TimeSharing Today | Sep / Oct , 2024 Page 14
OWNERSHIP & TRAVEL
Timeshare memories , joys , and lessons learned
Reunion at WorldMark Long Beach , WA .
By Maggie Gardner , Concord , CA
First purchase : Discovering timeshare
Ron and I bought our first timeshare week in the late 1980s . We accepted a very low-cost weekend in Reno ($ 49 for 3 days / 2 nights at the Plaza Resort , requiring attendance at an hour-long presentation ). We were impressed with the resort and the luxury condo , so we purchased a week in the fall swing season .
Although Reno was convenient to our home in Concord , CA , we never used our week at the resort because it ranked as Gold Crown and traded so well . Our first exchange was to the Washington coast through RCI . I was not impressed with the condo we traded into and learned the importance of ensuring whether the resort was rated as Gold Crown . We then used our unit to trade into New Orleans and Sedona multiple times , as well as to Kauai and the Big Island .
Some vacations were just the two of us , while other exchanges included our two college-aged kids or friends . One vacation in New Orleans included us and our son and daughter in one resort , and my sister and niece in a separate resort nearby in the French Quarter . However , the trading power of our luxurious 1-bedroom unit declined after several other timeshare resorts were built in Reno .
Second purchase : Palm Springs Resort
In early 1992 , we made our second purchase of a week — a two-bedroom unit at the Palm Canyon Resort in Palm Springs , CA . This resort had a marvelous pool that our family enjoyed . I also used
Maggie , Rob , Marcus , Liz & Ron , Puerto Vallarta
this resort for a girlfriends ’ getaway .
After visiting this resort three times , we began using it for exchanges as well , trading into Maui , Las Vegas , and Mexico . Another lesson learned was to buy only where you want to return again and again .
Third purchase : Mexican getaway
In 1994 , we made our third purchase — a two-bedroom floating week in Puerto Vallarta , Jalisco , Mexico . We
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