2012 Reunion

Hello Huntingtons!

We are making plans for the next Huntington Reunion, which will be held between June 20 - June 27, 2012. Mark your calendars now. YEEHA!

The planning committee (which now includes Judy Weddle, Connie Lee, Mary Derwing, Elizabeth Ladizinsky and Carolyn Derwing) has developed a few details for the event.

Our plans to stay at the Silver Creek State Park Conference Center fell through as we didn't get the reservations made in time. (Good story - we will tell you the details later... the short version is that it is a crazy process that requires leaping into gear one year + ahead of time.) Instead of Silver Falls Park we are going to Depoe Bay, Oregon.

Mary Derwing is an owner in the WorldMark timeshare and has used some of her points to enable us to stay in these great condos right on the beach at Depoe Bay.

You can take a look at the site by going to http://www.worldmarktheclub.com. (Click on "Resort Gallery", then on the map -the state of Oregon, then "WorldMark Depoe Bay") It is a high quality facility in a great location with lots of recreation possibilities.

Here are few details you will want to know.

We were able to reserve 8 two bedroom condo units. We were lucky to get these rooms. We cannot change the room type nor can we get more rooms at this location at this time as it is a very popular location in the summer. We were very lucky to be able get these units! Because Mary used her points, we will pay her for the points and the cleaning fees. This reduces the costs to us.

Costs

After much discussion we have determined the following:

First, we talked last time about extending the time for the reunion. The condos must be reserved for the full week so we didn't see a problem here - we will just have the option to stay longer.

The cost of the week per person is $250.00. If you stay one night the cost is the same as staying one week - plan on an extended visit and take advantage of the fee and the fun. (We decided that anyone with children under 18 years old can stay in the same room as their parents at no additional cost.) Extended families who share the same condo can work out their own sleeping arrangements within the entire condo. Each condo has two bedrooms (typically with a queen bed in each room, a full kitchen, a living room with a sleeper sofa, a deck and two bathrooms.) All the condos we reserved are in the same "larger building" so we are all close to each other.

Official Reunion Dates

The reunion will officially be from Thursday, June 21st in the afternoon through Monday morning, June 25th. But, anyone can come arrive on Wednesday and stay through Wednesday check out. For the time of the official reunion (four nights) this amounts to $62.00 per night- per person. If you stay the full week it comes to only $35.70 per night per person - an unheard of rate for the Oregon Coast in June! We have planned to comfortably accommodate 30 people. If we get more than we have planned for these will need to reserve motel/hotel space on their own. (Motels/hotels reservations are at least $80.00 a night+ if you can get them in this location in June so let us know that you plan to be there as soon as you know.)

About the Food

Because each condo has a full kitchen we can count on saving money on meals. We will likely only eat out together for one evening meal "celebration" on Sunday night. We are planning several fun shared evening meals including a barbecue, a "progressive dinner" and hot dog/picnic on the beach. All other meals can be casual and on our own. We can save considerable money by fixing our own breakfasts and lunches. We imagine these can still be as "together" as we would like to be and that lunches might be "on the town" during some fun activity.

Fun Stuff

We are going to hold a "talent show" (not a contest) which will be open to anyone who has ANY type of obscure talent they would like to share; a place in the spotlight in front of loving people - WOW! You are invited to think about your special talent - dog training, poetry, singing, playing an instrument, recipes, sewing, photography, playing writing/acting, reading aloud, painting/pottery, speech making, dancing, whistling, whittling, joke telling or whatever. Begin thinking of what talent you have and how you would like to share it.

Beyond the recreation we create together there are fun options at the facility (swimming, tennis, recreation room, and "hanging out") and the area offers beach strolls, tide pools and kite flying, bird watching, deep sea fishing, fresh water fishing (we have heard rumors of possible fly fishing lessons), canoeing, paddle boats, Outlet Store shopping in Lincoln City and little shops to visit in Depoe Bay or perhaps, Old Town Newport with the Hatfield Marine Science Center and the aquarium. Short drives take you to beautiful vistas, the Sea Lion Caves, hiking trails and the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Longer drives include fun opportunities at local wineries and Silver Falls State Park.

Air and Ground Connections

Airfare reservations are most likely to be made to arrive at the Portland International Airport. Reserving airline tickets early can reduce the cost of the ticket considerably. Think about the creative use of earned air miles. Southwest allows a one-way use of miles which can reduce the cost of the ticket in half. Southwest can take reservations up to 6 months ahead. These reservations can be cancelled without a fee but they will "bank" your money for another ticket which you can apply to another trip at another time.

It is a 2-hour drive from the Portland Airport to Depoe Bay. This requires car rental. Pre-planning can enable the coordination of flights and/or cars. (For example, Petra and Nedra will be driving from Seattle and if they have room in their car, it would be easy to drop by the airport and pick someone up on their way south.) Others might consider coordinating and sharing the cost of a rental car. Reserving a car early can reduce the cost considerably at the Portland Airport.

The rest of the story....

There will be more details about this great gathering which will show up on the Huntington blog. We will let you know when the new information is added and direct you to that site when it is ready again. (There is a learning curve challenge here!)

In the meantime, if you know you will be there - let us know. Better yet, if it is possible to send a check now it would be great... not necessary... just great! It shows a real commitment to the event and helps those of us who have "pre-invested" in the payment for the reservation.

If you can send it at this time, send your check to the following:

Judy Weddle

328 E. Iowa St.

Spring Valley, IL 62362

Make the check out to: Judy Weddle

Keep a copy of your payment - Judy is a thorough tracker but is becoming forgetful.

If you have questions you can call Judy at 815-663-8005.

Just let us know if we should save you a space - that is the most important thing!!!!!!!!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely and with heightened anticipation,

-The Huntington Reunion Planning Committee