As you may recall, we did cancel our KM Resort membership last year. We have decided to try Thousand Trails. One reason is the idea of their camping zones, and the buy one zone, get one free offer. Kim's aunt and uncle belong to Thousand Trails, and we have done a few day trips when they have been camping close by. We liked what we saw. Now we will find out if we like what we use.
Showing posts with label KM Resorts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KM Resorts. Show all posts
Friday, January 24, 2014
Monday, October 19, 2009
Beachwood Resort - Birch Bay, Washington - Test Trip #2
(Wow, where does time go. I meant to post this update the day we left home.)
Kim and I left our home base (the driveway of our daughter's home in Snohomish, WA) on Wednesday, and headed for the Beachwood Resort (a KM Resort) in Birch Bay, Washington. It only took Kim 3 tries to back out of the driveway. Each time, it is getting better and better. The use of our walk-talkies helped, and the fact that all the cars in the neighbor's driveway across the street were gone. It gave us more room to manuever. The driveway is curved a bit, and there are big bolders differentiating the garden area from the driveway. Anyway, Kim backed the rig out quicker than our prior tries, which is good because it was raining and I could not for the life of me find an umbrella.
And, stopping to pat ourselves on the back, we drove 'all' the way from Snohomish to Birch Bay (about 80 miles) without having to stop and make adjustments along the way! Things were anchored well in the bed of the truck. Steps and hand rail locked in their travelling position. Yay for us!
Birch Bay, Washington is a coastal town just 7 miles south of the US/Canadian Border. Lovely area, which is hopping busy in the summer, and pleasantly quiet during this time of year. It’s home to about 4,500 year-round residents, and in the summer population swells to over 12,000 people, with Birch Bay State Park recording over a million individual visits each year. It's a great place for a weekend getaway, or longer visit, with lots to do in the area. According to http://www.visitbirchbay.com/, "Birch Bay’s claim to fame is a large tide flat of sand several square miles in size that bares itself at low tide, and as the water creeps back in over the hot sand it warms to bath water temperatures in the summer." The town is quaint and a little funky. There are a combination of regular homes, beach cabins, RV resorts and new condominiums all mingled together. During the warmer times of the year, there is so much to do up here. As a family, we've vacationed up here many times, enjoying the clamming, the crabbing, the water slidees, the miniture golf, sand castle building, kite flying, and so on. The Semiahmoo Resort is host to a championship golf course, designed by golf legend Arnold Palmer. We don't golf, but people we know sing the praises of this course.
We took some time over the last few days to drive around a bit. Although, we had visited the area many times, there are always roads to find that you haven't explored, or to go over roads you have driven before but this time without the kids asking the famous question - "Are we there yet?". We drove the road along the water from Birch Bay up to Blaine. Some very lovely houses and estates along this drive. We drove over to Lynden, where the Dutch Heritage is very evident. What impressed me about Lynden was how clean it was. It didn't matter whether you were cruising the main drag or driving in the residential areas, community pride was very evident.
I'm always curious about what makes businesses help to support these smaller communities. What surprised me about Lynden was the number of vineyards! Apparently, this is becoming quite the popular growing area for wine connoisseurs. However, the major industries in the area seem to involve community support, such as schools and services.
The primary reason we chose to visit Birch Bay for our second test trip was because I was taking a Medical Intuitive course in Bellingham, Washington over the weekend. Bellingham is another fun place to visit. Home to Western Washington University, the city shows evidence of a younger population. Lots of great stores, restaurants, art galleries, shops, etc, along with all the major services one could need. We had some time between class events one afternoon, and drove out the Mount Baker Highway to the Nooksack Reservation and Casino. It was a lovely drive with all the fall colors. We didn't go into the casino, however. Both Kim and I love to gamble. We know better than to just go in for a look - we'd be there for hours, and I had a class to attend. Maybe another trip.
I did want to give my praises to the Beachwood Resort. http://www.kmresorts.com/resorts/beachwood The hosts were very friendly and helpful. There are over 250 spots to choose from. We parked in a pull-through at C11. The spot is good sized with full hook up and cable if you choose. We used our regular antenna for the first two nights because it was quite windy, but then put up our Direct TV satelitte dish and have had wonderful reception. We picked up only a few Canadian channels with the antenna, so I was happy to have the satellite working. (I'm a gambling loving TV junkie who is into spirituality, psychic work, healing and metaphysics - deal with it **wink**). Next time, I think we would try for a back in spot (now that Kim's skills are improving) in the G section. The spaces are bigger and better defined. The rest rooms,showers (free with good water pressure) laundry and tent camping areas were clear and well kept. They have a nice big store (propane available). Three pools (a children's pool, an adult pool and a family pool) plus a hot tub/jazucci. There is an adult clubhouse with pool table (unfortunately it had a big tear in cloth) and ping pong table in a separate room, a little too close together if you are an exuberant ping pong player. There are horse shoe pits, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, as well as a soccer/baseball field, and play area for kids. Apparently there is a gold driving range as well, but I haven't seen it yet.
There are some permanent residents here, as well as what appears to be long term campers. Everyone is very friendly, and very quiet. We are definitely giving this stay a 4 thumbs up!
Kim and I left our home base (the driveway of our daughter's home in Snohomish, WA) on Wednesday, and headed for the Beachwood Resort (a KM Resort) in Birch Bay, Washington. It only took Kim 3 tries to back out of the driveway. Each time, it is getting better and better. The use of our walk-talkies helped, and the fact that all the cars in the neighbor's driveway across the street were gone. It gave us more room to manuever. The driveway is curved a bit, and there are big bolders differentiating the garden area from the driveway. Anyway, Kim backed the rig out quicker than our prior tries, which is good because it was raining and I could not for the life of me find an umbrella.
And, stopping to pat ourselves on the back, we drove 'all' the way from Snohomish to Birch Bay (about 80 miles) without having to stop and make adjustments along the way! Things were anchored well in the bed of the truck. Steps and hand rail locked in their travelling position. Yay for us!
Birch Bay, Washington is a coastal town just 7 miles south of the US/Canadian Border. Lovely area, which is hopping busy in the summer, and pleasantly quiet during this time of year. It’s home to about 4,500 year-round residents, and in the summer population swells to over 12,000 people, with Birch Bay State Park recording over a million individual visits each year. It's a great place for a weekend getaway, or longer visit, with lots to do in the area. According to http://www.visitbirchbay.com/, "Birch Bay’s claim to fame is a large tide flat of sand several square miles in size that bares itself at low tide, and as the water creeps back in over the hot sand it warms to bath water temperatures in the summer." The town is quaint and a little funky. There are a combination of regular homes, beach cabins, RV resorts and new condominiums all mingled together. During the warmer times of the year, there is so much to do up here. As a family, we've vacationed up here many times, enjoying the clamming, the crabbing, the water slidees, the miniture golf, sand castle building, kite flying, and so on. The Semiahmoo Resort is host to a championship golf course, designed by golf legend Arnold Palmer. We don't golf, but people we know sing the praises of this course.
We took some time over the last few days to drive around a bit. Although, we had visited the area many times, there are always roads to find that you haven't explored, or to go over roads you have driven before but this time without the kids asking the famous question - "Are we there yet?". We drove the road along the water from Birch Bay up to Blaine. Some very lovely houses and estates along this drive. We drove over to Lynden, where the Dutch Heritage is very evident. What impressed me about Lynden was how clean it was. It didn't matter whether you were cruising the main drag or driving in the residential areas, community pride was very evident.
I'm always curious about what makes businesses help to support these smaller communities. What surprised me about Lynden was the number of vineyards! Apparently, this is becoming quite the popular growing area for wine connoisseurs. However, the major industries in the area seem to involve community support, such as schools and services.
The primary reason we chose to visit Birch Bay for our second test trip was because I was taking a Medical Intuitive course in Bellingham, Washington over the weekend. Bellingham is another fun place to visit. Home to Western Washington University, the city shows evidence of a younger population. Lots of great stores, restaurants, art galleries, shops, etc, along with all the major services one could need. We had some time between class events one afternoon, and drove out the Mount Baker Highway to the Nooksack Reservation and Casino. It was a lovely drive with all the fall colors. We didn't go into the casino, however. Both Kim and I love to gamble. We know better than to just go in for a look - we'd be there for hours, and I had a class to attend. Maybe another trip.
I did want to give my praises to the Beachwood Resort. http://www.kmresorts.com/resorts/beachwood The hosts were very friendly and helpful. There are over 250 spots to choose from. We parked in a pull-through at C11. The spot is good sized with full hook up and cable if you choose. We used our regular antenna for the first two nights because it was quite windy, but then put up our Direct TV satelitte dish and have had wonderful reception. We picked up only a few Canadian channels with the antenna, so I was happy to have the satellite working. (I'm a gambling loving TV junkie who is into spirituality, psychic work, healing and metaphysics - deal with it **wink**). Next time, I think we would try for a back in spot (now that Kim's skills are improving) in the G section. The spaces are bigger and better defined. The rest rooms,showers (free with good water pressure) laundry and tent camping areas were clear and well kept. They have a nice big store (propane available). Three pools (a children's pool, an adult pool and a family pool) plus a hot tub/jazucci. There is an adult clubhouse with pool table (unfortunately it had a big tear in cloth) and ping pong table in a separate room, a little too close together if you are an exuberant ping pong player. There are horse shoe pits, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, as well as a soccer/baseball field, and play area for kids. Apparently there is a gold driving range as well, but I haven't seen it yet.
There are some permanent residents here, as well as what appears to be long term campers. Everyone is very friendly, and very quiet. We are definitely giving this stay a 4 thumbs up!
Monday, September 28, 2009
A Delightful Day For A Drive
A nice night's sleep. A beautiful sunrise. Great morning.
We stopped in to visit briefly with my uncle here in Spokane, and then headed out for a "Saturday afternoon drive" on Monday morning. We went eastbound on Highway 2 up to Newport, Washington to take a look at another KM Resort - Old American Kampground. It was a little more rustic than Ponderosa Falls where we are currently camping, but there were some very nice spots along the Pend Orielle River. Not alot for the kids to do, but since we don't have any kids with us, it was very appealing. And the preserve host was an absolute delight, taking the time to talk with us about the area, and give us suggestions on which route to take down to Couer D'Alene.
We drove down to Spirit Lake, and turned off the highway to the boat ramp. There was a road that appeared to go all around the lake....emphasis on the word "appeared". It didn't show it on the AAA Map, but it did show an alleged road on the GPS. Ten miles down the winding narrow road, crossing our fingers that we wouldn't run into any logging trucks, we came to the end of paved road. Prior experience with logging roads told us to turn around and go back, which we did. Spirit Lake is very lovely and pristine and I'm glad we took the side trip.
We took Highway 54 (this would be Idaho Highway 54), and then went south on Highway 95 to Couer D'Alene. I had wanted to explore the area, but it was getting late, and we had one more stop at the R and R RV Store in Liberty Lake and then wanted to say Good Night to my uncle. So today, all we saw of this lovely resort town just over the Washington Idaho border was a few malls. Maybe tomorrow.
For now, the grill is being prepped for burgers, and I'm off to cut up some fruit.
We stopped in to visit briefly with my uncle here in Spokane, and then headed out for a "Saturday afternoon drive" on Monday morning. We went eastbound on Highway 2 up to Newport, Washington to take a look at another KM Resort - Old American Kampground. It was a little more rustic than Ponderosa Falls where we are currently camping, but there were some very nice spots along the Pend Orielle River. Not alot for the kids to do, but since we don't have any kids with us, it was very appealing. And the preserve host was an absolute delight, taking the time to talk with us about the area, and give us suggestions on which route to take down to Couer D'Alene.
We drove down to Spirit Lake, and turned off the highway to the boat ramp. There was a road that appeared to go all around the lake....emphasis on the word "appeared". It didn't show it on the AAA Map, but it did show an alleged road on the GPS. Ten miles down the winding narrow road, crossing our fingers that we wouldn't run into any logging trucks, we came to the end of paved road. Prior experience with logging roads told us to turn around and go back, which we did. Spirit Lake is very lovely and pristine and I'm glad we took the side trip.
We took Highway 54 (this would be Idaho Highway 54), and then went south on Highway 95 to Couer D'Alene. I had wanted to explore the area, but it was getting late, and we had one more stop at the R and R RV Store in Liberty Lake and then wanted to say Good Night to my uncle. So today, all we saw of this lovely resort town just over the Washington Idaho border was a few malls. Maybe tomorrow.
For now, the grill is being prepped for burgers, and I'm off to cut up some fruit.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
K/M Resorts
The offices of K/M Resorts is about a mile from Camping World in Fife, Washington. http://www.kmresorts.com/
So a little back story before I continue. My mom and dad had a long time membership with NACO/Thousand Trails. I'm not sure how that happened as my parents were not campers. My dad liked to fish, but otherwise you were more likely to find him inside reading than outside doing anything else. I'm guessing my mom played the fishing card to get him to agree to the membership. Sadly, he never had a chance to use the membership before he passed away. My mom did use the resorts once a year to prepare her income taxes (no phones, no TV - this was before cell phones and satellite TV) and occasionally to take the grandkids camping for a weekend. She only used the rental trailers that were on-site at the reserves. When my mom's health deteriorated, she gave her membership over to me. By this time, our kids were over 18, and both Kim and I were busy working most of the time. I did a lot of traveling. We just never got around to using the membership. I knew we would, at some point, be buying a rig and traveling around the US and Canada, so I hung on to it, paying the approximately $500 dues each year. It's been 5 years now.
Once we knew we were definitely buying a rig, I called NACO/Thousand Trails about what resorts/reserves were available to us, and other details about full time RVing. Imagine my surprise to find out, that if you read the fine print, if you buy or are gifted a membership from another party, after 3 years, the membership reverts back to a bare minimum basic account. I had access to only the original NACO resorts. No access to Thousand Trails. No access to Leisure Time Resorts. And when I asked to talk to someone at NACO about options, there was no one available to answer my questions. I was told there were meetings about upgrading memberships that were held from time to time. I was peeved that I should have to upgrade a membership that was already at the highest level when it was purchased. It losts its level because it was given to me. I'll admit it was in the fine print, but it was never mentioned when my mom called to inquire about transfer of membership. Why was that?
We sat down at the offices of K/M Resorts with Kevin Bibeau. Long story short, after describing all the benefits and resort affiliates available through K/M Resorts, and answering my many questions, we got down to talking about money and costs. We did receive the $2000 credit for purchasing our 5th wheel from Poulsbo RV, and we were offered a very fair trade in value for the limited NACO membership. Kim and I asked for a few moments to confer, and after some very quick cost comparisons we figured the membership would pay for itself within 6 months. Yes, there will be annual dues, but I was already paying more than K/M Resort dues to NACO for far less benefits.
So we took a deep breath, and wrote out a check. Now normally, I don't spend that kind of money without taking a day to think about it. And I will say that Kevin did not use the high pressure "This is a one time only offer. Sign today or the deal's off" tactic. If he had, I would have walked out the door. This sales experience was very low key. The facts were laid out. All my questions and concerns were answered. (Thanks to NACO, I knew some appropriate questions to ask). Did we make the right decision? I think so. I'm very happy with the investment.
If you are looking at an RV Resort Membership, we'd like to refer you to Kevin Bibeau at K/M Resorts. Phone number is 800.392.5722. The K/M Resort website is http://www.kmresorts.com/ Tell Kevin that Kim and Betsy Brown referred you. We do get some credit for referrals. For every referral that attends a presentation, we receive a $25 gift certificate to Olive Garden. If memberships are purchased from those presentations, we receive a $100 cash for the first referral, $200 cash for the second referral, and our Dues Waived For Life for the third referral. I'm aiming for the Dues Waived For Life level. It will take the sour taste about NACO, and all the dues I paid to them, away I'm sure!
So give Kevin a call and listen to what he has to say. We were extremely pleased with his service!
ADDENDUM: This original post was published in September 2009. It is now July 2017. I will no longer be publishing comments to this post outside of my own. If you want to promote K/M Resorts or any salesperson, write your own blog.
So a little back story before I continue. My mom and dad had a long time membership with NACO/Thousand Trails. I'm not sure how that happened as my parents were not campers. My dad liked to fish, but otherwise you were more likely to find him inside reading than outside doing anything else. I'm guessing my mom played the fishing card to get him to agree to the membership. Sadly, he never had a chance to use the membership before he passed away. My mom did use the resorts once a year to prepare her income taxes (no phones, no TV - this was before cell phones and satellite TV) and occasionally to take the grandkids camping for a weekend. She only used the rental trailers that were on-site at the reserves. When my mom's health deteriorated, she gave her membership over to me. By this time, our kids were over 18, and both Kim and I were busy working most of the time. I did a lot of traveling. We just never got around to using the membership. I knew we would, at some point, be buying a rig and traveling around the US and Canada, so I hung on to it, paying the approximately $500 dues each year. It's been 5 years now.
Once we knew we were definitely buying a rig, I called NACO/Thousand Trails about what resorts/reserves were available to us, and other details about full time RVing. Imagine my surprise to find out, that if you read the fine print, if you buy or are gifted a membership from another party, after 3 years, the membership reverts back to a bare minimum basic account. I had access to only the original NACO resorts. No access to Thousand Trails. No access to Leisure Time Resorts. And when I asked to talk to someone at NACO about options, there was no one available to answer my questions. I was told there were meetings about upgrading memberships that were held from time to time. I was peeved that I should have to upgrade a membership that was already at the highest level when it was purchased. It losts its level because it was given to me. I'll admit it was in the fine print, but it was never mentioned when my mom called to inquire about transfer of membership. Why was that?
We sat down at the offices of K/M Resorts with Kevin Bibeau. Long story short, after describing all the benefits and resort affiliates available through K/M Resorts, and answering my many questions, we got down to talking about money and costs. We did receive the $2000 credit for purchasing our 5th wheel from Poulsbo RV, and we were offered a very fair trade in value for the limited NACO membership. Kim and I asked for a few moments to confer, and after some very quick cost comparisons we figured the membership would pay for itself within 6 months. Yes, there will be annual dues, but I was already paying more than K/M Resort dues to NACO for far less benefits.
So we took a deep breath, and wrote out a check. Now normally, I don't spend that kind of money without taking a day to think about it. And I will say that Kevin did not use the high pressure "This is a one time only offer. Sign today or the deal's off" tactic. If he had, I would have walked out the door. This sales experience was very low key. The facts were laid out. All my questions and concerns were answered. (Thanks to NACO, I knew some appropriate questions to ask). Did we make the right decision? I think so. I'm very happy with the investment.
If you are looking at an RV Resort Membership, we'd like to refer you to Kevin Bibeau at K/M Resorts. Phone number is 800.392.5722. The K/M Resort website is http://www.kmresorts.com/ Tell Kevin that Kim and Betsy Brown referred you. We do get some credit for referrals. For every referral that attends a presentation, we receive a $25 gift certificate to Olive Garden. If memberships are purchased from those presentations, we receive a $100 cash for the first referral, $200 cash for the second referral, and our Dues Waived For Life for the third referral. I'm aiming for the Dues Waived For Life level. It will take the sour taste about NACO, and all the dues I paid to them, away I'm sure!
So give Kevin a call and listen to what he has to say. We were extremely pleased with his service!
ADDENDUM: This original post was published in September 2009. It is now July 2017. I will no longer be publishing comments to this post outside of my own. If you want to promote K/M Resorts or any salesperson, write your own blog.
What's Next? A Trip to Camping World
Two weeks ago, we drove down to Camping World in Fife, Washington. (I'm doing blog catch up this weekend). I've seen the store from the freeway everytime we drive through Fife, and have always wanted to go in and see what they had. Why? I have no idea. We were not campers, although the idea of camping was appealing. Kind of like the idea of having a farm is appealing. With farming, there is a lot of work involved and I recognize that the farming lifestyle is probably not for me. For one thing, I'm pretty lazy. But camping, on the other hand, sounds like much more my style.
Anyway, back to Camping World. http://www.campingworld.com/stores/stores.cfm?store=45 Heading south down I-5, we took the first Fife Exit by the Poodle Dog Restaurant. Now if that brings smiles to your face, I'm guessing you are getting close to retirement age. The Poodle Dog Restaurant was a landmark in 1950s and 1960s, and honestly, I was surprised to see it was still there. We drove up and down Pacific Highway South, and just couldn't find where Camping World was. Lesson learned - print up directions before you leave so you know where you are going. Just because you can see it from the freeway, doesn't mean you can see if from the surface streets.
In need of a restroom, we finally stopped at a Dairy Queen, used the facilities, had lunch and Kim asked a gal waiting in the drive-through line if she knew where Camping World was. Thank You Universe for all the nice people on earth. This gal worked for the local Harley Davidson dealer, and people often stopped in and ask how to get to Camping World. She told us that the cross street is Willows. Incidently, there are no signs that say Camping World with arrows (a shout out the folks a Camping World - signs would be helpful!). Even driving down Willows, there was no sign showing which driveway to turn into. We ended up just following the line of motor homes turning into a driveway. Yay, we finally made it to Camping World.
Now, neither Kim nor I are shoppers. I enjoy wondering the aisles at the grocery store, and I'm not sure Kim enjoys wondering aisles anywhere, including hardware or automotive stores. I was surprised when Kim agreed to walk up and down all the aisles with me. You just never know what you might find. Oh, we found plenty. We found RV Camping books, we found wheel chocks, a dish drainer that fits in one of the sinks, domed food covers, an interesting ice cube bottle, an inline water filter, and some watermelon licorice (the last one being for the our pregnant daughter).
As we were leaving, we stopped to chat with a gal from K/M Resorts. We were laughing because we found brochures up at Poulsbo RV that were promoting a give away of a "brand new 2006 Jeep Cherokee". We asked how many miles this new 2006 Jeep had on it, or if it had just been stored for 3 years. During our chat, she asked us if we had a rig, and we shared that we had just bought one from Poulsbo RV. She asked if we received our $2000 one year free membership to K/M Resorts. Nope, didn't recall that. Then the next thing I knew we were following her to the offices of K/M Resorts to get this free membership.
PS: I wonder what would have happened if we had gone to the Camping World in Burlington, Washington, which is actually closer to where we are currently parked in Snohomish. I didn't know there was a Camping World in Burlington at the time of our visit, but apparently Kim did. Sheesh!
Anyway, back to Camping World. http://www.campingworld.com/stores/stores.cfm?store=45 Heading south down I-5, we took the first Fife Exit by the Poodle Dog Restaurant. Now if that brings smiles to your face, I'm guessing you are getting close to retirement age. The Poodle Dog Restaurant was a landmark in 1950s and 1960s, and honestly, I was surprised to see it was still there. We drove up and down Pacific Highway South, and just couldn't find where Camping World was. Lesson learned - print up directions before you leave so you know where you are going. Just because you can see it from the freeway, doesn't mean you can see if from the surface streets.
In need of a restroom, we finally stopped at a Dairy Queen, used the facilities, had lunch and Kim asked a gal waiting in the drive-through line if she knew where Camping World was. Thank You Universe for all the nice people on earth. This gal worked for the local Harley Davidson dealer, and people often stopped in and ask how to get to Camping World. She told us that the cross street is Willows. Incidently, there are no signs that say Camping World with arrows (a shout out the folks a Camping World - signs would be helpful!). Even driving down Willows, there was no sign showing which driveway to turn into. We ended up just following the line of motor homes turning into a driveway. Yay, we finally made it to Camping World.
Now, neither Kim nor I are shoppers. I enjoy wondering the aisles at the grocery store, and I'm not sure Kim enjoys wondering aisles anywhere, including hardware or automotive stores. I was surprised when Kim agreed to walk up and down all the aisles with me. You just never know what you might find. Oh, we found plenty. We found RV Camping books, we found wheel chocks, a dish drainer that fits in one of the sinks, domed food covers, an interesting ice cube bottle, an inline water filter, and some watermelon licorice (the last one being for the our pregnant daughter).
As we were leaving, we stopped to chat with a gal from K/M Resorts. We were laughing because we found brochures up at Poulsbo RV that were promoting a give away of a "brand new 2006 Jeep Cherokee". We asked how many miles this new 2006 Jeep had on it, or if it had just been stored for 3 years. During our chat, she asked us if we had a rig, and we shared that we had just bought one from Poulsbo RV. She asked if we received our $2000 one year free membership to K/M Resorts. Nope, didn't recall that. Then the next thing I knew we were following her to the offices of K/M Resorts to get this free membership.
PS: I wonder what would have happened if we had gone to the Camping World in Burlington, Washington, which is actually closer to where we are currently parked in Snohomish. I didn't know there was a Camping World in Burlington at the time of our visit, but apparently Kim did. Sheesh!
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