| My husband grew up taking the same vacation | | | | many other traditions. |
| for years. His father would drive up to the family | | | | A few days after we returned, we received the |
| property, which consisted of a rustic cabin on a | | | | call which changed the way we vacation. We |
| lake. The family would fish for two weeks. There | | | | were invited to come listen to a timeshare |
| was no running water, a fuel burning furnace in | | | | presentation in exchange for a few free nights |
| the middle of the house which supplied the heat | | | | near a major amusement park. My husband and I |
| for all the rooms, and no air conditioning. There | | | | listened to the presentation. We felt the |
| was electricity. He swore to himself when he | | | | organization had many of the things we were |
| grew up he was going to visit different places and | | | | interested in having. Many of their properties were |
| see museums, amusement parks, national | | | | within a reasonable day's drive from our home. |
| monuments and local attractions when he | | | | The properties were also near amusement parks, |
| vacationed. | | | | national parks, major tourist attractions and |
| I grew up vacationing in a recreational travel | | | | historic sites, which attracted my husband's |
| trailer. We went from campground to | | | | interest. The properties offered swimming pools, |
| campground crisscrossing the continental United | | | | lakes, playgrounds, and family friendly activities |
| States twice. While we did see museums, | | | | which appealed to me. Finally, the properties were |
| amusement parks, national monuments and local | | | | basically laid out and furnished the same, which |
| attractions, we also spent a lot of time just | | | | gave our autistic son a sense of security. |
| hanging out in the campgrounds. These facilities | | | | Although timeshares are not a good option for |
| usually had pools or lakes, arcades or mini-golf | | | | everyone, they do provide many benefits for |
| courses, playgrounds, family friendly activities and | | | | families of all sizes, backgrounds and seasons of |
| social activities to engage all the campers. | | | | life. In fact, I am often amazed at how diverse |
| We married late in life so we were pretty set in | | | | the timeshare "owners" are within each resort. |
| our ideas of vacations. First, I was exhausted by | | | | Before you buy, you will want to research |
| the end of "his" idea of a vacation. We were up | | | | whether or not this is the right option for you. |
| and on the road everyday by 7:00 a.m. and doing | | | | When you do buy into the program, you will |
| activities until we dropped into the bed late at | | | | become a property owner with a property deed. |
| night. One night I burst into tears and told him this | | | | You will be responsible for a share of the monthly |
| schedule was my normal schedule so this was not | | | | maintenance, insurance and taxes even though |
| a vacation for me. My idea of a vacation was | | | | you will only be using the property one or more |
| sleeping in until at least 8:00 a.m, hanging out at | | | | weeks of the year. I think of it as if I owned a |
| the poolside and reading a book. My husband | | | | real vacation home. I would be responsible for |
| hated this because unless the kids are engaged at | | | | maintenance, insurance and taxes on the second |
| least part of the day, they were fighting. On top | | | | home. This way, I am sharing the cost with many |
| of our own issues, we discovered our middle son | | | | other people. |
| was autistic and he does not like leaving the | | | | Also, different timeshare organizations work on |
| familiarity of our home. His meltdowns made us | | | | different systems. In some you will purchase a |
| wonder why we bothered vacationing at all. | | | | fixed unit and a fixed week. You will only be able |
| After a couple of years of no one being happy, | | | | to use your timeshare at that time unless you |
| we agreed we had to come up with something | | | | are able to trade with someone else. Other |
| different. We happened to visit a family friend | | | | organizations allow you to purchase "points" which |
| that summer. Their vacation had become a 20 | | | | entitles you to use any timeshare property |
| year tradition of renting a condo at the same | | | | anytime during the year, as long as there is |
| beach. It started out with just a husband, wife | | | | availability and points. Check into whether your |
| and five children. Now the family tradition includes | | | | timeshare organization has agreements with other |
| spouses, children and grandchildren. They | | | | organizations to further expand your potential |
| developed a regular schedule of activities the | | | | vacation options. |
| family does during their two weeks on the beach. | | | | If you have never considered timeshares or only |
| They have Spaghetti Night, Family Picture Night, | | | | heard horror stories about them, I hope this will |
| French Fries a the beach, scavenger hunts, and | | | | give you a little bit of information as to why this |
| making of the annual vacation t-shirt, among | | | | might be the ideal vacation option for you. |