Inn Season Resorts, Ogunquit ME

It’s not everyday that something in the news isn’t just interesting but actually crosses my path. But that’s exactly what happened on Monday when the news stations were reporting recent cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The incidents were tragic. They reported 3 deaths in a house in Plaistow, NH. , a death in a Legal Seafood restaurant on Long Island and 20+ guests sickened while at a resort in Maine. Thankfully there were no deaths there although they reported that 3 guests were hospitalized.

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In the Plaistow home the carbon monoxide detector had been disabled. In the restaurant the leak was in a pipe and I don’t think there were any detectors.  The incident that really caught my attention was the incident at the resort in Maine. Not that the other 2 incidents weren’t tragic. They were and in many ways more so than the resort incident because there were no deaths reported in Maine but I thought the name of the resort was familiar. Then they showed photos of the resort with the fire trucks and rescue vehicles in front and I thought, I know this place.

And I do know it.  I was there a few years ago, maybe as long ago as 10 years when they were first building the resort. This is a timeshare property. It was one of the ones I considered before I settled on my unit on Cape Cod.

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The property looks like it’s been well maintained but according to the fire chief they have had trouble getting access to the individual units for inspections because each one is separately owned. That raised an eyebrow because although that’s true the maintenance is the responsibility of the property manager, not the unit owner. At least that’s how it is at my resort. In a time share you don’t own the unit outright, you own a week or  1/52 unless you buy multiple weeks.

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I’m not sure why Inn Season wouldn’t have installed the detectors and passed the cost along as operating expense but thank goodness there were no serious injuries. I hope now the carbon monoxide detectors will be installed and I hope the source of the gas is also found before any further exposure can occur.

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To think that could have been my timeshare!

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What’s In Gatlinburg?

A similar question came up when we went to South Dakota and that turned out to be a great vacation. So I am hopeful that this will be the same. Sandy has been to the Great Smokey Mountains and the first thing she said when I told her I’d decided on Tennessee was to be sure to visit Dollywood.

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I admit, Dollywood wasn’t on the top of my “to do” list and I reluctantly said ok, if it’s close enough. Well it sure is close enough. Located in Pigeon Forge it’s less than 10 miles from Gatlinburg.

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Dollywood isn’t open year round so I was still thinking I might get a reprieve if it wasn’t open for the season but that didn’t work out either. According to the website it’s opening on March 22 so even if they were to delay the opening for some reason it’s still sure to be up and running by May.

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But here’s where it gets interesting. I was dragging my feet because I don’t like amusement parks. 6 Flags is a waste of money for me and I only go to Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire on occasion to take pictures. But Dolly stresses that her park is a “family adventure” (don’t call it an amusement park”).

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My sister says this is the cleanest park she has even seen! Although there are more than 30 rides there are also musical shows, restaurants and arts and crafts shops where  wood carving, glassblowing and quilting are demonstrated.

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Although Dollywood had to bear the brunt of a number of jokes when it first opened it now hosts 2.5 million guests in a typical season. No longer a laughing matter, Dollywood is a major employer for the region. As of 2010, the park was the biggest “ticketed” tourist attraction in Tennessee each year for more than a decade.

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So I have had a change of heart and moved Dollywood from a reluctant location on my itinerary to one of the “must see” stops. They say the Ferris wheel is  60 ft. high. Imagine the pictures I can get from up there!

Time is Running Out

I was taking a leisurely stroll through my timeshare options until I got to Maryland.  As you can tell, I fell in love with that option. I was so enamored that I attempted to book a week, any week only to find that it was completely sold out. A big  NO VACANCY sign.

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That was a “wake up ” call for me. I may not have a decision to make if I continue to drag my feet. The last time I ended up having to take the “left overs” it worked out great. I ended up in Sedona  for my first visit. I liked it so much that I went back to the same resort a few years later. Still I’d rather make a decision than have it made for me. With that in mind I ran through the remaining exchanges to see if they were even available. Most weren’t.

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Of my 17 unvisited states with timeshares exchanges only 6 still have vacancies! One of them is just too expensive (The points are too high).

I think I’m going to go with Tennessee. Colorado has weeks available but not my first choices. Missouri just didn’t send my heart pitter patting although located in Branson Southwest should be able to find it now.

Michigan was way too many points! Shockingly high.

New Mexico ~ Located in Santa Fe , New Mexico..I’ve thought  about New Mexico a lot. There’the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque and the massive Carlsbad Caverns. There are several nature preserves too but the only times available as well as the long distances between the places I want to see, is summer. It would be very hot. It’s desert after all.

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Tennessee has 5 choices , most in Gatlinburg. With 5 resorts to pick from there’s bound to be some open reservations.

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I chose to enter a time range and not select a resort. Sure enough I had lots to chose from and since I’m traveling alone I only need about 3500 points for a week. I grabbed a week in May. Spring time in the Great Smokey Mountains is supposed to be nice.

Now I just have to see if work approved the vacation time! May is considered part of our busy season.

Maryland

The next state with an exchange for me is Maryland and oh my, I think I fell in love when I read the description. Here it is word for word…what do you think!

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Nestled in the natural wetlands overlooking the beautiful Isle of Wight Bay, you will discover a very unique and distinct hotel that can accommodate endless possibilities for any occasion. 

The Coconut Malorie is a five-story, bay-front resort. With its beautiful marble lobby and waterfall, it offers deluxe suites, all newly designed with attention to meeting your vacation needs. From the building’s exterior to the carpet in the bedrooms, no detail has been left out. Professionally decorated rooms showcase all new furniture, artwork, carpet, bedspreads and curtains. 

Located on top of the hotel in the tower, you can enjoy magnificent views of the ocean, the bay and the best sunsets on the east coast.

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Ocean City has a boardwalk.   At just under three miles, the Ocean City, Maryland boardwalk  is a perfect family bike ride, an invigorating walk or run, or a relaxing tram ride. At night, the boardwalk comes to life with rides, arcades, performers and so much more.

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And this is the perfect location to see the wild ponies of  Assateague.  The famous ponies are just nine miles from Ocean City, along with nature trails, deer, foxes and thousands of birds. Oh be still my heart! This is a major wish list of mine.

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There’s tons of free events too if the travel pages can be believed. Here’s an excerpt from just one of those pages:

Enjoy our nights of free family fun. In the summer there is a free family event every day of the week. Some of the events include:

Sundaes in the Park with free concert, fireworks and ice cream for a small fee at Northside Park.
Concerts on the Beach every Wednesday evening.
Free Movies Under the Stars Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Family Beach Olympics on Tuesday evenings.
Sunset Park Party Nights every Thursday.
Laser Light Shows on Sundays.
Fireworks on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I’m seeing photo ops everywhere! I think Maryland is giving Colorado a run for first choice. Unfortunately it looks like this location is all booked up for 2014. 🙁  Even in the “off Season”.

Any comments or suggestions from the Maryland contingent?