10 year old is very picky about the riding surface. It can’t be too rocky or have too many roots or be too sandy.  She thought it was perfect.  There is a 1% downhill grade from Rockport back to Jim Thorpe.  Don’t get me wrong- that is flat, flat, flat.   You still have to pedal but at least it’s not uphill!  There are scenic overlooks and a few picnic tables scattered the length of the park.  There are no garbage cans.  Everything you take in you have to carry back out.                                                                                                                                                                

It was a perfect day.  Surrounded by the sights and sounds of the river on the left and occasional rock cliffs on the right, my family quickly forgot their gripes.  “This is so nice.  Why’d you make us wait so long to come here?” asks my husband.  Don’t worry, he’s still alive.  (He was out of my reach when he said it. )                                                                                                                                             

~Tina Dowd                                                                                                                                       

PS- Watching the rafters and kayaks maneuver the river gave us the itch to give it a try.  So, next we’re going rafting with Pocono Whitewater Adventures (1-800-whitewater).                                                                                                                                         

I just booked my 9th vacation through Sundance Vacations and I just felt like saying Ahhhhhhh. Ahhhhhh, there, I did it. It’s such a great feeling knowing that my vacation program is there for me and my family, every year, regardless of the cost of home or car repairs or any other surprise expenses. I can always count on a vacation waiting for me and my family when my children are out of school so that we can put aside the opposite work schedules and actually see each other all together. Total Vacation Services at Travel Advantage Network helps me each year and I’ve come to rely on their suggestions and advice when I book our family vacation. I consider the Sundance Vacations program my "good time insurance"; think about it, we pay for car insurance (in case anything BAD happens to our automobiles), we pay for home insurance to make sure that if anything BAD happens to our homes, we’re covered, we pay for life insurance so that our funeral expenses are taken care of when we die, why not insure ourselves some GOOD times?!! We can buy new cars, new clothes, new games and numerous other things, but we really aren’t going to remember the sneakers we bought for our children in fifth grade, we’re going to remember the time we spent with them and the memories we made and they will too. Judy Romanelli, Wilkes Barre ~ Sundance Vacations Client and Employee

I JUST WANTED TO REMIND ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES OF SUNDANCE VACATIONS TO MAKE SURE THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR GREAT EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR US TO USE. I HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OUR EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT THE PAST TWO YEARS. BOTH YEARS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE MY FAMILY TO OCEAN CITY, NJ AT A GREAT RATE. PRIOR TO USING OUR COMPANY BENEFITS WE WOULD SPEND MORE TO STAY 3 NIGHTS AND JUST STAY IN A HOTEL ROOM. WITH SUNDANCE VACTIONS WE GET TO STAY AN ENTIRE WEEK AND WE ARE ONLY ONE BLOCK FROM THE BOARDWALK. WE HAVE STAYED IN DIFFERENT PLACES BOTH YEARS, BUT THEY HAVE BOTH BEEN BEAUTIFUL AND EXTREMLEY CLEAN. IT IS A GREAT ADVANTAGE TO HAVE A CONDO WITH KITCHEN SO WE SAVE A LOT ON MEALS. AND WE CAN PACK LESS BECAUSE BOTH UNITS HAD A WASHER AND DRYER IN THEM. WITH A TODDLER THAT HAS BEEN A GREAT BENEFIT. IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR VACATION PLANNED YET, TALK TO YOUR MANAGER AND GET THE DETAILS. YOU WILL GET A GREAT PLACE TO STAY AT AN AWESOME PRICE.

~ Becky Finkel Shamokin - 5/14/07

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Being an employee of Sundance Vacations, I get the benefit of utilizing our properties for vacations. Last year I did just that and sent my parents to our Myrtle Beach Resort in South Carolina. Being that Myrtle Beach is my mom’s favorite place to be, she had no arguments with that. She was under the impression that this was going to be like any other hotel with no special qualities to it. I kept telling her no, it was going to be like staying in your own little apartment. She still didn’t believe me. So, needless to say, I received a phone call from her the day they arrived. She was so excited and happy to be there. She said the room was gorgeous, the beach  was beautiful and of course, she couldn’t believe the selection of pools they had to choose from (there are six pools there!). I was of course, the daughter of the year ha ha ha. My sister went down with her and she is the type of person that nothing is good enough for her taste. She always has to stay at these 5 star hotels and has to be waited on. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard her tell me how much fun she was having and how beautiful the resort is. My little brother was only interested in one thing and one thing only…the indoor/outdoor pool. He thought it was so great that one minute he was inside the hotel and the next he wasn’t. Kids are so easily amused. My sister decided to take up playing volleyball while she was down there. She said it was a great work out for her but she knew she wasn’t going to make a career change to be a professional volleyball player because she wasn’t good at it. My mom was so happy to be in her favorite place at such a beautiful resort. She was disappointed that she didn’t get a room right on the beach but I kept telling her that these rooms go quick. It’s what we call the "hot spot". All in all, they had a great time and took a lot of pictures that I want to share with you. I hope you enjoy.

Angela Kinney ~ Wilkes Barre Admin

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We’ve been with TAN, through Sundance Vacations, for six years now, and we’ve enjoyed many trips.  So, we’re happy that we answered that phone call that got us to Sundance!  The BEST part is that it “gets us going,” instead of thinking about it!  It’s so easy to take a trip the TAN way!

Our Favorite DesTANations:

Cape Cod, MA: 

Stayed at Colonial Cottage #F . . . a real doll house . . . pretty as a picture . . . convenient to the whole Cape . . . loved Chatham, Brewster and its museum and country store, JFK complex, North Truro and its “haunted” Highland Light area,  Provincetown and a whale-watching trip where we saw at least 5 different kinds of whales.  Next time, we’ll visit the two islands.

Myrtle Beach, SC: 

Myrtle Beach Resort . . . used the indoor/outdoor heated pool at the Clubhouse every day even though it was November . . . right on the Atlantic Ocean  . . . SO much to do in this place, and we enjoyed it all . . . Broadway, Dolly Parton, Legends show, dinner at sunset on the water!  A friend used another week here!

Phoenix, AZ:

Pointe Resort Condos was our favorite trip.  It was a terrific condo with great pools, hot tub, tennis, perfect weather (79-80 degrees while it was 5 degrees in Jersey), wonderful location so that we could visit Scottsdale, Apache Trail (lunch at Tortilla Flats—really cool), Cave Creek, Montezuma’s Castle, Sedona (pink jeep and all), Sunset Crater National Forest, Navajo Pueblo, Flagstaff, and of course the Grand Canyon.  But, another highlight was taking our very first hot-air balloon ride with Unicorn!  Loved every minute of that trip, and it was just one week!  Only problem:  it was just cold coming home!

Florida:

Kissimmee, FL: 

The Magic Tree resort was very nice . . . had two families with us with little kids . . . great pool, hot tub, shuffleboard, and they loved the children . . . very convenient to Disney . . . went every day to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, SeaWorld, etc.

Indian Shores, FL:

Bay Shores Yacht and Tennis Club was a great condo right on the InterCoastal Waterway . . . lovely pool . . . took the trolley along the coast . . . swam at Clearwater Beach . . . explored Madeira Beach restaurants and shops . . . drove to Tarpon Springs and Spring Hill . . . then on to Tampa for daughter’s art show opening.

Daytona Beach, FL:

We’ve been to Daytona Beach twice—once at Perennial Vacation Club and, this year at Sea Shells Resort . . . both right on the ocean . . . so much to do . . . St. Augustine, Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, great restaurants . . . convenient to so many friends.

Virginia Beach, VA: 

Reflections Resort is perfect!  Tennis right out in back of the condo . . . right near the shopping mall, within biking distance . . . a short ride to the beach . . . enjoyed biking on the boardwalk, the Coast Guard Museum, First Landing State Park, Cape Henry and the lighthouses, Edgar Cayce’s complex, and, of course, the BEACH!

Bethany Beach, DE: 

Foxfire, at Bethany Meadows . . . just a short bike ride to the boardwalk, breakfast, library, and a longer ride to Fenwick Island and Ocean City, MD, which we did (18 miles one day!) . . . enjoyed a day at Assateague/Chincoteague in VA with a 9-mile bike ride and a good time at the beach.

Gatlinburg, TN: 

Summit – does that tell you how high up the mountain we were?  A lovely place, great pools, hot tub . . . this town is the greatest with restaurants, quaint and unique shops, artisan’s loop, hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, biking on Loop Road in Cade’s Cove, but the highlight was our first white-water rafting trip on Big Pigeon!  Up front, no less!  Never laughed so hard!  Great fun!

New Orleans, LA: 

Plaza Suites Resort, right in the heart of New Orleans . . . were there earlier in the year when Katrina hit, so we saw the “old” New Orleans . . . loved the restaurants, dancing at night . . . Audubon Zoo and Aquarium . . . Natchez on the Mississippi . . . and ALL that New Orleans had to offer!  Bignette, anyone?

Poconos, PA:

We love the Poconos, and we’ve been to the Villas at Tree Tops, part of Fernwood Resort . . . snowtubing is the BEST! . . . fun entertainment . . . great pools, sledding, skiing, and exploring the area!  Also stayed at the Shawnee on the Delaware condo . . . again, skiing, using their pool, fire every night, playground right out the back door.  Our son enjoyed Snow Ridge Village, too!

We’re planning our next “jaunt” for the fall.  This is fun!!!  We’ve had a wonderful time each trip and know that there will be many, many more in our future! 

Ralph and Alice (Petkus) Mason

Wyckoff, NJ

Exciting News…

Sundance is growing once more! Our sales division is expanding again with the addition of our seventh office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Veterans Mike and Barbara Kasper accepted the positions of Sales Director and Assistant Sales Director (respectively).

Location

The office is conveniently located near Interstates 81 and 83 and the Colonial Park Mall, in the northeast section of Harrisburg’s metropolitan area.

When 

We are keeping our fingers crossed that construction is complete by the projected date of December 15^th, 2006.  If all goes as planned, the doors will be open for clients beginning the first week of January, 2007.

Joining the Community

ARCA racecar drivers Angela and Amber Cope enjoyed kicking off the company’s presence in the Harrisburg market when they rode the Sundance float in the downtown Thanksgiving parade on November 18^th.  Sundance Vacations will be at various venues and events in Harrisburg and its surrounding areas including the Giant Center and the Farm Show Complex.

As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments.

Kathy O’Mara

Communications Director

Sundance Vacations

komara@vacmail.com

Two or three Internet posters mistakenly insist that our clients must request three different dates of travel, and/or three different vacation areas in order to book a vacation. The truth is that in our effort to provide our travelers with quality condominium vacations at affordable rates, the Sunsational Guarantee was created. We offer three absolute service guarantees, called Sunsations. These posters are referring to Sunsation #3, Guaranteed Vacations.

These posters assert that Sundance Vacations dictates when and where our clients travel, and they are absolutely wrong.  We book many clients who request one area and/or one date for their vacation.  Of the eight weeks of vacation I have used, six were for specific dates and locations.  Visit the official Travel Advantage Network site to see locations our clients visit.

Please forward your thoughts and comments.

Kathy O’Mara

Communications Director

Sundance Vacations

komara@vacmail.com

Why Do We Call You?

In today’s competitive markets, companies use a variety of advertising tools to attract new customers.  Sundance Vacations has display booths and kiosks located in shopping centers, sports arenas, festivals, etc…, where you enter to win our sweepstakes and register your contact information. We call you because we want your business!  When we call, we ask you to attend an informative and hopefully fun 60-minute presentation to learn about (and we hope purchase) our vacation program. In exchange for your time and attention, you receive a promotional gift.   Attending a presentation does not increase your chances of winning the sweepstakes.

Why Do We Keep Calling?

Some Internet posters accuse us of harassing potential clients. Why, they want to know, do we continue phoning if there has been no response to our calls and messages?  The answer is, our marketing goal is just one live contact.  If the result of our call is no answer, or an answering machine, we call you back.  Once we have the opportunity to speak with you directly, it’s easy for you to accept or decline our offer, effectively completing the direct marketing portion of our program.

We do, of course, telephone our clients in order to provide service.  As a courtesy, we call to remind and confirm appointment dates and times; we call to reschedule missed appointments. 

Hopefully, this clarifies how our call process works.  For sweepstakes details and registration, visit the official site of Sundance Vacations and check out our giveaways.  We’re interested in your comments, thoughts and suggestions.

Thank you!

Kathy O’Mara

komara@vacmail.com

The simple one line answer is that we buy vacations in bulk and pass the savings on to our clients.  But you already knew that.  What you really want to know is how.  The answer is three fold; purchase; lease and trade. This week, I’ll focus on purchases.

Purchasing Properties One at a Time

Well, since we started the company we have been reinvesting in its future by purchasing condominiums.  We’d search vacation areas with the classified ads under our arms and sometimes a real estate agent in tow.  Back in the infancy of the company we bought condos one by one.

I remember one of our first big block purchases.  One of our competitors was leaving the condo vacation market and was selling 15 units at Myrtle Beach Resort.  We bought every one.

Even Employees Invest in Inventory

One of the most interesting parts of this story is that it’s not just the principals who reinvest in the company.  Our employees showed an early interest in purchasing condominiums.  They purchase in vacation areas that are important to them and lease them to the company until they are ready to retire or want to use them long term. 

Soon another group came forward; we call them friends of TAN.  They also purchase properties for lease to the company.  Having such broad involvement and support has certainly helped us to control larger numbers of vacation properties.

Reinvestment Is Ongoing

We just completed a purchase for 32 units in Wildwood, New Jersey.  This new property, the Esplanade, will meet the needs of many New Jersey shore vacationers next summer.  In the next 30 days we will also close on two more projects totaling about $7 million dollars.

Tina Dowd

Founder

Sundance Vacations

www.sundancevacations.com

Hello!

Welcome to the Sundance Vacations corporate blog!  Now that the blog is up and running, I sit-rubbing my palms together in anticipation…why?  I am very eager to write about the company I know and love. 

Blog Goal

Joining me in this blogging endeavor is my friend, Tina Dowd.  Tina and her husband, John, are the founders of Sundance Vacations.  Tina and I are “blogging virgins” but that won’t stop us from jumping in with two feet!  In addition to writing for the corporate blog, we are organizing a client blog where three to four travelers will be featured each month.  The purpose of the corporate blog is to reveal the truth about Sundance and to hopefully enlighten those of you who have questions or concerns about the company.  Our goal is to post new content weekly.  There are many things we want to address.  At this time, we feel it’s most important for you, our clients, that we address the many misleading rumors about Sundance Vacations floating on the Internet.

So, who am I?

Please indulge me while I qualify myself as someone who can speak honestly and knowledgably about the company.  My name is Kathy O’Mara; I am the Communications Director for Sundance Vacations, and have worked here in several different capacities for almost eleven years.  I began as a marketer, and after time was promoted to mid-level management.  As the company and our client base grew, I was offered and accepted the position of New Client Services Manager; there I stayed for eight and a half years.  I left the company last September to work in the hotel industry; it was fun, but for me, not satisfying.  I made the decision to leave my position, and called John to let him know I was entering the job market, “You better move fast,” I joked, “Or some other incredibly fortunate company will scoop me up!”  The timing was perfect all involved, and viola! Here I am, the new Communications Director.  It feels like I’ve come home and am back  where I belong, working for Sundance and its clients.

Work History/BBB Award

It’s been my pleasure over the years, to work side by side with people who truly care about providing their clients with the best possible product. Sundance Vacations holds high ethical standards for their employees.  “Try to see things from the client’s point of view,” and, always approach each situation with clients, “in the interest of customer service,” are attitudes all employees are taught to embrace.  When I was the New Client Services manager, it was my responsibility to make sure we took whatever steps were necessary to ensure clients were satisfied (and usually pleasantly surprised) by the way we resolved their concerns.  Because of its high standards, I chose to nominate Sundance Vacations for the 2005 Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania Better Business Torch Award.  The competition was tough, but our values and principles won the award for Sundance Vacations.  

Why Listen to Me?

I’ve worked here a long time and know how much thought, time and effort the owners and the employees put into this company.  I can’t help but take it personally when the business I know to be honest and ethical is wrongly attacked.  But, why should you listen to me instead of an anonymous posting?  Because, I am telling you the truth of whom I am, someone with genuine first hand knowledge of Sundance Vacations. 

Disgruntled employees, competitors, litigious public, and of course, actual clients

Damaging posts come from a variety of sources: disgruntled employees, competitors, litigious public, and of course, actual clients.  Because it’s difficult to know which posts are fabricated and which are factual, we are creating the corporate blog to reveal the truth about Sundance Vacations.  We are 100% committed to the satisfaction of our clients. Any person who truly needs assistance is encouraged to call customer service at 1-800-264-3802, or you may e-mail me at komara@vacmail.com. 

What to Look for in the Coming Weeks

We look forward to showing you the Sundance you don’t know, and within the next few weeks, we’ll be adding to the blog.  We’ll talk about the differences between our product and a traditional timeshare product.  We’ll dedicate a week to discussing the fee structure.  We’ll reveal future expansion plans for Sundance Vacations.  Talk about exciting sponsorships.  Share information about important community involvement and charitable endeavors and unveil new resort properties as we acquire them.   

Of course we’ll talk about all of the popular destinations where Sundance Vacations (with the assistance of Travel Advantage Network) excels, like: Orlando, Myrtle Beach, the Poconos, Colorado, Hawaii, South Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Wisconsin Dells, Williamsburg and so on.  We will reveal our favorite restaurants, our favorite activities, some tried and true tips and some major blunders. 

Please Share

If you’d like to share on the corporate blog, please send me your comments.  Posts with inappropriate language will not be published, and posts not related to the subject being discussed will not be posted.  If you have ideas for discussion topics, bring them on.  We welcome criticism and praise (not necessarily in that order!).  If you are interested in writing for our client blog (don’t get scared it just means sharing your personal vacation experiences with other Sundance travelers) please email me at komara@vacmail.com or call me at 800-220-9400 x 130.

Happy Blogging!

Kathy O’Mara