We can’t take credit for our spectacular natural backdrop, but our amenities and facilities? We built those for you, with family-friendly luxury in mind. We make sure every golf course, court, pool, and trail on our property is beautifully built and well-maintained, so every round, match, swim and walk in the park is as enjoyable as possible. Here, Pat Simpson, Director of Community Associations, tells us about our beloved Dawson Park.

Park history

Dawson Park is named in honor of James Dawson, a land planner, architect and environmentalist who has worked in the design and conception of Suncadia continuously since 1996 when planning for the community began in earnest. Jim’s contributions to Suncadia are immeasurable. His ideas, integrity and passion have been essential to the creation of this high-quality resort community, which is now a source of pride for our owners, guests. Suncadia is grateful for all of Jim’s contributions past, present and future.

Get your bearings

Dawson Park is a 17-acre site with a mining-themed play structure featuring swings, a rope ladder and playhouse. Kids love it here. It’s also a great place to gather family and neighbors for a friendly tennis, soccer or basketball game, to play some baseball or walk your furry friend in the dog park. Rackets? Balls? Horseshoes? Kites? We’ve got a cabin stocked with pretty much all the equipment you need for your favorite activity and you can borrow it from the staff. Best of all, the Suncadia Fund for Community Enhancement paid for the equipment and it’s free for residents and guests. In the winter, the jogging and walking paths become Nordic and snowshoe trails and a small hill is the place to go sledding with the kids.

A day in the park

There are several events that take place in the park, including the annual homeowner BBQ, which draws about 500 adults and children, and the Annual Holiday tree lighting at Thanksgiving. Both are very popular and really bring the whole community together. Another popular event is a 5K race called the Runners Stumbles. During summer months, the parks hosts classical music concerts in the pavilion, and in the past we even had a kite flying festival. Owners and visitors alike are welcome to reserve different areas of the park for their own events and celebrations.

Go out for a walk

There’s never a bad time to go to the park! There’s always families playing with their kids, couples walking their dogs, a group of friends going for a walk. MIles of pathways connect the park to Suncadia’s residential neighborhoods so it’s also a great place to bike and walk through on your way to the Lodge, Nelson Pool, and the Swim & Fitness Center. The park is also close to Swiftwater Cellars and Rope Rider Golf Course.

Pat Simpson’s role at the park

I am the Director of Community Associations and Dawson Park is an asset of the Suncadia Community Council, which is managed by our organization Suncadia Management Company. Although I am the overall director, my day-to-day role is limited as my operations and recreation teams take care of all the details. This includes making sure the grass is mowed, park bathrooms are clean, playgrounds are safe, courts and parking surfaces are maintained.

Spanning 2,600 acres of the Northwest’s finest natural woodlands, and most engaging recreational and hospitality amenities, Tumble Creek is separated from the grand Suncadia landscape by the many miles of open space and the five miles of Cle Elum River frontage. Tumble Creek’s residential privileges include Suncadia’s 10 square miles of hiking trails, parks and vast family resort and golf amenities.

Then there’s the Tumble Creek Club, a golf and social membership with established and growing privileges. Its highly desirable amenities feature award-winning golf, gourmet dining and socializing at The Golf House & Grill, wellness activities at the Hill House swim and fitness center, and family camping at Sasse Mt. Outpost.

Recently, Suncadia hosted a very special event at Sasse Mt. Outpost for residents and guests. Nestled between the Tumble Creek community and the 1200 acre Suncadia Conservancy, Sasse Mt. Outpost is our idea of glamping, complete with well-appointed canvas tents on wooden platforms, cozy firepits and patio lights that dangle between a canopy of trees.

Connected to several excellent hiking and biking trails and overlooking the Cle Elum River, Sasse Mt. Outpost is the ideal place to launch a Tumble Creek recreational adventure. Or the perfect place for a special gathering such as ours. Some 50 guests joined us for an evening of tasty bites like Hoisin glazed BBQ ribs, handcrafted cocktails, and conversation.

While the littlest Tumble Creekers and new friends explored the forest during a scavenger hunt, and took over picnic tables for crafting activities, adults chatted about life at Tumble Creek while sipping Benjamin’s Bourbon, Limoncello and X Gin made with spirits from Valley Shine Distillery. Once the sun set, everyone gathered ‘round for campfire stories, s’mores and Bonfire Toffee Liqueur, another specialty cocktail crafted by our Valley Shine Distillery friends.

At the end of the night, guests went home with new memories, new friends, and perhaps a desire to to belong to the Tumble Creek Club and the community that makes this place so spectacular.

Interested in learning more about Tumble Creek and The Club? Contact us for a tour.

At Suncadia, you step out of urban life and into something that’s all too rare: a place where you know your neighbors instead of just passing them on the way to work. And as visits become longer and more frequent, you get to know the people who help shape Suncadia into a community you hold close to your heart. This column celebrates the Suncadia staff who play a role in the way residents and guests enjoy their time here. Some might be familiar faces or names, and others will be new to you. This week, we chat with Tina Hansberry, Director of People Services.

Where are you from originally and how did you end up at Suncadia?
I have lived in Washington all my life. Born and raised in Kirkland, then built my first house in Marysville, and then met my husband, who lived in Ellensburg. When someone is born and raised in Kittitas County, it is tough to get them to leave. So here I came, a new resident of this beautiful county—and all for love. I’ve now been working at Suncadia for 14 years and I just can’t see leaving this beautiful place.

What were you doing before joining Suncadia?
I worked for the Boeing Company for 10 years in their EEO office and investigated claims with regard to alleged Title VII violations. I also worked for the Compass Group for six years in Human Resources. My entire career has been in the HR field. When I started at Boeing, I had the world’s worst HR Director that oversaw the department that I worked in as an administrative assistant. No trust, not there for the people etc. I watched her and the damage she created. It was at that time I told myself that I was going to be an HR Director and be the best one out there. I was going to care and create trust. I spent my entire career getting the education and experience to be just that. I still work on it each day.

What is your role at Suncadia?
I am the Director of People Services, which really means I get to have a career caring about people! The job is simple: it is the journey of employment from recruiting stage to end of employment and everything in between. My favorite part of the my job is training. I love being on stage and delivering training that leaves the student or learner feeling better about something or themselves as a result of our interaction.

What’s a typical day like for you in the job?
People, projects, interruptions, changes of plans, mixed up meeting space, cleaning rooms when busy, balancing budgets, help employees with benefits, audits. And I love it! There is never one day that is the same. I really love training and coaching young leaders to be great. I also love finding solutions to opportunities.

What’s your favorite spot for lunch on property?
Unfortunately, I am so busy it is always at my desk—if I even get to eat lunch. So I don’t think it is my favorite but it definitely is the spot. If I had my pick of locations, however, it would most definitely be sitting out on Strawberry Lawn looking out over the river at the beautiful mountains. There really isn’t a more beautiful view in Kittitas County.

What do you do for fun when you’re not on the job?
My family is very active. My husband, son and I love everything outdoors. We hunt, fish, snowmobile, we quad and dirt bike ride. We have a motorhome and I always say it is my happy place. Not my first happy place though; the best of the best is watching my son play sports. I cannot get enough of that.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
The first woman soccer player on the Seattle Sounders. Soccer was and still is my passion. I also coached soccer for boys for a total of 10 years. Played select adult soccer, too.

What is your favorite summertime activity at Suncadia?
Golf for sure. I am horrible, but who cares. I love the peacefulness of being out there. I don’t take it seriously so it is really a stress-free time for me. I love the Roper Rider Course because it has kid tees. I can stay the course from there.

If you weren’t in the hospitality industry, what would you be doing?
This is a good question. I would always be in a people profession. I think teaching or training would always have to be in my tool bag. I would really like to work with children that have learning disabilities or are from broken homes and teach them that they are valuable, loved and can accomplish great things in life.

If finding the perfect Suncadia property is a dream come true, then finding the right person to make that happen is equally important. At Suncadia, we have a team of brokers who are as passionate about the resort and community they work at as they are about helping families find their dream home. This week, we want to introduce you to Paula Bianchi.

A Seattle native, Paula has been with Suncadia since the beginning and has sold hundreds of homes over the years. Almost two decades ago, she and her husband built their own home in the Tumble Creek neighborhood, where they live full-time.

“What’s great about this neighborhood is that it’s close to everything Suncadia offers, but it’s also a private gated community that the public can’t drive through,” says Paula. She also raves about a house that’s recently come on the market at 210 Blue Flame Lane. “There’s nothing quite like it in Tumble Creek… or in all of Suncadia,” she says. Built on just under an acre of land, the contemporary mountain home features 4,931 square feet of living space, with 6 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

Featuring extraordinary craftsmanship and attention to detail, the house boasts hardwood floors, exposed wood beams throughout, plush carpeting in bedrooms, and top-of-the-line appliances in a kitchen that would please any home chef worth his or her salt. “Sun pours in to every room of the house. It’s incredibly light-filled and airy,” says Paula. “One of the things I love about this house is the impressive amount of built-in storage in every room.” From the mud room to store away all your hiking, biking and other outdoorsy gear to the massive entertainment room, which could be a kid hangout or movie room, there’s something for everyone in this home. Set over the garage, there’s even a guest apartment that offers 2 bedrooms, kitchenette and living room. “A family with little kids, with teens and grandparents could live in this home,” says Paula. “Or maybe even 2 close families. There’s just so much room and so much flexibility to make it whatever you want.”

As impressive as the interiors of this house are, what will take your breath away is the amount of outdoor space available for year-round entertaining. “The backyard is like a private oasis,” says Paula. “It has a full covered kitchen with a bar, and space for an eating area and cozy lounge right next to the fireplace.” A few steps away from the patio is a hot tub that looks out to nothing but trees and the mountains beyond.

Because the house is set at the end of a cul-de-sac with not another neighbor or house in sight, it really feels incredibly private. “The house is surrounded by tall trees, like it’s own little forest. If you want a home to retreat to and feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, this is it,” says Paula.

Want to take a look? Contact Paula Bianchi at 509.674.1259 or pbianchi@suncadia.com to schedule a private tour of the home.