Venture Out Resorts The Traveler Times Newsletter - April 2023
The Traveler Times APRIL 2023
Technology Roundup! How Technology is Making It Easier to Unplug pg 3 The Talk of the Campfire: Going “E”! pg 5 Got FOMO? Don’t Miss Our Activities Lineup! pg 12
Beef up your camping gear this season! Here’s the top gear other campers are loving! Camping Gear
APRIL 2023
pg 1 Letter from the CEO pg 2 Camping Gear Recommendations
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pg 3 Technology Round-Up pg 5 The Talk of the Campfire: Going“E”! pg 7 Your Home Away from Home pg 9 VOR By the Numbers pg 10 Arrowhead Lakes Resort Updates pg 10 Indian Lake Resort Update pg 11 Camping Checklist
1. Stanley Adventure Base Cookware What we love about Stanley cookware is that this trusted brand creates with the outdoors in mind. This cookware is not only made to withstand weather, but it also is pleasing to the eye and more affordable than other competitors. 2. Coleman Steel Belted Cooler This Coleman cooler is durable, affordable and keeps ice cool for up to 4 days! 3. Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 Camping Lantern These compact and lightweight lanterns are great because they are easy to travel with and don’t take up much space on your campsite. Place them on a picnic table or near your feet when you find yourself needing extra light, or use them to accompany you on an evening stroll. 4. Lectric XP Lite Electric Bike Many campers are moving to the electric world, and if you are interested in purchasing a new bike, this one was ranked the best, most affordable electric bike of 2023. 5. ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair If you’re not a fan of low sitting and having to use all of your energy to rise up from your camping chair, then this is the chair for you! Designed with your back and body in mind, it’s ranked the best overall camping chair for 2023.
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO In our 2022 annual newsletter, I wrote about the progress we’ve made to enhance your camping experience and add more value to your membership. I am excited that we have not and will not waver from these efforts in 2023. Our teams are digging into your feedback and making changes along the way to put service above all else. At the resorts, we’ve implemented infraction trackers to make sure our policies are adhered; we stocked our Camp Store like never before; and we hired work campers to add more staff and provide you with better experiences; and we upgraded more campsites’ electrical service to 50 amps. In terms of membership value, we now allow AFMs to make holiday reservations sooner; we’re always adding new functionality to CampLife; and we’ve made storing your camper with us more convenient with an online software. I could not be more excited to continue seeing customer service leading the way. On February 28, 2023, we made the announcement that Indian Lake Resort has been listed for sale with the intention of replacing it with a resort that’s more attractive to Members. We are excited about the opportunity to find a Resort with a location and amenities that will be appealing to everyone. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new adventure! All of us at Venture Out Resorts look forward to seeing you during your next visit. Best wishes and happy camping,
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pg 12 VOR Activities pg 13 Coloring Page /
Spot the Difference pg 14 MyAdventureRewards.com
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I want to hear
Customer service is one of my top priorities and I take all feedback seriously. Reach out any time by emailing me at dearjason@ ventureoutresorts.com. I look forward to connecting and helping your family make more memories together! – Jason
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Jason King, CEO
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Technology
Just because camping is rustic and a way to unplug doesn’t mean that technology can’t be used to make your experience that much better! Venture Out Resorts offers best-in-class technology services to make our Members next camping vacation easy so all they have to worry about is relaxing.
STOREDGE Interested in storing your RV at one of our Resorts? Our online storage system, storEdge, offers you ease and convenience when it comes to storing your RV at an Venture Out Resorts’ Resort. You can check storage availability at your favorite Resort, and sign up for storage, all online! CAMPLIFE CampLife is your one-stop-shop for all things pertaining to reservations! Your CampLife access is automatically set up by Venture Out Resorts staff using the email you provide. Once logged into CampLife, you can make reservations for your next camping trip any time 24/7. Check out all the new functionality updates we’ve made below! New CampLife Updates We’re always adding new functionality to CampLife to improve your experience. Here are some of the newest additions! ● Book your utility trailer storage prior to your arrival at a Resort through CampLife. ● You can pay to move your RV to and/or from storage at the time of making your reservation easily on CampLife. And you’ll receive a discount if you pay for both moves! ● You can now cancel your reservation online any time. ● Adult Family Members can book online 1 week prior to a holiday. ● We improved the suggested site list to be more accurate based on the most popular campsites. ● Discounts for Members and Adult Family Members for Fixed Lodging are now automatically added to your reservation.
MYADVENTUREREWARDS.COM Adventure Rewards is a personalized portal to make inviting your friends and family to camp with you simple and easy! In the portal, you’ll be able to see the status of every referral you’ve submitted along with the cash rewards that you’ve earned. See page 18 for more information. DIGITIZED HANDBOOK The handbook is your one-stop publication for what you need to know about how to use your membership and our policies when you stay with us. Be sure to go through it and share it with any of your AFMs or Guests as well. You can also download it and print out your own copy if you prefer to hold something in your hand. Visit this link to access it! online.flippingbook.com/view/318551902/
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The Talk of the Campfire:
How do EVs affect our campgrounds? Will we need to alter our current framework to accommodate charging stations? Let’s hear from head of Resort Operations, Bill Cook:
Although the growing popularity of electric vehicles is exciting, it is also presents a new challenge for many campground owners including Venture Out Resorts. The electrical demand on campgrounds keeps increasing and the electrical infrastructure in many locations around the country were not designed to handle the kind of loads expected of them by today’s camping community. Many campgrounds were built decades ago, when your typical camping trailer used propane for heat and did not have an air conditioner. Many of today’s trailers come equipped with electric fireplaces to assist with heat, and up to 3 air conditioners, putting an enormous load on the electrical grid. Venture Out Resorts knows that electric vehicles are coming and coming fast. We have been in communication with charging station providers and installers making plans for the future, so we will be able to offer a charging solution for our members and guests. We are in an exciting and changing world that is going to forever alter the way campers travel, but I am confident that we will meet the upcoming challenges so our members can travel with the assurance that Venture Out Resorts is aware of the upcoming needs and we are being proactive in coming up with solutions.
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular around the world, so what exactly does that look like for
Electric vehicles are vehicles with the capability to run on electricity. There are three major types: All-electric vehicles (better known as EVs or BEVs), Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). All-electric vehicles don’t use gasoline at all. They run solely on an electric battery, whereas Plug-in Hybrid vehicles have the ability to run on both gasoline and electricity. Hybrids have historically been the more popular and more affordable choice for electric cars. Lastly, Fuel Cell electric vehicles differ from all electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles in that they are powered by hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. Of the three, fuel cell electric vehicles are the least commonly used form of electric vehicles, with only two models available worldwide. Although electric vehicles currently make up only 3% of car sales worldwide, researchers project that by 2030 electric vehicles will reach 28% of global passenger vehicle sales, growing to 58% by 2040.
the future of our campgrounds? Let’s discuss!
While everyone is still planning for the future of electric vehicles and how to handle new expectations with electric needs, please keep in mind that no matter where you camp, in general, you should not use campsite pedestals to charge your electric vehicle without talking to a staff member first. At Venture Out Resorts, we have additional fees to cover our costs for charging electric vehicles and have to make sure there is appropriate amperage available. Owning an electric vehicle may take a little more pre-planning for your trip, but it’s an exciting time to be a part of shaping the future.
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“Definitely a great place to go if you aren’t into the party camping scene and need a great place to go for some good family memories. The Staff was very accommodating and helped our every need. Guy S. 10/7/2022
“Love this place. The people are so friendly and extremely helpful.” Janice N. 10/21/2022
Away from Home
“We always have a great time visiting. We use the site as a place for friends and family to come visit us while we are in the area. Kids always enjoy the putt putt, pool, and pond. It was pretty wet and rainy while we were there, but we were prepared and made it fun. Played on the puddle-puttcourse and enjoyed the wet slides! All staff (club - house, roving, and security) are friendly and attentive. Thanx for the good time! Tell Rose I said hello and thank you! She really made our stay.” Micheal M. 9/8/2022
“My first time staying and I’ll definitely come back, also refer some friends to stay. From the main office to everyone who stayed in different cabins and RV’s were awesome. Awesome place with very good people. Thank you for the little souvenir for my 5 year old son.” Is Honey 9/14/2022
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Arrowhead Lakes
On April 1, 2023, an EF1 tornado came through the resort. Luckily, there were no fatalities or life- threatening injuries. The resort, however, sustained major damage. Our team has been working from sun up to sun down to clear the downed trees and debris. We appreciate everyone’s support and reaching out to offer their help. While we have a long road ahead, we are excited to rebuild. We are optimistic about the possibilities to improve our offerings and facilities. We hope to reopen the resort and campsites for you to enjoy your home away from home soon. And when we do, we’ll have a new honeywagon to use too! More communications will be sent as we’re able. Thank you again for all your support and understanding.
BY THE NUMBERS
Indian Lake
On February 28, 2023, we informed you that we are listing Indian Lake Resort for sale. The Resort has had low occupancy that has declined year over year. However, we are excited to share that we are actively looking for a replacement location for Indian Lake Resort that is more attractive to Members. We hope to rapidly open a new location once the sale of Indian Lake is final. We look forward to improving the membership experience and our offerings. Luckily, Indian Lake Resort did not sustain any damage from the tornado on April 1, 2023. We are still assessing the situation and hope to open this resort sooner for members to camp at. More communications will be sent as we’re able regarding the status of Indian Lake. Anyone wishing to comment on this or that has questions should contact our Member Services team at (989) 671-1125 or wecare@ ventureoutresorts.com.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: All data is as of Dec. 31, 2022. Venture Out Resorts must not exceed 12 members per a combined campsite and rental units total (ratio). The maximum number of memberships allowed is 4,100.
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Arrowhead Lakes
We have so much planned for our members this summer. We hope to be able to still have a lot of fun activities as we continue working to rebuild the resort. Check out the planned activity theme weeks below, but please keep an eye on the website and Facebook to stay updated on our plans.
July 19 - 23 World Of Wizardry July 26 - 30 Hawaiian Week August 2 - 6
September 20 - 24 Sports Week September 26 - October 1 Halloweek* October 4 - 8 Halloweek* October 28 - 29 Halloween (Arrowhead Lakes Only) November 18 Thanksgiving (Arrowhead Lakes Only) December 15 Christmas (Arrowhead Lakes Only) December 31 New Years (Arrowhead Lakes Only)
May 12 - 14 Mothers Day May 17 - 21 Music Week May 24 - 29
CAMPING CHECKLIST
Circus Week August 9 - 13 Wilderness Week August 16 - 20 Wood Stock August 23 - 27 Cartoon Madhouse August 30 - September 4 Labor Day* September 6 - 10 Blast from the Past September 13 - 17 Farm Week
Memorial Day* May 31 - June 4 Mad Science Week June 7 - 11 Superhero Week June 14 - 18 Fathers Day June 21 - 25 Summer Fun Splash into Summer
COOKING
LIVING
CAMPSITE
June 27 - July 2 Fourth of July* July 5 - 9 Fourth of July* July 12 - 16 Space Week
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COLOR ME!
Everyone knows, camping with others is “s’more” fun! Adventure Rewards makes inviting your friends and family to camp with you easy and worthwhile! Just follow these simple steps and be on your way to earning cash! 1.Login to your personalized portal by going to the website myadventurerewards.com. 2.Start refering your family and friends through text messaging, Facebook and Facebook Messenger or email. That’s it! Once you share your referral offer and it’s claimed by your friend or family, your work is done! Our referral team then gets to work. You can also check the status of every referral you submitted along with your earned cash rewards in the portal. So what are you waiting for? Login to your referral portal, invite your friends and family, earn some cash and start having more camping adventures! Login Now! myadventurerewards.com
SPOT 10 DIFFERENCES
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Your Awaits!
ventureoutresorts.com (989) 671-1125 wecare@ventureoutresorts.com
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