Reunion 2019: Location Planning
Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 12:47 am
It's time to begin planning for our 2019 Reunion.
As noted previously, future reunion locations require a sponsor (someone who agrees to take responsibility for making the arrangements, finances for deposits and so forth will be paid by the Association). At the 2017 Reunion, two locations met this condition so we will have only this one round of voting for location.
We have included some basic information about each choice. When you vote, I'd like to ask that your vote reflects places where YOU would actually go. You might want to check currently available transportation from your location and remember both of these destinations lend themselves well to an extended vacation before or after (or both)! Choose carefully. It's going to be a hard choice to make. You can change your vote up until the poll closes.
If you'd like to "campaign" on behalf of one of these locations or have additional information that you'd like to share, please reply here to make that information known to others who will be voting.
If you have no preference, please indicate that. It's good to know that a broad number had the chance to voice a preference, even if they had none.
For reference, past locations were: 2004 - Charleston SC, 2005 - Jacksonville FL/Kings Bay Ga, 2007 - New London CT, 2009 - Bremerton WA, 2011 - Charleston SC, 2013 - Jacksonville FL, 2015 - Mobile AL, 2017 - Charleston SC
VERY IMPORTANT: If you are a former Madison sailor and/or a member of Reunion Association and cannot login and have your vote counted, send an email to website@ussjamesmadison627.com NOW to make it so you can. Do not wait until the voting closes and then say "oh there was a problem". I am not set up to take votes by email or by posted messages here.
Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral FL
Kennedy Space Center https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/
Shopping
Airboat Tours
Air Museum
Beaches
Brevard Veteran Memorial Center
Easy access to Orlando and the theme parks
TripAdvisor link https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions ... orida.html
Florida Space Coast Office of Tourism http://www.visitspacecoast.com/ Rapid City, SD
Possible Tour - -Badlands National Park, Wall Drug and Ellsworth AFB tour of the Air & Space Museum.
(Arrive at Ellsworth AFB to tour the Air and Space Museum. Continue to world's largest drugstore, Wall Drug. Unique shopping. Take a scenic adventure through the Badlands National Park, were rain, wind and frost have carved steep canyons, sharp ridges, gullies and glimpse into the geologic change.)
Possible Tour-- Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer state park wildlife loop in the southern black Hills, home of buffalo, antelope, deer and prairie dogs roaming free.
Possible Tour-- Mt Rushmore Lighting Ceremony with time for viewing, and patriotic lighting ceremony.
Things to do on your own ---------
Tour the town by trolley fare for unlimited on/off per day is $2. per adult $1 for over 60, see Journey museum, Founders Park, Chapel in the hills Stavkirke chapel. Dahl art center. The trolley is a narrated tour.
Free admission at the museum of geology at SD school of Mines and tech. college.
Historic Deadwood SD gaming town home of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok.
Visit Hill City and ride the 1880 train, to Keystone makes a tour that starts and stops in Hill City with shopping and dinning available.
Rapid City has summer night every Thursday with free bands downtown and food stands to enjoy.
Fort Hays old west town and dinner show, tour the Dances with Wolves film set chuck wagon dinner show. free admission and parking you pay for the meal.
Yellowstone National Park is in 300 miles away for those who wish to make it a longer vacation.
There is also a land-based Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm
Rapid City Regional Airport:
Allegiant non stop service to/from Las Vegas, to /from Phoenix
American Airlines non stop service to/from Chicago, to/from Dallas/Ft. Worth
Delta non stop service to/from Salt Lake City, to /from Minneapolis/St Paul
United non stop service to/from Denver, to/from Chicago, to/from Houston
Rent A Car at the airport Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National/alamo
Hotels have free shuttle service, the airport has a shuttle service available.
Website of the Rapid CIty Tourism Bureau is at http://www.visitrapidcity.com/
Trip Advisor site for the Rapid City area is at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g54 ... tions.html
An up-to-date listing of airlines servicing Rapid City SD Regional Airport can be found at: http://www.ifly.com/rapid-city-regional-airport
Specific costs are not available this far in advance and will be negotiated with the final choice. Information about specific airlines or businesses subject to change, of course.
Betty and I have had the privilege of visiting each of these areas and believe either of them can be a good site for our next reunion.
As noted previously, future reunion locations require a sponsor (someone who agrees to take responsibility for making the arrangements, finances for deposits and so forth will be paid by the Association). At the 2017 Reunion, two locations met this condition so we will have only this one round of voting for location.
We have included some basic information about each choice. When you vote, I'd like to ask that your vote reflects places where YOU would actually go. You might want to check currently available transportation from your location and remember both of these destinations lend themselves well to an extended vacation before or after (or both)! Choose carefully. It's going to be a hard choice to make. You can change your vote up until the poll closes.
If you'd like to "campaign" on behalf of one of these locations or have additional information that you'd like to share, please reply here to make that information known to others who will be voting.
If you have no preference, please indicate that. It's good to know that a broad number had the chance to voice a preference, even if they had none.
For reference, past locations were: 2004 - Charleston SC, 2005 - Jacksonville FL/Kings Bay Ga, 2007 - New London CT, 2009 - Bremerton WA, 2011 - Charleston SC, 2013 - Jacksonville FL, 2015 - Mobile AL, 2017 - Charleston SC
VERY IMPORTANT: If you are a former Madison sailor and/or a member of Reunion Association and cannot login and have your vote counted, send an email to website@ussjamesmadison627.com NOW to make it so you can. Do not wait until the voting closes and then say "oh there was a problem". I am not set up to take votes by email or by posted messages here.
Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral FL
Kennedy Space Center https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/
Shopping
Airboat Tours
Air Museum
Beaches
Brevard Veteran Memorial Center
Easy access to Orlando and the theme parks
TripAdvisor link https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions ... orida.html
Florida Space Coast Office of Tourism http://www.visitspacecoast.com/ Rapid City, SD
Possible Tour - -Badlands National Park, Wall Drug and Ellsworth AFB tour of the Air & Space Museum.
(Arrive at Ellsworth AFB to tour the Air and Space Museum. Continue to world's largest drugstore, Wall Drug. Unique shopping. Take a scenic adventure through the Badlands National Park, were rain, wind and frost have carved steep canyons, sharp ridges, gullies and glimpse into the geologic change.)
Possible Tour-- Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer state park wildlife loop in the southern black Hills, home of buffalo, antelope, deer and prairie dogs roaming free.
Possible Tour-- Mt Rushmore Lighting Ceremony with time for viewing, and patriotic lighting ceremony.
Things to do on your own ---------
Tour the town by trolley fare for unlimited on/off per day is $2. per adult $1 for over 60, see Journey museum, Founders Park, Chapel in the hills Stavkirke chapel. Dahl art center. The trolley is a narrated tour.
Free admission at the museum of geology at SD school of Mines and tech. college.
Historic Deadwood SD gaming town home of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok.
Visit Hill City and ride the 1880 train, to Keystone makes a tour that starts and stops in Hill City with shopping and dinning available.
Rapid City has summer night every Thursday with free bands downtown and food stands to enjoy.
Fort Hays old west town and dinner show, tour the Dances with Wolves film set chuck wagon dinner show. free admission and parking you pay for the meal.
Yellowstone National Park is in 300 miles away for those who wish to make it a longer vacation.
There is also a land-based Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm
Rapid City Regional Airport:
Allegiant non stop service to/from Las Vegas, to /from Phoenix
American Airlines non stop service to/from Chicago, to/from Dallas/Ft. Worth
Delta non stop service to/from Salt Lake City, to /from Minneapolis/St Paul
United non stop service to/from Denver, to/from Chicago, to/from Houston
Rent A Car at the airport Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National/alamo
Hotels have free shuttle service, the airport has a shuttle service available.
Website of the Rapid CIty Tourism Bureau is at http://www.visitrapidcity.com/
Trip Advisor site for the Rapid City area is at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g54 ... tions.html
An up-to-date listing of airlines servicing Rapid City SD Regional Airport can be found at: http://www.ifly.com/rapid-city-regional-airport
Specific costs are not available this far in advance and will be negotiated with the final choice. Information about specific airlines or businesses subject to change, of course.
Betty and I have had the privilege of visiting each of these areas and believe either of them can be a good site for our next reunion.