Common Ground Center Announces All-inclusive Family Camp: A New Generation of Family Vacations

Starksboro, Vermont (PRWEB) May 31, 2011

In a time where life seems to be moving in the fast lane, families across the country are in need of a true family vacation more than ever. Planning a vacation, deciding as a group where and what to do, and coming up with the funds, however, can be just as stressful as the hectic life families are trying to leave behind.

Thats why more and more families are turning to a good ol fashion style of American summer fun CAMP! Only now, summer camp is floating to the top of the list of ideal vacations with a twist: instead of leaving children to have fun with strangers while parents go back to the daily grind, the grownups get to join the kids at family camp. Thats right, dust off the hiking boots, tennis racquet, arts & crafts skills, and marshmallow roasting stick and get ready to unwind, relax, and laugh right along side the kids.

Besides reliving a little bit of childhood, there are lots of other reasons to choose family camp as a family vacation.

First of all, its affordable. At Camp Common Ground in Starksboro, VT, for example, an all-inclusive, weeklong stay for a family of four costs about $ 2,500 (depending on childrens ages and accommodation choices). This all-inclusive price includes three delicious, vegetarian meals a day, separate programs for adults and kids, multi-age activities including African dance and concerts that the whole family will enjoy, and accommodations in charming cabins or an Eco-Lodge (and for the more adventurous, tenting is free!).

The words all-inclusive might make the checkbook sigh with relief, but they will also help drop everyone's blood pressure to an all time low. Renting a house on Cape Cod may seem inexpensive compared to staying in a hotel for a week, but then parents spend several hours each day grocery shopping, preparing meals, cleaning, and organizing activities. At family camp, once the reservation is made, someone else takes care of the rest including cooking, cleaning, and organizing, eliminating stress so that everyone can actually enjoy the vacation.

And what to do all day at family camp? At Camp Common Ground kids to go to Kidville in the mornings for a dynamic childrens program and parents can participate in adult activities that range from traditional camp activities like hiking to non-violent communication to glass bead making to learning the violin to tennis and yoga. And if those options arent appealing, grab a book and relax in a hammock while kids have the time of their lives.

The afternoons are filled with multi-age activities like swimming, arts & crafts, and games. For Carole Blane, long time camper turned Camp Common Ground Camp Director, these multi-age activities are the best part of family camp, Instead of hearing about your childs summer camp experiences after the fact, as a parent you actually get to see the expression on your kids face when she makes a new friend or hits the bulls eye on an archery target. And this is priceless. Also, children get to see parents learning new things too like watercolors or dance moves which is a unique experience in todays world.

Another added bonus of family camp is that it doesnt have to be just a single family on vacation. Its simple to add a grandparent, a niece, family friends, or a whole extra family to the mix. There are activities for all ages to enjoy, other families to make friends with, and countless accommodation options. At Camp Common Ground, the nuclear family can stay in a cabin while a sister and her new baby or a grandparent can stay in the Eco-Lodge nearby. Everyone can be a happy camper at family camp!

Of course, vacations to exotic locales or national parks can also be fun and are worth the trip. But when looking for an affordable family vacation where everyone can truly unwind, consider family camp this summer; its quickly becoming a tradition for many American households that theyll cherish forever as a family.

###

More Rent Your Books Press Releases

Hackman Capital Announces the Sale of Florence Industrial Center

Florence, South Carolina (PRWEB) September 15, 2011

Hackman Capital, a private-held real estate investment firm located in Los Angeles, California, announced today that Otis Elevator of Farmington, Connecticut purchased the property owned by its affiliate at 1500 Range Way, in Florence, South Carolina. Florence Industrial Center, a 423,581 square-foot, class-A industrial facility, once occupied by Maytag, is situated on 49 acres and also includes 35 acres of vacant, interstate frontage land.

John Ticon and Edward Kercher of Cushman Wakefield in Charleston, South Carolina represented Otis Elevator in the recent transaction, while Randy Stump of The Stump Corporation, represented the Hackman affiliate.

"Adjacent to Interstate 95 and in close proximity to deep-water seaports, Florence Industrial Center offers Otis a prime Southeastern location and first-rate building amenities for manufacturing and distribution," said Michael Hackman, founder and CEO of Hackman Capital.

Hackman Capital renovated and completely rebranded the property in June of 2009, after selling and removing specialized Maytag equipmentapproximately 100 pieceswhich they acquired, along with the real estate, as part of the initial bundled transaction. "We then launched an aggressive marketing campaign designed to attract national companies to the area," said Hackman. The campaign not only touted key building features, Hackman explained, but also promoted Florence's incomparable accessibility and pro-business community.

Otis Elevator, the world's leading manufacturer of elevators, escalators and moving walkways, was the ideal candidate.

Otis completed a fee-in-lieu-of (FILO) payment agreement with Florence County, in an economic development project known as Project Rosebud, last month, in which the county agreed to dramatically reduce Otis' property taxes over the next 30 years.

For its part, the company is contracted to bring at least 360 jobs with an average wage of $ 25 per hour to the site and invest a minimum of $ 40 million in capital. If the company doesn't meet those benchmarks in the prescribed amount of time the local incentives agreement will be wholly or partially cancelled.

Beyond the tax rate reduction, an additional incentive offers Otis a $ 1,000 cash grant from the county for every Florence County resident who is employed at the site for at least three years up until December 31, 2016. That grant for up to 400 employees means a potential local grant of $ 400,000. The average salary of the employees counted must also be $ 25/hour, although that can include bonuses.

The 158-year-old company, which employs 61,000 people and has local roots in more than 200 countries and territories, has not yet shared specific details. However, Otis plans to use Florence Industrial Center as a manufacturing site and also expects to build a tall testing tower there. Jobs will come from Otis operations in other U.S. cities, and in Mexico, according to Florence County Economic Development Corporation officials, who anticipate a formal announcement from Otis later this month.

More about Hackman Capital

Hackman Capital is a privately held investment firm specializing in industrial and office real estate. The company is also one of the few in the country that purchases real estate along with capital equipment, whether acquired separately or combined. Since 1986, Hackman Capital has been a principal investor in more than $ 1 billion of real estate, and has conducted more than 150 equipment transactions across four continents, generating auction proceeds estimated at $ 200 million. The company is based in Los Angeles, California. Learn more at http://www.hackmancapital.com.

###