First some raw numbers about my reunion trip:
10 days
2565 miles
138 gallons of gas - lowest $1.129 highest $1.349
42 lighthouses, 3 lightships
18 rolls of film
368 digital pictures
We Left home Friday September 28th, drove first to Liberty Park in New Jersey to see the Statue of Liberty, then visited and viewed lighthouses down to Cape May back up the Delaware river all the way to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, then back down the other side of the Delaware river all the way to Assateague Island, then over to the Chesapeake Maritime museum to see Hooper Strait and on in to Baltimore for the reunion. As we went to register I spotted Fred Kuhlman (I recognized him from his Fighting Lightkeepers baseball card) searching for the registration location, as was I. After getting checked in I ran in to Bob Mckeon and his lovely wife Lorna, Lorna didn't make it to the providence reunion because that was the weekend that Bob had her scheduled to scrape the barnacles from his much talked about boat "It's Only Money"
After we registered, it was like a receiving line. First we were each given a red or blue nylon sport bag with a reunion schedule and handful of goodies, reunion coasters, HL key ring, a Chesapeake Bay book of post cards, a reunion patch, some nautical stickers, a reunion bookmark and an issue of "The Keepers Log" and our Hoopers Strait Clocks (for attending all 3 reunions). Next we moved down the line to get our reunion badges and Mini Hoopers pieces, then down a little more to pick up a couple bags of cookies and some Cape Cod pretzels (the little Lighthouse shaped one's) then down to the Connected Collector Director Dave Hannum handing out the fantastic connected collector badges.
Thanks Dave, for all the hard work. Next it was on to have our picture taken with Bill and Nancy, a reunion button was added to our bags while we were being photographed.
Then I took a quick stroll thru the HL store and museum, and viewed the stuff for the auction and drawings
One of a kind Maquarie with keepers quarters,
Unpainted Borrows, Oregon, Plenty of neat stuff and then some.
Later we headed down for dinner, we met up with Richard Hetzler and his daughter Hannah, the kids hit it off right away. We spent a lot of time with Richard and Hannah through out the reunion and the great company just made the reunion that much better. Also at out table was a couple that lives about 20 minutes from us, Small world. After dinner there were cards dealt out at each table with some of the cards winners for the five pieces on each table, Statue of Liberty, Point Allerton, Drum Point-Signature series, Eddystone and Ship John Shoal. Each place setting had a photo album and the first thumbnail piece.
Friday morning, buffet style breakfast (so-so), afterwards a little mingling as we have a little time to kill as we are on the second boat (Blue battalion is first Red is second)
Blue boat loading, photo from my room, the Rich Little suite on the 78th floor, after the blue battalion finally gets under way red quickly loads and is under way, Many famous and connected collectors on board, as we are heading downbound we spot the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, what a beautiful sight that was. By the time we reached Sandy Point Lighthouse we caught and passed the blue boat, rumor had it that team blue was forcing many of the passengers to shovel coal into the boilers and that low endurance was slowing them down (that's what I heard) As we arrived back we were dropped off right at the Baltimore Aquarium, Very nice, I believe it was an entirely salt water aquarium
Bob Scroope, an avid fisherman caught his limit of the blue and yellow fish !!
Back to the hotel for dinner and a comedy sports team, Thumbnail #2 is at the table waiting for us.
Saturday morning, breakfast (better than yesterday) then Red battalion has the morning 9-noon to visit Seven foot knoll, the US submarine Torsk, USCGC Taney, and the lightship Chesapeake. Turns out all these things don't open until 10:00am - OOP'S, it cold and raining so we walk 2 blocks to the Port Discovery Kids Museum, Kids love it (cost way too much though - $39.00 for the four of us) McDonalds is next door, kids like that too.
A box Lunch is served outside Seven Foot Knoll, Back to the hotel to Paint a lighthouse, sculpt a piece.
Rembrandt and Davinci hard at work.
Saturday night is
Dinner at the lighthouse, actually McCormick and Schmidt's, A mini Seven Foot Knoll (different from the Little light 7 footer) waits at each place setting along with thumbnail #3, The appetizers are fantastic, they just kept bring more, could have made a meal just out of them, Dinner was even better, Desert was better yet. I get back to our room to catch the last few innings of Cal Ripken Jr's last game, out the window we can see the ballpark and the nearly continuous flashes of cameras and also from some of the buildings downtown too.
As a tribute the Legg Mason building had the upper floors lighted to form the number 8 - Cal's number and then a short fireworks show after the game and fanfare.
Sunday morning, breakfast (so-so) 4th thumbnail at the table, after breakfast the fun starts, first an auction to benefit Cape Hatteras, first item up and inspired by the fun Hannah Hetzler bids up the item to $50.00 - a surprise to her dad, but she is soon outbid. After the Cape Hatteras auction, comes the big money HL rarities auction. It was loads of fun watching the show (and a half) Then came the opportunity drawings - more great stuff, about halfway thru the drawing my daughter Hannah won her choice of the goodies, I went to help her choose but after about 5 seconds she saw Diggers beautiful Cape Hatteras painting and took it down without a second thought, As it turns out I have given her the sense to recognize the finer things and didn't need to guide her choice. It hangs in the living room now.
After some goodbyes we packed up the family truckster and drove 2 blocks east to end up in a drive thru flea market, after getting thru that we headed for Concord and then Turkey point. While waiting in line to climb Concord someone in front of us heard Hannah telling someone behind us about the painting she just won, and from the front of the line we heard "you must be Hannah" and then while walking the 13 miles (seemed like it) to Turkey Point someone else walking the other way said "hey there's Hannah" After 6 years of collecting and going to events and reunions…. everyone remembers Hannah
My compliments to Harbour Lights and all there staff/family, it was a very well done, high class reunion, my money was well spent and I look foreword to another reunion if they choose to do so,
Thank You Harbour Lights and my fellow collectors for making it a great time !!
[This message has been edited by Mark Wagner (edited 10-14-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Mark Wagner (edited 10-14-2001).]